Dec 04 '06 - 881 W, 2 I - Vote Good + 4 :: Bad - 3 Nuts 'n' Bolts: Lubricants for Bicycles
Published December 4, 2006 by C.I.C.L.E.
Contributed by Harv
We all know that bicycles require no fossil fuels, but we cannot claim complete independence from petroleum products. A miniscule amount is required for lubrication. Let's take a look at the basic requirements and my recommendations.
Not all lubricants are alike. Our applications call for basically, four specific types, although we could make do with fewer if necessary. We need a chain lube, a ball bearing grease, an anti-seize grease, and a light oil for freewheels and derailer pivots/jockey wheels. While a light oil can be used for control cables, I use a light white grease. OK, so this is five.
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Chain Lube:
Forget the expensive tiny bottles of chain lube extolled as the ultimate. By actual measurement, I get well over 5000 miles before the minimum chain wear of 1/16 inch per foot appears, by using White Lithium Grease made by Pyroil. A four-dollar aerosol can lasts for many applications. A side benefit is that a chain lubed thusly will remain fairly clean and not attract dirt as some other chain lubes might.
Bearing Grease:
I use the automotive wheel-bearing grease available in a life-time supply sized can at auto accessory stores. This is somewhat viscous for racing purposes, but lasts longer and is just fine for every-day use. I think I am still using the can I purchased a couple of decades ago. You will want to use this for pedal bearings, bottom brackets (non-cartridge), wheel bearings (cup and cone) and headsets.
Light Oil:
Again, a life-time supply can be obtained from an auto-suppy or tool store. It will be labeled "Machine Oil". Also applicable is the somewhat lighter "Air Tool Oil" which contains a detergent and is good for loosening up very old and stiff freewheels. This is the stuff you want to apply to derailer pivots and jockey wheels. Unless the jockeys will be disassembled, then you use the light grease on the bushings. Ditto for control cables. If they will not be disassembled, use the oil. If disassembled, use the light grease on the bare cable, then insert into the housing.
Light Grease:
This is thinner than the wheel bearing grease, is usually white in color, and available in the same size container and from the same source as the wheel bearing grease. It is useful for disassembled jockey wheels, control cables, caliper brake pivots, and skewers. This could be used in ball bearing applications instead of wheel bearing grease if the very utmost in performance is required (as for racing), but will require more frequent applications.
Anti-Seize Grease:
I recommend silicon grease for this application. You will want to use this for your freewheel threads, seat post shaft (where it goes into the seat tube), saddle adjustor bolt, pedal threads, crank arm bolts, crank spindle taper/splines, binder bolts, stem, handlebar clamp bolts, axle nuts (if any), caliper brake thrust washers and mounting bolts, and cable adjustors. Especially important where anything screws into aluminum threads. Silicon grease can be obtained from plumbing supply stores; it is used to lube faucet threads. Also from auto supply stores where it is known as spark plug boot grease. Industrially, it is used as a dielectric grease. For laboratory work, silicon grease is used in glass vacuum systems and for o-rings. Dow Corning makes the industrial stuff, but it is more expensive than the plumbing and auto boot greases.
As I said above, you can do with fewer different types of lube. You can use the light white grease instead of silicon; you can use the machine oil for both anti-seize and light grease. You can even use the machine oil for chain lube, but it will be flung onto your tyres and rims and require more frequent applications. So bite the bullet and get a pint of each type of lubricant. You may have to buy a quart of the machine or air tool oil.
OK, so how do you get the various lubricants from the can onto your bike? You can just open the container and stick your finger into the grease each time. And you can squirt oil from the tip of the machine oil can each time. But I suggest a better way. Remember the old time 35mm film cans from the pre-digital camera days? If you are lucky enough to have a few of these, they make great little containers for grease. You need just a smear of grease for each job, so they won't have to be refilled too often. Unless you do higher volume work such as a community bike workspace or pro shop. For the oils, I use a basic pump oil can, a four-ouncer will do fine. One with a long spout to reach those derailers is suggested. For a very fine application of oil I use a plastic bellows syringe that I got from an ink-jet refill kit. Precision oilers are also available in hardware stores.
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I’m a petroleum consumer myself, but I do know people whose commitment to sustainable resources includes a use of vegetable oils for lube.
Fritz (Email) (URL) - December 13 '06 - 16:04
Indigenous to Southern California is the invasive castor bean plant. Oil derived from this plant is an excellent lubricant. It was used for many years as a motor oil, but fell from favor due to degradation with exposure to engine heat. No such problem exists with bicycle applications! Apparently, castor oil can also be produced as a grease. \n\nI would be happy to experiment with castor bean lubricants if they were available in small end-user quantities, and in the required viscosities. This concept has everything going for it. Castor oil is biodegradable, non-toxic, sustainable, and inexpensive.Harv (Email) - December 14 '06 - 12:08
Castor oil is NOT non-toxic. It is the source for ricin, which is a deadly poison. That is why it is such an effective laxitive—your body will try to expel it as violently as possible.BAW (Email) - March 13 '08 - 11:33
Nor is it indigenous to Southern California… http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_J..Interesting alternative lube ideas, though. Thanks.
rob - March 13 '08 - 14:35
I’ve been using castor oil for bike & other lube projects for over 3 decades. It’s a very thick oil, & doesn’t tend to drip, or run freely, like most other oils. It is ‘clean’, & excellent for dry skin. It doesn’t contain chemicals like all petroleum-based products. I often coat my hands with it before starting a messy bike or auto job. A few more drops rubbed into hands at the clean-up phase helps to “towel off” grimy hands.BAW was right about Ricin being associated with castor oil, but castor oil ITSELF is Ricin-free. To quote from the “Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine”:
“The ricin is left in the meal or cake after the oil is extracted from the bean, so castor oil does not contain any of the poison.”
I keep one small bottle of castor oil especially clean, and label it “For Eyes Only”. It’s excellent for itchy, burning eyes, as well as very healing for dry skin & other minor irritations. I use it to coat bike cables before inserting in conduit.I usually have a tiny plastic bottle of castor oil in my pocket to prevent cracked fingers. A few drops are always available for a minor lube problem. At body temperature, it has lower viscosity, & usually gets where it’s needed.
Jack_son
Jack_son - May 01 '08 - 16:22