Oiled your chain lately?

[Dave Thompson]

Late on Day 1 of the Golden Falcon 1200, I was hearing what seemed to be chain rub with the front derailleur.  It only happened when I was standing, and being a flat ride, I thought nothing of it.

By the middle of Day 2, it had gotten worse and relatively constant.  I made a slight adjustment to the front derailleur and that made no difference.  Continuing to get worse, now progressing to creaking, and constant with any pedaling, I began to think that I had a crack in my frame.  I could actually feel the creaking in the handlebars.  I stopped several times to check and couldn't see anything.  

Finally thinking that it might "simply" be the chain and worried that my ride might soon be over, I stopped, poured water all over the chain and started up again - rolling smoothly and silently!  Really.  That probably lasted a half-hour and it was coming back, so I stopped at a convenience store, (there were no gas stations in the area) picked up the smallest container of oil that I could find - one of those little containers of 2-cycle oil for 1 gallon of mixed gas.  I poured that over my chain and wiped it down as best I could with a paper towel.    It rolled smoothly and silently.  Whew!

That evening, back at the hotel being used in this clover ride, I drizzled Finish Line lube on the chain until it dripped, and wiped excess off with a rag.  That got me through the ride and that chain will likely go into the garbage.  

I can see which cogs in my cassette were used on this flat ride.  They are black.  The cassette definitely needs cleaning!

To the best of my recollection, I've never had a chain creaking.  Some Florida sand in the plates perhaps ... some TLC before the ride would have been a good idea.

Dave.

[Elly Winer]

Ugh. Chains and frames covered in motor oil. I see that all too often. Ride clean! Make the switch to wax. Your bike mechanic will thank you.

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[Joshua Haley]

Flip side if you wax and are doing a grand brevet... Bring a small bottle of lube (or silica super secret) to top off.  PBP 2019, after rolling through the rain about 300k in, I developed a squeak that slowly became louder as it eroded my sanity and paired well with the hint of sleep deprivation hallucinations... 

If I had more than two brain cells functioning, I would have tried to find some oil for Dave's roadside fix.  By the end of the ride, I would have bathed in motor oil to get rid of the damn noise. 

Josh

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[Dave Thompson]

Ha. I am my bike mechanic!

The 2-cycle oil is pretty thick. That’s the good news. Nothing on the frame. 

I tried wax once, long ago.

From my iwdt

On Wed, Mar 26, 2025 at 1:34 PM Elly Winer <elly...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Georgi Stoychev]

Wax is useless in the rain sadly. And it falls off quickly , the chain will rust as well since it's stripped first of any lubricants

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/randonneurs-usa/CAG3t2nx0b-dErmKE2rx1RVnxHBwXg-AQ%3DKsinF3rSi6apGfMbA%40mail.gmail.com.

[Gardner Duvall]

It actually requires energy to make noise, including a squeaking chain.  If you can hear your chain, you're wasting energy.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/randonneurs-usa/CAPXGV1sudWm_HMXCr98sTSvDV%2BJnm08XUONdoezcFEwzTOLiXQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Bill Gobie]

I once stopped at a rural motorcycle shop to get some oil for my chain. I guess it was an exciting change from routine for the shop dudes. They spent at least 10 minutes debating which oil to use. Felt like an hour. No charge at least!

Bill

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[Sean Keesler]

I swear this happened in Florida this year on a 400k. I've never stretched a chain so much. Whenever I stood up to make it over a rise (which exist in Florida!) the chain slipped over the teeth. Crazy night.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/randonneurs-usa/CA%2Bsg%3DPrUTsvPfG6MremRbqYeU8r-d%2Bk3U6y%2BCOCN749M%2BZrh-w%40mail.gmail.com.

--

-- Sean

[Georgi Stoychev]

Sand + pedaling force  can easily do this

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[Bill Gobie]

Not entirely chain elongation. Sean's chainring was heavily worn. Compare the teeth on the inner ring.

Bill

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[Sean Keesler]

I can't imagine how I wore out a chainring in 3 years...and this bike pretty much only sees action in Florida for a month a year.

--

-- Sean

[Bill Gobie]

I could be wrong. Tooth profiles are not necessarily the same on both rings. You'd need to compare to a new ring to be sure.

BTW is that a crack at the notch in the 10 o'clock position?

Bill

[Jack Nicholson]

Having suffered through “squeaky chain” on a rainy brevet, I repurposed a small eyedrop bottle to carry wet lube. About enough for 1-2 chains. I’ve bailed out a couple others over the years.

