# Need a chain that won't rust!



## Tweezak (Aug 24, 2008)

I'm sick of this. I bought a new bike Jan. 1. Since then I've probably put an average of 400mi/month on it commuting in pretty much all conditions. Living in Oregon I commute in rain and on a lot of wet roads. Suffice it to say, my chain gets a lot of grime and splash even though I have a long front fender flap.

Anyway, I've replaced my chain once this year at the recommendation of the LBS. The mech I know there who I do trust said that the stock chain was about a $6 item and would become more trouble than it was worth. So, I bought an XT chain which I hoped would hold up well.

Well, I recently serviced my chain which was badly gummed up from lubing w/o cleaning. I soaked it in kerosene to try to loosen the accumulated DuMonde lube. I decided to go with Finish Line dry lube this time.

Well, this morning I threw my chain off the big ring on my way to work. As I reinstalled it, I noticed that there was what I would call significant rust on the side plates of the chain. It's not squeaking or anything but it bothers me that it is rusting after only about 2 or 3 months of use.

So, is there a chain out there that will not rust? (yeah...I know...belts) It doesn't seem like it would be a huge deal to make a chain from stainless. Granted, the side plate rust is largely cosmetic but I wonder how long before the rollers start rusting.

Thanks for your help.


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## LWright (Jan 29, 2006)

Wippermann makes a Stainless Steel chain


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## axcxnj (Jun 23, 2008)

i believe that you can also find a titanium chain...that will be expen$ive though


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## Gary the No-Trash Cougar (Oct 14, 2008)

Considering the conditions you commute in, I would just use a stock chain. Keep several in your parts bin and replace as necessary. I don't really think it's practical to use a more expensive chain than that for the purposes of commuting. I can't honestly speak for dry lube, as I've never used it but I think I would be more apt to use some more "traditional" like good old Tri-Flo.


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## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

Boeshield T9. Used it all winter on my Pugsley. No rust. No grime build up. Still haven't pulled the chain. Proper lube and chain maintenance is all that's necessary. I live in Wisconsin. Our conditions are far worse than anything Oregon can dream up.


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## fastale (Jul 2, 2007)

IMO, your chain is not the problem, it's your lube. In wet conditions dry lube is worthless. I coat my commuter in tri-flo about once a week in the winter and never have any problems.


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## Schmucker (Aug 23, 2007)

Tri-Flow in the winter works... but it really isn't the best approach.


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## mtnbiker72 (Jan 22, 2007)

Dry lube is a no-go in Oregon winter conditions (native myself). You should be using a wet lube. Dumonde is a great lube if you prep the chain correctly...which means starting with a freshly cleaned chain before lubing. I used to use it, but it became too much of a PIA. I use ProLink which seems to hold up in wet and muddy rides just fine, but a simple wet lube like Tri-Flow is just fine. Wiping the chain down every week or so will keep the build up down to a minimum. A small amount of surface rust on outer plates is no big deal but if you want Rust Free...then the Wipperman 9x1 is your option.


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## ae111black (Dec 27, 2008)

+1 T9 Boeshield!! lots of rain here in Hawaii during winter and it holds up awesome!!


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## California L33 (Jul 30, 2005)

Stick with a steel chain- they last longer, and the SS and titanium chains are expensive and relatively brittle. You just need to get your steel chain coated. I like Boeshield, but I don't soak my chains that often here in California. When I do I dry them with a paper towel, then spray WD-40 on them and wipe them- no rust.


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## ae111black (Dec 27, 2008)

California L33 said:


> Stick with a steel chain- they last longer, and the SS and titanium chains are expensive and relatively brittle. You just need to get your steel chain coated. I like Boeshield, but I don't soak my chains that often here in California. When I do I dry them with a paper towel, then spray WD-40 on them and wipe them- no rust.


Here we Go Again.....WD40 -1:nono: No sence putting T9 on anything if your gonna do that! the wd40 will just dissolve all the goodstuff! Ask me how i destroyed the headset on my prophet...............


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## Dogbrain (Mar 4, 2008)

I also commute in OR. I use Tri-Flow clean my chain once every couple of weeks with Simple Green (gallon of concentrate at home depot is $15 and you can dilute it down 5:1 and it still cuts chain lube just fine). Just get a quick link so you can pop your chain off and drop it in a cup to soak for a few minutes and then it will rinse clean with hot water. Use a paper towel to clean the gunk off your derailer cogs. Then liberally apply Tri-Flow. I reapply tri flow every 3-5 days or after it gets completely soaked.


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## California L33 (Jul 30, 2005)

ae111black said:


> Here we Go Again.....WD40 -1:nono: No sence putting T9 on anything if your gonna do that! the wd40 will just dissolve all the goodstuff! Ask me how i destroyed the headset on my prophet...............


There are many threads here and over on RBR about how WD-40 will end the world as we know it- but your chain won't rust if you use it. If the T9 has worn off, or you didn't hit every millimeter of exposed metal with it, you will get rust on a steel chain with as little as one soaking. Immediately drying it and hitting it with WD-40 will prevent that.

Seriously- you didn't spray WD-40 in your headset, did you? (For those not in the know, yes, WD-40 has solvents in it, and will remove grease- as well as dry lubes. But you don't need to use anything special for wet conditions on any part that is greased).


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## fastale (Jul 2, 2007)

Schmucker said:


> Tri-Flow in the winter works... but it really isn't the best approach.


Have a better one?

I use tri-flow because it does a really good job of penetrating, it's very quick and it is realitively inexpensive. In the winter where I am at (IA), I don't want to spend more than five minutes in the garage in the negative degrees. Granted, Oregon is not quite as cold.

Only down side, plan on getting your pant leg dirty, but anything other then dry lube will do that.


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## ae111black (Dec 27, 2008)

California L33 said:


> There are many threads here and over on RBR about how WD-40 will end the world as we know it- but your chain won't rust if you use it. If the T9 has worn off, or you didn't hit every millimeter of exposed metal with it, you will get rust on a steel chain with as little as one soaking. Immediately drying it and hitting it with WD-40 will prevent that.
> 
> Seriously- you didn't spray WD-40 in your headset, did you? (For those not in the know, yes, WD-40 has solvents in it, and will remove grease- as well as dry lubes. But you don't need to use anything special for wet conditions on any part that is greased).


No i didnt. I got some water down my steerer (washing the bike upsidedown) and decided to shoot some in there to "dry" what ever moisture was left........Needless to say the WD creeped into the headset and guess what? No more grease! it simply disolved it away!! When I got my bike I was led to beleve that it was a "sealed bearing" head set!!! Well lessons learned!! Now I keep the wd40 away from anything with bearings and seals..... And it gave me an excuse to put on a Chris King!


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## tscheezy (Dec 19, 2003)

Even "stainless" chains like the Wippermann use hardened steel pins that are not stainless and still will rust. Wippermanns are also very strangely sized and ship very short and tight. A new Wipperman will hardly even accept a Park chain stretch checker tool, they are so tight. Unless the other drivetrain components are brand new, the Wippermann will give you bad chain suck.

Just use TriFlow or some similar cheap wet lube and wipe your chain off after applying. Keeping a bike chain gleamingly clean and rust free in a wet environment is a Sisyphean task. Don't put too much effort into it.


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## Fuelish (Dec 19, 2003)

I use TriFlow because I love the synthetic banana aroma that emanates from it


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

My commuter gets a cheap chain, like a SRAM PC-830 or similar. I give the whole chain a quick wipe when I get home, and if it starts making nasty noises I lube with White Lightning. I'll probably switch to something else when the rainy season starts up again, since WL flushes out pretty easily on a wet day.

Worry about rust on your nice bike. It's important to maintain some perspective about commute/utility bikes - the purpose of the bike is to get locked outside and ridden in nasty conditions and on city streets, maybe even stolen or vandalized, so that your other bikes don't have to.

Even if you replace your chain every three months, you're still saving money by not buying gas or paying bus fare.


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## newaccount (Jan 3, 2007)

Some lube and regular riding does the trick. No rust even through all the rain we've been getting in the spring.


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## Tweezak (Aug 24, 2008)

Well...some lively discussion. Thanks everyone for your input.

I'm a little miffed about the Finish Line "dry" lube. It isn't "dry" at all. My chain is still covered with black crap that comes off like oil and stains everything it touches. Oh well...failed experiment. Now I know why this stuff was on the closeout table for a buck.

I'll try some of the suggestions you gave.

Thanks again.


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