Top 15 Best Bike Chain Lubes
The chain lube landscape
Finding the best bike chain lube for the riding you do can be daunting. There are so many bike lube options now that you can reach the breaking point just from searching for it. With options ranging from dry, wet, ceramic and wax – it’s hard to tell what will help you excel in your areas riding conditions and what can make it worse. That’s why here to help because the lube that you choose truly can make the difference between a squeaking chain or a smooth shift til the end of each ride. Follow along as we roll smoothly through the best bike lubes on the market.
Dry lubes
Best used in the dry, spring and summer conditions when you have less chance of moisture or water hitting the drive train. In general, dry lubes are much cleaner to use and attract less particulate build-up even with repeated application. This makes them much better in dry or dusty conditions, especially off-road or on gravel. The downside is they don’t last very long and water washes the lube away.
Muc-Off Dry Lube:
Dry lube that is formulated to hold up in extreme conditions that would branch off into near wet lube territory. Muc-Off Dry Lube made our Best of list because of it’s highly versatile. We’ve found this lube to excel both on the road and off – especially in the mid-late summer when long rides are plenty and thicker lube is needed. This can be attributed to the penetrative qualities of the lube and the fact that there is a wax component in the chemical makeup. Muc-Off Dry Lube is biodegradable so don’t worry about getting it on the grass when liberally applying.
Price: $11.00
For more info check out Muc-off.com
WPL – Dry Lube:
WPL Dry Chain Lube is a bio-based chain lube formulated for dry and dusty riding conditions and manufactured in Whistler Canada. The biodegradable, non-toxic, and PTFE-free formula keeps the gears shifting smoothly and the environment safe from harm. WPL’s formula is hinged on class-leading surface-binding compounds that create a thin film around moving chain links to create a solid performance in many conditions. Check out thier full line of petrol free lubes, greases and fork service lubes.
Price: $13.00
For more info check out WPLBike.com
Pedros X Dry:
X Dry is the newest lube from the team at Pedro’s, formulated with its exclusive CleanTech Chemistry – X Dry uses advanced polymer technology that dries to a unique semi-fluid film and provides clean and long-lasting performance. We’ve found the X dry works excellent in dry to spring type conditions and runs very quietly. Be sure to clean you chain thoughly before appllication though, X-Dry works best on a very clean chain from the get-go.
Price: $7.00
For more info check out Pedros.com
Rock and Roll Absolute Dry
An extremely clean running dry lube that we’ve found works well on road bikes as well as dirt. The wax particulate works well with keeping the chain clean and quiet during long rides. We do recommend adding a bearing to the container to help churn up the wax for a better full bodied application. If you’re a fan Rock and Roll lube, you need to add this to your arsenal.
Price: $7.00
For more info check out Rocklube.com
Wet lubes
Do you ride in inclimate weather often or do you like the mid-week roll through the creek crossing? Well if you’ve answered yes – you should add a wet lube to your collection. Most wet lubes provide efficient coverage and liberation for over 100 miles of riding with a single application. Besides their protective qualities, wet lubes excel at reducing drivetrain noise but be mindful they can collect dust and dirt quite easily – more reason to choose your chain lube wisely for the season and ride at hand.
Rock and Roll Wet Extreme:
A classic and favorite of mine when the weather turns wet and sloppy. Rock and Roll Wet Extreme will keep your chain quite and shifting well though all manner of adventure. Intended for mountain bike and wet condition, this formulation of lube is thicker than the Rock and Roll Dry but offers the same quite rolling characteristics and wax-based formula – highly recommended for century rides and all-day gravel grinders.
Price: $9.00
For more info check out Rocklube.com
Morgan Blue Race Oil:
The leading lube and oils used amongst the World Tour Teams, Morgan Blue are rarely seen on the shelves in North America. With products ranging from lube, grease, massage oil and beyond Morgan Blue has every facet of rider care covered. Race Oil is perfect for the weather of the cobbled classics and the spring weather around the US. The thick viscosity and synthetic additives to help reduce friction, to obtain a smooth shifting and extend the life of the drive train. Highly recommended for cyclocross and early season mountain bike applications.
Price: $8.00
For more info check out MorganBlue.com
WD-40 BIKE Wet Lube:
If you like WD-40 you’re gonna love their bicycle-specific line, especially the wet chain lube. The WD-40 wet lube is for wet, muddy and extreme conditions – perfect for mountain biking and cyclocross. This lube provides a durable coating in a proprietary no-wax formula won’t leave a sticky residue on your drivetrain. Bonus, the WD-40 Bike line has a great smell and will give you an extra reason to apply liberally to your drive train.
Price: $9.00
For more info check out WD-40Bike.com
Muc Off Wet Lube:
Muc-Off Wet Chain Lube is an ultra durable, long distance bicycle formulated to excel over long distances in wet or muddy conditions. Muc-Off uses what they call ’Extreme Pressure Additives’ that are said to coat every part of the link to provide a smooth gear change and an ultra-efficient drive chain. The extreme pressure additives also increase efficiency and the vegetable oil-based formula can be applied to chain, shifters, cables, and derailleurs.
