Green Oil Dry Chain Wax

Green Oil Dry Chain Wax is a PTFE- and petrochemical-free wax-based lubricant that runs clean, is easy to apply, and, I found, can last close to its claimed 150km range. The pricing is similar to other brands, but this updated formula costs significantly more than the original Green Oil Dry Chain Wax.

This updated formula – since the initial version we tested back in 2016 – has, claims Green Oil, an improved range between applications, now up to 150km. The company also says it's thicker – and faster.

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It's similar to most wax-based chain lubes, best applied to a fully cleaned chain. Once you've removed any contamination and/or petrochemical-based lubricant, the wax is simple to apply: just a shake of the bottle, then allow the wax to drip as you rotate the chain backwards. It dries relatively quickly – seven minutes is suggested, which is significantly less than the 24 hours that some high-spec chain waxes require.

Once the wax had dried, my chain rotated quietly and smoothly, with a noticeable waxy touch to the chain rollers.

Autumn and winter might not seem like the best time to test a product designed for dry weather, but my experience of other wax-based chain lubricants is that they are good all year round – although, as with most chain lubes, wet weather can affect durability. While testing I was fortunate to have a period of dry weather, and no rain or water-soaked roads.

Unlike standard petrochemical chain lubes, which can leave a black, sticky oil on the chain, with the Green Oil wax the chain stayed much cleaner on every ride, regardless of terrain and surfaces, with no sticky residue. And while it was not quite as spotless as some, such as Ceramic Speed UFO, I was able to keep reapplying as required, without the need for a full clean between applications.

Testing range

When testing its range, I completed several longer rides on different surfaces, both on and off-road. During one longer road ride, after 110km the chain started to make a little noise, and it continued until the end of that ride at 130km. At this point there was still a slight wax feel to the chain, but it was getting increasingly noisy.

During the longest off-road gravel ride, which was dry but on some surfaces that were damp, the chain was dry and noisy after 80km, and at 100km it was bone dry, with no wax or feeling of any lubricant left on the rollers.

Without lab conditions it is impossible to directly compare durability or rolling efficiency, but the performance was similar to other wax-based lubes such as Squirt (which, though it doesn't have quite such bold green claims, also doesn't contain petrochemicals).

Given dry, summer conditions I'd expect the Green Oil wax to meet its claimed distance, if not exceed it, but this is still less than several other brands I have used, including Squirt and also Morgan Blue Dry Wax, which can often last upwards of 200km between applications.

One big benefit I found with the Green Oil was how quickly and easily it cleans off, using just a standard all-over bike cleaner – no need to use a strong, drivetrain-specific cleaner.

Value

The new formula Dry Chain Wax costs £12.99 for a 100ml bottle, which is quite a jump from £6.99 when the original version was released, although that was many years ago. Prices of other wax-based chain lubricants have also increased recently, but the Green Oil price is still a little pricey in comparison: Smoove, which Neil tested in 2017, is £14.99 but for 125ml, Squirt is £12 for 120ml, and the Morgan Blue mentioned above is £9.95 for 125ml.

> 15 of the best chain lubes – but should you get wet or dry?

Overall, Green Oil Dry Chain Wax is effective, with similar benefits to other wax-based chain lubes, although it does shout louder about the lack of PTFE and any petrochemicals within it. The claimed durability of 150km seems achievable in real-world conditions, not just in a lab, but it does still lag slightly behind other brands in longevity and costs a little more than some other popular options.

Verdict

Clean, easy to apply and use, with no nasty chemicals