My buddy swore WD-40 fixes everything, tried it on a squeaky bike chain

He said just spray it on and go, so I did on my way to work downtown. Chain slipped off twice before I got three blocks, guess he never rode a bike in his life. Anyone else get burned by someone's too simple fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_lee22d ago

Three blocks before the chain slipped? Were you pedaling uphill or just cruising flat ground when it went?

piper_kim22d ago

Oh man, that's rough! I had the same thing happen on my old mountain bike a few years back. I was just cruising flat ground, no warning or anything, and the chain just gave out right as I was crossing a busy intersection. I ended up having to walk the thing to a shop and they told me the chain was stretched out from riding it dry too many times. Now I just keep a little bottle of chain lube in my backpack and give it a drip every few weeks, especially after riding in rain or mud.

spencer_owens5822d ago

I read somewhere that WD-40 is actually a solvent not a lubricant, so it just washes away the factory grease on a chain. My neighbor found that out the hard way with his motorcycle chain and ended up replacing the whole thing. Stick with proper bike chain oil next time, it's cheap and actually stays put.