Hello everybody...
Would you please share your thoughts concerning your choice in lubes you use. Specifically:
- Chain lube. We use Prolink - expensive but good performance. Would like
a more "green" solution.
- General oil-like lube, we use Triflow. It's cheap.
For both, we buy bulk and refill the smaller bottles.
Could you please share your experiences and strategies? Perhaps some sort of automotive lube instead of triflow? Anybody currently supported directly by a lube company?
Brian SLO Bike Kitchen Co-founder www.slobikekitchen.org San Luis Obispo, CA
We use Pedros ChainJ which is bio-degradeable, and inexpensive in the big bottle. For penetrating oil we use marvel mystery oil in a small squeeze bottle in stead of something like WD-40 in an aerosol. Aside from not using propellant a squeeze bottle wastes less by only dropping it where you want it, and not spraying it all around the shop and into the air.
Matt freeridemontpelier.org
On Nov 18, 2010, at 12:08 PM, Brian wrote:
Hello everybody...
Would you please share your thoughts concerning your choice in lubes you use. Specifically:
Chain lube. We use Prolink - expensive but good performance. Would like a more "green" solution.
General oil-like lube, we use Triflow. It's cheap.
For both, we buy bulk and refill the smaller bottles.
Could you please share your experiences and strategies? Perhaps some sort of automotive lube instead of triflow? Anybody currently supported directly by a lube company?
Brian SLO Bike Kitchen Co-founder www.slobikekitchen.org San Luis Obispo, CA _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Would you please share your thoughts concerning your choice in lubes you use. Specifically:
I have heard reference made to a DIY chain lube "reciple" somewhere online but have been unable to source it. If anyone is familiar with this please share.
Thanks, Sam
-- Director of Operations Bozeman Bike Kitchen
We use ChainJ for chain lube (from the big bottles) and Polylube for grease- many of our mechanics wear gloves when dealing with this stuff, because some have noticed it can cause small blood vessel breaks in the skin.
I'm not sure we were ever able to find a more green alternative for the grease, that performed as well. We use WD-40 with an applicator tip for loosening up rusty parts.
Best, Leslie Durham Bike Co-op
On Thu, Nov 18, 2010 at 12:17 PM, Sam Haraldson sam@bozemanbikekitchen.orgwrote:
Would you please share your thoughts concerning your choice in lubes you use. Specifically:
I have heard reference made to a DIY chain lube "reciple" somewhere online but have been unable to source it. If anyone is familiar with this please share.
Thanks, Sam
-- Director of Operations Bozeman Bike Kitchen _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Hi everyone,
A good alternative to WD-40 is PB Blaster, it's not "greener" but works better than WD-40 IMO.
Hope that helps, Michael
Velocitycoop.org -----Original Message----- From: Leslie Peteya lesliepeteya@gmail.com Sender: thethinktank-bounces@lists.bikecollectives.orgDate: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 12:47:46 To: The Think Tankthethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Reply-To: The Think Tank thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and sources.
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
TriFlow is a great nurotoxin. When you read the MSDS Material Safty Data Sheet you will learn that you should not be in a room with a bike that has been lubed with Triflow. The aresol does make triflow more effictive at harming humans. Prolink is good for dry conditions, Philwood is best for wet conditions.
here's the MSDS for triflow, for reference.
On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 8:28 PM, bovineoaks@aol.com wrote:
TriFlow is a great nurotoxin. When you read the MSDS Material Safty Data Sheet you will learn that you should not be in a room with a bike that has been lubed with Triflow. The aresol does make triflow more effictive at
harming humans.
Prolink is good for dry conditions, Philwood is best for wet conditions.
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
I found this pdf datasheet on triflow. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CEAQFjAF&...
If you look at the bottom ride of the file you'll see HMIS code, which roughly translates as 2) "Temporary or minor injury may occur." (Scroll down this page for the chart http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/hmis.html)
Gervase Gallant
Des Moines Bike Collective: Commuter Corner http://dsmcommutercorner.wordpress.com/
--- On Sun, 11/21/10, Angel York aniola@gmail.com wrote:
From: Angel York aniola@gmail.com Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and sources. To: "The Think Tank" thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Cc: gilbertmj2@gmail.com Date: Sunday, November 21, 2010, 9:09 PM here's the MSDS for triflow, for reference.
On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 8:28 PM, bovineoaks@aol.com wrote:
TriFlow is a great nurotoxin. When you read the MSDS
Material Safty Data
Sheet you will learn that you should not be in a room
with a bike that has
been lubed with Triflow. The aresol does make triflow
more effictive at
harming humans.
Prolink is good for dry conditions, Philwood is best
for wet conditions.
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
We get various stuff donated to us (I've come to despise WD40), but in
terms of what to buy we took a tip from a local shop and use winter-
weight chainsaw oil. The reasoning is 1) it is fairly thin, 2) it
breaks down a bit better into the environment, and 3) one can use it
in old internal-gear hubs (apparently perfect for Sturmey-Archers). :)
We buy gallon jugs and pour into plastic oil dispensers.
We used to get our bearing grease donated to us by a wholesaler, but
that stopped for some reason (never quite found out why) and so now we
just buy a pail of high-temp grease from Canadian Tire and put it into
smaller containers.
From a Green standpoint, I once asked my dad (a metallurgist) about
using a non-petroleum-based formula. He said one could use grease made
from whatever veggie source, but that it would break down very quickly
due to the heat from friction. So while it would work be prepared to
overhaul your hubs every couple of weeks (or more). :P
So it seem that as long as one is dealing with metal-on-metal the
petroleum-based stuff seems to be a necessary evil. That said, perhaps
some bright minds may find an organic solution to this some day.
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 18-Nov-10, at 12:08 PM, Brian wrote:
Hello everybody...
Would you please share your thoughts concerning your choice in lubes
you use. Specifically:
- Chain lube. We use Prolink - expensive but good performance.
Would like a more "green" solution.
- General oil-like lube, we use Triflow. It's cheap.
For both, we buy bulk and refill the smaller bottles.
Could you please share your experiences and strategies? Perhaps
some sort of automotive lube instead of triflow? Anybody currently
supported directly by a lube company?Brian SLO Bike Kitchen Co-founder www.slobikekitchen.org San Luis Obispo, CA
Chain saw oil is pretty terrible for your chain... major grit and dirt magnet. Also makes working on the bike extremely dirty work.
At our coop, we use Finish line wax lube, usually dry. Here's the wet version: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3965288&ci...
A little goes a long way. Gervase Gallant
Des Moines Bike Collective: Commuter Corner http://dsmcommutercorner.wordpress.com/
--- On Mon, 11/22/10, Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca wrote:
From: Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and sources. To: "The Think Tank" thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Date: Monday, November 22, 2010, 8:14 PM We get various stuff donated to us (I've come to despise WD40), but in terms of what to buy we took a tip from a local shop and use winter-weight chainsaw oil. The reasoning is 1) it is fairly thin, 2) it breaks down a bit better into the environment, and 3) one can use it in old internal-gear hubs (apparently perfect for Sturmey-Archers). :)
We buy gallon jugs and pour into plastic oil dispensers.
We used to get our bearing grease donated to us by a wholesaler, but that stopped for some reason (never quite found out why) and so now we just buy a pail of high-temp grease from Canadian Tire and put it into smaller containers.
From a Green standpoint, I once asked my dad (a metallurgist) about using a non-petroleum-based formula. He said one could use grease made from whatever veggie source, but that it would break down very quickly due to the heat from friction. So while it would work be prepared to overhaul your hubs every couple of weeks (or more). :P
So it seem that as long as one is dealing with metal-on-metal the petroleum-based stuff seems to be a necessary evil. That said, perhaps some bright minds may find an organic solution to this some day.
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 18-Nov-10, at 12:08 PM, Brian wrote:
Hello everybody...
Would you please share your thoughts concerning your
choice in lubes you use. Specifically:
- Chain lube. We use Prolink - expensive but
good performance. Would like a more "green" solution.
- General oil-like lube, we use Triflow. It's
cheap.
For both, we buy bulk and refill the smaller bottles.
Could you please share your experiences and
strategies? Perhaps some sort of automotive lube instead of triflow? Anybody currently supported directly by a lube company?
Brian SLO Bike Kitchen Co-founder www.slobikekitchen.org San Luis Obispo, CA
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Well, I would venture that one need not put a lot of oil on, but of
course some folks like to soak their chains. For what it's worth I've
heard no complaints about our usage of this stuff, from either staff
or bike buyers.
My experience with wax lubes is that they need constant replacement
when it's wet, but they certainly are cleaner to work with. We sell a
lot of decent bikes, but we sell far more cheap bikes to folks that
may or may not pay attention to bike maintenance. So if a bike goes
out with oil that will stay on it the chain might last that much longer.
On my personal bikes I'm still using up an old gallon of 30W motor
oil. A bit messy, but I have well-lubed and happy chains. I've just
reminded myself of the "chain lube wars" on cycling discussion groups,
so I'll go no further. ;)
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 23-Nov-10, at 12:27 AM, Gervase Gallant wrote:
Chain saw oil is pretty terrible for your chain... major grit and
dirt magnet. Also makes working on the bike extremely dirty work.At our coop, we use Finish line wax lube, usually dry. Here's the
wet version: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3965288&ci...A little goes a long way. Gervase Gallant
Des Moines Bike Collective: Commuter Corner http://dsmcommutercorner.wordpress.com/
--- On Mon, 11/22/10, Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca wrote:
From: Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and sources. To: "The Think Tank" thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Date: Monday, November 22, 2010, 8:14 PM We get various stuff donated to us (I've come to despise WD40), but in terms of what to buy we took a tip from a local shop and use winter-weight chainsaw oil. The reasoning is 1) it is fairly thin, 2) it breaks down a bit better into the environment, and 3) one can use it in old internal-gear hubs (apparently perfect for Sturmey-Archers). :)
We buy gallon jugs and pour into plastic oil dispensers.
We used to get our bearing grease donated to us by a wholesaler, but that stopped for some reason (never quite found out why) and so now we just buy a pail of high-temp grease from Canadian Tire and put it into smaller containers.
From a Green standpoint, I once asked my dad (a metallurgist) about using a non-petroleum-based formula. He said one could use grease made from whatever veggie source, but that it would break down very quickly due to the heat from friction. So while it would work be prepared to overhaul your hubs every couple of weeks (or more). :P
So it seem that as long as one is dealing with metal-on-metal the petroleum-based stuff seems to be a necessary evil. That said, perhaps some bright minds may find an organic solution to this some day.
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 18-Nov-10, at 12:08 PM, Brian wrote:
Hello everybody...
Would you please share your thoughts concerning your
choice in lubes you use. Specifically:
- Chain lube. We use Prolink - expensive but
good performance. Would like a more "green" solution.
- General oil-like lube, we use Triflow. It's
cheap.
For both, we buy bulk and refill the smaller bottles.
Could you please share your experiences and
strategies? Perhaps some sort of automotive lube instead of triflow? Anybody currently supported directly by a lube company?
Brian SLO Bike Kitchen Co-founder www.slobikekitchen.org San Luis Obispo, CA
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Lube http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Lube Sincerely,
Jonathan Morrison Executive Director Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective 2312 S. West Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 w: 801-328-2453 c: 801-688-0183 f: 801-466-3856 www.slcbikecollective.org
The mission of the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective is to promote cycling as an effective and sustainable form of transportation and as a cornerstone of a cleaner, healthier, and safer society. The Bicycle Collective provides refurbished bicycles and educational programs to the community, focusing on children and lower income households.
On Mon, Nov 22, 2010 at 10:45 PM, Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca wrote:
Well, I would venture that one need not put a lot of oil on, but of course some folks like to soak their chains. For what it's worth I've heard no complaints about our usage of this stuff, from either staff or bike buyers.
My experience with wax lubes is that they need constant replacement when it's wet, but they certainly are cleaner to work with. We sell a lot of decent bikes, but we sell far more cheap bikes to folks that may or may not pay attention to bike maintenance. So if a bike goes out with oil that will stay on it the chain might last that much longer.
On my personal bikes I'm still using up an old gallon of 30W motor oil. A bit messy, but I have well-lubed and happy chains. I've just reminded myself of the "chain lube wars" on cycling discussion groups, so I'll go no further. ;)
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 23-Nov-10, at 12:27 AM, Gervase Gallant wrote:
Chain saw oil is pretty terrible for your chain... major grit and dirt
magnet. Also makes working on the bike extremely dirty work.
At our coop, we use Finish line wax lube, usually dry. Here's the wet version: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3965288&ci...
A little goes a long way. Gervase Gallant
Des Moines Bike Collective: Commuter Corner http://dsmcommutercorner.wordpress.com/
--- On Mon, 11/22/10, Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca wrote:
From: Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca
Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and sources. To: "The Think Tank" thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Date: Monday, November 22, 2010, 8:14 PM We get various stuff donated to us (I've come to despise WD40), but in terms of what to buy we took a tip from a local shop and use winter-weight chainsaw oil. The reasoning is 1) it is fairly thin, 2) it breaks down a bit better into the environment, and 3) one can use it in old internal-gear hubs (apparently perfect for Sturmey-Archers). :)
We buy gallon jugs and pour into plastic oil dispensers.
We used to get our bearing grease donated to us by a wholesaler, but that stopped for some reason (never quite found out why) and so now we just buy a pail of high-temp grease from Canadian Tire and put it into smaller containers.
From a Green standpoint, I once asked my dad (a metallurgist) about using a non-petroleum-based formula. He said one could use grease made from whatever veggie source, but that it would break down very quickly due to the heat from friction. So while it would work be prepared to overhaul your hubs every couple of weeks (or more). :P
So it seem that as long as one is dealing with metal-on-metal the petroleum-based stuff seems to be a necessary evil. That said, perhaps some bright minds may find an organic solution to this some day.
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 18-Nov-10, at 12:08 PM, Brian wrote:
Hello everybody...
Would you please share your thoughts concerning your
choice in lubes you use. Specifically:
- Chain lube. We use Prolink - expensive but
good performance. Would like a more "green" solution.
- General oil-like lube, we use Triflow. It's
cheap.
For both, we buy bulk and refill the smaller bottles.
Could you please share your experiences and
strategies? Perhaps some sort of automotive lube instead of triflow? Anybody currently supported directly by a lube company?
Brian SLO Bike Kitchen Co-founder www.slobikekitchen.org San Luis Obispo, CA
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
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Mark, sorry I'd didn't explain myself better yesterday.
I agree with you that many commercial chain lubes aren't really worth the money. I used "Rock and Roll" for a while and have the same comment as you.
So I too used motor oil and later a mixture of 1/4 motor oil and 3/4 paint thinner. This latter actually works much better as it quickly penetrates to the part of the chain that need the lubrication.
However, this year the head mechanic at our coop recommended Finish Line. I tried it and discovered 1) it was very clean and 2) I didn't need to lube as often. There is some petroleum agent in it, but there's also some wax. So I've moved over to Finish Line and so has the shop.
As for bearing surfaces, we have been using lithium grease - usually in a tube, which allows for clean dispensing. For non-bearing surfaces, we use a cheaper lithium grease that we dispense with a small art brush. This latter is great for seat posts and the like.
Anyway if you are in a mood for experimenting, buy a $5 bottle of Finish line sometime and see if it works for you.
Gervase Gallant
Des Moines Bike Collective: Commuter Corner http://dsmcommutercorner.wordpress.com/
--- On Mon, 11/22/10, Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca wrote:
From: Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and sources. To: "The Think Tank" thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Date: Monday, November 22, 2010, 11:45 PM Well, I would venture that one need not put a lot of oil on, but of course some folks like to soak their chains. For what it's worth I've heard no complaints about our usage of this stuff, from either staff or bike buyers.
My experience with wax lubes is that they need constant replacement when it's wet, but they certainly are cleaner to work with. We sell a lot of decent bikes, but we sell far more cheap bikes to folks that may or may not pay attention to bike maintenance. So if a bike goes out with oil that will stay on it the chain might last that much longer.
On my personal bikes I'm still using up an old gallon of 30W motor oil. A bit messy, but I have well-lubed and happy chains. I've just reminded myself of the "chain lube wars" on cycling discussion groups, so I'll go no further. ;)
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 23-Nov-10, at 12:27 AM, Gervase Gallant wrote:
Chain saw oil is pretty terrible for your chain...
major grit and dirt magnet. Also makes working on the bike extremely dirty work.
