White Lightning vs Pedros Ice Wax?

[ponerboy]

Any significant differences between White Lightning and Pedros Ice Wax, or are they basically the same product?

[kkaye]

Do a Google search of rec.bicycles.tech and see what's been posted.

I've used PIW happily for several years on road bikes. Chains stay clean, quiet and well lubricated; and last well. I wipe off the old and reapply every
2-3 rides, and I don't ride in the rain unless caught.

Last year I "discovered" Pro Link and began using it as an experiment on my fixie and beater/rain bike. I like PL well enough to use it on all my bikes once my current supply of PIW, still used on my "good" bikes, is finished.

Several years back I used White Lightning experimentally on my beater/rain bike. It seemed to lubricate very well, but was messy (casting off clods of dirty black wax that would stick to the bike and sometimes my shoes, and get tracked into the house, etc.) and did not hold up well in the rain. PIW is better in the rain than WL, but not as good or long-lasting as PL.

Mike Yankee

(Address is munged to thwart spammers.
To reply, delete everything after "com".)

[icecube]

Essentially the same, I'd say (yes, I use both). Ice Wax has a thicker consistency than WL, but otherwise seems to work identically (and pretty well IME).

Bill "frequent luber but hardly ever degreaser" S.

[mclaire]

All first-hand reports I've had from users in this area have been to the effect of "don't use either one". These were from off-road riders, not roadies. Both products reportedly resulted in squeaky chains within a period of a couple of days to a week or so. A number of online sites also have similar statements.

I have not used either product myself. I considered trying them, but
I saw too many negative reports and decided that a product with that high of a cost factor needed to have a better rep before I'd try it.
Many conventional chain lubes also get negative reports due to the fact that they collect dirt; I ignore those, since *any* wet lube will be likely to have that problem. The reports I heed are those recounting squeaks, fast wear, and post-wet-ride corrosion, which are commonly mentioned for dry lubes and bottled waxes of all types.

FWIW, I tried using a hot wax method on one of my chains, and abandoned it this week when it became clear that after three months of light-duty intermittent usage, it wasn't living up to expectations.
I'm back to using motor oil on all of my bikes now.

[livinlouder]

Well, _that_'s practical.

[The Gneech]

;-)) You crack me up sometimes
I'm sure you could lube anything just with your imagination.

[mclaire]

I think they're referring to a level of contamination that would have a swamp buggy owner dropping by the local firehouse to borrow a hose.
Fossilization occurs in strata thinner than such encrustations.

There is also a school of thought which says that when proceeding from
Point A to Point B, if there is a large mucky spot between them whose traversal would result in a 20% increase in total gross weight of the rider/cycle combo, it is prudent *not* to ride through that mucky spot. Adherents of this school tend to spend more time riding and less washing their equipment in my experience. This appears to include the vast majority of for-transport riders, a group whose numbers have been growing in this area of late, as well as roadies, most pleasure riders, and even the majority of mountain bike riders.
It seems that there's this local attitude among the latter group that if you ride the trail when it's mucky, you'll hasten erosion, and thereby speed the arrival of the day when the trail will not be there for anyone to ride. This is viewed as being a Bad Thing.

[gilmour_25]

As a chain lube, I prefer a wet lube which lasts longer.

For lubing my Speedplay pedals (especially Frogs), a wax lube is great. I have tried a few, including Pedros, Finish Line, and White
Lightning. I like WL the best but they are all good.

[mclaire]

Rather pointless to use it, then, in my opinion. Anything sold as a lube which doesn't persist for more than a single day is more work than it's worth.

[Ecumenist]

I use Prolink during the summer months when the weather is warm with little chance of rain (I live on the East Coast). During those times it does a good job of lubricating the chain with little dirt/grit pick up.

In the fall and winter, when it is rainy and slushy, I have found that the
Prolink washes off, so I have switched to Finish Line Cross Country, which I have found is much more water resistant.