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New chain... Need to lube?

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Artoi

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Jan 11, 2007, 5:42:06 AM1/11/07
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Just a quick question. Do you need to lube a new Campag chain straight
out of its plastic bag? I vaguely recall people suggest that the thick
oil its covered with is ideal and should kept. I didn't see any official
comment on this. Anyone know?
--

Ben C

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Jan 11, 2007, 6:18:01 AM1/11/07
to

Here's the official comment:

"New chains come pre-lubricated with a grease-type lubricant which has
been installed at the factory. This is an excellent lubricant, and has
been made to permeate all of the internal interstices in the chain.

This factory lube is superior to any lube that you can apply after the
fact.

Some people make the bad mistake of deliberately removing this superior
lubricant. Don't do this!"

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html#factory

Paul Hobson

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Jan 11, 2007, 8:47:25 AM1/11/07
to
Ben C wrote:
> On 2007-01-11, Artoi <ar...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> Just a quick question. Do you need to lube a new Campag chain straight
>> out of its plastic bag? I vaguely recall people suggest that the thick
>> oil its covered with is ideal and should kept. I didn't see any official
>> comment on this. Anyone know?
>
> Here's the official comment:
...

> "Some people make the bad mistake of deliberately removing this superior
> lubricant. Don't do this!"
>
> http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html#factory

you should wipe off the excess though, right?
\\paul

Qui si parla Campagnolo

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Jan 11, 2007, 9:07:59 AM1/11/07
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What makes it 'official'?

Like many FAQs(frequently asked 'QUESTIONS'), not all answers are
'accurate' to all people. My experience is that the goop put on at the
factory is more of a preservative and rust inhibitor than lube. Greasy,
thick and attracts dirt right now. Ride a few times and your chain will
be black from crud...so we clean it off and add a genuine chainlube,
like Prolink to ALL new chains.

My 'official' statement on chains.

Derk

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Jan 11, 2007, 9:22:52 AM1/11/07
to
Artoi wrote:

> Just a quick question. Do you need to lube a new Campag chain straight
> out of its plastic bag?

For what it's worth: I wipe off every new chain with a piece of cloth till
it feels smooth and then I put Rohloff oil on the inside of the chain the
night before I use it. Then I wipe off any excess oil, ride the bike, wipe
it clean again when I'm back. A piece of jeans works well.

Gr, Derk

landotter

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Jan 11, 2007, 10:18:51 AM1/11/07
to


That's what I do, just wipe the outside dry with a petroleum solvent
like mineral spirits.

I don't know if it's the best lube in the world or whatever, but it's
already there and lasts a good couple months till it gets noisy.

After that, I do White Lightning, or motor oil, depending on the lunar
cycle. As long as it's quiet, and dry to the touch on the outside, it
could be badger juice for all I care.

Ozark Bicycle

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Jan 11, 2007, 10:51:09 AM1/11/07
to

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
> Ben C wrote:
> > On 2007-01-11, Artoi <ar...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > > Just a quick question. Do you need to lube a new Campag chain straight
> > > out of its plastic bag? I vaguely recall people suggest that the thick
> > > oil its covered with is ideal and should kept. I didn't see any official
> > > comment on this. Anyone know?
> >
> > Here's the official comment:
> >
> > "New chains come pre-lubricated with a grease-type lubricant which has
> > been installed at the factory. This is an excellent lubricant, and has
> > been made to permeate all of the internal interstices in the chain.
> >
> > This factory lube is superior to any lube that you can apply after the
> > fact.
> >
> > Some people make the bad mistake of deliberately removing this superior
> > lubricant. Don't do this!"
> >
>
> What makes it 'official'?
>
> Like many FAQs(frequently asked 'QUESTIONS'), not all answers are
> 'accurate' to all people.

Amen to that! Perhaps it should be re-named "Frequently Given Answers"
(?).

Michael Press

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Jan 11, 2007, 9:07:41 PM1/11/07
to
In article
<1168524479....@k58g2000hse.googlegroups.com>,

It really is a superb lubricant, and is best left in
the inner workings of the chain. A while back someone
gave us the link to the site of the lubricant's
manufacturer, so I am not repeating received wisdom.

