[Closed] which Dry lube?

[i] scotroutes - Member

I'd be happy if I could find a dry lube that would last for a couple of long days in dry conditions[/i]

Too marginal to call, based on my experience. I'd go with what I'm using now, but depending on just how much you ride on each day and other margin but cumulatively significant factors involved. You might get away with it, you may not.

I've also just squirted some white lightening dry lube over a chain, to get me by until I can do the job proper.

I guess in the end, as with a few other folk here. Trying several types and settling on your preferred choice, will be a way to go.
🙂

So many lubes, so little time....

Tx for that, just ordered a litre of ProGold - not been able to find it, and a little bottle lasted me ages last time. Reckon a litre will see me out.

I would have said Muc off dry, but 20 minutes riding after a brief shower and my chain was squealing like a stuck pig. So if there's even a small chance of moisture I wouldn't bother.

Squirt.

I use Squirt. It's great as long as you use it as intended - I've changed my lubing routine (ooh er) from just before a ride to after I've cleaned the bike so it has time to dry properly. As long as it's not hat wet all the chain then needs is a wipe on a towel to remove any grime and relube.

This +1. Won't go back to wet lubes again, liking the clean drive train and as above - you just need to follow the instructions first time and do it properly.

 

Given up on dry lube, not found one that lasts more than a few hours riding, before the chain sounds dry

So re-apply it after a few hours riding. Much better than trying to clean masses of gunk off the chain. I take a small bottle of Finish line red and a clean rag for touring.

Take chain off.

Put in charity-shop pan with a few candles [try to find oily, not chalky wax [avoid Ikea tea lights]] and perhaps a dash of high-teflon grease/oil.

Melt wax.

Poke with a stick, perhaps disconsolately, while trying not to pick your nose or burn the house down.

Take chain out, lie on old newspaper.

Put pan back in shed.

Refit chain [important]

Ride.

Spend saving on beer.

Another vote for Squirt here. Use it on my own bike and all the rental bikes. Mainly because it lasts to well. I'm a Yorkshire man after all.

I had Muc Off dry on my chain when I started the trans cambrian way last weekend. Trails were pretty wet, and there was still a coating of lube on there after about 50km, was around 80km or so in before I heard it getting noisy. That's pretty damn good for a dry lube.

If you've not used it, it's not like the traditional waxy stuff like White Lightening. That doesn't last at all. The Muc Off stays sort of sticky and greasy. Consequently, some sand and dust sticks to the outside but doesn't seem to enter the links. I'm sold. Plus you get loads in a bottle.

The importance of dry lube depends on where you ride. I could use wet all summer in Wales, but in Hampshire it's so sandy that the dust soaks up wet lube and turns it into a kind of black putty of doom, you put more on you get more putty. Dry lube essential down here.

Squirt 😀

Shimano workshop.

Squirt.

Purple extreme is rubbish now i've found squirt. 😯

Finish line wet.

Am I the only one? We sell tons of it.

And now for something different:
I've been using this Pure stuff
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/tools-maintenance/cleaning-lube/pure-dry-bike-lube-100ml
Really good.*

Someone mentioned Pedros Ice! Foul, filthy, crud, that stuff!

[i]Finish line wet.

Am I the only one? We sell tons of it.
[/i]

Can't believe people still use that disgusting relic of the 90s! Thick, black, gunge! Used to scrape it off with a screwdriver!

*smells nice

[quote=cynic-al ]Finish line wet.
Am I the only one? We sell tons of it.
See the thread title?
That.

I find there is often confusion between 'dry' lube and lube for dry conditions. These terms are often used interchangeably but they are very different.

Dry lubes which have worked well for me include: -
- Finish Line Krytech (Original formula from way back when)
- Pedros Ice Wax
- Muc Off Dry
- White Lightening Epic

Lubes for dry conditions that have proven themselves: -
- Muc Off C3 Dry
- White Lightening (Standard formula)

All conditions lubes: which have worked well -
- Rock & Roll Blue
- Muc Off Wet
- Ultimate Bike Spray - UBS

Poor performing lubes include: -
- Finish Line Dry (Red)
- Finish Line Wet (Green)
- Purple Extreme
- White Lightening Clean Ride
- Juice Lubes Chain Juice
- Muc Off C3 Wet

My favourites have been Pedros Ice Wax, Rock & Roll Blue, Muc Off C3 Dry and UBS. UBS is the best of that select bunch, has lasted 50+ miles in a mixture of conditions, attracts little grit or dust, leaves no film and is really easy to wash off, requiring minimal effort to keep clean. I take a small dropper bottle with me in case I'm ever in a freak storm that washes it all off, but have never used it. In the last three-four months it has been brilliant.

