Chain Lube

[Finch]

My wife and I will be going on a 7000 mile tour in April. We were wondering if anybody could recommend a good chain lube. I have looked at the ones in the accessories but I can't figure out which one would be better for the kind of riding we will be doing. By the way these trikes are nothing but awesome. We are training for the trip and know it is going to be a joy riding these trikes across the United States. You rock TerraTrike!

[Jess_Kess]

The lube we use in our shop is the Rock 'n Roll lube.

Extreme: for use in extreme conditions, including mud and water. Apply frequently.

Absolute Dry: for use in drier, dusty conditions. Clean - dries after application. Apply as needed.

Gold: General use. Apply as needed.

Enjoy your ride!

[bumblebee]

sorry, i don't mean to go off subject here, but WOW! 7000mi! that is both insane and awesome at the same time. quite frankly, i'm jeallous. i wish i could do that. i would love to know what your general game plan is. where you plan to start, finish, miles per day, etc. i can't be the only one interested in this epic voyage. please let us know.

[Finch]

I was also wondering how often I need to apply the chain lube. We train about 40 to 50 miles. I have been finding after about 30 miles the drivetrain and chain are making some noise. So it seems I need to lube it every thirty to 40 miles. Does that sound right?

[Finch]

As to Bumble Bee's questions: We plan to start in Sanford North Carolina Take the Atlantic Coast route up to Virginia, Start the transamerica Trail in Yorktown and go all the way to Florence Oregon. From Florence we plan to take the Pacific Coast Route to San Francisco and hit the Western Express Route to about the Middle of California and there is a new bike route that takes you down the Yosemite Valley which being big fans of John Muir we have to take. We will then make our way back up to the Western Express Route and head into Denver. After Denver we don't know yet. But I believe that tour is well over 7000 miles. This tour will be to raise awareness for Organ Donation and also environmental issues such as the plight of the HoneyBee. We really don't care how long it takes us and we are not into putting a timeframe on our trip. We wanna experience this country in it's fullest. So we will be taking our time. If I had to put a time on it I would say about 6 months. You can check out our blog at http://kenandjennc.blogspot.com/. This blog shows what we are doing daily leading up to our departure date. We haven't been pushing it much just enjoying our Tours. It also has our lens address on it also so that you can check out the reasons for our trip. After April 1st we will be blogging daily if we can so people can follow us and see how we are doing. Hope this helped.

[bumblebee]

thanks! i will try to follw your exploits as much as i can. good luck and be safe out there.

[Jess_Kess]

Responding to how often you should be applying the lube: it depends on the conditions in which you're riding. If your trikes work best being lubed every 30miles, then yes - do it! If you want different results try different lubes and see which works best for your riding conditions.

[Finch]

I figured out it was the Idlers making all the noise. I don't believe they have bearings in them so I might upgrade to some that do. I am not use to trke sounds but am figuring it out as quick as possible. I don't lube it as much now...it just worried me when I was hearing it...I kinda like the sound of quiet

[Jess_Kess]

All of the idlers we carry and use on the TerraTrikes have bearings in them. Depending on the model you have, you may want to consider upgrading to either the 13t idlers or the TerraCycle idlers. These will significantly quiet down the drivetrain. The TerraCycle idlers are a bit pricey, but they virtually last forever.