How Much Is an Adequate Supply of Bike Degreaser & Lubricant

fossilfuel on 13/07/2016 - 21:17
Last edited 13/07/2016 - 21:18

I'm eyeing the aldi wd40 degreaser, lubricant and wash at the moment.

https://www.aldi.com.au/en/special-buys/special-buys-wed-13-…
https://www.aldi.com.au/en/special-buys/special-buys-wed-13-…

So far I've only managed to find the wash and degreaser, no lubricant. For the bike savvy individuals & bike mechanics, how much degreaser and lubricant do you normally burn through? Would it be worth stocking up on aldi's wd40 degreaser & lubricant for long term usage or buy as you go? How long can 150g/200g last for (with maintenance every ~3 months)?

Sports & Outdoors

Comments

  • scrimshaw on 13/07/2016 - 22:08
    +2

    according to a reddit comment, there is an extremely cheap and thrifty way to make bike lube in large quantities:

    DIY.

    I picked up a $2 crockpot at the Thrift Store and melted down a $1.50 puck of paraffin wax. This is my dry lube. Melt the wax, drop in the chain. Remove the chain, let the wax dry, install on bike. Lasts for 400ish dry miles between applications. 1-2 wet rides will strip all the lube. I keep a bottle of Squirt lube around for when I dont have time to reapply a full coat of wax since it's also a wax based lube.

    Automotive gear oil thinned out with mineral spirits costs $10-15 to get started but ends up making 1/2 to 1 gallon of lube. Most people do a 3:1 ratio of mineral spirits to gear oil. Ends up being a heavy duty wet lube. The thicker it lays down the longer it'll last but the messier it'll be. You'd be surprised at how this blend looks, smells, and performs the same as a few really well known chain lubes.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/MTB/comments/2lztx5/good_and_cheap_…

    If you need a small quantity, Pushys on ebay is selling this for around $12 bucks?? 800 units sold so far, looks like it's a popular item.
    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ROCK-N-ROLL-GOLD-4OZ-BIKE-BICYCLE…

    • Euphemistic on 14/07/2016 - 09:01

      I like Rock n roll gold. I've got about 3 16oz bottles (about $30ea) at home as I forgot I'd ordered it and got more to top up to free shipping. I only lube the chain when it squeaks, and only ride approx 200km.month at the moment, but the 4oz bottle will probably last a year.

      Degreasing a chain is overrated IMO. I've got several bikes and only use the rock n roll lube to both clean and lube the chain in about 1min without removing it. As for general degreasing I just use standard WD40 to degrease/clean parts (except chain) and then apply marine grease if it needs it. I build and rebuild bikes for fun or to flip and wouldn't stockup, just buy one at a time.

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