Silkolene Dry Lube

Silkolene Dry Lube provides a light protection for your drivetrain and doesn't pick up too much dirt, but a couple of dry rides (totalling about eight hours) are its effective range, and I found the applicator a poor design.

• Pros: Thin coating, soaks into the rollers well, easy to wipe off excess
• Cons: Only lasts a couple of rides, poor applicator design

A dry lube can be identified by a few key factors. It should be light, attract very little dirt, and be easy to wash off and reapply. Its best use, therefore, is on a summer bike that you're prepared to maintain regularly.

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The lube contains P.T.F.E. so a good shake is required before application. Using this for the first time highlighted a flaw in the applicator: in the open position, way too much lubricant is released and most ended up on my wheel rim. The screw-top needs to be almost closed for drip application.

This dry lube is very thin and was quick to coat the rollers. I applied it to a chain that was fully stripped of oil, then wiped off the excess and allowed it to dry overnight. The lubricant dries to leave a thin coating, and when out on the road everything ran quietly.

The lube doesn't pick up too much dirt, but it's not the cleanest I've used; Morgan Blue's Race Oil Aerosol and Squirt Lube's Absolute Dry run cleaner. After a good weekend of riding totalling eight hours, the Silkolene Dry had turned black so it was time for a clean.

The lube is easy to strip off the chain and there was very little grit build-up on the inside of the link plates. This regularity of cleaning will mean that, as intended, this lube will be best used on a summer bike, though it could also be suitable for cyclo-cross racing – where you want as little build-up of dirt as possible, and you're washing your bike after each race anyway.

> Read more road.cc reviews of chain lubes here

At £8.99 for 100ml, it's a little pricier than some. Muc-Off's version comes in at £7.99 (120ml) although it's more readily available in local bike shops, and only £3.99 on Wiggle. I'd still choose Morgan Blue's Race Oil in the aerosol can for £10.95 (400ml). It's cheaper per 100ml, easier to apply and cleaner. For the cleanest chain, I'd go for Squirt Lube Dry at £12 (120ml). It's a bit of a faff to do it properly, but it gives you an incredibly clean chain.

In conclusion, this dry lube works pretty well for dry summer riding, but it's not as clean or easy to apply as cheaper and more readily available options.

Verdict

Does an okay job but not as clean as cheaper alternatives, and the drip applicator is badly designed