Overheard a mechanic say something about chain lube that flipped my thinking

I was at the co-op last Saturday and this older guy told a newbie that WD-40 is not a lubricant, it's a solvent. He said most chain noise comes from using the wrong lube in the wrong weather, not from dirt. Made me wonder, what's the one lube trick you swear by that most people get wrong?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai_park11d ago

Wait, did I just ruin my bike chain with canola oil last week?

sandra_anderson211d ago

Wait, you actually used canola oil? Like from the kitchen cabinet? Did you at least wipe it down after or did you just pour it on and hope for the best? Because that stuff gets sticky and gunky when it dries, it's nothing like proper chain lube. You might want to check if your chain is already making a weird grinding noise or if it feels gritty when you spin the pedals.