follow-up post – bicycle chain lube
Posted: October 12, 2013 Filed under: maintenance, techniques | Tags: Bicycle chain lubricant, Bicycle maintenance, Cycling 2 CommentsI’ve now been riding for a couple of weeks with Dumonde Tech D1 bicycle chain lube. I wrote about it here: clean bike chain joy in the change of seasons. Now that I’ve had the chance to ride some miles with it, here’s my assessment: I love it.
It’s a little bit different than a traditional chain lube due to the way it is applied and several reviewers have written about grunge on the chain after first use. I noticed it too after my first ride, but it was because there was definitely some residue I could still feel and it attracted dust. Dumonde Tech says the trick to using it successfully is to wipe your chain dry after the lube has had a chance to adhere to the pins in your links. And they mean really dry (always start with a glistening clean drivetrain before applying new chain lubricant; this is how I clean my drivetrain). After my first ride I wiped my chain with a clean rag and it came off pretty dirty. I rinsed the chain with plain water and let it dry, then I applied a second coat and let it sink in. I then was very meticulous in wiping my chain dry again, and I mean really, really dry. I held my chain with a clean rag and rotated my pedals backwards. Then I held my pedals still and ran the rag back and forth over a section of the chain, rotated my pedals again to get a new section of chain, wiped a clean section of the rag back and forth over that section of chain, etc. I kept repeating this until it felt really, really dry to my bare fingers.
All bicycle chain lubricants work best when the pins in the links are lubricated; not the chain link surfaces themselves. Otherwise your chain will act as a dirt and grunge magnet. This one is no different. However, I’ve noticed it stays cleaner than an oil-based lube when it is applied correctly. After every ride I wipe down my chain and very little dirt comes off, if any. Mostly only if I ride through a puddle and dirty water splashes up on my chain. After about 75-100 miles my chain is still silent and shifting is still a breeze, just like when I first applied it. And it is SHINY! It takes a little bit more work than traditional oil-based lube to make sure it is applied correctly but it’s worth it.
Related articles
- clean bike chain joy in the change of seasons (mendocino04.wordpress.com)
- my chain was yelling at me (mendocino04.wordpress.com)
happiness is a clean bike chain 
A clean chain is a zen like state. There was some old-time Tour de France rider (i forget who) who was asked what he does to prepare, and he said ‘i clean my chain’. Asked what important preparation he did after that, he said ‘i clean it again’.
hey, thanks for the lesson in chain cleaning this week. my chain looks so sparkly and new! i appreciate your guidance in the products and materials and process. it was easier than i thought it would be.