bettywood•22d agoMost Upvoted

Heard a customer say they always use WD-40 on their chain

I was ringing up a guy buying a new chain at the store yesterday. He told his friend, 'I just spray it with WD-40 after every ride, keeps it quiet.' I didn't say anything, but it made me think about how many people might be doing that. It cleans for a minute but leaves the chain dry and attracts grit fast. What's the best way you explain to a customer why that's a bad idea without sounding like you're talking down to them?

3 comments

3 Comments

andrew_rodriguez22d ago

Heard that one before. WD-40 is a water displacer and degreaser, so it strips all the lube out. It might seem quiet at first, but it leaves the metal bare and makes it wear out way faster. A proper chain lube sticks to the rollers and protects them from grit and grinding. You can explain it like using hand sanitizer versus lotion, one cleans but dries you out, the other actually protects.

elizabethhayes22d ago

Yeah, that hand sanitizer vs lotion thing is spot on.

jamesm4815d agoMost Upvoted

My buddy did that to his bike chain last year, swore it was a cheap fix. Thing got quiet for maybe two days, then it started making this awful grinding sound. Took it to the shop and they showed him the chain was already shot, all the pins were dry and scored. He basically sanded his own chain from the inside out, lol. Cost him way more for a new chain and cassette than a bottle of proper lube would have.