(Part 2) Best bike lube according to redditors
We found 142 Reddit comments discussing the best bike lube. We ranked the 40 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Congrats on the new group set! It'll serve you well. This is a great time to do a complete teardown on the bike, clean it and re-build it fresh.
I'd suggest stripping the bike down to its bare essentials, including disassembling the pivots. Check the bearings especially for wear, as those often get missed. The only thing you might not be able to get out is the headset cups, which are pressed into the frame. Don't worry about those, but do take apart the headset and grease the bearings.
For lubrication and fluids, I'd suggest getting a can of
Tri-Flow and a tub of Teflon Grease (Doesn't need to be that big). Use the teflon in: Bottom Bracket Threads, Headset and a little in the seatpost. These will help prevent those parts from seizing over time.
Use the Tri-Flow in all the pivots, sealed bearings and other moving parts. On the bearings, dribble a bit on the plastic seal and then spin it... you will feel a difference immediately.
I don't know if you've bought this too, but invest in some new cable and housing while you're at it. Make sure to replace both at the same time, since new cables will be ruined by worn housing and vice versa. These should be replaced every year or so anyway and since it's going to be completely apart, you might as well.
Hope this helps and feel free to message me if you have questions or run into trouble... I do this a lot.
I had the same problem until someone told me to use the "dry" oil lubricant and not the "wet" oil lubricant. The "wet" stuff is very sticky (any dirt will stick to it) and I was told is better for mountain bikes that you need to keep working even when covered in mud and gunk. The "dry" stuff is less sticky, less viscous and better suited to road bikes. My chain and cassette is always shiny now.
nah you need special bike lube, something like this https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Synthetic-Blend-Bottle/dp/B000AOA290/ref=zg_bs_3405601_19?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TJH4MZDZFW64S7SRPK0Q
just stop by any bike store, they'll have it for cheap, or maybe even do it for free. If you do just buy some, don't be conservative with applying it. make sure you get it on everything.
Dry: graphite powder
Wet: TriFlow
Where I live it has only really rained one or twice this summer, so like to use this dry lube every 100 or miles. If I got caught in rain? Wipe the chain down with a damp rag and lube again. Dry lube doesn't last as long but it cleans the chain a little as it gets used. If you live in a rainy area or want to stock up winter supplies use a wet lube so it doesn't get washed off in the middle of your ride. It's not a bad idea to degrease your rinse your chain to completely clean it up every month either.
Make sure you care of your chain after every wet ride because a dirty chain wears faster. Chain life varies, but make sure you replace it in time or else you'll wear out your entire drivetrain and that is an expensive repair in lieu of $20-30 for a new chain!
My bike has the exact same reservoir and caliper (except with different branding) and bleeding the brakes fixed the same problem.
https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-SM-DB-Mineral-Bleed-50ml/dp/B00158S3Z0/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1501439317&sr=8-6&keywords=shimano+brake+bleed+kit
Fixed it with this kit, you might want to get two because I just barely had enough to finish both brakes with one bottle, planning on redoing the rear brakes because its started to get play back in it.
I used to always buy those until every can at Walmart started leaking directly from where the nozzle attaches instead of spraying out through the straw, so I stopped buying it. People in the comments also say the formula isn't as good as it used to be. Since then I've been using WD40 as a degreaser which works fine, but kerosene can be used as well.
You're going to save yourself a ton of time with one of these. Get one. Spray, brush, wipe with rag, repeat until clean.
I've been using this every time and it is great. Most people will recommend it. Make sure you get it on the inside of the chain as well as the orings. Gently wipe off the excess so it doesn't fling all over your bike.
That chain of yours looks like death and has probably never been cleaned before. Get as much crap off of it as you can, then see if there's any significant rust or oring damage. If the chain is that bad, I can only imagine the chain slack is terrible. The owner probably also neglected to do simple things such as the brake fluid or coolant, maybe even tire pressure.
Edit: Clean the sprockets while you're at it.
I spent $600 on an entry-level road bike and about another $600 on accessories last month. First time biking since I was a kid with a budget MTB. Pretty happy with my current setup outside of my evil saddle.
Here are some accessories I got which I think are potentially missing from your list or are just good fits for what you want (not going to talk about stuff like a saddle bag since the right choice for that differs by person/bike):
Try to get a bike fit done. Those can be expensive though. The best tip I can share regarding fit from my limited experience is "your saddle is probably too low".
B'laster 16-TDL Advanced Dry Lube with Teflon - 9.3-Ounces https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002JM8HM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0LB-Bb93VK0QE
This one doesn't call it a lock lube but it's a Teflon based dry lube. You should be able to find something like it at a home improvement or auto parts store.
Recently I switched to Rock 'n' Roll Ultra-Dry, and while I haven't been using it long enough to give a full assessment, I am very pleased with it so far with its ability to stay and run clean. It gets a thumbs up and recommendation from me.
I uses this, White Ligthning.
It is a wax based lubricant and is a lot easier to put on. Just put it on after every 100-200 miles.
Edit: You can put on more miles, but the lube is relatively cheap and it takes 2 minutes to apply a new coat, so why not do it often.
I typically clean my guns after any range trip, but I am not as OCD about it as I was trained to be.
One thing I do always use is some form of a CLP. I like using something like that because if I leave a little behind in some hard-to-clean area of the gun, it will still provide an oil-like protective film. I cringe when I hear people use something like brake cleaner on their guns to de-grease them. If they miss a spot oiling/lubing afterward they have left bare metal exposed - pretty much guaranteed to rust.
Break-Free - was always a good stand by.
Tri-Flow - is similar to Break Free, I just seem to like it better (once heard it was created by one of the two original Break Free partners after their split. Not sure of the validity of that story.).
Strike Hold - This is just the best of the bunch. It does all it is supposed to: penetrates well, makes it easy to clean the gun, and it provides stellar protection after wiping it all down when finishing up. You could use just this and do well for your guns.
Ballistol - no long-term assessment yet. I seem to still reach right past the Ballistol can and grab the Strike Hold spray bottle. I suppose one of these days I will have to make a serious attempt at learning for myself if this is the way to go.
by "special kit" I think you mean a valve core removal tool and the plastic hose that comes with the bottle of sealant.
I ordered the Park tool to measure chain along with:
Finish Line E-Bike Chain Lube
I’ve been using Finish Line for a few years now, I don’t know if “eBike” lube is branding, but it wasn’t grotesquely expensive.
I like Boeshield T-9 for dry conditions, and Progold Xtreme for wet.
You can get lube by the gallon
Chain Life is my favorite chain lube. Super tenacious, lasts long enough, doesn't smell funny, wipes away easily. Comes out as a foam so it's a little too easy to overapply. Amazon is the only place I've found it without having to buy a case.
WD40 is great for cleaning stuff, but make sure you don't use it as a lubricant.
If you need to lubricate the lock mechanism, I'd suggest a teflon based lubricant. I use TF2 spray.
I used loctite on the frame only.
I use Tri-Flow for the bearings / rods. SUPERIOR LUBE TRI-FLOW 6oz DRIP BOTTLE https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015VD03M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_txuTBbSD406YX
If you use soemthing thicker, like lithium grease, you'll have to degrease your bearings first.
Gnarlube blue is pretty intense. The Rock "n" Roll blue lube is a close second.
T9 is pretty great for the bi-weekly rub-down. In between I'd recommend Rock-n-Roll Extreme