[Closed] Is ceramic lube really that good?

Dunno. But whilst we're talking dry lube, MucOff dry (non-ceramic) is great, far better than the usual waxy stuff that flakes off after half an hour.

Is 3-in-one really THAT bad (most of the time)

Yeah, I use MucOff dry on the road bike.

However... I was on a riding holiday recently and a chap there was saying he uses auto-gearbox fluid on his chains after hearing that many pro teams do the same. Reckons it works great, is dead cheap compared to bike lubes and doesn't pick up any crap.

I have used ceramic from muc off and finish line and both have been a filthy horrible mess within no time. I only use squirt now which doesn't last as long but is much cleaner.

Is 3-in-one really THAT bad (most of the time)

It goes black and grimy after a while, if it doesn't wash off first. Wet lubes are better than 3 in 1 because they stay on much longer in the wet; dry lubes are better in dry conditions because they don't (or shoudn't) get black and gungy and attract loads of dust.

Pro teams can use what they like because they can change the chain as often as they want and have someone whose job it is to clean the bike after every race.

Pro teams can use what they like because they can change the chain as often as they want and have someone whose job it is to clean the bike after every race.

is a very good point, obviously. However, he was still happy that the gearbox fluid was good stuff.

I used some Finish Line Ceramic for a while, was never impressed, seemed to end up a bit messy (albeit the residue it left was 'dry') and the drivetrain was always a bit noisy.

Certainly nowhere near as good as Squirt.

Think I read you needed several applications before you saw any benefit.

Squirt was great and even when it got wet seemed to keep the chain lubed for most of the ride, but of course needed reapplied often.

MucOff dry lasts at least a ride, and tolerates wetness well enough for me to use it all summer in the UK, but it's not quite as clean as an old fashioned wax - it is slightly soft and tacky which is why it lasts so much longer instead of flaking off.

I used some Finish Line Ceramic for a while, was never impressed, seemed to end up a bit messy (albeit the residue it left was 'dry') and the drivetrain was always a bit noisy. Certainly nowhere near as good as Squirt.

As if this wasn't enough the ceramic particles blocked the bottle nozzle 😐

It goes black and grimy after a while, if it doesn't wash off first. Wet lubes are better than 3 in 1 because they stay on much longer in the wet; dry lubes are better in dry conditions because they don't (or shoudn't) get black and gungy and attract loads of dust.

Pro teams can use what they like because they can change the chain as often as they want and have someone whose job it is to clean the bike after every race.

I usually clean the chain after a ride anyway then relube the links - give it a work in then wipe off excess (using the chain scrub also then mostly cleans the rest of the drivechain)... every so often I'll take the chain off and clean it then give it a spray with 3-in-1 work it all in and then wipe until a paper towel is more or less dry...(used oil soaked paper towels then get used to light the fire)

Part of the reason for this is we ride Swinley a lot and the mud tends to be both really sticky and contain fine sand.

If its [u]really [/u]wet I'll use the wet lube but that is harder to clean off (in my experience) whereas the 3-in-1 seems to clean off along with the dirt really easily...then its cheap to reapply and easy to wipe off excess but mostly I try and avoid riding if its absolutely chucking it down... and the 3-in-1 seems fine for 4 hours of damp riding..???

Using Muc-off ceramic dry and normal Muc-off dry at the moment.

I think the ceramic is a bit better, but the main thing is it stays on a bit longer and seems equally clean (a big thing for me).

I bought it to get over the value for a CRC discount, will probably return to White Lightning Epic Ride in future - if it gets easier to find again.

Dunno. But whilst we're talking dry lube, MucOff dry (non-ceramic) is great, far better than the usual waxy stuff that flakes off after half an hour.

+1, much less messy, and works fine.

Finish line dry lube was hopeless.

Saw-chain oil is the one you want. Stays in place really well since it's good for anti-fling at 20m/s, biodegradable, cheap as chips. What's not to like.

Muc off ceramic in the dry but any dampness removes it and for the wet I use juice lubes wet chain lube which is excellent

i'm on the pedros stuff now, tried squirt and some lightning stuff too. i've tried to like dry lube. it just doesn't lubricate my chain ( cleaned beforehand with paraffin and petrol when new ). when i run out of all this shit i'm going back to finish line green.

Just Googled "Squirt". 🙁 Thanks, not. 😳

Rock N Roll Extreme blue is great when it's not too wet. It's very clean running and quiet but can't handle a Welsh winter. Best lube I've used so far though.

Dry lube doesn't last a 12km ride for me. Useless stuff.

I use Muc-off Wet in the depths of winter.

+another for Squirt lube.

Muc Off ceramic was a bit 'meh' and didn't seem any better or worse than the others.

I've now settled on Putoline for the commuter and when I know I'm going to put some miles in (more faff, but is apply and forget for a few hundred km) and Squirt which is easy to clean and reapply between rides. I take a small bottle with me on longer rides.

i've tried to like dry lube. it just doesn't lubricate my chain

Most don't, no, but I'm tellin you - Muc Off dry. This stuff:

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It does last. It's softer and sticker than the traditional leave-to-dry ones.

cheers guys, seems like its not really worth it. i'll grab some muckoff dry and give that a go, i quite like the wet version.

compared to UBS, finishline, fenwicks, muc off (dry, ceramic, wet and cheap stuff) engine oil, gt85 im not using squirt. Its fantastic for me. Wash bike wipe main dirt off chain, relube. No cleaning or anything since winter. Saved me hours!!

picked up from the nice folks ar cyclefactory in tod. Which if you havent visited you should as they are really nice folks!

