Lubrication
Brunox Top Kett Chain Oil
Brunox Top Kett is a Swiss made lube and it's about as good as it gets. Shame about the pump dispenser though.
As a road.cc tester I'm used to recieving reproachful e-mails from the testing database reminding me that my review for product X is overdue. I've lost count of how many e-mails I've had regarding the Top Kett lube but that's tough, since I've only had to apply it twice since I first took delivery. Which was back in August.
Green Oil White Super Dry Chain Wax
I feel slightly guilty for criticising Green Oil. I rated their basic lube, and they have so far managed to combine impeccable eco-credentials with products that actually work - and work well. However, their latest offering, White Super Dry Chain Wax, is far from impressive.
To be honest, I'm not a big fan of this type of lube. It gives you a chain that runs very clean and is easy to wash, but unless you ride track or have a fair weather TT bike it generally wears off too easily to be useful.
Paceline Chamois Butt'r
Paceline's chamois cream comes in two different versions: you've got yer straight Chamois Butt'r (in the tube, £12.99 for 227g) and yer Chamois Butt'r Eurostyle (in the jar, £13.99 for 227g).
Green Oil CF-3 reusable lube spray
Green Oil CF3 is easily on par with traditional aerosols which (despite the banning of ozone destructive CFC) still contain hazardous substances within their product and/or propellant. All the CF3 requires is a few simple pumps to pressurise the contents, which can be refilled continuously from the Green-Oil range. You probably could use this with thin petrochemical lubes too, but if you are fond of sunnier climes take note that this would prevent you taking it on a flight-say to a training camp.
White Lightning Epic Ride Light Lube
White Lightning Epic Ride light lube sounds like a contradiction in terms but the combination of low friction and relative tenacity will win friends among racers, club, audax and even mountain bikers looking for a thin, yet durable lube. Bang on for chains, it also tames squeaky cleat mechanisms, derailleur jockey wheels, pivot points and other metal on metal surfaces. Stoical in the face of wet roads and singletrack, to my surprise it hasn't vanished come the first river crossing and, in these contexts achieved eighty-five miles between applications.
White Lightning Wet Ride chain lube
White Lightning Wet Ride is exactly what it says on the label: an extreme conditions heavy lube. It’s well suited to wet, salty coastal climes, and bikes with a constant chainline such as singlespeeds and fixed-wheel bikes. Being tenacious and sticky it doesn’t get rinsed off easily by rain or waterlogged roads, but it easily accumulates grit and grime. You’ll need to be fastidious about drivetrain hygiene to prevent premature component wear.
White Lightning Clean Ride wax lube
White Lightning Clean Ride wax lube has as much to offer ’cross bikes and winter hacks as summer playthings. As its name implies, it both lubricates and purges grit and grime from the drivetrain, minimising maintenance and helping prevent premature component wear.
Clean Ride’s formula is broadly similar to other wax lubes. The petroleum distillates and PTFE lubricate outer and inner surfaces of the chain, while the boron nitride improves longevity and inhibits corrosion.
Juice Lubes Ceramic Juice
Juice Lubes Ceramic Juice is an interesting potion brewed for dry to moist conditions rather than the ravages of winter it doesn’t wash off with the first rainfall, tames the most demanding of derailleur transmissions and a little goes a surprisingly long way to boot. However, cleanliness is paramount- not only prior to the initial application but regularly wipe the sided-plates weekly to prevent the excess turning into an efficient grinding paste.
Juice Lubes Chain Juice wet lube
The marketing blurb for this lube is remarkably plain - "Chain Juice Wet is a wet conditions chain lube which does what a wet lube should – it stays on your chain and keeps lubricating in wet conditions. Simple." Which is a nice change from the usual flowery guff that lube sellers use to hawk their wares. In return I'll be equally plain. This is the best lube I've used. Ever.
Finish Line 1-Step Cleaner and Lubricant
Despite my initial cynicism, Finish Line’s 1 step cleaner and lubricant quickly won me over with its convenience, low friction and surprising tenacity. Marketed at commuters, the mixture is also perfect for post race clean-ups of cross and mountain bike transmissions, slotted cables and even spd cleat mechanisms. However, it demands an abundance of clean rag, weekly reapplication in wetter weather and those with sensitive skins should apply wearing latex examination gloves.
Singletrack MTB mag
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