Lube how often?

On Mon, 08 Nov 2004 17:35:09 GMT, "Neil Brooks"
wrote:

dgk wrote:

Where do you lube a cable? You take it off, lube it, and thread it
back through the housing? I've never taken a cable off before, as you
can likely tell.

My brother--king of toys--gave me a gift a few years ago . . .

Click: http://snipurl.com/ahi4

. . . and look for "Motion Pro Cable Luber" and "Champions Choice Cable
Luber" on the page. Two different versions of the same thing. They're
incredibly neat gadgets that make cable lubrication a 15 second process.
Cheap, too!


Very cool. I think that I won't bother though. Some things I have to
leave for the annual LBS overhaul. I think that this will be one of
them.

Neil Brooks writes:

Where do you lube a cable? You take it off, lube it, and thread it
back through the housing? I've never taken a cable off before, as
you can likely tell.

My brother--king of toys--gave me a gift a few years ago...

Click: http://snipurl.com/ahi4

... and look for "Motion Pro Cable Luber" and "Champions Choice
Cable Luber" on the page. Two different versions of the same thing.
They're incredibly neat gadgets that make cable lubrication a 15
second process. Cheap, too!

I don't understand why you need such a device. When assembling a
cable you lubricate the cable with a shot of 30W motor oil into the
housing, insert the cable into the same end while holding the other
end shut with the finger and that's it for the life of the cable. The
aspect ratio of cable housing diameter and its length is such that the
lubricant would be difficult to remove with intent.

Jobst Brandt

Jobst Brandt wrote:

Neil Brooks writes:

Where do you lube a cable? You take it off, lube it, and thread it
back through the housing? I've never taken a cable off before, as
you can likely tell.

My brother--king of toys--gave me a gift a few years ago...

Click: http://snipurl.com/ahi4

... and look for "Motion Pro Cable Luber" and "Champions Choice
Cable Luber" on the page. Two different versions of the same thing.
They're incredibly neat gadgets that make cable lubrication a 15
second process. Cheap, too!

I don't understand why you need such a device. When assembling a
cable you lubricate the cable with a shot of 30W motor oil into the
housing, insert the cable into the same end while holding the other
end shut with the finger and that's it for the life of the cable. The
aspect ratio of cable housing diameter and its length is such that the
lubricant would be difficult to remove with intent.

True enough . . . for those assembling new cables and following your sage
advice, but what about when the cable is already on the bike?

I find this little gizmo greatly facilitates "routine cable lubing" (if
there is such a thing), especially for those cables with only one accessible
end (e.g., brifters). It's also a good tool for displacing moisture (e.g.,
with WD-40, after mtb slogs through water or long road rides in the rain)
from, and re-lubing cable housings that took a bath en route.

dgk wrote:
Where do you lube a cable? You take it off, lube it, and thread it
back through the housing? I've never taken a cable off before, as you
can likely tell.

I just put a drop of lube at the end of each cable housing and let it work
in.

It's my understanding that modern cable housings contain some sort of
slick plastic or Teflon-based liner which don't need routine lubing.

See http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cables.html

If so, then some petroleum-based lubes may actually contribute to the
liner deterioration. I prefer to use a dry-type silicone spray on the
cable at installation and then perhaps once or twice a year.
The rear brake cable on my road bike tends to build up a coating of
dried sweat or some sort of corrosion inside the short housing under
the saddle, since I drip sweat like crazy onto my top tube in the
Texas heat. Consequently I prefer to use a slightly more expensive
teflon-coated cable for the rear brake, and replace the cable and
housing about once a year.

"OughtFour" wrote in message news:Ym4kd.171$Pu6.100@trnddc04...
dgk wrote:
Where do you lube a cable? You take it off, lube it, and thread it
back through the housing? I've never taken a cable off before, as you
can likely tell.

I just put a drop of lube at the end of each cable housing and let it work
in.

Claire Petersky wrote:

I've settled on a rainy-season routine of weekly spraying with citrus
degreaser, going over it with a rag and toothbrush, and then re-lubing.

I've totally surrendered. If it starts squeaking, I wipe the chain down
and give it some oil, then I wipe it again. Other than that, I just
change it more often. It's not worth my time (opportunity cost) to
fiddle with it, versus just buying another $12-14 chain.

SortaOnTopic: I used my first Shimano chain this week. Previous to this
all my chains have been SRAM. My impressions:

1. The lube on Shimano chains is offensive - noxious smelling, sticks to
your hands, doesn't wipe off the chain.
2. Breakable pin is a dumb idea. I much prefer the SRAM hyperlink
thingy. Also I couldn't get any of my old hyperlinks through the
verdmant chain either.
3. It was $2 cheaper than an SRAM chain. Bah, I'll stick with them SRAM.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
"If crime fighters fight crime, and firefighters fight fire,
what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part
to us, do they?" - George Carlin