At our coop, we use Finish line wax lube, usually dry.
Here's the wet version: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3965288&ci...
A little goes a long way. Gervase Gallant
Des Moines Bike Collective: Commuter Corner http://dsmcommutercorner.wordpress.com/
--- On Mon, 11/22/10, Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca
wrote:
From: Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and
sources.
To: "The Think Tank" thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Date: Monday, November 22, 2010, 8:14 PM We get various stuff donated to us (I've come to despise WD40), but in terms of what
to buy we
took a tip from a local shop and use winter-weight
chainsaw
oil. The reasoning is 1) it is fairly thin, 2) it
breaks
down a bit better into the environment, and 3) one
can use
it in old internal-gear hubs (apparently perfect
for
Sturmey-Archers). :)
We buy gallon jugs and pour into plastic oil
dispensers.
We used to get our bearing grease donated to us by
a
wholesaler, but that stopped for some reason
(never quite
found out why) and so now we just buy a pail of
high-temp
grease from Canadian Tire and put it into smaller containers.
From a Green standpoint, I once asked my dad (a metallurgist) about using a non-petroleum-based
formula. He
said one could use grease made from whatever
veggie source,
but that it would break down very quickly due to
the heat
from friction. So while it would work be prepared
to
overhaul your hubs every couple of weeks (or
more).
:P
So it seem that as long as one is dealing with metal-on-metal the petroleum-based stuff seems to
be a
necessary evil. That said, perhaps some bright
minds may
find an organic solution to this some day.
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 18-Nov-10, at 12:08 PM, Brian wrote:
Hello everybody...
Would you please share your thoughts
concerning your
choice in lubes you use. Specifically:
- Chain lube. We use Prolink -
expensive but
good performance. Would like a more "green"
solution.
- General oil-like lube, we use
Triflow. It's
cheap.
For both, we buy bulk and refill the smaller
bottles.
Could you please share your experiences and
strategies? Perhaps some sort of automotive
lube
instead of triflow? Anybody currently
supported
directly by a lube company?
Brian SLO Bike Kitchen Co-founder www.slobikekitchen.org San Luis Obispo, CA
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
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On 23-Nov-10, at 9:13 PM, Gervase Gallant wrote:
Mark, sorry I'd didn't explain myself better yesterday.
I agree with you that many commercial chain lubes aren't really
worth the money. I used "Rock and Roll" for a while and have the
same comment as you.So I too used motor oil and later a mixture of 1/4 motor oil and 3/4
paint thinner. This latter actually works much better as it quickly
penetrates to the part of the chain that need the lubrication.
Ah yes, I'd heard about this. I do have some thinner around somewhere
(probably a rather old can) and could try this.
Funny thing: I haven't bought a new chain in years (I think the last
one was five years ago). I have around 12 bikes / trikes, and whenever
a chain starts to get too stretched I simply get a used-not-quite-as-
stretched one from our shop. We almost never put new chains on our
recycled bikes, but simply follow the above practice. Of course if
things are getting worn we make note of that on the bike's worksheet
and lower the price accordingly.
However, this year the head mechanic at our coop recommended Finish
Line. I tried it and discovered 1) it was very clean and 2) I didn't
need to lube as often. There is some petroleum agent in it, but
there's also some wax. So I've moved over to Finish Line and so has
the shop.As for bearing surfaces, we have been using lithium grease - usually
in a tube, which allows for clean dispensing. For non-bearing
surfaces, we use a cheaper lithium grease that we dispense with a
small art brush. This latter is great for seat posts and the like.
This is another good point. We transfer our grease form pail to small
margarine tubs. Problem is, the stuff gets contaminated rather
quickly by folks who innocently ignorant of what they are doing (we
can't supervise everyone all the time, though our shop would be much
the better for it if we could). A tube dispenser is a very good idea.
Anyway if you are in a mood for experimenting, buy a $5 bottle of
Finish line sometime and see if it works for you.
I'm sure there's a bottle of that stuff somewhere in our shop...
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
Gervase Gallant
Des Moines Bike Collective: Commuter Corner http://dsmcommutercorner.wordpress.com/
--- On Mon, 11/22/10, Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca wrote:
From: Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and sources. To: "The Think Tank" thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Date: Monday, November 22, 2010, 11:45 PM Well, I would venture that one need not put a lot of oil on, but of course some folks like to soak their chains. For what it's worth I've heard no complaints about our usage of this stuff, from either staff or bike buyers.
