what Green Oil products do you rate?

(or similar alternatives?)

Would like to grab a couple of bits, in particular chain/drivetrain degreaser type stuff, so I’m not using any nasty chemicals. But look at the state of this https://www.green-oil.net/shop.html

What do fellow yoghurt weavers use, and is it any good?

I use the tins of Gunk Green Degreasers, although annoyingly my Halfords don’t stock anything useful so you have to click and collect it now 🙄 (I haven’t checked how ‘green’ it is, except that I know it’s biodegradable)

Would also be interested in any experience and other options.
We have a community project helping people with maintenance and were asked recently about environmentally friendly options. We didn’t know so our work experience student has been looking for options and is doing a comparison test. So far he only has green oil and one called green machine from polymath products.
Has been surprisingly hard to find suggestions and reviews and also understand the balance of being biodegradable and being effective at keeping a chain lubricated in a wet scottish winter.
Plan is to do tests this winter and report at the end of his placement.

It’s not the answer to the question, exactly, but the thing is, how much does it matter? The amounts we use are tiny and if they shed, they do so over a huge area and usually under pissing wet conditions so it gets diluted and spread faster too. It’s quite likely, imo, that the most environmentally friendly solution overall is going to be one that might be chemically nastier, but that lasts better and uses less- like, I use motorbike chain wax, and it lasts so damn long and leaks so little that the environmental impact of it on most of my rides is probably pretty much zero. And I bought the can of it that I have about 5 years ago so I’ve created less packaging, less transport cost etc etc. And probably worn out less chains…

Bottom line I think is that it’s really good to think about these things but the real impact on a bike or even a bike industry will be really little.

I did once try a green oil chainlube. it was fairly useless. Was over a decade ago tho so they might have improved but what Northwind says makes sense

The amounts we use are tiny and if they shed, they do so over a huge area and usually under pissing wet conditions so it gets diluted and spread faster too. It’s quite likely, imo, that the most environmentally friendly solution overall is going to be one that might be chemically nastier, but that lasts better and uses less- like

Individually small amounts might be less concerning, but collectively there’s a fair few bicycles about, I’m not sure I buy the “don’t do anything because the next guy is worse” argument, if you can use a less polluting option you probably should…

I suppose the other question is can a home-brewed eco-friendly alternative be rustled up? Chain wax (putoline user myself already) is definitely something people make for themselves out of wax pellets (or old candles) what you choose to add to it is entirely in your gift then. And oils, well I mean how bad can a spritz with some fry light really be for your bike Vs the environment?

Discuss…

I used to use Green Oil before I switched to Putoline (which has to be one end of the green spectrum to the other!) and I thought it was really good – I would have used it even if I wasn’t bothered about its environmental impact.

I don’t think it’s what-about-ism to point out that there’s bigger fish to fry, since you can’t do everything, and time spent searching for a less environmentally damaging lube might have more impact improving something else. Northwind makes some good points about the complexity of the comparison.

ok my 2penneth,

wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole. The bike wash stuff dissolved the glue holding my headset badge to the bike. spoke to them and they said i was lying.

the clain lube was poor.

the degreaser was good though but after using it my chain failed.

I used to use a green lube on a fleet I maintained, some years ago admittedly.
The chain oil grew mould 🙁

APF

Hate to dismiss the fella’s products, but the EcoSpray Lube is complete rubbish! I got some on the kickstarter orwhateveritwas he used to develop and release it. It’s just this grim messy foam that sprays out, couldn’t find a use for it and still have both cans.

The chain degreaser is ok. Smells nice.

I use squirt lube which is generally highly rated. Even use it in winter but a heavy wet ride reveals its limits For cleaning bike I use eco washing up liquid. Joes eco sealant too. Muc off for grease and spray cleaner. They all work well for what I need.

I did once try a green oil chainlube. it was fairly useless. Was over a decade ago tho so they might have improved

I was gonna say exactly the same thing, surprised to see it get a nod on the lubes round-up.

Wonder if the author has actually tried it.

The amounts we use are tiny and if they shed, they do so over a huge area and usually under pissing wet conditions so it gets diluted and spread faster too. It’s quite likely, imo, that the most environmentally friendly solution overall is going to be one that might be chemically nastier, but that lasts better and uses less

That makes sense… but I wonder about Teflon. Whilst Teflon is supposed to be ‘harmless’ I wonder if it’s production still uses PFAS type chemicals which are associated with serious environmental problems?

dukeduvet

I use squirt lube which is generally highly rated. Even use it in winter but a heavy wet ride reveals its limits For cleaning bike I use eco washing up liquid. Joes eco sealant too. Muc off for grease and spray cleaner. They all work well for what I need.

So no Green Oil products then? 🤔

Oh, I see, these are the “similar alternatives” 😀

Indeed they are. Weighing up eco products i liked the concept of green oil stuff but settled on alternatives. Just chucking it in there, if not helpful to op do read on!

thenorthwind
Full Member

I used to use Green Oil before I switched to Putoline (which has to be one end of the green spectrum to the other!)

Is it though? Putoline’s a graphite-impregnated paraffin wax I think, the data sheet suggests it’s about as low impact as it gets- no hazard to marine life, no long-term adverse affects in the environment. I couldn’t find an ingredients list but I suspect you could pretty much put it on your toast.

Unfortunately not that useful for the OP since it’s such a specific/enthusiast product.

Always like kingud stuff smells nice, is eco friendly and seems to work on my bikes

I’ve tried the Green Oil chain oil, grease, bike cleaner and chain degreaser. The cleaner and degreaser work fine and i use them regularly. The grease is fine for general stuff Like assembly but i wouldn’t use it where performance is important like in bearings. i think The chain oil is a too light for wet riding and i prefer wax based lubes for dry conditions and so it hasn’t been used much – only on my town and pump track bikes.

I’ve only used their wet chain lube but have always found it up to the job, whether that was on the commuter, MTB or road bike. That said, I’m not a fastidious cleaner or maintainer, more a try-to-get-by-until-spring-when-the-garage-is-warmer type chap and so am not the best reference for higher performance demands.