Why I stopped using generic lube after a chain snapped on a climb

I was at the local bike co-op last weekend and heard a mechanic say something about how cheap lube just washes off in like 20 miles. I'd been using a $4 bottle from the hardware store for months. Then my chain literally snapped going uphill on a 6 mile ride near the river trail. Switched to a $12 bottle of Squirt wax lube and my drivetrain has been silent for 50 miles now. Has anyone else had a chain snap from poor lube choices?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_emma5d ago

The cheap stuff is just a bandaid for a bigger problem. It's like buying the lowest grade oil for your car and wondering why it starts knocking. I've noticed in a lot of hobbies people cut corners on the little things that actually do the heavy lifting, then act surprised when it falls apart. Your chain snap is just the loudest way that cheap lube can fail you.

claire9586d ago

My old man snapped three chains in a single winter using that hardware store stuff until he finally listened and switched to a ceramic drip lube... trails around here get silty after rain and cheap lube just turns into grinding paste.