I think I’ve been using Squirt like 7-8 years now. I used oil on a new bike earlier this year just to remind myself of what the experience is like. I lasted about a month.
by JustASpokeInTheWheel
I think I’ve been using Squirt like 7-8 years now. I used oil on a new bike earlier this year just to remind myself of what the experience is like. I lasted about a month.
by JustASpokeInTheWheel
32 Comments
I’m not a chain. You’re a chain.
This dude has gone through more research than anyone I know. Just pick something from the list based on your comfort zone. Wax is king but requires special effort. Not all drip on muck is created equal:
[https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/](https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/)
It may be a slow load, but the results table is worth decoding.
Squirt wax on a new chain is proper stuff!
Also low maintenance
I’ve tried fancy ceramic lube and wet conditions oily lubes, but it always runs off in the rain within like 10 minutes
Boeshield is apparently the only thing Boeing can make well.
Oooh I hadn’t seen Squirt Low Temperature before. One of the biggest legitimate issues with normal Squirt (which I definitely use) is that if the air is cool when you apply, Squirt will not sufficiently wick into the rollers before the carrier fluid dries.
optimized ultrasonic wax cooker and in between runs a drip of exactly your product
I brew my own chain lube.
It’s a mix of oils and a volatile agent.
I have a summer mix and a winter mix, also one that’s specifically for the fixed gear that gets ridden in the worst conditions.
Wax doesn’t work well in constant wet and grime, I tried it.
I’m convinced most commercially available lubes are based on light oils anyway. The miracle lube you pay big bucks for at the bike shop is probably eerily similar to an off the shelf light oil with a few other things tossed in. You can usually tell by the smell…
SCC Slick
https://contenderbicycles.com/products/scc-slick-lubricant
Wax all my chains and swear by it.
Silca hot wax immersion for me. I have two chains, once a week I swap the chain and every two weeks I wipe them off and throw them in the wax.
I’m a new rider, at least as an adult. I rode a little as a kid, but it’s been probably 15 or 20 years since I rode a bike regularly.
I do tree work and so when I started riding again on a used bike that my wife found, I lubed the chain with a splash of the bar and chain oil that I run through my saws. I’ve reapplied anytime the chain got wet and if it’s not been wet maybe once every week or two?
Is my bar oil about as good as these bike specific products or is there a big difference in additive packages or base oils? Am I doing it too often or not often enough? Thoughts? I’m mostly riding gravel or pavement on a mountain bike (it’s just what I’ve got right now), mostly for enjoyment and exercise. Usually between 2-10 miles depending on how much time I have and the weather.
Really cold, wet, nasty condition – Boiled linseed oil is about the only thing that doesn’t wash off. When doing winter bike commuting, this is what I’d use. It kinda ruins the chain (gets caked with a thick layer of oil that hardens), so I’d run the chain through the year then finish it off with a winter of commuting, and replace in the spring. Previously I used Chain-L, which was the staple at my college bike shop, mainly because it performed very well in the wet.
Gravel – I use squirt as well. It’s easy to reapply, and stands up to moderately wet conditions.
Road/all-road – this is my road and rain bike, so I need something that’s a bit more “wet lube”. I use Dumonde Tech OG. It’s one of the few things I’ve ridden that has lasted for hours in the rain without needing reapplication.
I used to use RockNRoll Gold. I now use SILCA oil lube.
I personally don’t really care, as long as I can squirt it on and wipe it off I’m good. I’d use triflo if it didn’t attract so much dirt.
If my chain/components wear out I’ll just replace em. I don’t wanna waste my time faffing around with wax and shit like that.
There are many decent chain lubes, chain treatments, brand choice is usually personal preference.
I’ve been using ProGold ProLink chain lube for years, one drop per inner roller, and have had excellent results, but I think any quality lube or treatment, if used consistently, would also provide excellent results.
I get 4k miles out of my Campagnolo Record chains before they need replacing, and ProLink is easy to apply and, as a dry lube, attracts very little dirt and grit, while keeping the drivetrain silent. All my miles are on dry roads in good weather, so it’s not a challenging environment.
I wipe down my chain after every ride, and reapply ProLink every couple of hundred miles, a simple and easy routine. Chain might get a deep cleaning once or twice a season with the Park chain cleaning machine, and I use ProLink in that chain cleaner, as it auickly and easily dissolves grease and grit, and leaves the cleaned chain already lubricated. I’m not a fan of any water-based chain cleaners.
3 in 1 oil. Used it for years. Drip on, wipe away excess with an old rag.
Molten speed wax, been using the same two chains for close to 15000km and have zero measurable wear, no greasy chain and the lowest possible drive train losses.
I like the wax you have pictured there, but then discovered Rock n Roll Gold, and that’s now what I use in all my bikes.
@OP, how often are you cleaning out the waxy buildup in the jockey wheels? And how? I have to take the chain off every now and again to fully clean out the wheels with a rag, but that hasn’t been very efficient.
https://preview.redd.it/8t4wavfcztkd1.jpeg?width=1055&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=562d94c0a7e8bf0edf55ba66f0819c2c82f76797
This is the best chain product I have ever used hands down. I can’t even hear my chain any more after applying. Pricey but worth it.
[White Lightning Easy Lube](https://www.whitelightningco.com/products/lubricants/easy-lube).
I recommend checking out Zero Friction Cycling and his test results for Squirt. It’s one of the worst drip wax lubes available. [https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/](https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/)
I bought a bottle of Squirt and stopped using it immediately after reviewing their test results.
Finish Line and Muc Off C3 Ceramic. The most important it’s to clean your chain regularly and use a tool like Park Tool chain checker to check your chain.
Paraffin
https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/
I swear by experimental testing and not marketing claims
As a matter of fact, I am not a chain.
You just gotta give it a lil hawk tuah.
Are you calling me a chain? Wtf dude.
Been experimenting with horse semen for my UCI rides, knocked half a microsecond off my last time.
Rock and roll gold, I recently got another huge bottle to lube my chains for another 5 years
Squirt is by far the best. Unless you want to cook fucking wax every other day
Long lasting or fast acting?
I just use a ceramic dry lube. Keep a pack of baby wipes beside my bike mount and pass the chain through one after every ride. Re-lube once a week or so using the one drop per roller method. Spot clean with baby wipes when I’m bored or just kinda looking at the bike, as I often do.
Deep clean/degrease a couple times a season with my Grunge brush doing the bulk of the work. This is for my road or extremely light gravel/dirt roads, bike.
What ever I have at hand at the moment.