4 Best Lubes By Far
With literally hundreds of lube options available, here’s Bicycling’s pick of the best for an instantly- smoother ride. By Oli Munnik
With a multitude of chain lubes around, it’s easy to think that anything will do. It won’t – and to bring the point home, we’re reviewing the best on the market.
T Squirt Dry Lube Developed and manufactured in South Africa, Squirt’s wax- based lube is 100% biodegradable, keeping your chain running smoothly without harming the environment. PRICE R90
SUPPLIER squirtlube. com
T Rock n Roll Gold Designed for both road and mountain bikes, Gold creates a protective membrane to seal out dirt and moisture from your chain’s moving parts – for longer chain life, and super- smooth shifting and pedalling. PRICE R159
SUPPLIER nsquared. co. za T
Boeshield T-9 First, T- 9’s paraffin formula flushes out grime; then it dries to a wax film that coats and protects your drivetrain, for optimal performance. PRICE R180 SUPPLIER boeshieldlubesa. co. za
T Smoove Universal Chain Lube Smoove claim that just one of their 125ml bottles of wax- based wonderment will last you up to 5 000km of riding. We may have to report back on this one. PRICE R120 SUPPLIER smoovelube. com THE 7- STEP LUBE PROCESS Lubing your chain might sound like child’s play, but doing it incorrectly is inef fective and causes excessive wear. Marc Carr, from MarX Cycle WorX in Cape Town, employs this 7- step method:
1 // Clean drivetrain thoroughly with a degreaser such as Cleen Green. 2 // Rinse off degreaser with water, making sure your drivetrain is 100% dry by wiping it with a rag or leaving it to dry for a few hours. 3 // Apply lube. Start by positioning your chain in the big blade in front, and small cog at the rear. 4 // Hold onto the rear derailleur’s cable to steady your left hand while applying the lube, as you pedal backwards with your right hand. 5 // Apply lube for two full revolutions of the chain. 6 // Leave the lube to dry for a while, to ensure it penetrates and coats all of the chain’s inner workings. This is best done overnight. 7 // The final piece of the puzzle is to wipe off any excess lube from the outside of the chain, including the derailleur’s pulley wheels. The only lube you want on your chain should be in the rollers and between the chain plates.