Since gear oil costs about half what a can of chain lube costs this was an intriguing notion, so I went to the local O'Reilly Auto Parts and picked up a bottle of 85w-140 gear oil for about $5.50. I cleaned my chain like usual, waited for the kerosene to dry, and oiled the insides of the rollers, carefully wiping the excess from the bottom of the chain. I rotated the rear wheel a few times and noted there was hardly any chain noise which I interpreted as a good sign.
The next day I did my 30-mile commute and parked at work. When I went out a few hours later to cover the bike I was surprised at what I saw.
Not only had a lot of it flung off but what was left was dripping all over the place and making a mess under the bike. I'm willing to put up with some fling in return for added chain life, and it seems like the better chain lubes I've used are the messier ones. But this was worse than I've ever seen. By the time I got home the chain felt like it hardly had any oil left on it at all. Although it was cleaner than it would be after using regular chain lube there was some chain clatter as I rotated the rear wheel. So, I'm back to using the last of my Bel-Ray with Molyphos until I find a worthy substitute. Not sure what I'm going to do with all the gear oil but I won't be putting it on my chain.
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