Smooth operators

What lube you use can have a big impact on both drivetrain efficiency and component lifespan. Choose wisely

‘ The chain is by orders of magnitude a bike’s hardest-working component,’ says

Adam Kerin of lube retailer Zero Friction Cycling.

‘It averages around 30,000 link articulations per minute and is also completely exposed to contamination. Because of that, the wear-rate difference and cost-to-run difference between top lube choices and poor lube choices – many of which can be the most powerfully marketed – is huge.’

For those in the know, lubes are big business and inspire cult-like devotion. Good formulas are hard-earned and closely guarded. Kerin is so passionate about the subject that he conducts extensive testing on lubricants, and

Zero Friction Cycling only stocks the best-performing products. Yet lubes are often overlooked by the everyday rider because of the sheer variety of options available and the perceived thanklessness of the drivetrain maintenance task. Kerin wants to change that perception.

‘If the rider is running a top lubricant choice and has a decent maintenance protocol, a chain can be kept in the five- to six-watt loss range day-in, dayout, and it could last up to 15,000km before it reaches 0.5% wear [the recommended replacement point].

‘However many real-world chains are often in the 10- to 15-watt loss range and last nowhere near as long because that extra energy is literally going into eating through the chain, cassette and chainrings,’ he adds.

Slippery business

So what differentiates one lube from another? Josh Poertner, owner of Silca, is able to summarise the options that have always been available to the consumer.

‘First off there’s the chain manufacturer’s grease,’ he says.

‘This is applied purely to stop the chain rusting in the packet, with no concern for any performance objectives. Then there’s wet lube, which is oil-based and often said to suit wet riding conditions. It is by far the easiest to use, as anyone can just drip it on and it’ll serve to make the chain a little faster and a little quieter compared to the manufacturer’s grease.

‘Then we come to dry lube. These are usually some sort of fluorocarbon wax in a solvent carrier, which is awesome in theory but terrible in practice. The carrier is supposed to penetrate the chain then evaporate, leaving behind the “dry” wax residue.

‘It should be durable in dry conditions and not attract contaminants either. The solvent might even degrease the chain a little on its way off too. In reality though, you are buying an 8oz bottle, 1oz of which is actual lube and 7oz of which will evaporate.’

Poertner uses the analogy of powdered sugar on a countertop, which he claims is essentially what is left once the carrier is gone.

‘Imagine running your finger through the sugar,’ he says. ‘Within two or three passes you’ve channelled down to the counter, and because it is dry that powder won’t flow back. It’s no different with dry lube. In very little time the chain will have ploughed through the residue of the dry lube and there will be metal on metal contact, which is atrocious for wear and efficiency.’

Historically another option has always been hot-melt, a process whereby chains are removed from

the bike, meticulously cleaned, then submerged into heated paraffin.

‘This remains one of the best options for drivetrain efficiency and wear. It’s super- fascinating,’ says Poertner. ‘The heat drives the wax into every crevice of the chain and then solidifies. It gets faster the more you ride, as the articulation of the chain compacts the wax, making it harder and more slippery. What’s more, the wax is a physical barrier to dirt. There is literally no space for it to get into.’

‘The main drawback that has prevented hot-melt use from becoming more widespread is people view it as labour-intensive,’ says Jason Smith, chief technology officer at Ceramicspeed and formerly of Friction Facts, an independent research body similar to Kerin’s Zero Friction Cycling. ‘It requires dedicated equipment – but not specialist because any slow cooker will do – and a bit of organisation.’

The process also gave rise to ‘slack wax’, which is hot-melt paraffin before it has been separated from its oil. It can be dripped onto the chain like more basic lubes.

‘It can be almost as fast as hotmelt but it doesn’t naturally penetrate the chain very well. You don’t get the benefits unless you physically work it in link by link,’ says Poertner.

New directions

‘Until recently that was the extent of what was available – plenty of good options but no perfect solution that was easy to use as well as highperformance,’ says Smith.

Now drip-on wax emulsions exist that Kerin’s research suggests may bridge that gap. Similar in principle to dry lube, these emulsions have a far higher wax content. Typically they are around 80% lube, 20% carrier fluid. What’s more the wax particles are microscopic so penetrate the chain and use additives such as graphene and tungsten disulfide to act as ‘friction modifiers’ to further improve efficiency.

‘It’s worth noting too that while nanoparticles like these can be powerful, none by itself is a miracle solution or necessarily more effective than the traditional blending of base oils,’ says Muc-off’s Martin Mathias.

As the impartial authority on lube performance, it is fitting for Kerin to have the last word.

‘While a number of the latestgeneration drip lubes have been very impressive and are a big step up from choices we had even just a couple of years ago, I’m still very much in the immersive wax camp. Run two chains on rotation – one to ride and one to re-wax at your leisure – and trust me, you’ll spend less time and money on maintenance and you’ll be faster on your bike to boot.’

Wax particles are microscopic so penetrate the chain and use additives to act as ‘friction modifiers’ to further improve efficiency