# Best bicycle chain lubricant? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 17, 2023, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695 "2023-06-17T20:24:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/21 "2023-06-19T02:53:59Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I use Boeshield T-9 I’ve heard good things about that, too. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/22 "2023-06-19T03:03:21Z")
When I was a kid in the 60’s I had a can of “Texaco Home Lubricant”. Don’t know what exactly it was but we all used it on our bike chains. Probably was a mix of all sorts of glop like mystery oil. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/23 "2023-06-19T03:52:51Z")
I… am gonna just keep on using WD40 and an oily rag (oily rag first, WD40 after). ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/24 "2023-06-19T03:57:51Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > I… am gonna just keep on using WD40 and an oily rag (oily rag first, WD40 after). - WD40 doesn’t have nearly the film strength to do a proper job. Give a quality dry lube a try. I promise you’ll never look back. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2023, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/25 "2023-06-19T04:13:14Z")
Hmm, yes, perhaps. I’ve tried “proper” bicycle lubes before and frankly never noticed a difference. But maybe now that I have extricated myself from the salted-street snow-slush chain-metal wasteland of Michigan, I can try again. The high today was triple digits where I am now. I road 23 miles in the middle of the day and loved it. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/26 "2023-06-20T13:19:25Z")
Definitely not WD-40, except to clean the chain. It’s a good solvent/degreaser, but it doesn’t have enough staying power to be a good lube. I’ve used ProLink for 20 years and have never had a chain rust, break, or seize up. It lasts a long time, and it doesn’t get too gunky. It’s easy enough to apply just by spinning the chain backwards and dribbling it on, then do the same thing with a rag to wipe off any excess and clean the chain up a bit. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/27 "2023-06-20T15:21:04Z")
During the wet months, particularly the ones with a lot of deicer on the road, I use Tri-Flow. I clean and reapply every two weeks and that seems to keep the chain in good shape (the chains will rust due to the deicer if you don’t keep up on it). > [@gnarator](#): > > I’ve been researching this lately, because I hate how grimy my chain gets. I’m going to try [Rock N Roll Gold](https://www.rocklube.com/), based on several recommendations. This is what I use during the nice months. This is what the local bike shop recommended 20 years ago and I’ve been doing it since. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/28 "2023-06-20T15:57:46Z")
I ride year round, so I’ll try it in the “nice” months. In the winter I use ATF on my chain but I suppose I could use Tri-Flow. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/29 "2023-06-20T19:19:54Z")
Am I the only one who thinks that the WD-40 company ought to just make a product that’s good for lubrication use? I mean, that’s what almost all of it gets used for anyway, except that it’s really not very good for it. ---
**Author:** ![gregorio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@gregorio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gregorio)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/30 "2023-06-20T19:43:00Z")
Something like this? Ignore amazon.ca’s bizarro pricing. It was just the first hit when I did a search. There are a few different formulations. > **[WD-40 Specialist Bike | Dry Chain Lubricant, 118ml | Formulated for The Best...](https://www.amazon.ca/WD-40-Bike-3002-Chain-Lubricant/dp/B078MNSCHL)** > > WD-40 Specialist® Bike Dry Chain Lube is a high-performance lubricant specifically formulated for dry & dusty conditions. Polymers in the Dry Lube formula quickly form a dry film to protect the chain and repel dirt in arid or dusty conditions.... ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/31 "2023-06-20T20:09:35Z")
The company makes a lot of products including lubricants. For example: [https://www.wd40.com/products/?category=bike](https://www.wd40.com/products/?category=bike) I cannot vouch for any of their products though…I just know they do make a variety of items they call lubricants. Uh, I be dumb. I did not notice the post by gregorio till after I submitted this. DOH! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/32 "2023-06-20T20:41:57Z")
If you are not waxing your chain, (Which involves too much faffing around for me) the most important part of lubing your chain is finding a good cleaning method, I like the Muc-off “chain doc” (a small enclosure with some brushes and an attached spray can of degreaser). Cleaning your chain and getting it really shiny in less than 5 mins makes cleaning and lubing less of a chore and the result seems better to me. I use a wax based drip on lube. Currently “squirt” but I’m not fussy about the exact make. If you use disc brakes you might want to use a chain guide when you’re doing that. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/33 "2023-06-20T20:45:52Z")
I used to ride rather a lot. Also had a full basement shop and worked on my, and others’ bikes. My $0.02 – worth _precisely_ what you paid for it – is to keep your chain _pretty_ clean and keep it _pretty well_ lubricated. I honestly used WD-40 on my MTB chain and a homebrew that was 50/50 Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil and mineral spirits on my road and touring bikes. But … yeah … it’s alleged that the Peloponnesian War was actually started by an argument about bike chain lubes gone bad. Yeah. True story 😉 ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2023, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695/34 "2023-06-21T15:25:21Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > the most important part of lubing your chain is finding a good cleaning method Yep! I use a Park tools version but same concept. I have to replace parts in it once a year or so since I’m the maintenance person for the 5 bikes in our household. A quick clean, the dry with an old sock or t-shirt, then lube. Keeps everything running smoothly. I can’t stand passing all the people on the trail with squeaky, noisy drivetrains. That would drive me bonkers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-bicycle-chain-lubricant/985695.md?page=1)