You've cleaned your bike after it’s last filthy ride, it is spotless! Your chain is perfectly clean and degreased, but what next?
This article is here to give a thorough guide to the chain lubes (short for lubricant) that we sell, help you pick the right one for your bike and to understand a bit about why we lubricate our bike chain!
Common questions:
Is chain oil different from chain lube?
You might hear people referring to chain lube as ‘chain oil’. Whilst lots of lubes can be oil or petrochemical based this is not always the case. Our lubes, for example, are vegetable or wax based which makes them biodegradable!
Do I need to use chain lube on my chain?
Yes! It is very important to lube your chain. Not only does the lubricant help make sure that your gears keep running smooth and efficiently, it also acts to protect your chain against rust and corrosion!
Do I need to clean my chain before applying lube?
In an ideal world, yes, every time. However we understand this is not always possible, for example on a really long ride I carry a small bottle to top up my chain lube and keep everything running smooth and quietly!
How often should I clean and lube my chain?
The more you keep your chain clean and lubricated the better it will work and longer it will last. I do mine after every ride! A quick spin through our Chain Doc and then applying new lube at the end of each ride means your bike is perfect and ready to go when you need it. This might not be feasible for everyone though – at minimum a clean and lube every 150km!
How do I lube my chain?
We have a handy guide on how to lube your chain here.
Types of Lube
There are a few different types of lube, below we will list the varieties that we sell and the differences between them.
Wet vs. Dry
You may see that we sell lube labelled both ‘wet’ and ‘dry’, the difference in what they are used for are outlined below.
Dry Lube
- Best for dry conditions
- For road, MTB and eBikes
- Smells like banana!
Dry lube is to be used when there is not a chance of the drivetrain getting wet, it is the lube I tend to use all summer. Some of it’s benefits include that it dries almost fully on your chain which means it is not sticky or prone to attracting dirt! It is also easy to clean off of your chain when you need to apply more lube. It is, however, prone to washing off of your chain in the rain or in wet, muddy conditions.
Wet Lube
- Best for wet conditions
- Great for road, MTB and eBikes
- Will last even in muddy conditions
Wet lube is to be used in wet environmental conditions, when it is raining, muddy or if there is any chance the drivetrain might get wet. It is a thicker, stickier lube than dry lube and will not wash off easily. The downside of this is that wet lube can be a bit tougher to clean of and more prone to picking up dust in dry conditions.
To put it simply, use wet lube when it is wet outside and dry when it is dry!
Ceramic vs Regular
- Lasts longer than standard lubes
- More effective lubrication than standard lubes
- Great for road, MTB and eBikes
You will see that we also sell C3 versions of our wet and dry lubes. The C3 stands for ceramic as these lubes contain nano ceramic particles and synthetic polymers that help improve both performance and longevity meaning your chain is lubricated better for longer. Great for both road bikes and mountain bikes!
Hydrodynamic Lube
- Our longest lasting lube
- All weather
- great for road, gravel and CX bikes
Our Hydrodynamic Lube is our most advanced formula! It is all weather, lasts for up to 200 miles and works best at making sure your drivetrain runs smooth, quiet and efficiently! It is designed for road cycling and cyclocross.
Aerosol Lube
- Easy to apply
- Quick to apply
- Full chain coverage
You can get some of our lubes in an aerosol format, these are no different to our regular lubes except the packaging and in application. Some of our customers prefer to use aerosol lubes so we made them!
eBike Lubes
- Handles high torque of eBike chains
- Lasts longer than standard lubes
- Same great performance of our other lubes
We do sell a range of eBike lubes; these are slightly thicker and are formulated to deal better with the higher torque demands put upon eBike chains due to their motor. if you own an eBike then these are the lubes for you!
We hope you found this guide helpful, feel free to get in touch on our live chat if you have any questions on the best lube for your bike!
