Biodegradable chain lubricants

[Lurkin]

I have always lubricated chains with various petroleum based products, namely rock n roll oil, shimano oil, no name 3-1, thin castrol motor oil, caster oil, so on so forth. Consequently over time, the buildup of crud grew and then they require cleaning, usually requiring equally nasty solvent products to separate off the grease and allowing the dirt and crud to wash out/off. I would really like to rid my garage of both types of product, if possible. Both would contribute to a fire and neither are any good for the environment.

The current process is lubricating with Shimano oil, washing with kero, then meths, then water periodically. Repeat. Its messy, stinks and uses too many nasty products.

I've read of other people using various household products, vege, canola, olive, wax, paraffin (petroleum based, no) and always scoffed. These products are made for human consumption or general use, not necessarily mechanical lubrication and may have inappropriate water contents to prevent rust or able to provide lubrication for a period of time. Further, they are likely to allow dust to stick like poo to a blanket. Argument could also be posed that poor lubrication could cause more premature chain wear (i.e. rain washing oil off) and result in increased chain replacement with equally larger environmental costs.

For all my scoffing, I have no actual data that states these products either do not work and/or are detrimental nor have I made any progress into finding anything 'better'. Arguably, they don't need to last as long and can build up if water or something non environmentally nasty can remove them.

Argh. I am probably my own worst enemy and I'm really at the point that only actual testing can reveal anything 'new'.

But before embarking on testing anything new, I would rather find out whether someone else has already thought along these lines and can provide information or suggestions of where to begin. Failing finding my own lubrication concoction, I have seen Pedros has a biodegradable product which should work. But there's something distinctly attractive about being to brew up my own...... The home brew idea came as I realised I was paying more and more for these lubricant products, but I have no idea of whats really in them or what the value of the products that make them really are..... Given they are sold to make profit, they must be made from relatively cheap base materials.

So theoretically it could be possible to identify an effective, biodegradable, cheap lubrication product for bicycle chains.... what do you think?

In the meantime, I'll start trawling the internet to see what others have got up to/ideas and eventually, hopefully, find something to test in the future...

 

[leew]

I use Green oil on my bikes which does not contain nasty stuff, see http://www.green-oil.net/
NOTE: I have no affiliation with the above company, just a happy user.
I clean my chains using a citrus based degreaser which is biodegradable.

 

[Punx0r]

Chainsaw chain oil is biodegradable and non-toxic and good enough to protect a saw chain.

 

[The fingers]

Someone asked nearly the same question here:
http://grist.org/living/is-there-such-a-thing-as-eco-friendly-bike-lube/
Hope the answer they gave is helpful.
I used to use Crisco years ago to waterproof my boots when I worked at a golf course.
It attracts dirt and sand though and needs to be re-applied often.
To clean I use a local product called Simple Green. They're on PCH, right on the other side of the swamp from me.

 

[Drunkskunk]

Animal, Mineral, or Vegetable: Chose how you want to harm the environment.

Mineral based oils, A.K.A. petroleum products, aren't quickly biodegradable and stay in the biosphere for a long time, but they last a long time and don't mix with water or other contaminants easily, so you need to use less, and less often. But they can be toxic.

Vegetable products are responsible for killing people. Every bottle of oil you use represents a portion of a food crop that didn't go to one of the millions of starving people in the world. 21,000 people die every day of hunger. That's almost 1 every 4 seconds. Dead, because we want biofuels and vegetable lubes to save the environment. But hey, they often are superior lubricants! However, they do emulsify with water and break down quickly, so they need to be replaced often, causing waste.

Animal products are also responsible for killing people. Every bottle of animal lube you use represents a portion of a food crop that didn't go to feed one of the millions of starving people in the world. And you murdered an animal to make it. As lubes go, they are no better than mineral based, but have the shortened life span of vegetable based lubes. Murderer.


So you have a choice, Toxify the world, Starve people, or Starve people and Murder animals.

Yes, I'm joking. It's way too easy to get so wrapped up in trying to be green that you miss the whole point of being green. Use the lube your chain manufacturer recommends and it will last longer. Making a new chain is way more harmful to the earth than a lifetime of lube.
If you want to improve your greeness, ditch the solvents and use products like Dawn to degrease your chain, or Trewax Natural Orange Heavy Duty Cleaner/Degreaser. These will strip oils and waxes as just as well as toxic solvents, but are far kinder to the planet. I've been using them for decades.

 

[amberwolf]

If you want to improve your greeness, ditch the solvents and use products like Dawn to degrease your chain, or Trewax Natural Orange Heavy Duty Cleaner/Degreaser. These will strip oils and waxes as just as well as toxic solvents, but are far kinder to the planet.

Or you could pee on it and wash it with water afterwards, since ammonia is a pretty good solvent too.