# Chain lube for 11 speed Record chain



## nicensleazy (Aug 3, 2008)

Can any of you fine people please recommend a great lube for an 11 speed Record Chain. Just trying to find the perfect lube for this chain. cheers folks


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## veloci1 (Nov 29, 2005)

i use Boeshield T-9 Lubricant. it was developed by Boeing. it is supposed to help with corrosion also.it comes in a can and you can get it at your LBS. in my experience, it is one of the best lubes out there.


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## nicensleazy (Aug 3, 2008)

The other I was told about was Sapim Race Oil, buy can't find anyone who has used it.


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## smokva (Jul 21, 2004)

I can tell you this one is the worst I ever had:









As marketed it is much cleaner than conventional lubes, does not stain, and has no greasy build up, but it makes my drivetrain very loud and if it is loud it can't be smooth, efficient and lubed well. I don't recommend it!

I went back to my old trusty 15W-45 motor oil. It might attract dust more and I have to clean it more often, but it does what it should...it lubes. I would like to try something from the 5W range as I hope it would make cleaner drivetrain, but a bottle of 15W lasts for years :mad2:


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## scrooks (Jan 20, 2008)

Works for me.
View attachment 175789


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## Guest (Aug 25, 2009)

I still use homebrew on the 11speed chains.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

"home brew" 3:1 Naphtha:0W20 motor oil. 

Naphtha evaporates quicker than OMS (odorless mineral spirits), just a personal preference.

The "dry lube" that worked OK on my Shimano 10sp, created a bit too much drivetrain noise on Campy 11sp.


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## campagnoloneutron (Sep 15, 2005)

nicensleazy said:


> Can any of you fine people please recommend a great lube for an 11 speed Record Chain. Just trying to find the perfect lube for this chain. cheers folks


I have used the Finish Line Pro Road ceramic chain oil/lubricant for the last year or so and it seems to have good adherence, runs smooth and quiet, stays fairly clean. (used on my Campagnolo Record 10 speed setup and now also on the newer Camapgnolo Super Record 11 speed setup) I wipe my chain after every ride. 
I like it.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

campagnoloneutron said:


> I have used the Finish Line Pro Road ceramic chain oil/lubricant for the last year or so and it seems to have good adherence, runs smooth and quiet, stays fairly clean. (used on my Campagnolo Record 10 speed setup and now also on the newer Camapgnolo Super Record 11 speed setup) I wipe my chain after every ride.
> I like it.


If you wipe your chain after every ride, then you might benefit from making your own lube using synthetic motor oil and mineral spirits. You can play around with the mixture and find what works best for your environment. I spent $10 two years ago on oil and spirits still have half left.


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## natedg200202 (Sep 2, 2008)

*Works for me too!*



scrooks said:


> Works for me.
> View attachment 175789


I love ProLink and it's not that expensive. Maybe $6 a year if I go nuts using it. Many people on this forum praise homebrew, which I don't get. Complaining about cost doesn't make much sense to me as some people are putting this on Super Record or Record. If you can afford that, the extra few bucks a year for name brand lube shouldn't make that big of a difference. 

So for homebrewers, does your concoction actually work better? I would think the mess would be hard to deal with.


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## Guest (Aug 26, 2009)

natedg200202 said:


> I love ProLink and it's not that expensive. Maybe $6 a year if I go nuts using it. Many people on this forum praise homebrew, which I don't get. Complaining about cost doesn't make much sense to me as some people are putting this on Super Record or Record. If you can afford that, the extra few bucks a year for name brand lube shouldn't make that big of a difference.
> 
> So for homebrewers, does your concoction actually work better? I would think the mess would be hard to deal with.



What mess? I put it on with an old Prolink bottle so my mess is no different than yours. It works great and you can't get any cheaper. A cheap bottle of motor oil combined with Naphtha or M. Spirits at 3:1 is enough chain lube to last a long long time. Empty motor oil bottles work fine for storing it so I make it a quart at a time. The ones with the clear strip on the side to check volume make it easy to get the ration right. Then I use a funnel to put it in the smaller prolink bottle when it gets empty.


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## scrooks (Jan 20, 2008)

Gonna try this homebrew thing. Not to hijack or anything but would love to hear about chain cleaning ideas. What cleaners / methods / frequency? I'm planning to just leave my 11 sp chain inplace for cleaning considering the cost and hasle of re-pining.