Price: $9.00
For more info check out Muc-off.com
Ceramic lubes
Ceramic lubes are now commonplace in the local bike shops but what makes them different and how do they translate into a better ride? Well, the makeup of the ceramic lube is based in tiny, boron-nitride or nano-ceramic balls to roll against the chain’s sliding surfaces. This makeup allows the chain to maximize your power output by reducing metal to metal contact and can provide up to 10 times the performance of conventional chain oils and lubes.
Muc Off Ceramic lubes:
If you’re looking to maximize marginal gains and eliminate waste you should check out Muc-Off’s line of C3 ceramic lubes. Designed with added nano ceramic particles and synthetic polymers, C3 Ceramic Chain Lube will take your pedaling power and transfer it to speed on the bike. The C3 Dry Ceramic Lube is biodegradable, petroleum free formula so you don’t have to worry about yourself, your bike or the planet. Available in both wet and dry lubes so you can roll ceramically on the road and in the woods respectively.
Price: $9.00
For more info check out Muc-off.com
Finish Line Ceramic:
A full synthetic lubricant, enhanced with nano-sized platelets of boron nitride and micron particles of fluoropolymer. Finish Lines Ceramic lube builds its a ceramic coating on the frictional surfaces of a drivetrain that results in pedaling smoothness and added quietness. Mountain bike, cyclo-cross, road and track racing. Finish Line is so confident in the performance of its Ceramic line, they claim it delivers more miles per application, often exceeding 175 miles. A personal favorite and known performer – if you’re looking for a change in your cross country or cyclocross lube, put this on your list.
Price: $9.00
More information check out: finishlineusa.com
Specialty: The latest, greatest and sometimes the priciest lubes that will get you that extra second in a time trial or longer time between services. We’re talking about wax, hydrodynamic and everything in between. If you’re looking to get the max from your performance and your chain – keep a close eye on the next couple products – they can add watts to your performance and subtract seconds from your personal records.
UFO by Ceramic Speed:
Said to generate less friction than any other chain lube on the market – Ceramic Speed’s UFO Drip Chain Coating is applied in liquid form but hardens to a 100% dry chain coating. A favorite amongst World Tour time trial specialist and climbers alike – UFO is easy to apply and hardens quickly. Like most things cutting edge, UFO comes at a premium price of $75 for a 180ml bottle. UFO claims that as long as you keep your chain coated and it will then remain clean as long as you continuously apply UFO Drip every 200 km as recommended.
Price: $75.00
For more info check out CeramicSpeed.com
Muc-Off Hydrodynamic Lube:
If you are looking for the most efficient bike chain lube for long distances and/or the harshest of weather conditions, look no further. Developed specifically for Team Sky, Muc-Off Hydrodynamic Chain Lube will last for miles and miles with all the performance of the companies C3 ceramic lubes. Having used the Hydrodynamic lube many times, we can attest to the long life and performance that it offers. Though designed with long road races in mind, Hydrodynamic Lube works fantastically for off-road applications as well as cyclocross.
Price: $25.00
For more info check out Muc-off.com
Wax lubes
Wax lubes are a variation dry lubes and pay homage to the paraffin wax days of old. They exhibit the same properties and we’ll treat them separately here as ones that are in solid form and have to be melted for chain application.
Molten Speed Wax:
Blending new age science with old-world technique, Molten Speed Wax delivers drive train efficiency and dirt repellency in varying conditions. Using fully refined paraffin, DuPont PTFE and the smallest micron size Molybdenum disulfide available, Molten hot wax lubricant clings to chains but nothing else. Though the process may take some time with cleaning and waxing – the final product is truly remarkable and lasts for many rides in all kind of weather. For use; 1 lb. of MSW waxes a minimum of 8 training chains or 16 race chains. If you’re looking to mix it up this season and try something new – look no further.
Price: $10.00
For more information: For more info check out MoltenSpeedWax.com
WEND Wax:
Truly the first ever “rub‐on”, wax based, chain lubricant. Wax‐On is a sophisticated paraffin based formula that includes proprietary friction reducers as well as proven lubricants such as Zinc and Teflon. The application is a cinch as the user simply rubs the wax onto the chains rollers via an application stick, resulting in a race-ready waxed chain in seconds.
Price: $20.00
More information check out: wendperformance.com/
Squirt lube wet/dry:
Squirt is a favorite amongst riders in dry areas as well as cyclocross racers everywhere. This wax based (availible in wet and dry) long lasting lube is great for anyone on the road or in the woods. Squirt lube lasts longer than other waxed based lubes that we’ve tested previously as it has 4 waxes emulsified well. It contains 36% wax rather than the 17% typically found in other solvent based wax lubes.
It has good, low viscosity so it penetrates well into the chain pins easily without much drama. It’s best applied on a squeaky, dry chain so take the time to clean the chain and rings of other products. From then on, just apply sparingly or liberally. It doesn’t matter as it manages itself, shedding excess lube.
Low temperature lube that doesn’t harden is available. And it’s all biodegradable and earth friendly as well.
Price: $13.95
More information check out: www.squirtcyclingproducts.com
The post Top 15 Best Bike Chain Lubes appeared first on Mountain Bike Review.