PSA: Stop using WD-40 on your bike chain, saw a guy wreck his drivetrain at a local trailhead yesterday

I was at the Pine Mountain trailhead last Saturday and this dude was spraying WD-40 all over his chain like it was magic lube. Within 20 minutes his cassette was making this grinding noise and he couldn't shift into the smallest gear. WD-40 is a solvent, not a lubricant, it strips the factory grease and leaves nothing behind. If you're on a budget get a $8 bottle of Tri-Flow or even basic 3-in-1 oil, it'll save you a $60 cassette replacement. Has anyone else seen people wreck their bikes with the wrong lube at group rides?

2 comments

2 Comments

julia_hayes1h ago

Whoa, that's rough. @andrew_nguyen64 your buddy with the butter is a legend but also a disaster, haha. Honestly, it's like people think any slippery stuff works the same, but you'd never put cooking oil in your car engine, right? It's the same deal with bikes, WD-40 is for cleaning hinges, not keeping a drivetrain alive.

andrew_nguyen646h ago

My buddy Carl greased his chain with butter during a group ride and it snapped within two miles.