Put it in a pill bottle for leakage protection. Great place to put your other tiny emergency supplies as well.

Jack

On Mar 26, 2025, at 3:47 PM, Bill Gobie <gobie...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[John Cumming]

My drivetrain during a 200 Brevet, 2 years ago this weekend.  The only "lube" that worked was 2 large cups of hot coffee 🥶

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[Sean Keesler]

I remember that pic from the pre-ride of the Great Canada Bike Tour 600. I thought our headwinds were tough...

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--

-- Sean

[Lois Springsteen]

Looks cracked to me, too.

Lois

Lois Springsteen, CFP® 

831-227-6266

On Mar 26, 2025, at 12:47 PM, Bill Gobie <gobie...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Ted Shwartz]

Shut your hearing aids off, it fixes the noise instantly...

[Pete Dusel]

If a gas station, etc, is handy, rummage through the trash can near the pumps for an "empty" bottle of oil. Usually plenty left to lube a chain.

I usually get about three years on a middle ring. The teeth used at the "center" of the down stroke are noticeably worn and peened over by then. Chains don't last nearly as long. Park makes a simple inexpensive chain wear checker: https://www.parktool.com/en-us/product/chain-wear-indicator-cc-3-2?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7pO_BhAlEiwA4pMQvOKnlBr_RpamcSPF-IXe-lFSyxvLBHAEE4PA-Ig2KRRCiWzMEYBBcBoCXW0QAvD_BwE

Don't know if I trust it without checking it, but Temu shows one for $0.89

https://www.temu.com/ul/kuiper/un9.html?subj=goods-un&_bg_fs=1&_p_jump_id=894&_x_vst_scene=adg&goods_id=601099584830669&sku_id=17592479896681&adg_ctx=a-3f5dcd28~c-7eb1f3d1~f-57464ec2&_x_ads_sub_channel=shopping&_p_rfs=1&_x_ns_prz_type=-1&_x_ns_sku_id=17592479896681&_x_ns_gid=601099584830669&mrk_rec=1&_x_ads_channel=google&_x_gmc_account=647900107&_x_login_type=Google&_x_ads_account=1919904652&_x_ads_set=22220896445&_x_ads_id=176256183273&_x_ads_creative_id=732510082777&_x_ns_source=g&_x_ns_gclid=CjwKCAjw7pO_BhAlEiwA4pMQvAf0YXqt4HBBHyBi9RV4YjmMzoFdktYokqyTwZmbUJDSR6qB_QaILhoCMqMQAvD_BwE&_x_ns_placement=&_x_ns_match_type=&_x_ns_ad_position=&_x_ns_product_id=17592479896681&_x_ns_target=&_x_ns_devicemodel=&_x_ns_wbraid=Cj4KCAjwy46_BhA8Ei4AZUL8RtuIJOrl6afnZ9RyGn2Cjq9Abez2y5loEG2FFYUn-b-v69A5_lj1Bp0aGgLQJQ&_x_ns_gbraid=0AAAAAo4mICEbd9HK7456be_mUYp0OMTRT&_x_ns_targetid=pla-2405824195878&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7pO_BhAlEiwA4pMQvAf0YXqt4HBBHyBi9RV4YjmMzoFdktYokqyTwZmbUJDSR6qB_QaILhoCMqMQAvD_BwE

Pete

[Kitty Goursolle]

At the wettest PBP ever, 2007, my BF cleaned my chain with a can of Finish Line in Loudeac, outbound @ 450k and inbound @ 800k.  If that isn't love, I don't know what is! Worked well. I guess I was so distracted by the rain, cheering crowds, and trench foot that my chain never bothered me.  To note, at various controls at PBP, the mechanics will be happy to lube your chain for you and put air in your tires. But, smart to have a small bottle of lube with you. Since then I've not had my BF there to help me but I have remembered to bring Finish Line and rags and use at the drop bag control.   In an absolute pinch one might even be able to use Lantiseptic.  It is after all nature's grease not from petroleum, but made from the natural oil of sheep, lanolin. Perhaps someone here would be willing to test out various emergency types of lube. I'd like to know which chamois cream, lip balm, or sunscreen can double as chain lube!. The guy for the job is Dave Wills, the Overbiked Randonneur on YouTube. He loves to test various items such as lights, skinsuits, tire pressure, and bespoke drink mix. Some PBP anciens have mentioned they bring a fresh chain or 2 ready to pop on after every 400k... If you plan to go that route, practice your mechanical skills at three in the morning when you haven't slept for 30 something hours. 

