TIL that guy who said 'just use WD-40 on everything' ruined my bike chain

Honestly, I ran into this dude at a bike shop in Austin last spring. He was dead serious that WD-40 fixes every stuck part on a bicycle. So I tried it on my chain after a ride in the rain, and within two weeks the chain was rusted and squeaking like crazy. Turns out WD-40 is a degreaser, not a lubricant, and it strips away the factory grease. The shop mechanic told me I basically washed the chain clean and left it exposed. Ngl, I was so annoyed I spent $35 on a new chain just because of that bad advice. Has anyone else had some random stranger give you a tip that totally backfired?

3 comments

3 Comments

anthonynelson1d ago

Man, I gotta say I think people overhype this whole WD-40 disaster thing, it's really not that serious if you just re-lube the chain afterward. And @aaron880's buddy probably had a worn out chain already if it snapped mid-ride.

aaron8801d ago

My buddy tried the exact same thing and his chain snapped mid-ride.

corah751d ago

Tbh that whole "just re-lube it after" thing is what gets me. I once had a guy at a gas station tell me to pour soda on my car battery terminals to clean them, and I spent the next hour trying to get sticky syrup off everything. Some advice sounds so simple but it's really just setting you up for a mess.