Muc-Off C3 All Weather Ceramic Lube may come with a hefty price tag, but it delivers impressive performance in wet weather, lasts well between cleans, and proves easy to apply with its slender pipette.
First… let’s hear it for nanoparticles. Boron nitride additives promise to seep into the chain and prevent dirt building up, and with repeated applications this allegedly creates a coating that’s more resistant to being washed away than standard lubes.
I was going to assess this at a microscopic level while hurtling downhill, but for reasons I won’t go into it hasn’t been possible on this occasion.
So instead I’ve assessed this on feel. First I degreased my entire fleet and carefully coated each chain link – it’s easy to apply precisely, and a UV torch will make it glow if you need to check – leaving it to dry overnight.
Two weeks and over 100km later and my Van Nicholas fixie’s chain remained like new, having attracted nowhere near the gunk my usual Finish Line Wet Lube would.
Meanwhile, several hundred soggy kilometres left my Condor Fratello far less grotty too, compared to either of my usual Finish Line or Fenwick’s Dry Lube choices. So I gave it a wipe down with an old T-shirt, reapplied and headed out again for another big day’s ride. It was over two weeks before it needed another clean. I was impressed.
Value
At £23 for 120ml, it’s expensive: 5ml costs about 95p. Fenwick’s Wet Weather Chain Lube is £10 for 100ml, or 50p for 5ml.
Finish Line’s Ceramic Wax Lube is £12.99 for 120ml, so again almost half the price at 54p per 5ml. That’s only for dry and dusty conditions, though, and it has a bit of reputation for high wear rates.
While this Muc-Off is expensive, it’s effective at keeping your chain clean and running smoothly in poor conditions for a notably long time. It’s easy to apply too.
Test Report
What does the manufacturer say about this product?:
Muc-Off says: “The Muc-Off C3 All Weather Chain Lube is a high-performance synthetic lubricant infused with Boron Nitride additives. The unique water repellent, non-fling formula penetrates deep into the chain link, to create a durable protective coating which guards against corrosion and metal-to-metal contact which reduces wear resulting in a longer lasting drivetrain.”
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of this product:
Muc-Off lists:
Ideal for MTB, Road, Gravel, Cyclocross and Commuting
Suitable for use in all weather conditions
Infused with Boron Nitride additives to provide low friction for unparalleled lubrication and efficiency
Reduces metal-to-metal contact to reduce drivetrain wear
Provides smooth and quiet gear shifting
Can be applied to chain, cables, shifters, derailleurs, pedals & cleats
Pipette system for easy application
Readily Biodegradable
Integral UV tracer dye – aids accurate application to ensure total protection.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested?:
This is more expensive than many lubricants, including other ceramic ones.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
This performs well and stays gunk free for longer than non-ceramic lubricants. It’s expensive but works well.
About the tester
Age: 56Height: cmWeight: 83kg
I usually ride: Specialised Langster (fixed commuter)My best bike is: Condor Fratello (new – Audax rides)
I’ve been riding for: Over 20 yearsI ride: Most daysI would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: Audax
13 thoughts on “Muc-Off C3 All Weather Ceramic Lube”
Ow man how big of money bag did Muc Off include to get such a good review of such garbage lube?!
I share your scepticism, I threw away my previous muc off lubes as they were awful, would not buy any lubes from them again unless the reviewer challenged the company claims robustly. Indeed i would not risk any of mybikes testing their products even if they were free.
@Grahamd
This maybe an improvement, but I tried both the blue and then the pink stuff a few years back both alright, nothing special. Both left horrible blue and pink residue that was hard to shift. Went back to the dirty but ever reliable finish line x country.
I’m a keen convert to silca’s synergetic, until kiwimike tells me there is something better…
I’ve been using the dry-weather version for a while – quite a long while actually. A little goes a long way and I find I can apply it sparingly.
As with any Muc-Off lube, it’s always best to follow the closest thing we have to ‘science’ in regard longevity and effectiveness: https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/
TL:WR? History would suggest that this lube – along with all the other Muc-Off lubes – is not that great.
Without a comparison to Silca Super Secret (or any other) drip wax lube, this review is irrelevant. Wax is by far the cleanest, long lasting lube available.
A wax comparison is invalid, unless wax were as easy to apply. Sure it tops the scores at ZFC, based on the wear rates rightly so. And yet it fails to gain more than a token following with the public, in the grand scheme of things, even though it would save most people a fair amount of cash.
The faff, and the reality that it’s only practical in dryer climates, puts most people off. I’m a mechanic with a huge workshop, trade accounts and a fair amount of spare time, and even with all that I can’t be arsed.
Silca Synergetic can be applied easily, stays clean and you never need to degrease.
There’s a mindset and place for wax, as there is for singlespeeds, leather saddles and Audaxes. Cycling’s a broad church 😎
Totally disagree. Drip wax is just as easy to use as any other lube and far superior. I’ve never immersion waxed my chain, there is no need.
…I use silca chain cleaner and silca super secret wax straight out of the bottle onto the chain. It’s better in all weather than any other chain lube I’ve used over 30 years. Squirt and Smoove drip wax lubes are ok too, but neither are as good as Silca.
I used Secret Wax for a while, even wrote about it. It’s good, but for where and how I ride, it’s a messy faff. Synergetic works better. YMMV.
https://road.cc/content/review/silca-super-secret-chain-lube-277641
@KiwiMike if you find Silca Super Secret messy, you are not applying or using it correctly. It is one of the cleanest chain lubricants you can get.
Although I also agree, there is no point comparing with this review. Synergetic is messier, although it is super as a wet/changeable weather chain lubricant.
Matt, slathering a chain in waxy goo that flakes off and builds up around pulleys and between cogs is nowhere as clean as a single drop of Synergetic per bushing, that then gets wiped off with a cloth. Synergetic is the cleanest lube I’ve ever used, as per my review Super Secret was a mess. Not sure what I was doing wrong there 😎. I see the main reason for Super Secret existing is for wax users to be able to top up their chains as needed in the field. That’s all well and good.
@KiwiMike I always use one drop one per link, exactly the same method that I would use with Synergetic, except one needs to be leftthe other you can ride straight away. Any goo build-up is a clear sign that too much has been applied, or applied and not left to dry. The same happens with all wax-based drip chain lube.
Ah, I was doing it all wrong then. Pesky consumers eh? 😎
The value of a product is as much about practicality as it is performance. I noted for my riding, it never lasted more than about 70-ish km. It flaked indoors, and built up around jockey wheels.
I’m sure there are people and places for whom it’s great. Adam K proved its properties are outstanding. It’s just not the convenient, clean balance for me.