Bar and chain oil for bicycle hub pawls

[mozart]

I have a road bicycle that I built a wheel for (fun project - wheel works great). The hub is a Bitex RAR12 and I have tried different lubes on the pawls/ratchet teeth in the freehub with various degrees of success.

I used Park Tools Grease (the blue stuff) and maybe used too much as it felt sluggish. I read somewhere that chainsaw oil is a good lube for this application.

I had some Bar, Chain and Sprocket oil (all weather) lying around and gave it a try. It seems to work quite well and if I don't overdue it, seems to stay put. The wheel doesn't have any "grease drag" now. It spins very well.

Is this a good lube for this application? I generally ride in good weather but want to start riding in rain and (California) coldish weather.

This hub uses sealed bearings so the lube truly is only for the pawl and ratchet mechanism btw

Thanks

 

[AutoMechanic]

I’d say yes. The stuff I use on my bike chain is purple. I think it’s called White Lightning or something I know it works pretty good.

 

[Jetronic]

I added some coconut oil to bar and chain oil to increase tackyness. It makes the oil very sticky when cold and quite fluid when warm. This prevents making a mess when the chain isn't used (either chainsaw or bicycle) but reduces drag when in use. The fatty acids are also quite good lubricants

 

[mozart]

I’d say yes. The stuff I use on my bike chain is purple. I think it’s called White Lightning or something I know it works pretty good.

I was referring to use chainsaw oil (aka, bar and chain oil) for the inside of the hub where the pawls and ratchet teeth are.

 

[Number_35]

I wonder how it would perform at cold temperatures?

Winter riders here have experienced the grease thickening up so much in the cold that the pawls quit working.

During a very cold winter ride a few years ago, my son poured hot coffee on his rear hub to resuscitate the pawls.

The nuclear option is to go fixed gear in the winter.

 

[mozart]

I wonder how it would perform at cold temperatures?

Winter riders here have experienced the grease thickening up so much in the cold that the pawls quit working.

During a very cold winter ride a few years ago, my son poured hot coffee on his rear hub to resuscitate the pawls.

The nuclear option is to go fixed gear in the winter.

Its an all weather chainsaw oil. I checked it over ice - very little change in viscosity