--
Michael Press

Michael Press

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Jan 11, 2007, 9:11:09 PM1/11/07
to
In article
<1168530669....@i56g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
"Ozark Bicycle"
<bicycle...@ozarkbicycleservice.com> wrote:

> Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
> > Ben C wrote:
> > > On 2007-01-11, Artoi <ar...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > > > Just a quick question. Do you need to lube a new Campag chain straight
> > > > out of its plastic bag? I vaguely recall people suggest that the thick
> > > > oil its covered with is ideal and should kept. I didn't see any official
> > > > comment on this. Anyone know?
> > >
> > > Here's the official comment:
> > >
> > > "New chains come pre-lubricated with a grease-type lubricant which has
> > > been installed at the factory. This is an excellent lubricant, and has
> > > been made to permeate all of the internal interstices in the chain.
> > >
> > > This factory lube is superior to any lube that you can apply after the
> > > fact.
> > >
> > > Some people make the bad mistake of deliberately removing this superior
> > > lubricant. Don't do this!"
> > >
> >
> > What makes it 'official'?
> >
> > Like many FAQs(frequently asked 'QUESTIONS'), not all answers are
> > 'accurate' to all people.
>
> Amen to that! Perhaps it should be re-named "Frequently Given Answers"

As a matter of fact, the phrase that gave rise to the acronym is
`Frequently Answered Questions.'

--
Michael Press

You could look it up.
-- Casey Stengel

jobst....@stanfordalumni.org

unread,
Jan 11, 2007, 9:40:05 PM1/11/07
to
Ben C? writes:


>> Just a quick question. Do you need to lube a new Campagnolo chain


>> straight out of its plastic bag? I vaguely recall people suggest
>> that the thick oil its covered with is ideal and should kept. I
>> didn't see any official comment on this.

> Here's the official comment:

# New chains come pre-lubricated with a grease-type lubricant which
# has been installed at the factory. This is an excellent lubricant,
# and has been made to permeate all of the internal interstices in the
# chain.

# This factory lube is superior to any lube that you can apply after
# the fact.

# Some people make the bad mistake of deliberately removing this
# superior lubricant. Don't do this!

from:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html#factory

I'd like to add to that:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/chain-care.html

Jobst Brandt

Werehatrack

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Jan 11, 2007, 10:40:46 PM1/11/07
to
On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 10:42:06 GMT, Artoi <ar...@hotmail.com> may have
said:

Campy sez: No.

They made the chain, and they selected the lube...but if the lube has
characteristics that are at odds with what you need in some respect,
there's no law saying that you have to leave the Campy-installed lube
on the chain. Some folks will strip it immediately, and apply a
different lube that may or may not work as well, for a variety of
reasons. It's up to you to determine if you agree with their
rationale for doing so, and if their argument makes a point that is
important to you. It's perfectly possible to have someone present a
completely persuasive case for why they do something a certain way,
and have that argument be entirely irrelevant to the situation of the
person receiving the information. The important thing is to do what
works *for you*, regardless of how anyone else does it.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Kenny

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Jan 11, 2007, 11:14:58 PM1/11/07
to

My opinion is if it feels like pine tar, then remove it and use a
proper lubricant.

ligh...@gmail.com

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Jan 12, 2007, 2:16:46 AM1/12/07
to
Glad I'm not the only one who thought it was way too sticky to be just
left on. Peter, you'll have to speak to Lennard and put him straight on
this. His velonews advice was to just lube the chain (interestingly
with the same ProLink) without removing the guky factory 'lube'. Didn't
make sense to me but hey, he's the one with the repair handbook...

doug....@gmail.com

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Jan 12, 2007, 2:40:55 AM1/12/07
to
Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:

So why not just wipe it off of all exposed surfaces, and repeat after a
few rides when some leaches out from the insides?

DL

Artoi

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Jan 12, 2007, 4:12:05 AM1/12/07
to
In article <1168524479....@k58g2000hse.googlegroups.com>,
"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <pe...@vecchios.com> wrote:

Thanks all for your opposing points of view.

Too bad that the chain is already on the bike, it'll be too much trouble
to try to dissolve it now. So will just ride on and clean/lube as
required. Will consider again at the next change.
--

Pete Biggs

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Jan 12, 2007, 9:11:59 AM1/12/07
to
ligh...@gmail.com wrote:
> Glad I'm not the only one who thought it was way too sticky to be just
> left on.

The idea is not to leave it "on" but to leave it *in*. Clean the outside
then stickiness won't be a big problem. It may not be quite as clean as the
very cleanest lubes, as some of the lube oozes out, but it's probably
lubricating better.

> Peter, you'll have to speak to Lennard and put him straight
> on this. His velonews advice was to just lube the chain (interestingly
> with the same ProLink) without removing the guky factory 'lube'.
> Didn't make sense to me but hey, he's the one with the repair
> handbook...

That is what ProLink advise as well (after removing excess lube from outside
of chain first).

~PB


Ozark Bicycle

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Jan 12, 2007, 9:31:59 AM1/12/07
to

That's hardly the same thing. And, IIRC, many seem to think FAQ =
Frequently *Asked* Questions.

