Chain lubricants

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C36
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by C36

I think few points can be corrected
BBres wrote: I clean my bike thoroughly every week / 10 days depending on the weather. I do not need and have never sought a lube that would last for a month or so.
I simply see no point since I'd rinse it off every week.

rinsing the outside of the chain is useless except for clean look. The contamination that produces wear on the entire drive train and power loss are not outside the chain but inside the rollers and in between the plates. A quick wash does nothing. A good lubricant manages the dirt better (then the more duration = better)
BBres wrote: I use C3 ceramic Muc-off and it's great for me. It's reasonably priced, performs very well and keeps the chain clean enough.

« Works well for me » doesn’t mean it’s a good product. No lube won’t stop you to ride but it will make a massive difference in drive train wear (and few W of power if that matter to you).
No muck-off product has ever been tested even average (as you mention the c3 hasn’t been tested but I see no reason why it would perform better than their “top” products).
The only reason they are famous is due to their commercial practices where they ensure outrageous margins to dealers that prioritise their products.
BBres wrote: On the other side it is very easy to clean. Even if I don't want to clean my whole bike I can always clean just a drivetrain in 2 minutes, get a shiny chain and reapply the lube. TBH I reckon that is the best way of having always clean, aesthetic, lubed and smooth drivetrain.
As mentioned above you can’t clean a drive train in 2’ and a bad lubricant as the mucoff would require more frequent full cleanup to decontaminate the chain. The beauty of good lubricants is they make subsequent cleanings easier.
BBres wrote: Any producer may call its lube as the fastest, the best, and the only. Noone can proove it.

That’s exactly what ZFC does and what friction facts did. Zfc doesn’t measure efficiencies but there was a good correlation between ZFC and FF power consumption rankings.
Last edited by C36 on Thu Dec 29, 2022 4:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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BBres
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by BBres

Okay, I won't argue. I'll try something else. In the past I used Squirt, but it was terrible. Always noisy right after riding first 20-30 kms after every application.

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C36
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by C36

BBres wrote:Okay, I won't argue. I'll try something else. In the past I used Squirt, but it was terrible. Always noisy right after riding first 20-30 kms after every application.
Squirt has penetration problems: it doesn’t get inside the chain easily. On non-realistic test with full chain immersion it did work well but still outperformed by other products that are also cleaner.

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

Since I still had some Silca Super Secret remaining, I used it for a 160km ride in torrential rain on Tuesday. It held up the whole time and didn’t squeal at any point. The chain was wiped down with a rag and appeared relatively clean…no rust appeared overnight. Needless to say I was impressed and need to do similar wet tests with Flower Power (wetter) and UFO Drip (drier.)

CustomMetal
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by CustomMetal

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Wed Dec 21, 2022 2:08 am
Trying Effetto Mariposa Flower Power after ZFC's glowing review.

1) It's "cheap" compared to UFO Drip and Silca Super Secret. US$50 for a 500mL bottle.
2) It's milky white in appearance and applies easily. A little watery compared to UFO Drip, but TBH I have one bottle of UFO Drip that is more watery than another... Nothing like Silca Secret which just loves lubricating my floor.
3) Penetrates very well, especially after backpedaling a few times.
4) Dries pretty quickly.
5) Runs incredibly silent. It's quieter than Silca Super Secret, much quieter than UFO Drip.
6) "Feels like" Squirt as you pedal, as in the lube is seemingly damping out vibrations in the chain/drivetrain.
7) It's gummier than Silca whereas UFO Drip is powdery. Wax buildup appears on the edges of the chain and on the chainrings/cogs/pulleys. I recommend wiping down the chain after the first ride.

Given the "damped" feel of the drivetrain, I would be shocked if FlowerPower is as efficient as UFO Drip or Silca Super Secret. It runs longer, but that's because its wetter/plasticized. I don't doubt the claims that this lube could last 650km per application in dry road riding.
Also giving this a try for my endurance and gravel bikes to see if any better than squirt. Will be running scilca wax on my race bikes this year
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MikeD
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by MikeD

TobinHatesYou wrote:Since I still had some Silca Super Secret remaining, I used it for a 160km ride in torrential rain on Tuesday. It held up the whole time and didn’t squeal at any point. The chain was wiped down with a rag and appeared relatively clean…no rust appeared overnight. Needless to say I was impressed and need to do similar wet tests with Flower Power (wetter) and UFO Drip (drier.)
A wet chain while riding in the rain will not squeak. It'll only do that afterwards after it dries out.

