Forum: bicycles.stackexchange.com
Tags: <maintenance>
Title: Can I use WD-40 on my bike?
Question: Is WD-40 really bad to apply on bikes? I was told so but still see people doing that.   Also I saw WD-40 launching their new products of bike lubricant and degreaser. Did anybody try those?

Answers:
sents: text: WD-40 is mostly a solvent with a very light lubricant mixed in.
text: It's great for getting stuck parts moving again.
text: When you spray it on, the solvent dislodges whatever gunk may be causing the part to stick and then evaporates, leaving a light lubricant behind.
text: This will allow the previously stuck part to move again.
text: The reason it is generally not considered a good bicycle lubricant is because it is a light lubricant.
text: It's just fine for household items like door hinges, which aren't exposed to weather and don't get moved a couple hundred times a minute.
text: But the lubricant is not thick enough to adhere to rapidly moving bike parts for any length of time, especially when you add a little bit of road grit and/or rain.
text: Some people do use it for loosening up shifters in the winter time ( they stick when it's cold ) or cleaning chains and derailleurs.
text: You will notice in the answers and comments on the aforelinked question, and this one , that whether or not this is good practice is highly debatable.
text: Some people will use WD-40 as a cleaner and degreaser followed by a bicycle-specific lubricant, with or without a cleaning inbetween, depending on personal preferences.
text: I don't have any experience with their bicycle-specific products, but they're a solid company that's been in the business of cleaning and lubricating mechanical parts for a long time.
text: They also make Lava soap and 3-in-1 Oil, a product that was originally designed as a bicycle lubricant (although they did acquire both of those from other companies).
text: I actually didn't know until I read this question that they were making bicycle-specific lubricants now.
text: Given their history and the number of patents that they have to draw ideas and develop from, I'm certainly willing to give them a shot.
text: The worst case scenario is that I have to clean it off and go back to my previous products.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/4239/jimchristie
score: 60
sents: text: WD-40 (original) can be used as a de-greaser on bike parts.
text: It is a bit harsher than other bike specific de-greasers, or common house hold degreasers (like Simple Green ) that are often used by bike mechanics but essentially does the same thing.
text: Keep it mind that it is NOT
text: a lubricant, but a de-greaser.
text: After using any de-greaser you want to wash the area with soap and water and then apply a lubricant.
text: I have used the WD-40 bike specific lubricants and don't have any complaints.
text: The wet lube held up well in a few nasty cyclocross races, and the dry lube is what I've been using on my "indoor trainer" bike.
text: They have thrown a lot of money into the launch of these products over the last few months
text: and I expect that with this type of support, their products will become a household name in the bike space in the coming years.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/5346/jeuton
score: 22
sents: text: The "W" in WD-40 stands for water and the "D" stands for displacement, and the 40 stands for the 40th.
text: attempt at being successful with the product.
text: WD-40 doesn't really lubricate much of anything.
text: It's actually a de-greaser, so it will remove any lubricant from bicycle chains, cables and other pivot joints.
text: If you're cleaning your chain for re-lubrication purposes with a product other than WD-40, then WD-40 will be fine to use.
text: It's also said to "rust proof" items, but probably because of it's ability to displace water which commonly causes rust to form.
text: I haven't tried any of the new products yet.
text: They have a bike "degreaser", a bike "foaming wash" and two different chain lubricants, as well as a frame protectant.
text: It will be interesting to see some reviews about these new products as far as pricing and how well they work.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/None/
score: 18
sents: text: I have used many types of bicycle lubrications over the years.
text: The short answer is that WD-40 can be used; my experience pretty much the averages out of allthe comments above.
text: The strength of WD-40 is that it is time efficient and cost efficient.
text: A small amount of money buys you a big can, and one application
text: both cleans and lubricates (a little).
text: When you spray it on you will see all the grime etc.
text: dripping off (not quite as good as properly degreasing using a chain cleaner ) and you will be left with a chain that is reasonably well lubricated.
text: The slightest bit of rain will wash it off, and even with no rain it will disappear quite quickly.
text: However it is very easy to re-apply.
text: I found that it worked for me for a bike I was just using for short rides (45 mins ~ 1 hr) on the road.
text: I would just give it a spray every 2 rides or so (or every time after rain).
text: I turned to this after years of using expensive bike-specific lubes.
text: They definitely do a better lubrication job, but I found the dry ones were washed off easily by the rain while the wet ones attracted a lot of dirt, while both required the chain to be properly cleaned before application.
text: The bottles were always expensive, so in the end I found that for that particular bike WD-40 provided a cheap-and-cheerful time and cost effective soln.
text: The chain will also wear out a little quicker if you use WD-40.
text: Your own choice will depend on how much time /money
text: you want to spend, how long your rides are, what type of riding (off or on road) etc.
text: The very best way to lubricate your chain is to properly wax it; this will take a whole morning but will then last a year, which also provides a good cost performance if you have a morning to spare on it.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/46888/tokyojoe
score: 3
sents: text: I used WD-40 on my oil starved bike chain and gears, and it totally brought it back to life.
text: It was like magic!!
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/38307/Babak Jahromi
score: 2
sents: text: WD 40 washes out the manufacturers high quality lube from the chain links so do not use it.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/38887/ERIC WESTERMAN
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
WD-40 can be used on bikes and it is great for getting stuck parts moving again. The reason it is generally not considered a good bicycle lubricant is because it is a  light  lubricant.  However, the strength of WD-40 is that it is time efficient and cost efficient. There are some WD-40 bike specific lubricants and users do not have any complaints about them.
WD-40's main product is a solvent and degreaser with some light lubricant mixed in. It can loosen seized parts and provide very limited lubrication and rust protection, but is too light to last and not suitable as a bike lubricant. In fact, it will remove lubricant that is already on the chain. Rather, it can be used to clear grease and grime before adding lubricant. The company does make good quality bike-specific lubricants and other products that can be used for their intended purpose, and they do have a good reputation for their cleaning and lubricating products.