questions on lube for new inexpensive bike.

[earlyre]

It's been...17yrs or so since i really rode a bike, but had always wanted to get another, maybe lose some the extra weight, yada, yada....(you've heard it all before)

not looking to spend a small fortune, looking back on my childhood bike days, i just wanted a cruiser, don't need a bunch of diffrent gears (last bike was an 18 speed, i used maybe 1 or 2 of 'em on any kind of regular basis.)and preferred a good 'ol coaster brake.
found a good deal on a kind cool looking cruiser Huffy Panama Jack 26" mens Cruiser sticker was $165, i stacked some discounts to get it down to $107.
came pre-assembled, reading through the meager manual, it lists a few places lube with a "light machine oil(20wt)" every couple weeks or so...

so..."light machine oil (20wt)"...what is that?
I have plenty of 5w20 on hand... and a single qt of SM rated Castrol Syntec 5w30 i stumbled onto for 90cents a while back.

would either of these be acceptable as "light machine oil"??

last time i lubed a chain, was...7th grade('93?)...on my old 18 speed Murray mountain bike, dad just had me use...it was a big tub of quakerstate bearing grease, or some such... of course i ended up with big black greasy streaks on my jeans for a couple years...


only other question, being a "husky" fellow,(5'9"~300lbs) is there something i can do to keep the rear tire from squishing flat? heavier duty tube i can put more pressure in??(sidewall calls for 40psi) can i get a 26" solid rubber tire?

any advice appreciated..(except for "buy a better bike", smarty pants people)

 

[RiceCake]

Isn't 3-in-1 oil essentially 20 weight light machine oil?

 

[eljefino]

+1 on the 3 in 1.

You can check a bike store for "tandem bike" tires, tubes, and even wheels, with thicker spokes. This will double the cost of your Huffy though. You can always try around 50 PSI; pinch flats are a big deal when you hit things and you want to equalize the risk vs random sidewall blowouts. When you see a huge bump coming up, or even if you're just on a bumpy trail, put weight on your pedals and lean forward on the handle bars so there isn't a shock to the frame and your butt.

Also if you have 26x2 tires maybe fit a 26x2.25.

 

[cchase]

If you use a light machine oil like 3-in-1 or motor oil on a chain you'll have a filthy mess on your hands.

 

[ChemicallyChargd]

If it were me I'd spray those points with a little moly in a can dry lubricant so it won't collect any dirt or grime and be done with it for a long while.( moly in a can is a gun lube that's become very popular in Iraq because it's a dry lube and doesn't collect any dirt or sand, really nice to have when wet lubes may just act as a magnet for any dirt quickly rendering it useless as a lubricant).
-srv

 

[oily boyd]

Use Tri-Flow oil for lubricating the various points you mentioned.

Get a proper chain lube from your local bike shop.

Tires (not tube) have a weight limit published by the manufacturer (usually on their website). A larger tire, such as the one you have, should be adequate.

Seach the interweb for "bicyle tutor". He has good videos on bike repair/maintence.

Most of all, have fun! Biking is a great hobby. If you become obsessed, let us know when the "upgrade bug" bites!

 

[gathermewool]

I don't have any practical experience with different chain lubes (just purchased my very first bottle of chain lube and applied to my new bike,) but Phil Wood Tenacious Oil seemed to get really good reviews. Out on the balcony, I wasn't aware of any odor, and it seemed to "penetrate" and disperse well into the chain and gears without flinging off or building up, though I did use it sparsely and wiped away any excess.

 

[jimbrewer]

I've had good luck with Boeshield for the chain. I like it because its handy for other things and doesn't make a mess of the chain. It used to be overpriced at the bike store. You can get it pretty cheap at a woodworker's supply store.

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: oily boyd

If you become obsessed, let us know when the "upgrade bug" bites!


so far all i've added is a simple mirror, and a mount for my smartphone for 2 reasons:
1) gps speedo apps, maybe nav
2) some place i can put it that i know it won't be falling out of my pocket, and smashing on the ground.

looking @ lights/ thinking about re-purposing an old set of automotive foglamps i have sitting around, with a lawnmower battery or some such, and a little red lens repair tape over the one i would put out back.. probably won't do that, but i've thought about it..

 

[buck91]

Having worked in a bike shop for a number of years I will tell you that I highly recommend saving up some money and buying a quality bike from a professional bike shop. First of all, anyone over, say 200lbs who plans to put good miles on a bike will NEED at the very least a decently built rear wheel with good quality spokes (otherwise you WILL have rim trueing problems and sooner rather than later you WILL have problems with spokes breaking).

Secondly not only will a good bike (lots fo brands from Trek to Specialized to Scott to Raleigh, but any quality shop will have plenty of options) will not only have higher quality parts which will work better and last longer but they WILL BE ASSEMBLED CORRECTLY. Yes, I capitolized that. I couldn't even guess how many people brought there brand new $100 Huffy/Schwinn/Roadmaster/whatever bike in, which they had JUST purchased, and the dang thing needed a complete tune up from wheel truing to derailleur adjustment to bearing adjustment.

Really if you plan on doing ANYTHING more than just rolling through the neighborhood a couple of times through out the summer spend the extra money and not only save yourself a lot fo headache but also find yourself with a bike that will REWARD you for maintaining and riding it.

//Steps off soapbox.

EDIT: regarding your tire question... Any half decent 26x2.0in (or there abouts) tire will be JUST FINE for casual riding. 40psi may be a little soft of your weight on streets but almost any half decent replacement tire will be rated for 65psi. The tube is not really part of the equation here.

 

[nthach]

For me, since I have it on hand Penetro 90 does a fine job on cables and pivots and I even used it as chain lube before an alleycat in a pinch.

For your chain, I'd use a dedicated chain lube from a bike shop or a "dry" lube. Boeshield T9 also works great on chains too.

 

[UG_Passat]

There are people that swear by "homebrew" chain lube by diluting thin motor oil with odorless mineral spirits.... 1 part oil to 3-4 parts odorless mineral spirits.

But... I personally use Triflow wet lube on my mountain bike and cross bike & White Lightning Clean Ride on my road bike

 

[cutter]

Originally Posted By: UG_Passat
There are people that swear by "homebrew" chain lube by diluting thin motor oil with odorless mineral spirits.... 1 part oil to 3-4 parts odorless mineral spirits.


I use a homebrew like that, I don't apply it directly on the chain but a rag. A wipe down cleans and lubes at the same time.

Also, I really like electronic cleaner/lubricant spray for my chains. I have a can in my office for printers and my bike.

 

[NYEngineer]

I like Bike Medicine. It's a purple oil that seems to work on any and all parts of a bike well.