All I've used since last year is Muc Off dry, road & mtb, winter & summer.
Just wipe chain with a rag & reapply after every ride, takes a minute tops.
Chains seem to be lasting longer than when I used Finish Line wet in winter & dry in summer & aren't remotely gunky. Just get a little bit of build up around jockey wheels.

. I was on a riding holiday recently and a chap there was saying he uses auto-gearbox fluid on his chains after hearing that many pro teams do the same.

I've been on holiday too and a guy there said that pro teams use something else, so that's what I use; especially when I have a bottomless box of drivetrain spares and a mechanic en route to lube my chain as and when I need it doing 😆 😉

Yup...marketing hype IMO. Having tried them all I can't see past Putoline myself...5 mins in the deep fat fryer every 3 or 4 rides.

MucOff dry lasts at least a ride

I've found boggo muc-off dry isn't really up to winter riding, add I really wanted it to be as i got two litres of it in the planet X sale.

I just use Shimano wet lube, seems to work well enough. I too ride Swinley a fair amount so use a single speed if it's wet and grindy.

https://www.juicelubes.co.uk/stores

a guy there said that pro teams use something else

can't see past Putoline myself...5 mins in the deep fat fryer every 3 or 4 rides

I just use Shimano wet lube, seems to work well enough. I too ride Swinley a fair amount so use a single speed if it's wet and grindy.

I'm still trying to work out what I'm missing out on the dry lubes...(in reality rather than a theoretical 0.01W) - the 3-in-1 seems to last at least 1 circuit possibly unless its incredibly wet and I miss out Red 2-4 swamp..and even if I ride 2-4 when its a bog it then the chain will need completely cleaning anyway but I see the point of wet lubes... I'm just missing the advantages or not of dry unless it's actually bone dry

It's not just me that lubes up for every ride, so to speak, is it?

I jetwashed my muc off lubed chain in a race last night and it was fine. Still lubed this morning. I use the posh blue Sky stuff, but the ordinary dry comes out on my other bikes. Much better than White Lightning, that disappeared at the slightest hint of a cloud!

I lube the chain after I've washed down the bike and hosed the chain to remove grit from wet rides. And if it gets a little noisy.

Squirt, every ride. Rag/brush the chain, chainring, jockey wheels, cassette never seems to need doing. Then apply a drop on each roller. Usually after the ride, or at least the night before so it has dried. 5 mins tops. Not had to degrease the drive train in 600 miles so far, though it does get a light water hose off if/when the bike is washed.

I'm just missing the advantages or not of dry unless it's actually bone dry

Ideally, you can simply re-apply as it doesn't get gritty and need cleaning. Saves time. If you just re-apply wet oily lube you end up with a hell of a mess before long.

Or use purple extreme that lasts tens of ride winter or summer and the train isn't gunky either.

That stuff never did anything for me.

ive never had much luck with them tbh, ive used squirt, muc off dry, purple extreme and loads more, mainly to keep the drive train clean in summer, but anything over 10-15 miles and its worn off and noisy as hell

it seems a bit more amplified on Eagle I'm running if the lube is not so present, but ive tried it on 10/11 speed before and still had the same results of a dry noisy chain after very few miles

best at the minute ive found that keeps it relatively clean and relatively noise free is muc off team sky hydrodynamic.....its bloody expensive for the size, but one drip on each inside roller, let it dry properly, and it lasts 30 mile rides with little noise and defo still present at the end....its not as clean as a dry lube obviously but its a good compromise

I had my chain dry lubed with muc off when planning a dry ride in Scotland, only we went the following day when the rain was torrential. Still had some lube on it by the end of 3 hrs. Not much, but some - which isn't bad for dry lube.

I'm using the same lube molgrips, I find you have to apply it right before a ride for best results.

Still not really up to the job in proper wet conditions though.

Still not really up to the job in proper wet conditions though.

Of course not, it's dry condition lube. However it does much better in small amounts of wetness than others I've tried.

I used to use Squirt in dryer periods and a wet lube for the other 8 months. Since getting some Rock n Roll blue I haven't used Squirt, even now when trails are quite dry. The rock n roll stuff is just about as clean as Squirt and lasts better when it does get wet under wheel.

Ideally, you can simply re-apply as it doesn't get gritty and need cleaning. Saves time. If you just re-apply wet oily lube you end up with a hell of a mess before long.

Does it actually repel the mud or break it down???
I guess anything Teflon could provide non-stick surface ??

Reason I ask is because some mud (like Swinley) doesn't need oil to stick... big globs will stick to the down tube as well as chain... and if these contain sand (like Swinley) then I feel a need to really clean it anyway.

That said I haven't actually tried dry lube off-road (use it for indoor on the turbo) ... if it actually prevented mud sticking that would be a bonus...

Thing is though that last weekend for instance I could have used dry lube.... except the weekend before the bike was full of mud, washed and then re-lubed the chain anyway... and riding elsewhere last weekend we didn't have sticky mud but neither is the chain dirty even with 3-in-1 though it would be filthy if for some reason I'd had wet lube on.

Rather boringly I'm actually a professional "mud expert" .... (well clay minerals/chemistry) so I'm aware of lots of mud types and properties that would bore most people to death...