Looking for some maintenance advice.

I’m about to embark on some touring. I don’t have space to take more than one canned product. Is WD-40 what I need?

As I understand it from some research, WD-40 is by some magic both a degreaser and a lubricant. This is mysterious to me. In my mental model of chemistry, you degrease with detergent, not more grease. So now I’m imagining that WD-40 is a sort of “light grease” which dissolves “heavy grease”. Is that right?

So if I can only take one product, is WD-40 it? PS: If not, then what? Also, is there a generic name for it, or cheaper similar products to look for which do the same thing?

PPS: The consensus seems to be that WD-40 is not a miracle product, by which really I meant “a single portable product that can somehow de-gunk and lubricate” and is less risky than what I was doing before: using chain oil for the lubrication and dish soap for the cleaning.

PPPS: This question was asked in the best possible faith. I have been a cyclist for decades and always been curious about this product. And yet still I get downvoted. What is about social media that makes people so toxic and mean-spirited? It’s almost as mysterious as WD-40.

  • JubilantJaguar@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
    1·
    2 days ago

    This looks good. Alas as expected I can’t find it on sale here in Europe (even on Amazon!), just a load of other random-looking products with weird names. Generic names are so much better. If Coke and Pepsi are cola, what’s this (or WD-40)?

    I guess I’ll look for something similar which magically has both"lubricant" and “cleaner” in the name.

    • BeigeAgenda@lemmy.caEnglish
      3·
      2 days ago

      Then try and look for generic chain lubricant, or else there’s a WD-40 version of chain lubricant.

    • Elting@piefed.socialEnglish
      2·
      2 days ago

      There is likely something in the one step they don’t sell in europe. I know carb cleaner doesnt work as well over there for that reason. I can attest the one step works great, it unstuck all my gear shifters. Of course you still gotta go back over it with a lubricant.

      Edit: Its this stuff I think is the main ingredient in american carb cleaners and degreasers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1%2C1%2C2%2C2-Tetrachloroethane