My experience with wax lubes is that they need constant replacement when it's wet, but they certainly are cleaner to work with. We sell a lot of decent bikes, but we sell far more cheap bikes to folks that may or may not pay attention to bike maintenance. So if a bike goes out with oil that will stay on it the chain might last that much longer.
On my personal bikes I'm still using up an old gallon of 30W motor oil. A bit messy, but I have well-lubed and happy chains. I've just reminded myself of the "chain lube wars" on cycling discussion groups, so I'll go no further. ;)
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 23-Nov-10, at 12:27 AM, Gervase Gallant wrote:
Chain saw oil is pretty terrible for your chain...
major grit and dirt magnet. Also makes working on the bike extremely dirty work.
At our coop, we use Finish line wax lube, usually dry.
Here's the wet version: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3965288&ci...
A little goes a long way. Gervase Gallant
Des Moines Bike Collective: Commuter Corner http://dsmcommutercorner.wordpress.com/
--- On Mon, 11/22/10, Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca
wrote:
From: Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and
sources.
To: "The Think Tank" thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Date: Monday, November 22, 2010, 8:14 PM We get various stuff donated to us (I've come to despise WD40), but in terms of what
to buy we
took a tip from a local shop and use winter-weight
chainsaw
oil. The reasoning is 1) it is fairly thin, 2) it
breaks
down a bit better into the environment, and 3) one
can use
it in old internal-gear hubs (apparently perfect
for
Sturmey-Archers). :)
We buy gallon jugs and pour into plastic oil
dispensers.
We used to get our bearing grease donated to us by
a
wholesaler, but that stopped for some reason
(never quite
found out why) and so now we just buy a pail of
high-temp
grease from Canadian Tire and put it into smaller containers.
From a Green standpoint, I once asked my dad (a metallurgist) about using a non-petroleum-based
formula. He
said one could use grease made from whatever
veggie source,
but that it would break down very quickly due to
the heat
from friction. So while it would work be prepared
to
overhaul your hubs every couple of weeks (or
more).
:P
So it seem that as long as one is dealing with metal-on-metal the petroleum-based stuff seems to
be a
necessary evil. That said, perhaps some bright
minds may
find an organic solution to this some day.
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 18-Nov-10, at 12:08 PM, Brian wrote:
Hello everybody...
Would you please share your thoughts
concerning your
choice in lubes you use. Specifically:
- Chain lube. We use Prolink -
expensive but
good performance. Would like a more "green"
solution.
- General oil-like lube, we use
Triflow. It's
cheap.
For both, we buy bulk and refill the smaller
bottles.
Could you please share your experiences and
strategies? Perhaps some sort of automotive
lube
instead of triflow? Anybody currently
supported
directly by a lube company?
Brian SLO Bike Kitchen Co-founder www.slobikekitchen.org San Luis Obispo, CA
This local company donates lubricant to us: http://www.happychain.net/ Troy Bike Rescue
On 11/23/10 9:13 PM, Gervase Gallant wrote:
Mark, sorry I'd didn't explain myself better yesterday.
I agree with you that many commercial chain lubes aren't really worth the money. I used "Rock and Roll" for a while and have the same comment as you.
So I too used motor oil and later a mixture of 1/4 motor oil and 3/4 paint thinner. This latter actually works much better as it quickly penetrates to the part of the chain that need the lubrication.
However, this year the head mechanic at our coop recommended Finish Line. I tried it and discovered 1) it was very clean and 2) I didn't need to lube as often. There is some petroleum agent in it, but there's also some wax. So I've moved over to Finish Line and so has the shop.
As for bearing surfaces, we have been using lithium grease - usually in a tube, which allows for clean dispensing. For non-bearing surfaces, we use a cheaper lithium grease that we dispense with a small art brush. This latter is great for seat posts and the like.
Anyway if you are in a mood for experimenting, buy a $5 bottle of Finish line sometime and see if it works for you.