Cheers--Kitty

[Bill Bryant]

Good tip, Pete. I’ve used that method in the past to keep me on the road during some rainy tours and brevets. (I did a cross-country tour from CA to MD during the summer of 1981 and we had 18 days of rain in a row. Ugh.) As you say, there is nearly always enough left in the bottom of an oil can to work for an impromptu chain oiling, and there are paper towels handy for clean-up too.  More recently, I’ve carried a tiny bottle of chain lube, as mentioned earlier in the string. However, I still look for a gas station to get the paper towels.

Bill Bryant

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[Roger Hillas]

Everybody,

Or put some chain lube and a small rag inside a quart ziplock and add it to your drop bag. Cleaning the chain is just as important as lubricating it. Adding lubricant to a dirty chain just creates a grinding paste that wears the drive train faster.

If the drop bag goes to Loudeac (or its equivalent), you’ll be cleaning and lubing your chain every 400 kilometers or so. You should definitely *not* need to change chains during a 1,200, although it is a good idea to start the ride with a new, or newish, one.

Roger

> On Mar 27, 2025, at 10:50 AM, Kitty Goursolle <kgour...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> At the wettest PBP ever, 2007, my BF cleaned my chain with a can of Finish Line in Loudeac, outbound @ 450k and inbound @ 800k. If that isn't love, I don't know what is! Worked well. I guess I was so distracted by the rain, cheering crowds, and trench foot that my chain never bothered me. To note, at various controls at PBP, the mechanics will be happy to lube your chain for you and put air in your tires. But, smart to have a small bottle of lube with you. Since then I've not had my BF there to help me but I have remembered to bring Finish Line and rags and use at the drop bag control. In an absolute pinch one might even be able to use Lantiseptic. It is after all nature's grease not from petroleum, but made from the natural oil of sheep, lanolin. Perhaps someone here would be willing to test out various emergency types of lube. I'd like to know which chamois cream, lip balm, or sunscreen can double as chain lube!. The guy for the job is Dave Wills, the Overbiked Randonneur on YouTube. He loves to test various items such as lights, skinsuits, tire pressure, and bespoke drink mix. Some PBP anciens have mentioned they bring a fresh chain or 2 ready to pop on after every 400k... If you plan to go that route, practice your mechanical skills at three in the morning when you haven't slept for 30 something hours.
> Cheers--Kitty
>

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[Sean Keesler]

I hadn't noticed that crack. I went out to check it and found that the "spider" has a small hairline crack near a pin/riven that holds the chainring on, but the chainring itself has no crack. I'm hardly a powerhouse, so I don't know how to account for that.

--

-- Sean

[Bill Gobie]

Might that be one of the cranksets Shimano recalled?

Bill

[Sean Keesler]

This is  the FC-3000 Sora 2-piece crankset. Isn't the recall related to the crank arms breaking?

The crack I think Lois pointed out actually originates from a pin near the teeth (not sure what that does)...not not from the bolts that hold the ring to the spider...so I wonder about the "over tightened bolts" hypothesis.

--

-- Sean

[Peter Dusel]

Bill,

  Wait until I suggest picking up a couple pair of pantyhose at the nearest minimart if they get caught in an unexpected rain, or cold snap....

 

Pete

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Bryant <bi...@bryant-springsteen.net>
Sent: Mar 27, 2025 10:52 AM
To: Pete Dusel <pdu...@sprintmail.com>, Randonneurs USA <randonn...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [RUSA] Re: Oiled your chain lately?

 

Good tip, Pete. I’ve used that method in the past to keep me on the road during some rainy tours and brevets. (I did a cross-country tour from CA to MD during the summer of 1981 and we had 18 days of rain in a row. Ugh.) As you say, there is nearly always enough left in the bottom of an oil can to work for an impromptu chain oiling, and there are paper towels handy for clean-up too.  More recently, I’ve carried a tiny bottle of chain lube, as mentioned earlier in the string. However, I still look for a gas station to get the paper towels.

 

Bill Bryant

 

 

 

From: randonn...@googlegroups.com <randonn...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Pete Dusel <pdu...@sprintmail.com>
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 7:41 AM
To: Randonneurs USA <randonn...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [RUSA] Re: Oiled your chain lately?