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## smokva (Jul 21, 2004)

kytyree said:


> What mess? I put it on with an old Prolink bottle so my mess is no different than yours. It works great and you can't get any cheaper. A cheap bottle of motor oil combined with Naphtha or M. Spirits at 3:1 is enough chain lube to last a long long time. Empty motor oil bottles work fine for storing it so I make it a quart at a time. The ones with the clear strip on the side to check volume make it easy to get the ration right. Then I use a funnel to put it in the smaller prolink bottle when it gets empty.


Am I right...you put solvent (mineral spirits) in oil to make oil less thick so it can penetrate better into chain. Solvent will evaporate fast and leave oil in the chain where it needs to be.
What I'm afraid of is the fact that solvent is aggressive on steel and I'm not sure does it evaporate fast enough from inner crannies of the chain before it starts to corrode.
Also I think 0W oil that you use will find its way to the chain without solvent, on the other hand my 15W oil could use some help


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

_" ... solvent is aggressive on steel ... "_

No. Mineral spirits won't affect metals, properly cured paint & clearcoats, carbon fiber, or even most industrial plastics. 
A quick rub with a spirits-dampened rag will also clean off road-dirt, grease, or tar from rubber tires, without harming the tire.


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## dookie (Oct 1, 2007)

chain-l, if you feel the need for something made by others.

homebrew if you're a DIYer. i prefer gear oil to motor oil...biased towards high pressure, not high speed.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

scrooks said:


> Gonna try this homebrew thing. Not to hijack or anything but would love to hear about chain cleaning ideas. What cleaners / methods / frequency? I'm planning to just leave my 11 sp chain inplace for cleaning considering the cost and hasle of re-pining.


You can only re-pin an 11 speed chain once. There's no reason to remove it until it wears out. 

There are several threads on homebrew but there are no hard and fast answers on methods/frequency. I use Castrol Synthetic oil and no-name odorless mineral spirits in a 4:1 ratio in the dry months (4 parts mineral spirits:1 part oil) and 3:1 in the wet winter. I'm a commuter so I'm thinking round trip when I leave in the morning. The good part about making your own lube is that it is cheap and you can really slather the stuff on to clean and lube in one step. Frequency depends on road and weather conditions. I use less oil in the summer to keep the chain cleaner but that means I apply more often. I live with more dirt in the winter to keep the chain lubed in the rainy PNW.


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## voodooguy (Aug 18, 2007)

Chain-L... I don't think you will be disappointed.


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## nicensleazy (Aug 3, 2008)

Well, after trying out, pro-gold, squirt, finishline, purple extreme and syne lube I have now found the one for me.........Shimano dry lube. Great stuff and seems to work extremely well on the Record 11 chain.


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## David Loving (Jun 13, 2008)

tom_h said:


> "home brew" 3:1 Naphtha:0W20 motor oil.
> 
> Naphtha evaporates quicker than OMS (odorless mineral spirits), just a personal preference.
> 
> The "dry lube" that worked OK on my Shimano 10sp, created a bit too much drivetrain noise on Campy 11sp.



Home brew is the very best for any bike chain. I go with 4:1 "mineral spirits" to motor oil. Put the mix in any old squeeze bottle and slosh it on. The best chain lube there is - and I have tried them all.


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

voodooguy said:


> Chain-L... I don't think you will be disappointed.



Looks like home brew with a sexy label and the price to go with it... am I wrong?


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

"Chain - L No. 5"
vs 
"Chanel No. 5" (an actual perfume).

Someone has a sense of humor


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## nicensleazy (Aug 3, 2008)

tom_h said:


> "Chain - L No. 5"
> vs
> "Chanel No. 5" (an actual perfume).
> 
> Someone has a sense of humor



I was under the impression this stuff was mainly for MTB's. Isn't it quite thick?


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## voodooguy (Aug 18, 2007)

nicensleazy said:


> I was under the impression this stuff was mainly for MTB's. Isn't it quite thick?


Very thick... For MTB only? Works *great* on my road chain!


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## dew1551 (Apr 8, 2006)

*11 spd chain lube*

Purple extreme....just the best!


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## FBinNY (Jan 24, 2009)

nicensleazy said:


> I was under the impression this stuff was mainly for MTB's. Isn't it quite thick?


Yes it's pretty darn thick. I prefer to think of it as clingy, as it stays in place.

I originally developed it as a road lube, in reaction to the trend to shorter and shorter re-lube intervals with the products being sold as chain lubes. After all what good is a chain lube that has a 50-100 mile life if you do back to back rides of over 100 miles.

The reality is that chain drive is chain drive so there's no lubricating difference between road and MTB chains. Chain lubes work inside the chain where all chains are the same. The only difference is what you do outside, which relates to managing cleanliness in differing environments.


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