Lubrication

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.

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.

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.

Juice say they developed their Viking Juice chain lube after Scandiwelsh roadie legend Magnus Backstedt told them how unimpressed he'd been with that his chain was grumbling during Paris-Roubaix. Now, according to the Juice website "Maggy doesnt have to re-oil his chain on long rides. This makes him happy". Well good for him but his definition of a long ride doesn't go much beyond 140 miles, because that's about as long as this stuff lasts for.

Fenwicks Pro Lubricant spray is a useful addition to the toolbox, good for blasting dirt from hard-to-reach mechanisms and cleaning out cable runs. The high pressure aerosol means it doesn't last long though, and it's not the most tenacious lubricant out there. It's better than WD40 though.

This thick grease, formulated specifically for bearings, provides immediate lubrication/protection for free/hubs, pedals, headsets and bottom brackets while resisting the ravages of rough stuff, cross and similar duties admirably.

Formulated for wet-weather performance, Fenwick’s complex synthetic grease is a heavyweight general-purpose assembly paste perfect for free/hubs, bottom bracket and other bearing surfaces through to contact points-even on bikes such as crossers, mountain bikes, winter trainers and stripped- to- basics single speed/commuter fixers thanks to the blend’s tenacity and complex properties. That said I have some reservations concerning its long-term compatibility with elastomer suspension bushes and stick with dedicated pastes when installing carbon and Ti components.