Rnr blue: Current dry lube of choice in both wet and dry chiltern conditions. Minimal effort. Sufficient protection for 4 hours +. Now discontinued. Squirt: won't stay on in wet chiltern condition for more than a couple of hours. White lightning: waxy build up. 2 hours max. C3: doesn't stay on. Shimano dry:. Not dry and makes black gunge. Gt85: good for 30 minutes in the wet. Ubs: looking like most likely rnr blue replacement due to minimal effort and good reviews.

Tried a few,Squirt by far the best.

Another for Squirt.

scotroutes - Member
cynic-al » Finish line wet.
Am I the only one? We sell tons of it.
See the thread title?
That.

Pedros ice wax and squirt aren't really dry lubes though, they are more a wax...you apply the day/night before and it dries in (like a dry lube). Dry lube you can apply right before use.
I've had a lot of success with both squire and ice wax...I use ice wax as I got it cheaper than squirt.

Squirt here too. I find it brilliant dry or wet.
You don't need to apply it the day before, but it does need time to dry. 10 minutes is more than enough in the summer. A little more in the winter, but works just as well through slop.

Great stuff.

Nobody's mentioned putoline motorbike chain wax... It does turn the chain black (not from mud or dirt; it is black wax), best I've used by a mile in really bad conditions and longlived in the dry

(I reckon it's best in the wet tbh; not because it doesn't work well in the dry, it's just that it's a pain in the arse to apply and in dry conditions there's other lubes that can do the job pretty much as well, so it feels like too much hassle.)

Once you go black...............

I'm using UBS at the moment, mostly because I have 2 bottles of it. As a chain lube it's mediocre, lasts only around 50miles.

Apparently putoline can be applied with a deep fat fryer to remove a lot of the faff and mess.

I sometimes wonder how hard can it be to make a chain lube, surely all you need is:

A solvent (acetone, hexane, methanol, whatever)
A friction reducer (Teflon and/or graphite, particles)
A corrosion inhibiter (paraffin wax, preferably with a high sulphur content)

Go ahead and try. The market's not at all crowded 😉

Northwind, I use the putoline stuff in winter and squirt in summer. I'm considering using putoline all year around. It's more faff, but less frequent.

Idvlove to see a Teflon version rather than the graphite.

Go ahead and try. The market's not at all crowded

There's only one putoline though. I reckon it'd be more popular if they replaced the graphite with Teflon so that it looked clean, because that stuff lasts weeks/months, even in winter.

Some testing of how fast various lubes are [url= http://www.squirtlube.com/professionals/VeloNews2014-01.pdf ]here[/url]. Squirt does very well. Maybe not the biggest concern to most on here though. I'd like to try the Molten Speedwax too but can't seem to find it over here.

Tempted to try putoline for the winter bike. A couple of chains on rotation and I don't think it'd be too much faff. Anyone tried using an old slow cooker to apply it?

It smells bad, apparently, so I think I'd want something for garage use. You can get single ring electric hotplates, that plus an old saucepan might be a good idea.

No need for saucepans or anything other than camping cooker, chuck all your chains on top of the solid wax, turn cooker on, done in about 5 minutes.

Wax melts pretty quick, put a bit of wire through a link to fish chains out, hang to cool over tin so drips go back in. Its actually a lot less faff than you would think, probably quicker than putting a drop of lube on each roller on a couple of chains tbh

You notice because the gaps between rollers and plates are filled it stops grit going inside chain.

[i]Ultimate Bike Spray - UBS[/i]

The Muc Off product that comes in black spray can?

I thought that was for just making your bike paint nice and shiny?

The Muc Off product that comes in black spray can?

No, [url= http://www.scottoiler.com/us/products/ultimatebikesolution.html ]this.[/url]