If a gas station, etc, is handy, rummage through the trash can near the pumps for an "empty" bottle of oil. Usually plenty left to lube a chain.

 

I usually get about three years on a middle ring. The teeth used at the "center" of the down stroke are noticeably worn and peened over by then. Chains don't last nearly as long. Park makes a simple inexpensive chain wear checker: https://www.parktool.com/en-us/product/chain-wear-indicator-cc-3-2?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7pO_BhAlEiwA4pMQvOKnlBr_RpamcSPF-IXe-lFSyxvLBHAEE4PA-Ig2KRRCiWzMEYBBcBoCXW0QAvD_BwE

 

Don't know if I trust it without checking it, but Temu shows one for $0.89

https://www.temu.com/ul/kuiper/un9.html?subj=goods-un&_bg_fs=1&_p_jump_id=894&_x_vst_scene=adg&goods_id=601099584830669&sku_id=17592479896681&adg_ctx=a-3f5dcd28~c-7eb1f3d1~f-57464ec2&_x_ads_sub_channel=shopping&_p_rfs=1&_x_ns_prz_type=-1&_x_ns_sku_id=17592479896681&_x_ns_gid=601099584830669&mrk_rec=1&_x_ads_channel=google&_x_gmc_account=647900107&_x_login_type=Google&_x_ads_account=1919904652&_x_ads_set=22220896445&_x_ads_id=176256183273&_x_ads_creative_id=732510082777&_x_ns_source=g&_x_ns_gclid=CjwKCAjw7pO_BhAlEiwA4pMQvAf0YXqt4HBBHyBi9RV4YjmMzoFdktYokqyTwZmbUJDSR6qB_QaILhoCMqMQAvD_BwE&_x_ns_placement=&_x_ns_match_type=&_x_ns_ad_position=&_x_ns_product_id=17592479896681&_x_ns_target=&_x_ns_devicemodel=&_x_ns_wbraid=Cj4KCAjwy46_BhA8Ei4AZUL8RtuIJOrl6afnZ9RyGn2Cjq9Abez2y5loEG2FFYUn-b-v69A5_lj1Bp0aGgLQJQ&_x_ns_gbraid=0AAAAAo4mICEbd9HK7456be_mUYp0OMTRT&_x_ns_targetid=pla-2405824195878&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7pO_BhAlEiwA4pMQvAf0YXqt4HBBHyBi9RV4YjmMzoFdktYokqyTwZmbUJDSR6qB_QaILhoCMqMQAvD_BwE

 

 

Pete

 

On Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 1:31:06 PM UTC-4 Dave Thompson wrote:

Late on Day 1 of the Golden Falcon 1200, I was hearing what seemed to be chain rub with the front derailleur.  It only happened when I was standing, and being a flat ride, I thought nothing of it.

 

By the middle of Day 2, it had gotten worse and relatively constant.  I made a slight adjustment to the front derailleur and that made no difference.  Continuing to get worse, now progressing to creaking, and constant with any pedaling, I began to think that I had a crack in my frame.  I could actually feel the creaking in the handlebars.  I stopped several times to check and couldn't see anything.  

 

Finally thinking that it might "simply" be the chain and worried that my ride might soon be over, I stopped, poured water all over the chain and started up again - rolling smoothly and silently!  Really.  That probably lasted a half-hour and it was coming back, so I stopped at a convenience store, (there were no gas stations in the area) picked up the smallest container of oil that I could find - one of those little containers of 2-cycle oil for 1 gallon of mixed gas.  I poured that over my chain and wiped it down as best I could with a paper towel.    It rolled smoothly and silently.  Whew!

 

That evening, back at the hotel being used in this clover ride, I drizzled Finish Line lube on the chain until it dripped, and wiped excess off with a rag.  That got me through the ride and that chain will likely go into the garbage.  

 

I can see which cogs in my cassette were used on this flat ride.  They are black.  The cassette definitely needs cleaning!

 

To the best of my recollection, I've never had a chain creaking.  Some Florida sand in the plates perhaps ... some TLC before the ride would have been a good idea.

 

Dave.

 

 

 

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[Cheng-Hong Li]

To my surprise I found Silca's hot wax quite resilient to rain. I got through a rainy 300k last year without issues on a hot-waxed chain. (The day started dry but became a soaking downpour during the 2nd half.) A single treatment can last through about 400k and some more.

On the other hand, the dripped wax was easily washed away by rain.

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