Re: [CR] Lubing your chain with olive oil, and what else?

Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2009 11:24:22 -0400
To: CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
From: "John Betmanis" <johnb@oxford.net>
In-Reply-To: <413998.5727.qm@web83407.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>
References: <70e14d4c0903311333k2abfbd0bvca5068d626cf3a3@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [CR] Lubing your chain with olive oil, and what else?

At 01:50 PM 31/03/2009 -0700, Guy Taylor wrote:
>
>I found soaking the cleaned chain in melted paraffin to be a great lube. Th
>e chain needs to be lubed more often with this method but there sure isn't
>any sticky, dirt-gathering, grease on it.

I tried this years ago and found the paraffin wax fell off and worked its way out of of the chain very quickly. It didn't take long before the chain was squeaking. I suspect this idea came from an attempt to find a cheap home replacement for Linklyfe, sold in the UK for motorcycle and bicycle chains. Maybe it's still available. http://www.flickr.com/photos/fras/2255938504/

You would heat it up on the stove wne jour mother or wife wasn't around, the same as the paraffin wax.

Note: "Paraffin" in the UK means kerosene, which works better for cleaning chains than lubricating them.

John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada