Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

review

Rock 'n' Roll Gold Chain Lubricant

8
£8.50

VERDICT:

8
10
Very clever most-conditions lube that goes a very long way and remains surprisingly clean
Weight: 
109g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

While lacking the outright hell 'n' high water tenacity of its Extreme, tested last month, Rock 'n' Roll's Gold Chain Lubricant will give traditional wet/ceramic lubes a seriously good run for your hard earned while attracting considerably less gunk en route.

It's claimed to be suitable for road, track, BMX and mountain biking (cyclo-cross). It's designed to leave a wet, protective membrane that keeps moving components slick and serene for a very long time.

> Buy this online here

Talking of dirt, the blurb suggests this can be applied straight to the chain without needing to strip existing lube on account of the potent solvent. Very true, although that would only seem to be when alternating between Rock 'n' Roll's lubricants; otherwise, run the intended recipients through the chain bath and dry thoroughly first.

Despite its runny viscosity, the Gold pours from the spout reasonably predictably, although you drizzle it on at the cassette end, rather than into every link, which feels a bit weird to start with.

Rather like an aerosol, the solvent component keeps it liquid, cleaning and priming before evaporating and leaving the membrane behind. In common with Fenwick's Stealth and a few other space age brews, it can be scooted off after a few minutes, but leaving it curing overnight seems the best idea.

Even freshly applied, it doesn't pepper the rear wheel with oily splodges at the first pedal stroke.

Wipe the side plates, rollers and jockey wheels surgically clean before curing, otherwise it'll develop a gungy, grimy patina – much less than wet types in the same contexts, but it still defeats the object.

So does it leave transmissions box fresh? Well, not literally, but my Univega's sturdy KMC, LX, STC and Tiagra combo certainly seemed at their very best.

While consistency and hue are completely different, there are many similarities with Fenwick's Stealth. Neither should be used to top up like a wet lube; only when the familiar tinkling of parched links pipes up should you introduce some fresh.

> How to clean and lube your bike chain

Fully cured, friction is very low, giving a more lively feel. A drop also does wonders for cleat mechanisms, though it's not a good choice for pivot points or cables – it's a little too heavy and would probably cause them to gum up. Cleanliness is excellent judging from how it's coped with persistent exposure to silty, waterlogged backroads, although the wet membrane does collect small particles.

Curiously enough, these seem suspended atop the surface in the same way that occurred with Motorex Dry. That said, it does react quite badly with other lubricants – even small traces (as shown in the pic below). 

Rock n Roll gold chain lube - 250miles in.jpg

Staying prowess is rivalling that of competitor brands, and in my experience has exceeded that of Muc-Off Hydrodynamic in the same conditions. I'm cruising past the 290-mile mark on the first helping with no call for replenishment in sight.

Verdict

Very clever most-conditions lube that goes a very long way and remains surprisingly clean

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Rock 'n' Roll Gold Chain Lubricant

Size tested: 4oz

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Rock 'n' roll says:

"GOLD CHAIN LUBE

This chain lube moved the 21st century closer to the 22nd century. Drive-trains look like they just came out of the box. The well known smoothness and quietness that Rock "N" Roll Lubes are known all over the world for, just went to a new level.

Available in 4 or 16 oz."

Certainly slick, clean and durable, but perhaps not quite as miraculous as the blurb would imply.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Very runny (not to mention flammable!) petrochemical based lubricant that is applied rather differently to more traditional formulas.

o Shake well and apply a stream of lube to the chain at the cassette.

o Do not drip the lube on like you would oil. This is not oil!

o Get the chain really wet, this stuff cleans and lubes all in one.

o Freewheel the chain backwards for about 5 seconds...no less.

o Wipe off all the excess lube...

all of it, wipe the chain as clean as it will get.

o That's it go ride...

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Smooth, quiet, durable and generally very clean.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

In keeping with others in this family, seems very long-lived with no call for replenishment despite several weeks' exposure to wet, gritty conditions.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
7/10

The Rock 'n' Roll range is much less messy than other runny types and the flow rate means it doesn't race out, coating rims, tyre and floor.

Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

In terms of miles per application, excellent.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Overall, Rock 'n' Roll's Gold version is extremely clean and long-lived. However, getting the best from it requires a patient, methodical approach and cleaning recipient drivetrains thoroughly first. Anything residual will react, turning gungy around the jockey wheels and derailleur cages.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Hard to find fault to date, given the design brief.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Pricey (but have seen it discounted online).

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Generally speaking, yes.

Use this box to explain your score

It does its job very well, at a very good price.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 1m 81  Weight: 70 kilos

I usually ride: Rough stuff tourer based around 4130 Univega mountain bike frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

Add new comment

8 comments

Avatar
muffies | 6 years ago
0 likes

i just started using this and its magical.  less friction that most lubes, very easy to apply and no need to clean the drive train ?!

 

note that i had to give the chain a deep clean with degreaser and leave it dry before applying the first time for it to work well.

 

seems amazing enough for me so far.

Avatar
gunswick | 6 years ago
0 likes

Ribble also do the big bottle at a good price

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/rock-n-roll-gold-lube/?currency=GBP&gclid...

Great lube, used it all winter commuting. Just applied every 100 miles, leave overnight, then use kitchen towel and backpedal to wipe it down. Stays very clean and very water resistant. You get some gunk build up on chain rings and jockey wheels, but no chain cleaner/bath needed, just dry clean with kitchen towel by wiping it off. The large bottle covered some 5000 UK miles for £20. Recommended.

Avatar
Juleselliero | 6 years ago
0 likes

In Europe you can get all the large bottles here:

https://rocklube.eu/de/12-kettenschmiermittel

Avatar
KiwiMike | 8 years ago
0 likes

"although you drizzle it on at the cassette end, rather than into every link, which feels a bit weird to start with."

 

Why apply this way?

Avatar
cicchis0 replied to KiwiMike | 1 year ago
0 likes
KiwiMike wrote:

"although you drizzle it on at the cassette end, rather than into every link, which feels a bit weird to start with."

 

Why apply this way?

You still apply it to each chain link but it has a very low viscosity, comparable to water, so it will drip (pour) through no matter how carefully you try to apply it.  It has a light hydrocarbon carrier fluid that fairly effectively dissolves oils, greases and waxes, and washes dirt off.  When the fluid that you haven't wiped off (i.e. in the crevices, where lubrication is needed) evaporates (over a matter of hours), the solid lubricant (I believe it is paraffin wax that was dissolved in the carrier fluid, and small particles of PTFE fluoropolymer) remains behind to provide lubrication.  My guess is that they make this recommendation because you may as well apply it so that it drips onto your cassette and you clean/lubricate the sprocket teeth at the same time instead of just wasting it on the floor.

Avatar
pedalpowerDC | 8 years ago
0 likes

Probably first started using RnR 20 years ago with my first shop job. For the last 8 years, I've been buying the big stock bottles of RnR Gold every 3 years. Then I'm all set on lube for a while.

Avatar
robthehungrymonkey replied to pedalpowerDC | 8 years ago
0 likes
pedalpowerDC wrote:

Probably first started using RnR 20 years ago with my first shop job. For the last 8 years, I've been buying the big stock bottles of RnR Gold every 3 years. Then I'm all set on lube for a while.

 

Where do you get the bigger bottles? I've been trying to find bulk lube for ages. Tired of the small bottles.

Avatar
hsiaolc replied to robthehungrymonkey | 7 years ago
0 likes
robthehungrymonkey wrote:
pedalpowerDC wrote:

Probably first started using RnR 20 years ago with my first shop job. For the last 8 years, I've been buying the big stock bottles of RnR Gold every 3 years. Then I'm all set on lube for a while.

 

Where do you get the bigger bottles? I've been trying to find bulk lube for ages. Tired of the small bottles.

 

http://thecycleclinic.co.uk/collections/chain-lubrication-and-greases/pr...

Latest Comments