Gervase Gallant
Des Moines Bike Collective: Commuter Corner http://dsmcommutercorner.wordpress.com/
--- On Mon, 11/22/10, Mark Rehdermark@re-cycles.ca wrote:
From: Mark Rehdermark@re-cycles.ca Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and sources. To: "The Think Tank"thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Date: Monday, November 22, 2010, 11:45 PM Well, I would venture that one need not put a lot of oil on, but of course some folks like to soak their chains. For what it's worth I've heard no complaints about our usage of this stuff, from either staff or bike buyers.
My experience with wax lubes is that they need constant replacement when it's wet, but they certainly are cleaner to work with. We sell a lot of decent bikes, but we sell far more cheap bikes to folks that may or may not pay attention to bike maintenance. So if a bike goes out with oil that will stay on it the chain might last that much longer.
On my personal bikes I'm still using up an old gallon of 30W motor oil. A bit messy, but I have well-lubed and happy chains. I've just reminded myself of the "chain lube wars" on cycling discussion groups, so I'll go no further. ;)
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 23-Nov-10, at 12:27 AM, Gervase Gallant wrote:
Chain saw oil is pretty terrible for your chain...
major grit and dirt magnet. Also makes working on the bike extremely dirty work.
At our coop, we use Finish line wax lube, usually dry.
Here's the wet version: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3965288&ci...
A little goes a long way. Gervase Gallant
Des Moines Bike Collective: Commuter Corner http://dsmcommutercorner.wordpress.com/
--- On Mon, 11/22/10, Mark Rehdermark@re-cycles.ca
wrote:
From: Mark Rehdermark@re-cycles.ca Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and
sources.
To: "The Think Tank"thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Date: Monday, November 22, 2010, 8:14 PM We get various stuff donated to us (I've come to despise WD40), but in terms of what
to buy we
took a tip from a local shop and use winter-weight
chainsaw
oil. The reasoning is 1) it is fairly thin, 2) it
breaks
down a bit better into the environment, and 3) one
can use
it in old internal-gear hubs (apparently perfect
for
Sturmey-Archers). :)
We buy gallon jugs and pour into plastic oil
dispensers.
We used to get our bearing grease donated to us by
a
wholesaler, but that stopped for some reason
(never quite
found out why) and so now we just buy a pail of
high-temp
grease from Canadian Tire and put it into smaller containers.
From a Green standpoint, I once asked my dad (a metallurgist) about using a non-petroleum-based
formula. He
said one could use grease made from whatever
veggie source,
but that it would break down very quickly due to
the heat
from friction. So while it would work be prepared
to
overhaul your hubs every couple of weeks (or
more).
:P
So it seem that as long as one is dealing with metal-on-metal the petroleum-based stuff seems to
be a
necessary evil. That said, perhaps some bright
minds may
find an organic solution to this some day.
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 18-Nov-10, at 12:08 PM, Brian wrote:
Hello everybody...
Would you please share your thoughts
concerning your
choice in lubes you use. Specifically:
- Chain lube. We use Prolink -
expensive but
good performance. Would like a more "green"
solution.
- General oil-like lube, we use
Triflow. It's
cheap.
For both, we buy bulk and refill the smaller
bottles.
Could you please share your experiences and
strategies? Perhaps some sort of automotive
lube
instead of triflow? Anybody currently
supported
directly by a lube company?
Brian SLO Bike Kitchen Co-founder www.slobikekitchen.org San Luis Obispo, CA
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
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We pretty much use KY on everything.
I mean EVERYTHING.
On Wed, Nov 24, 2010 at 6:24 AM, andrew anyone@breathingplanet.net wrote:
This local company donates lubricant to us: http://www.happychain.net/ Troy Bike Rescue
On 11/23/10 9:13 PM, Gervase Gallant wrote:
Mark, sorry I'd didn't explain myself better yesterday.
I agree with you that many commercial chain lubes aren't really worth the money. I used "Rock and Roll" for a while and have the same comment as you.
So I too used motor oil and later a mixture of 1/4 motor oil and 3/4 paint thinner. This latter actually works much better as it quickly penetrates to the part of the chain that need the lubrication.
However, this year the head mechanic at our coop recommended Finish Line. I tried it and discovered 1) it was very clean and 2) I didn't need to lube as often. There is some petroleum agent in it, but there's also some wax. So I've moved over to Finish Line and so has the shop.
