Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
Originally Posted By: JOD
WD-40 is a poor choice for a chain lube in most conditions. It works very well as soon as it's applied, but wear (and noise) increase exponentially as soon as you start riding. And if you ride in the rain it's practically useless. Here's some actual data on it if you're interested:
http://www.biketechreview.com/forum/1-general-discussion/21680-comparison-of-chain-lubes
There's no need to use an expensive lubricant though--3-in-1 oil works great! I do use WD40 on my chain, but a little differently. I spray a rag with it, then after riding I hold it over the chain and run the cranks backwards a few revolutions, and it works to pick up the grit on the chain (I stole this from an even nerdier guy). Doing this you'll only have to add the 3-in-1 every 20 hours or so, and the chain stays clean.
Might want to rethink the three in one!
I believe it was on the bicycle forums that they said it was acidic or something and was not wise to use on the chain.
I think that's an urban legend started by shop employees in an attempt to explain why you shouldn't use an inexpensive lubricant... I've been using it for about 5 years, which is about 40,000 miles, and it's worked great. If it were destroying chains I think I'd know by now...
I did however switch over to this lube this year and I love it:
http://silca.cc/products/silca-nfs-pro-chain-lube
It's heavier and you use less, but the thing I like the most is that it runs very clean while staying on in the rain--a tough combo. The guy who bought Silca and started distributing this is a good guy so I wanted to support his new venture, but it turns out the lubricant is really good--and despite the price you use so little that a bottle will last me about a year split between 2 riders and multiple bikes. Not bad!