Michael Press

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Jan 12, 2007, 4:16:34 PM1/12/07
to
In article
<1168612318.8...@51g2000cwl.googlegroups.com>,
"Ozark Bicycle"
<bicycle...@ozarkbicycleservice.com> wrote:

I know what people think about it. Parse the sentence
again. I mean exactly what it says, and think that is
pertinent to your proposed renaming.

--
Michael Press

Ozark Bicycle

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Jan 12, 2007, 4:38:47 PM1/12/07
to

"Frequently Answered Questions" is quite different from "Frequently
Given Answers". Think about it.
>

Michael Press

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Jan 13, 2007, 6:37:01 PM1/13/07
to
In article
<1168637927....@m58g2000cwm.googlegroups.com>,
"Ozark Bicycle"
<bicycle...@ozarkbicycleservice.com> wrote:

Is the difference that the former is an offline
document that someone new to the group can browse to
research a topic that interests him before taking his
topic to the online group, while the latter is a
criticism of what you find in the rec.bicycles.* FAQ?

--
Michael Press

landotter

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Jan 13, 2007, 11:33:27 PM1/13/07
to

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:

> Like many FAQs(frequently asked 'QUESTIONS'), not all answers are
> 'accurate' to all people. My experience is that the goop put on at the
> factory is more of a preservative and rust inhibitor than lube. Greasy,
> thick and attracts dirt right now. Ride a few times and your chain will
> be black from crud.

Sorry, mate, your opinion is usually spot on, but that's straight up
bullshit. The last five chains I've mounted on either single speed or
fixed gears, I've simply wiped the excess lube off and ridden as is. No
black gunk, no major residue, just a noisy drivetrain after a few
hundred miles. You've seriously been wasting your time.

Is Prolink good? Yarr, it's fine stuff, but so is just about anything
if you don't leave schmutz on the outside of the chain to attract dirt.

G.T.

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Jan 14, 2007, 12:46:51 AM1/14/07
to
landotter wrote:
> Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
>
>> Like many FAQs(frequently asked 'QUESTIONS'), not all answers are
>> 'accurate' to all people. My experience is that the goop put on at the
>> factory is more of a preservative and rust inhibitor than lube. Greasy,
>> thick and attracts dirt right now. Ride a few times and your chain will
>> be black from crud.
>
> Sorry, mate, your opinion is usually spot on, but that's straight up
> bullshit. The last five chains I've mounted on either single speed or
> fixed gears, I've simply wiped the excess lube off and ridden as is.

Aye, but therein lies the rub. That shit is so sticky it never just
wipes off. But, I follow the same procedure, wiping a new chain more
often than an older chain until that stuff is gone.

Greg

--
"All my time I spent in heaven
Revelries of dance and wine
Waking to the sound of laughter
Up I'd rise and kiss the sky" - The Mekons

Pete Biggs

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Jan 14, 2007, 1:05:01 AM1/14/07
to
G.T. wrote:
> landotter wrote:
>> Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
>>
>>> Like many FAQs(frequently asked 'QUESTIONS'), not all answers are
>>> 'accurate' to all people. My experience is that the goop put on at
>>> the factory is more of a preservative and rust inhibitor than lube.
>>> Greasy, thick and attracts dirt right now. Ride a few times and
>>> your chain will be black from crud.
>>
>> Sorry, mate, your opinion is usually spot on, but that's straight up
>> bullshit. The last five chains I've mounted on either single speed or
>> fixed gears, I've simply wiped the excess lube off and ridden as is.
>
> Aye, but therein lies the rub. That shit is so sticky it never just
> wipes off. But, I follow the same procedure, wiping a new chain more
> often than an older chain until that stuff is gone.

Wipe it with a rag dampened with white spirit, or any slightly oily solvent,
and the shit comes off easy. Inside the chain: it's good shit, man.

~PB


richard

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Jan 14, 2007, 8:25:13 AM1/14/07
to
I agree with Peter! In fact, before group rides, my chain looks so
clean that I'm often accused of cleaning it after each ride.

Remember, chain wear isn't so much metal-on-metal friction but road grit
on metal.

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:

landotter

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Jan 14, 2007, 10:00:54 AM1/14/07
to

Hey, don't bogart that lube, my friend...

(I use a bit of solvent on a rag as well)

Ozark Bicycle

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Jan 14, 2007, 3:07:48 PM1/14/07
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On my own chains, I've been leaving the 'factory lube' on the inside of
the rollers and wiping off the outside as throughly as possible with a
rag moistened with odorless mineral spirits. The chain does pick up a
bit more dirt than one that has been dipped in solvent and then
carefully lubed, but perhaps the 'superior factory lube' more than
compensates. Time will tell.

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