As for bearing surfaces, we have been using lithium grease - usually in a tube, which allows for clean dispensing. For non-bearing surfaces, we use a cheaper lithium grease that we dispense with a small art brush. This latter is great for seat posts and the like.
Anyway if you are in a mood for experimenting, buy a $5 bottle of Finish line sometime and see if it works for you.
Gervase Gallant
Des Moines Bike Collective: Commuter Corner http://dsmcommutercorner.wordpress.com/
--- On Mon, 11/22/10, Mark Rehdermark@re-cycles.ca wrote:
From: Mark Rehdermark@re-cycles.ca
Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and sources. To: "The Think Tank"thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org Date: Monday, November 22, 2010, 11:45 PM Well, I would venture that one need not put a lot of oil on, but of course some folks like to soak their chains. For what it's worth I've heard no complaints about our usage of this stuff, from either staff or bike buyers.
My experience with wax lubes is that they need constant replacement when it's wet, but they certainly are cleaner to work with. We sell a lot of decent bikes, but we sell far more cheap bikes to folks that may or may not pay attention to bike maintenance. So if a bike goes out with oil that will stay on it the chain might last that much longer.
On my personal bikes I'm still using up an old gallon of 30W motor oil. A bit messy, but I have well-lubed and happy chains. I've just reminded myself of the "chain lube wars" on cycling discussion groups, so I'll go no further. ;)
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 23-Nov-10, at 12:27 AM, Gervase Gallant wrote:
Chain saw oil is pretty terrible for your chain...
major grit and dirt magnet. Also makes working on the bike extremely dirty work.
At our coop, we use Finish line wax lube, usually dry.
Here's the wet version: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3965288&ci...
A little goes a long way. Gervase Gallant
Des Moines Bike Collective: Commuter Corner http://dsmcommutercorner.wordpress.com/
--- On Mon, 11/22/10, Mark Rehdermark@re-cycles.ca
wrote:
From: Mark Rehdermark@re-cycles.ca
Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Lubes, choice of and
sources.
To: "The Think Tank"thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org
Date: Monday, November 22, 2010, 8:14 PM We get various stuff donated to us (I've come to despise WD40), but in terms of what
to buy we
took a tip from a local shop and use winter-weight
chainsaw
oil. The reasoning is 1) it is fairly thin, 2) it
breaks
down a bit better into the environment, and 3) one
can use
it in old internal-gear hubs (apparently perfect
for
Sturmey-Archers). :)
We buy gallon jugs and pour into plastic oil
dispensers.
We used to get our bearing grease donated to us by
a
wholesaler, but that stopped for some reason
(never quite
found out why) and so now we just buy a pail of
high-temp
grease from Canadian Tire and put it into smaller
containers.
From a Green standpoint, I once asked my dad (a metallurgist) about using a non-petroleum-based
formula. He
said one could use grease made from whatever
veggie source,
but that it would break down very quickly due to
the heat
from friction. So while it would work be prepared
to
overhaul your hubs every couple of weeks (or
more).
:P
So it seem that as long as one is dealing with metal-on-metal the petroleum-based stuff seems to
be a
necessary evil. That said, perhaps some bright
minds may
find an organic solution to this some day.
Mark Rehder - Coordinator re-Cycles Community Bike Shop http://re-cycles.ca
On 18-Nov-10, at 12:08 PM, Brian wrote:
Hello everybody...
Would you please share your thoughts
concerning your
choice in lubes you use. Specifically:
- Chain lube. We use Prolink -
expensive but
good performance. Would like a more "green"
solution.
- General oil-like lube, we use
Triflow. It's
cheap.
For both, we buy bulk and refill the smaller
bottles.
Could you please share your experiences and
strategies? Perhaps some sort of automotive
lube
instead of triflow? Anybody currently
supported
directly by a lube company?
Brian SLO Bike Kitchen Co-founder www.slobikekitchen.org San Luis Obispo, CA
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
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-- andrew lynn | 518-573-7947 | troy, ny digital media | bike repair | tree work
http://www.breathingplanet.net http://www.troybikerescue.org http://www.mediasanctuary.org http://flickr.com/photos/breathingplanet
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