I think it’s about time I moved on from Dry to something more seasonally appropriate, still got a little bit of Finish Line Wet so what’s the consensus ( I know expecting a consensus on here but miracles do happen 😬)
I'll start with the inevitable; Putoline.
There's a thread around here somewhere.
Forgot to mention I’ve previously got on well with PedrosSynth , I’ll take a look at Putoline .
I remember Putoline now , sounds too much of a faff !
Very occasional slight faff, interspersed with aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaages of faff-free 'it just works'.
I've tried Putoline, still use it on 9 speed in fact. However, for 11 speed stuff, I find Smoove so much better.
Juice Lubes Viking Juice.
I want Viking juice for the name alone
Smoove here too.
Purple Extreme. Same as I use in Summer.
Progold xtreme
Putoline here. Months between application in the summer and weeks in the winter. No more faff than cleaning and lubing with anything else.
Fenwicks Professional.
Single application of anything chain-lube-style then 3-4 months of mud, water, road grime, road salt, bit more mud, interspersed with the occasional hose off, but only when the lumps of crud stack up. Never let me down yet 😂
Rock and roll blue.
Viking Lube is pretty good.
Started using peatys winter lube. I rate it, seems to stay clean and gunk free
Rock 'n Roll Extreme (new version) here, works fine. I don't have a favourite as I don't try different ones.
Lab test from ze Germans, bit dated though https://www.bike-magazin.de/zubehoer/pflege_schmiermittel/test-2016-schmiermittel-fuer-die-mountainbike-kette
Squirt all year round
I've been using Peatys Link lube since it was Wickens & soderstrum. Runs clean and quiet and is not so tenacious that it can't be cleaned off easily (finish line and putoline I'm looking at you).
You wont get more than two rides without reapplication, but its easy and since it's self cleaning and doesn't for a dirty grinding paste, I dont do anything more to the transmission than blast it with a hose at the same time as I do the rest of the bike. The absence of degreasers, scraping tools for compacted dirty oil and those annoying chain cleaner things in the process should not be under estimated!
Viking Juice here too, since RnR changed.
Lol at buying and using a deep fat fryer being labelled 'very occasional slight faff' 🙂
Very occasional slight faff and a manky gunked up drivetrain. Unless you put in lots of regular faff to keep it ungunked. Have been impressed with the interlink retention of Putoline, but by christ its messy (IMO).
manky gunked up drivetrain. Unless you put in lots of regular faff to keep it ungunked
Totally don't get this, mine's gunk free with no more regular faff than a hose-off
Having had Smoove, Shimano PTFE and various TFT/Muckoff things - Viking Juice is by far the best. It lasts around twice as long as Smoove, is about 50% less gunky than Shimano PTFE (after a few hunderd KMs) and seems to be okay with a top-up rather than a strip and re-lube like Smoove. Stays quieter for longer than Smoove too.
I used to do Putoline in a rice cooker but just do it in a saucepan on the hob now.
Self confessed lubing nerd here. Have tried all the usual suspects. Have currently switched to something new for the mtb and it's a revelation so far - "Tru Tension Tungsten All Weather". It is similar to smooth/squirt but IMO is even better...it is a bit more expensive though. It is super easy to apply (start with a clean chain), sets up dry in minutes - it runs cleaner than any other lube I've ever used and yet manages to shrug off grit and moisture. The actual lubing performance according to 'Zero Friction Cycling' is also very very good, and so far the chain its used on exhibits little wear. Also, it has an addictive pungently strong aroma of bananas which is surprisingly pleasant. If push came to shove, I'd wear this as an aroma on a night out, it's that good.
Renthal chain oil is good if you're less-than-scrupulous in your drivetrain maintenance regime. Ahem.
I use Viking Juice on my "burner" / station bike.
It lives outside in the rain all year, gets road filth all over it from commuting and gets no love apart from viking juice twice a year if it's lucky.
The chain has yet to rust.
I don't think you can beat this stuff for performance/cost ratio.
It's a really good wet lube on the thinner side, works great for winter MTBing.
I often just run dry lube all year round as it gets less gunky. If I do a muddy bike ride even if I don’t wash the whole bike I normally rinse the drivetrain down and run the chain through a mud off chain cleaner thing then re-lube.
Going to try Smoove as I had a £10 singletrack discount code so only cost a fiver delivered. See how that goes 🤷♂️
Rock and roll Extreme (blue). Manky drive trains a thing of the past. Always bemused to see mtb drivetrains coated in a thick black paste… why?!
I'm a recent convert to Squirt 💦
Stihl.
I'm a squirt fan too
Another Squirt fan here, brilliant stuff! 🙂
Putoline! Its the best and the cheapest! I have used nothing else for over a decade. wear on parts is way way less and lubing becomes an occasional thing not every ride
Pennine grinding paste.
What's underneath it is pretty much irrelevant after the first "puddle".
Currently using Peaty's wet weather, which is definitely one of the better oily ones. Not too much gunking and it seems to endure well.
But when that runs out I'll probably go back to rock n roll extreme to avoid the gunk altogether.
wear on parts is way way less
I surprised you haven't moved to 12 speed. it's longevity over 8/9/10 speed will blow your mind.
Have currently switched to something new for the mtb and it’s a revelation so far – “Tru Tension Tungsten All Weather”. It is similar to smooth/squirt but IMO is even better…
So does it set hard? I'm a convert to wax type lubes over thinner/runnier types, I've experienced the difference between a worn chain with Putoline, and same chain with Putoline washed out and Viking Juice applied, so am convinced that a hard wax between the rollers makes a big difference.
Sadly I've also experienced how quickly Squirt can wash out so it's not for me in winter!