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TIL using olive oil on my chain was a bad idea
It made my bike smell like a salad but squeaked worse than ever.
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claire9994mo agoTop Commenter
Seriously, the squeak was probably from not cleaning the chain first.
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the_sean4mo ago
Disagree completely, I've used olive oil as a quick fix for years. It works fine if you wipe off the excess really well. The problem is people drown the chain in it, then it just collects grit. A thin coat lasts a decent while before it gums up.
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abby_kim5515d ago
Wait, why is olive oil automatically the worst option just because @claire999 said so? I've actually seen people use it on vintage bikes for decades with no issues, as long as they degrease the chain first with mineral spirits. The real problem isn't the oil itself, it's that nobody bothers to clean the chain before applying anything. You put olive oil on a dirty chain, you're basically making mud. But clean it first, wipe off the excess, and it works fine for a few hundred miles before you need to reapply. Not saying it's better than proper lube, but it's hardly a disaster.
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