On Sep 4, 1:16*am, James wrote:
On 04/09/12 16:01, OccasionalFlyer wrote:









* *I've been lubing my chain and cogs (more or less) for many years..
It's time to do this for the first time on my current road bike. *I
usually use spray citrus degreaser and spray Tri-Flow. *I want to
switch to a method that does not get any of the cleaning chemicals on
the wheel or the frame. *I got cleaner for the Park tool that goes
around the chain (used that long ago but it seems awfully
inefficient). *So the cleaning part I can do. *It's the lubing part I
have a question about.
Context: *I am pretty near-sighted, so when someone at the bike shop
points to some spot on the chain and says, "Lube these," it is not
extremely helpful. *The same for pictures in the bike maintenance and
repair book I have (put together by Bicycling Magazine).

The pieces of the chain that the cog teeth actually touch does not, I
presume, need lubrication because it is not a moving part. *It is the
connecters between each chain link that need to be lubricated. *So,
without removing the chain from the bike, what approach can I use to
lube the parts of the chain that need it (which would most obviously
be both the side that faces away from the bike and the side that faces
the wheel) without getting lubricant on the bike or the wheel? I've
thought of trying to cut some sort of "shield" for the wheel and bike
out of cardboard or perhaps even a sheet of plastic but that sounds
rather cumbersome. *A better way? *I assume that it would not be a
spray but it still needs to get all the moving pieces of the chain.
With a squeeze bottle, I'm concerned about getting all the needed
spots (again partly a visual acuity issue). Thahks and sorry if this
seems too basic but I've never figured out a way to do this that works
well and is not such a hassle it's ridiculous.

Ken, you may as well have waved a red rag in front of a disturbed bull,
writing stuff like that. *There is such an enormous volume of personal
opinion regarding chain lube, any discussion of such things is liable to
turn ugly.

I use a relatively light oil (actually ATF) after cleaning, so that
future cleaning is easy, and the oil penetrates the inner parts of the
chain, and flows over the working surfaces. *It does wash off after some
time in wet weather, but I avoid wet weather avidly.

I use a squeezable bottle with a fine hole, and just run the chain
backward slowly while gently squeezing and aiming at one end of the
rollers. *If I get a bit too much on, I simply hold a rag to the chain
while turning the cranks in reverse, and wipe some off.

Don't be too concerned. *Chains work relatively well even when poorly
maintained.


X2. Chain lube is a distraction. I also use ATF, cut with a bit of
mineral spirits so it's super light. Works fine and doesn't get too
gross like motor oil. The price is correct. Also, it's red.