Will using dry lube and wet lube together give you better protection/performance than from using just one of them?

Question

I think the only way to use them together is to put on dry lube first and then wet lube. Will the wet lube hold? Will applying both give you the best that each has to offer?

Update Just found this video on YouTube. It teaches you three techniques to clean your chain. If you forward to timecode 8:20 of the video. He mentions that you can put on Finish Line's Dry Teflon Lube and later you can put another lube on top of it:

Just wondering if this is ok.

Update Just bought some Finish Line products to do some chain maintenance. On the back of the Finish Line product pamphlet they have a list called "Pro Team Mechanic Tips". Two of the items on the list contain techniques that use two different lubes/greases on the same chain...I've included them below...

• In extremely wet conditions, some mechanics will lube the chain with WET lube, then apply a top coating of Teflon Grease to the chain.
• In semi-wet conditions, some will apply DRY Lube to the chain as a base coat, and then a top coat of WET lube.

So, I think based on this list and the video link I found above. Applying both lubes is an acceptable technique.

Answer 1

I asked a friend about this. He's a bicycle mechanic, and he sent me this in response to this question:

I don't think it will do any harm, I just doubt it will do much good either. First of all, my experience makes me think that "layering" lube isn't going to do much, since the motion of the chain pivots (the lube only works INSIDE the chain, where it pivots, all the lube sitting on top of your chain does nothing but attract dirt) will simply stir the two lubes together and mix them up, so the order that you put them on isn't going to have a measurable effect.

Second, I don't know what benefit you'd get by blending the two. Teflon "dry" lube is a great all around lubricant which attracts relatively little crud. However, in very wet conditions it washes off pretty easily. Wet lubes are stickier and pick up more dirt, but don't wash off as easily in wet conditions. So by mixing wet and dry lube you should get a coating of lubrication that... well, picks up a lot of dirt but doesn't wash off easily in wet conditions.

What the video he referenced may have meant is that you don't have to clean dry lube off your chain before putting on additional wet lube. It is possible that you can "thin out" a wet lubricant by mixing it with a lighter lube to get an in-between mix, I've never really experimented that much.

The only way to really damage your chain with lubrication would be to use something like motor oil which hardens with prolonged exposure to air, to allow a sticky lube to attract too much grit which will wear your chain down, or to rely entirely something like WD-40 which evaporates within 48 hours and leaves your chain effectively unlubricated.

Answer 2

I don't think so - they are designed to be used individually, and for a specific purpose.

Like I answered to a previous question, the Wet / Dry naming of the product is a hint as to what conditions the product is designed for.

Wet lube is typically more like motor or sewing machine oil, and is designed to coat the chain and protect it in wet conditions. This will pick up dirt and gunk, but it will be mostly kept on the surface and will help keep water and other corrosive substances out of the links.

Dry lube is usually a teflon lube in an evaporating or wax base, so the teflon particles stay in the links without a lot of wet "gunk" left on the chain to pick up sand, dust, grime, etc. and is great for dry, dusty conditions.

Answer 3

After some experimentation with dry and wet lubes I've found that they are -indeed- designed for what they're named after.

In summer I'll use dry lubricant. My chain will pick up less dust and other crap but if I get caught in the rain I need to clean and re-oil my chain immediately after or it'll start to rust.

The rest of the year I use wet lubricant. My chain picks up more gunk but less of it comes off the road when I pass, so that evens out, and with the wet lube my chain can take a few showers before I have to clean and re-oil.

Answer 4

Doubtful. Differing lubricants can act as solvents for each other, causing it to drip out and be lubeless. This was attributed as the cause of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashing; differing maintenance crews lubed the horizontal trim jackscrew with two different lubricants. They dripped out, the part failed, and the jet crashed.

Answer 5

They will work one against the other. If it was such a good idea, you could probably find a pre-mixed bottle at your local bike store.