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TIL the hard way not to use WD-40 on my bike chain at a group ride
I was at a group ride last summer in Portland and my chain started squeaking halfway through. Figured I'd be smart and hit it with some WD-40 I had in my bag. Big mistake. A guy next to me, retired mechanic, told me straight up that stuff will strip the factory lube and leave it dry. Chain sounded worse by mile 15 and I had to limp home. Has anyone else wrecked a chain this way or am I the only one who made that dumb call?
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thea60214d ago
Went through the exact same thing in college, ended up switching to a teflon based dry lube and never looked back. It holds up way better in rain and dust, plus it doesn't attract all that grit like WD-40 does. Just gotta wipe off the chain clean and apply it light, let it dry for a few minutes before you ride.
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the_wesley14d ago
Man I've been there too. That gritty grinding sound after a wet ride drove me nuts. What worked for me was just keeping a small squeeze bottle of dry lube in my bag and hitting the chain right after I wipe it down with a rag. Let it sit for like 10 minutes while I grab a drink and it's good to go. The key is not overdoing it though - one drop per roller and wipe off the excess. Caked on lube is worse than none at all if you ride in mud or rain.
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