29
Vent: My uncle swore by WD-40 for everything and it wrecked my bike chain
My uncle is one of those guys who thinks WD-40 fixes everything from squeaky doors to rusty tools. He told me to spray it on my bike chain last summer after I complained about it grinding. I did it for like 3 weeks straight and the chain started slipping like crazy during my commute to work in Austin. Turns out WD-40 is a degreaser not a lube, so it actually stripped all the factory grease off. I had to replace the whole chain and cassette for like $60 after that. Took it to a shop and the mechanic laughed at me. Has anyone else gotten bad advice from a relative that cost you real money?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
christopherh7926d ago
Keith, wait... humidity actually makes it rust faster?" That's brutal man.
8
keith_bennett26d ago
Oh man, that hurts. The real kicker is WD-40 actually has water displacing properties that push out moisture. So you're not just stripping grease, you're inviting rust into your chain as soon as humidity hits. I've seen guys in my neighborhood ruin vintage bikes that way. Austin's summer humidity alone would seal the deal. It's like asking for your chain to seize up after a rainstorm.
4
Hear me out, but maybe all that WD-40 hate is overblown. I've been using it as my main chain lube for like three years now on my daily commuter and the thing's still running fine. Yeah, it doesn't leave that thick sticky layer like proper bike grease, but if you reapply it every couple weeks like you're supposed to, it's not like the chain's just gonna rust away overnight. Plus the fact that it pushes out moisture is kind of the point if you ride in the rain a lot, you want something that dries out fast instead of holding water against the metal. I just give it a quick spray and wipe off the excess, takes thirty seconds, and my chain's never seized up or made any weird noises.
6
the_paul26d ago
WD-40 actually has water displacing properties that push out moisture" - Keith, I read something similar from a guy who rebuilds old mopeds, he said the same thing about it inviting rust. He compared it to using cooking oil, says it seems fine for a while then suddenly the chain's got orange flakes. @keith_bennett might have a point about the humidity thing, I've seen it wreck bike stuff in coastal areas too.
8