Muc-Off Dry Lube 120ml chain oil (Packaging may vary)

Product Information

It’s also going to attract every bit of grit, dirt and grime you come across and will be a nightmare to clean off properly afterwards. Your chain must be properly cleaned before wax lube is applied, or else it won’t be able to penetrate the rollers or dry properly, leading to an inevitable build-up of dirty gunk. Colin Levitch / Immediate Media How often you need to lube your chain depends on how frequently you ride your bike and the conditions in which you ride it. Wet lubes contain a lot of lubricant per ml but are prone to attracting a lot of contaminants. Immediate Media Conventional wisdom has it that dry lubes are for fine, dry conditions. Fair enough, but this is Britain and we don't have a balmy Californian climate, we have weather in all its moist and infinite variety and any lube is going to have to earn its keep.

Best practice for this type of lube is to apply sparingly to each link in the chain and wipe off any excess before riding.

Once it’s been properly cleaned and treated though, waxed chains have, in our experience, an incredible ability to shrug off dirt and grime. Green Oil's wet lube is fully biodegradable and is made from 100% natural ingredients. To increase durability and the length of time between applications, this wet lube contains N-Toc, a special refined plant extract that has similar properties to Teflon. Green Oil claims it lasts over 200 kilometres on the chain per application, depending on the conditions. For wet conditions, the winner is slightly less clear cut, but we’d still recommend waxed-based lubricants for their efficiency. Crucially, however, you’ll have to be prepared to clean your chain immediately after wet rides to prevent corrosion.

All of the chain lubes featured have been tested in the real world. In general this means that the reviewers have used the products across a range of conditions to assess their performance, taking into consideration the different demands placed on wet and dry lubes as well as wax. We take note of a range of factors from ease of use to longevity. Simon Nash of Green Oil, which makes environmentally friendly lubes, explains: “Wet lube was the original lubricant of choice. Early brands used something like car engine oil. Its consistency trumped basic spray lubricants that were primarily designed to displace water.You can source the ingredients separately yourself, but ZFC says that commercial blends such as Molten Speed Wax use more highly refined paraffin wax than what is normally available to consumers, for optimum performance and cleanliness. As well as correct lubrication, drivetrain efficiency is dependent on things such as cleanliness, chain line, and the size of the chainrings and cogs in your drivetrain. We hope you found this guide helpful, feel free to get in touch on our live chat if you have any questions on the best lube for your bike!

If you’re after the fastest, most efficient drivetrain possible, immersive waxing is currently king. Look around any professional race or time trial and you’re bound to spot more than a few waxed chains. Under laboratory conditions, geared bicycle drivetrains have been shown to reach above 98 per cent efficiency, meaning just 2 per cent of energy inputted is lost to friction. For watt-conscious racers who don’t fancy themselves as chain cookers, companies such as Ceramicspeed, Watt Shop and Zero Friction Cycling now sell pre-prepared waxed chains.Waxed chains are currently on the throne for both outright performance and drivetrain lifespan. Simon Bromley For commuters, we’d recommend a standard wet chain lube and good mudguards, with effective mud flaps. On review, we found that our chain remained rust-free after our 'garden hose test' that we used to replicate wet weather. A ride in the rain followed and the chain again showed no signs of rust or stiff links. We also liked that, unlike some wet lubes, Green Oil didn't attract too much dirt and grime that can really wear the drivetrain. Dry lubes, so-called because they’re designed for riding in dry conditions, are often made up of around 10 per cent lubricant – synthetic oils and additives – and 90 per cent carrier fluid. With that in mind, avoiding a contaminated drivetrain is key to optimum efficiency and ensuring long-lasting parts.

Studies have shown that the type of lube itself makes little difference to the efficiency of a clean chain, although we've looked at whether swapping your chain lube can make you faster. Some brands recommend leaving the lube in place for a specific period of time before wiping off the excess, so read the manufacturer's instructions to make sure that you're doing it right. What’s the difference between wax and oil lube? As for Green Oil's claims of over 200 miles or 124 miles between applications, we found that after 100 miles of riding our chain was still running smoothly. Our Hydrodynamic Lube is our most advanced formula! It is all weather, lasts for up to 200 miles and works best at making sure your drivetrain runs smooth, quiet and efficiently! It is designed for road cycling and cyclocross. Some lubricants are also sold as aerosols, but we wouldn’t recommend these for lubricating chains because they’re very difficult to apply precisely.Apply a moderate amount of Bio Dry Chain Lube to the inside chain link while spinning pedals in a reverse motion