Monday, November 20, 2006

Prolink chain lube & stuck links

After 2 months in California, I came back home this summer to see that my bike's got a stiff chain with links rusted stuck. I thought it was because I was using Prolink's chain lube, which doesn't have much oil in it, and left it there without use for 2 months. It's said that Prolink chain lubes don't contain oil, but contain "metal protectant particles" and "lube particles".... So I thought, maybe next time I leave my bike a long time without rides, I should add some normal "wet oil" to keep rust away. I also blamed it on my busy schedule before going to LA: I went on a long ride for 5 days, and soon after I came back home, I was off to the US, leaving me no time to clean my chain.

Yet, after a month of busy school work, grad school applications, lab work, and no rides, my chain links got stuck again: this time, even the main gears rusted. Then it struck me: It was the salty moist air! When I kept my bike at my dorm in Taipei, I could keep my bike there with no ride nor oil, yet no rust occurred. Yet, here at home, in Keelung, it's right next to the sea, so while sitting at home, it was actually exposed to the salty sea air everyday.

OK, so what could I do? Maybe just lube it more often, I guess.
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As for applying for the dorm this semester, the lady at the desk told me "Not yet!" when she saw me, faster then I could walk to her desk. I guess by going in to ask every week, she now recognizes my face. Like: "I seem so eager, so why don't you just assign me a dorm room ??" :D

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