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Some very interesting results and while not a top chain lube, WD 40 does beat some well established names in the chain lube market.
What's the tldr rundown? Regular use of aerosol lube in a space sounds like a nightmare for possible pad contamination on less used bikes.
Some of the interesting points were that it beat 3 muc off lubes and the ever popular finish line wet. It did very well once water and contamination were added. I think there were 12 bicycle specific wet lubes that it beat. Not bad for a 70 year old generic product.
There's still plenty of better products and it did suffer from a lot of fling being so light though.
What's the tldr rundown? Regular use of aerosol lube in a space sounds like a nightmare for possible pad contamination on less used bikes.
I use a lanolin aerosol. I put a tiny bit on a toothbrush and then wipe it in the chain.
ever popular finish line wet
Surely not popular since the 90s when it was the only lube you could buy?!
Surely not popular since the 90s when it was the only lube you could buy?!
You'd think. But it still features every time we have a "what chain lube?" thread
Without derailing, whats the go-to summer lube everyones using?
(Don't say WD40)
Without derailing, whats the go-to summer lube everyones using?
(Don't say WD40)
Putoline hot melt was. Not used anything else for 15 years.
In the 15 plus years i have spent 60 quid on tbe stuff and have roughly a decades worth left
It did very well once water and contamination were added. I think there were 12 bicycle specific wet lubes that it beat. Not bad for a 70 year old generic product.
Surely that's just because it washes away fast and therefore can't cling on and bind with muck and grit like Finishline or other goopy stuff? You just end up running a degreased, pretty much unlubricated chain, but at least the gunk won't stick, ultimately reflected in the increased wear rate?
All I'm really getting from that video is that drip/spray chain lubes (new or old) are still generally 'worse' than immersive hot wax lubes, hardly that shocking is it? I suppose this just adds a proper benchmark for truly crap... WD40 is slightly better (in the dry) than phlegm, Finishline or Muc-off...
If you ask that question on a forum you immediately get subjective answers, TJs suggestion of Putoline is a prime example.
This is the great thing about Zero Friction Cycling, it might not be perfect but it's the most rigorous, most repeatable testing that anyone is doing and Adam puts the info out there for free.
People think it's for waxing evangelists but there are test results for immersive wax, drip wax, dry lines and wet lubes. There's also all the advice you could need to help you decide on where you want to be on the faff/wear equation.
For summer, it's hard to beat hot waxing and it's not as much faff as some people suggest. If you don't fancy that, many drip waxed test well as does Silcs Synergetic which has it's own thread on here
I’m liking Juice Lubes ceramic. Apply the night before, wipe off, and its lasted me multiple rides recently, albeit in dry conditions.
I use the Effetto Flower Power all year round. Not sure how good it is in the varying conditions to be honest, but it doesn't clog the mech like others I've used, which has a much bigger impact on efficiency than the chain being properly lubricated in my experience.
On some older bikes I just GT85 the chain after a wash and never noticed an issue. Maybe I should switch to WD40!
Interestingly WD40 seem to do specific chain lubes. It'd be interesting to see whether there's any carry over from the WD40 wet performance.
https://www.wd40.com/products/wd-40-bike-wet-lube/
Adam does now have a tin of Putoline so we might well find out once and for all just how good it is/isn't compared to what else is out there.
Either the best thing ever, or he used the wrong type of water.
It'll be interesting to see anyway.
At the moment I use MSW on the road bike and summer MTB, but on the winter MTB find that Putoline is required for Surrey Hills mud because MSW just doesn’t last long enough.
I had an email conversation with Adam a few months ago about Putoline and he said he had never heard of it, but would now add it to his test list. So I am pleased to hear he now has some and am looking forward to hearing about it. My opinion is Putoline is more tenacious but also higher friction and certainly makes your bike visually less clean, but I am interested to see what the tests show.
On some older bikes I just GT85 the chain after a wash and never noticed an issue. Maybe I should switch to WD40!
I think you might be onto something, see: