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Gearbox oil

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  • November 12, 2017 at 10:57 am #27841
    abusivemonk

    Hi peeps,

    Just canvassing opinion on what lube to use through winter. I’ve been using squirt for a few years now, and its great until the gritters come out. I find it just doesn’t cut it when the road is salty, and the chain rusts pretty quickly. Especially when commuting as I don’t have time to clean it at work. As a summer lube though, its fantastic and my chain has done 3500 miles with only 0.5 stretch. Now onto winter lube recommendations.

    A mate of mine swears by gearbox oil, saying it does 50k miles in a car, so why wouldn’t it be good on a bike. It is tempting as 1 litre is about £7, and this amount would probably last a lifetime. Anyone any experience of it, or any other lube recommendations? I’ve tried muc-off wet lubes, and the c3, but found they didn’t last long either.
    Thanks in advance

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  • November 12, 2017 at 4:02 pm #906199
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    abusivemonk

    Thanks for the comments so
    Thanks for the comments so far. Full length mudguards are unfortunately not an option for me as I have a full race spec cross bike as my only bike. No mudguard mounts. I do use clip on guards when its truly miserable.

    November 12, 2017 at 2:52 pm #906197
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    StraelGuy

    I might try making one from

    I might try making one from an old milk carton .

    November 12, 2017 at 2:51 pm #906195
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    matthewn5
    StraelGuy wrote:
    The bike has full length mudguards but it’s the bow wave that comes either side of the front wheels that sprays the cranks and chain with liquid mud.

    Then you need a proper mud flap.

    November 12, 2017 at 2:49 pm #906193
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    StraelGuy

    The bike has full width

    The bike has full length mudguards but it’s the bow wave that sprays up from either side of the front wheel that sprays the cranks and chain with liquid mud.

    November 12, 2017 at 2:23 pm #906191
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    srchar

    The best thing you can do for

    The best thing you can do for your chain is to fit mudguards.

    November 12, 2017 at 12:13 pm #906189
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    StraelGuy

    To be honest, if your chain

    To be honest, if your chain is constantly being sprayed by liquid mud like mine is I don’t see how they can last anyway. My winter bike chain has just been replaced at 930 miles, the 0.75% end of the checker dropped through every link and it was fine after the ride before! 

    November 12, 2017 at 11:39 am #906187
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    Welsh boy

    I have used engine oil in the

    I have used engine oil in the past and found it to be great for staying on in bad weather but it does get messy.  Depends on your priorities, keeping your bike lubed or easilly cleaned.  Bike specific oil is another example of the power of advertising and the need for the gullible to but the “correct” product.  Protein recovery shakes also spring to mind.

    November 12, 2017 at 11:37 am #906185
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    AKH

    I’ve heard a few people

    I’ve heard a few people recommend it on these forums, so I guess it can’t be terrible.

     

    I would imagine most ‘dedicated’ bike lubes are simply commercial grades of lubricant with a few additives specified by whoever buys them anyway.

     

    Just to play devils advocate though, a bike’s drivetrain, open to the elements, is not the same as a car’s gearbox. The drivetrain on a bike won’t heat the oil, so is there not always going to be a trade-off between retention on the chain (more viscous) and better penetration of the links (less viscous) at the expense of longevity?

    November 12, 2017 at 11:36 am #906183
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    StraelGuy

    Interesting question. I tried

    Interesting question. I tried Morgan Blue syn lube but found it was so thick it attracted enough muck on the jockey wheels to grow potatoes. I’ve now mixed it two-thirds syn lube and one third EP90 gear oil to thin it down a bit. Only on the first application so far but EP90 is basically an anti-wear oil for high pressure situations so it ought to be good!

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