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| My new Wippermann chain as it looked out of the box. |
So, looking at the page for the Blue Devil lubricant, I got two very different approaches to the application process. But one thing I did see which I was not surprised by was that NFS recommends that you only apply the lubricant to a clean chain. Say no more! I dunked my brand new Wippermann chain in a solution of warm water and dawn dish soap and scrubbed, rubbed, and let it sit for a bit, then I removed it and air dried it. How did I air dry it, you might ask? Well.......
Centrifugal force is a neat thing. Using that idea with air flow, I went into the back yard, checked for any overhead obstructions like wires to the house, etc, and swung that chain 'round like a propeller blade, holding it by its end. There is something rather boyishly satisfying that comes from hearing the 'whooshing' sound of an object that you wield while swinging it through the air. Anyway, I swapped ends, and repeated the process for good measure.
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| Post-application look at the chain with the Blue Devil lubricant. |
The interesting observation I have made so far in this round of the 'Lube-Off' is that both lubricants I am trying are colored blue. DuMonde Tech's 'regular blend' is also blue in color. Coincidence? We will see.... At any rate, getting back to that application process- NFS's site has wording to do the application in one way, then recommends you take a look at a video, which tells of a bit different application process. Actually, the two are pretty different. I took the road the video showed me, so we will see which is correct.
Well, that done, I went and checked on the shifting and found that my cable tension was off. Like way off! It's funny how much better a new chain shifts than an old one does. So much so that my minor adjustments to cable tension as that old chain wore made the new chain shift horribly. It was so bad it had become unrideable. Something to think about if you swap chains.
Speaking of the chain- This Wippermann chain did not start out nearly as noisy as the first one but hasn't gotten as quiet as the first one has either. So, kinda consistently 'ker-chunky', if you know what I mean. Shifts are smooth though. Even under heavy pedal pressure. Good there so far.
And as you can see, the new lube, which was run in for about 40 minutes or so, looks okay so far. But this is not gravel riding. So, stay tuned for the next update on this lubricant coming soon.
3 comments:
I read the directions on the old Silca/NFS lube that said to only use 4 drops when re-applying the lube, and 12 drops when applying new on a clean chain. I disregarded that and did a "micro drop" on each roller for my new chain; then I probably go with 8-10 drops when re-applying. I am not concerned with the minor cost difference with the increased amount; it just gives me peace of mind that the chain is being lubricated properly. I also don't clean and lube my chain for every ride, and doubt most people do.
@DT - Yeah, I'm with you on that. 12 drops for an entire chain AND get it spread around to every link? Seems like a very big ask. I used as small a stream as I could over all the rollers.
I'll have a further update on this lube soon, but it is definitely a unique lubricant.
@Too Tal - Thanks for chiming in, Josh.
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