Is WD-40 good for cleaning & lubricating bicycle chains or should I use chain lube instead?

Question

Is WD-40 good for cleaning & lubricating bicycle chains or should I use chain lube instead?

Answer 1

It is very good, but chain lube will last longer.

Answer 2

WD-40 will cause dirt to stick to the parts of your bike; it's meant (as noted by another responder) to act a moisture repellent.  Use products made specifically for bikes and sporting goods to lubricate your bike parts; there are many varieties of chain lube out there, but unless you are doing serious riding, just get an all purpose chain lube.  Just remember that whenever adding lube, you must first clean the part with a degreaser to remove the old lube, then add the new lubricant once the old dirt and grime has been removed.  Otherwise, you are just adding more grease to a dirty chain and are creating a bigger mess and not really cleaning the dirt off.

Answer 3

It is a good cleaner but you should use chain lube which is a little heavier made for gears.

Answer 4

some folks prefer oil based lubes, others wax lubes. I use a spray wax lube (white lightening). I clean my drivetrain regularly, and lube it before each ride. which ever you decide to use, just don't mix oil and wax! if you use WD40 before each ride, you'll be ok, but it is a penetrating, solvent/lube. meaning it's designed to loosen oxidation, not so much a permanent lube.

Answer 5

No

http://bicycletutor.com/no-wd40-bike-cha...

i use TriFlow

Answer 6

NO! Don't use that on a bike...keep it far away from a bike!!

Use Tri-flow to lubricate everything on your bike except the chain and use Rock and Roll lube for your chain.

They make three types of rock and roll lube, yellow for all around situatins, blue for extreme weather situations, and red for serious road biking.

You can't put too much on and you can't whipe too much off. It gets deep into the chain and actually repels dirt to help prolong the life of the chain.

Wax based lubes work after you start riding and the wax warms up. It stays on longer, but you end up with waxy build-up. I suggest using a water based lube at the very least. Also, the best thing for your bike is to lube the chain at least once a week.

Answer 7

The "WD" in WD 40 stands for "water displacement", and the stuff was designed to do just that--displace water., making it easier to loosen nuts.  I wipe my chain with a cotton cloth (an old tee) then spray it with carb starter, which cuts the oils and the pressure blows the crud away...then apply light oil or lube.

See what the Master sez, however.....