Best Chain Lube, Mongoose 21-Speed "Tactic"

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I purchased TWO Mongoose bikes, a Tactic and an Estes. Both have shocks under the seat and over front tires (Sucks up energy cruising, i feel myself losing a LOT of speed and putting much effort in on the Tactic, and that cost more) but its not bad at all. (Should have got a Schwinn? but, alas, no shocks. For now I have Two mongooses, one has been rode three times, soon to be four.)

I always used to spray WD-40 on Huffy 20" Frame chains younger, now i have a real 26" Mountain bike! Seems WD-40 worked (??) but you DONT want to spray Degreaser on a chain, to keep it lubed?

Was going to pick up some WD-40 OR PB Blaster, im a PB Blaster convert over how it made my auto car key work vs not working (door key cylinder wouldnt turn right.. then it worked as new.)

Which lube for the Chain, im deciding which one is going to see heavy use, BUT they will be well upkept regardless? Also.. 65Psi in the tire, yes?

Mongoose, Tactic:

dscf0007iw1.jpg


Mongoose, Estes (this one may be better? Need to put air in tire:)

men-mongoose-26-in-estes_2293191_raw.jpg


And yes, the frame makes the riding feel different.
 
Air in the tire depends on your weight and the terrain you'll be cruising on. With the shocks I would not worry about pinch flats and would go with about 45 PSI for my 200 lbs.

For chain lube I myself am also an amateur and wind up using non detergent 30 weight for lack of something better. PB blaster stinks awful and I wouldn't want that on my pants leg.
 
Mr Harley, most cycle/atv shops carry a spray chain lube that says "wont fling off" something like that, that seems to be loved by those that use it, it put used oil on my boys mini bike chain, as i did w my go kart when i was a kid, but it does fling off/messy
 
Best chain lube: 3-In-1 oil. Put on a light coat, let it sit overnight, then wipe it off.

On a cycling forum full of egg head bike racers, an aerospace engineer with too much time on his hands tested the shear properties and friction reduction properties of various boutique chain lubes, and some household lubricants. Hands-down, 3-in-One was the lowest friction, most shear-resistant lube. Go figure...

WD40 wasn't actually bad as far as lubrication, but sheared quickly, i.e. you'd need to re-lube every hour or so.

As far as tires, if you're riding on pavement, go up to the max--though if you're riding on pavement I'd get some slicks and put them on there. If you're riding it off road, lower is generally better.
 
Thanks yall! Ill have to pick up some "3 in 1" for the chain. or just keep spraying WD-40
smile.gif


.. How did PB Blaster do?

And I too am right around 210lbs. I ride on sidewalk.. need to try out Bike #2, Bike #1 keeps on needing more effort to pedal as i coast, its like the "Power" stays on for 20 seconds if no obstacles (people, car, dip, tree, pole, grass, etc) are encountered.. then i need to screw with the gears to get going again.

I leave the "1, 2, 3" left side shift on "2" most always, and go from "3" to "7" on the right. Surely, the bike is fine, if its shifting, its all the SHOCKS eating up my ENERGY, making me have to pedal HARDER it seems like "no matter what?"

Thinking about that Schwinn with NO shocks.. hmmmm. (Did i really need them for the sidewalk? Frame bends down as its designed to with that sideways spring, i have to tell myself THATS NORMAL.)
 
Oil on a bike chain attracts grit and wears the chain. A good bike shop will show you the dry wax lubes that are great for dry weather. If you ride in the rain, then an oil base is needed.
 
Wife and I are retired and normally ride on average of 5 + days a week.

We use "Ice Wax" Chain Lube on all Three of our bikes. We put it on after riding and let it dry. Helps keep the chain clean.

****'s Sporting Goods sells it.
 
I am extremely OCD about chain maintenance. I apply my 'B' service every 100 miles and my 'A' service every 300 miles. Overkill? Yes, but I do get 7 - 8,000 miles out of chains that some riders replace every 1,500.

I have tried almost everything and never been completely satisfied. My latest fav is Dumonde Tech Lite. My newest, however, is Chain-L. Below is a link to reviews. 15/15 gave it 5/5 stars.

I have not yet applied Chain-L, as I got it too late in the season, but am looking forward to trying it. Kind of a funky application process - but will be interesting to see if I can leave it alone for 1,000 miles - or if my OCD will take over.

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/accessories/lube/chainl/PRD_444956_6749crx.aspx#reviews

FWIW - WD40 is NOT a lube. I might use it to clean my chain - but never to lube it.
 
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I looked around the net for different chain lubes as I'm looking to reassemble my bike. I found Squirt long lasting dry lube for Mt. Bike and road bikes received very good reviews, and was considered a good deal for the $10 per bottle. Here is the review Squirt Dry Lube
 
Originally Posted By: HangerHarley
Thanks yall! Ill have to pick up some "3 in 1" for the chain. or just keep spraying WD-40
smile.gif


.. How did PB Blaster do?

And I too am right around 210lbs. I ride on sidewalk.. need to try out Bike #2, Bike #1 keeps on needing more effort to pedal as i coast, its like the "Power" stays on for 20 seconds if no obstacles (people, car, dip, tree, pole, grass, etc) are encountered.. then i need to screw with the gears to get going again.

I leave the "1, 2, 3" left side shift on "2" most always, and go from "3" to "7" on the right. Surely, the bike is fine, if its shifting, its all the SHOCKS eating up my ENERGY, making me have to pedal HARDER it seems like "no matter what?"

Thinking about that Schwinn with NO shocks.. hmmmm. (Did i really need them for the sidewalk? Frame bends down as its designed to with that sideways spring, i have to tell myself THATS NORMAL.)


the el cheapo full suspension bikes are not well designed, and just there for show. the shocks are eating every piece of energy, making you work harder.

Bike riding belongs on the street, not the sidewalks.

It sounds like you would need a hybrid bike, maybe one leaning towards more like a road bike, but with a flat bars. ie Specialized Sirrus

A hybrid with the front shocks, the cheap ones tend not to have a lockout, which saps a lot of power.



when you are ready, go to a real bicycle shop.

my MTB, which I ride in the woods.... I use a wet lube, TriFlow lube.
 
Originally Posted By: gizzsdad
I am extremely OCD about chain maintenance. I apply my 'B' service every 100 miles and my 'A' service every 300 miles. Overkill? Yes, but I do get 7 - 8,000 miles out of chains that some riders replace every 1,500.

I have tried almost everything and never been completely satisfied. My latest fav is Dumonde Tech Lite. My newest, however, is Chain-L. Below is a link to reviews. 15/15 gave it 5/5 stars.

I have not yet applied Chain-L, as I got it too late in the season, but am looking forward to trying it. Kind of a funky application process - but will be interesting to see if I can leave it alone for 1,000 miles - or if my OCD will take over.

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/accessories/lube/chainl/PRD_444956_6749crx.aspx#reviews

FWIW - WD40 is NOT a lube. I might use it to clean my chain - but never to lube it.

Dumonde Tech Lite is my fav!
 
Originally Posted By: willix
Phil Wood is widely prefered.

http://www.singlespeed.nl/catalog/images/tenaciousoil.jpg


I don't know about "widely" cause a lot of people have no idea who Phil Wood is. But I agree that it's great chain oil for a bicycle.

On a side note, a lot of people use way too much of whatever chain lube they're using. You don't need that much, it attracts dirt and makes your shifting worse, not better. I clean my chain with the park tool chain cleaner, dry it out, and then put a drop of Phil's on about 6-8 of the links. then pedal it in while on the stand. That's it. Don't drown it.
 
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