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HammerTime2
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by HammerTime2

Silca Hot Wax X.
Contains version of Graphene called Nanene.
Silca claims longer interval between applications than SILCA Secret Chain Blend - Hot Melt Wax. Up to 800 km (in dry).

https://silca.cc/products/silca-hot-wax-x
• Saves up to 12w
• Save half a watt over Secret Chain Blend
• 300g
• Up to 800km re-wax intervals
• Clean to the touch on the chain
• No PFAS chemicals
• Get up to 30,000 km out of a chain
Super Xpensive.
Super Hype?
Last edited by HammerTime2 on Fri Dec 30, 2022 3:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

MikeD wrote:
Thu Dec 29, 2022 5:59 pm

A wet chain while riding in the rain will not squeak. It'll only do that afterwards after it dries out.

This hasn't been my experience with lighter lubes like RnR Gold and Dumonde Tech Lite. Grit gets in between the pins/rollers during the ride and causes plenty of squeaking.

wickedstealthy
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by wickedstealthy

HammerTime2 wrote:
Fri Dec 30, 2022 2:15 am
Silca Hot Wax X.
Contains version of Graphene called Nanene.
Silca claims longer interval between applications than SILCA Secret Chain Blend - Hot Melt Wax. Up to 800 km (in dry).

https://silca.cc/products/silca-hot-wax-x
• Saves up to 12w
• Save half a watt over Secret Chain Blend
• 300g
• Up to 800km re-wax intervals
• Clean to the touch on the chain
• No PFAS chemicals
• Get up to 30,000 km out of a chain
Super Xpensive.
Super Hype?
From the info I got it will likely test very very well. As it is comparable to what seems to be under test already for more then a year with ZFC from Rex (new hot wax) and that seems to very impressive
So eagerly waiting for the new Rex stuff if the price is reasonable 😂

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

wickedstealthy wrote:
Fri Dec 30, 2022 3:51 am

From the info I got it will likely test very very well. As it is comparable to what seems to be under test already for more then a year with ZFC from Rex (new hot wax) and that seems to very impressive
So eagerly waiting for the new Rex stuff if the price is reasonable 😂

How well will it test when the 300g of wax has been used multiple times and contaminated?

For US$165 I can buy 18.7kg of Gulf Wax. I could take 300g at a time, throw it out every month and it would last me FIVE YEARS while remaining uncontaminated. Nothing about the new Silca wax makes sense unless you're going for a world record.

Products like ultra-boutique molten wax and certain tubeless tire sealants will test well in the very near-term, but for most people products like that need to deliver over longer periods.

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C36
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by C36

HammerTime2 wrote:Silca Hot Wax X.
Contains version of Graphene called Nanene.
Silca claims longer interval between applications than SILCA Secret Chain Blend - Hot Melt Wax. Up to 800 km (in dry).

https://silca.cc/products/silca-hot-wax-x
• Saves up to 12w
• Save half a watt over Secret Chain Blend
• 300g
• Up to 800km re-wax intervals
• Clean to the touch on the chain
• No PFAS chemicals
• Get up to 30,000 km out of a chain
Super Xpensive.
Super Hype?
Totally, looking at durability and possible
Efficiency gains, that would put them back a tinny bit ahead the new Molten speed wax that is currently cheaper than current Silca wax. The only single real benefit is for people racing ultra long distances… I see zero interest in this product even at half the price.
Edit: power gains are claimed to be up to half a watt compared to their previous wax.

wickedstealthy
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by wickedstealthy

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Fri Dec 30, 2022 5:31 am
wickedstealthy wrote:
Fri Dec 30, 2022 3:51 am

From the info I got it will likely test very very well. As it is comparable to what seems to be under test already for more then a year with ZFC from Rex (new hot wax) and that seems to very impressive
So eagerly waiting for the new Rex stuff if the price is reasonable 😂

How well will it test when the 300g of wax has been used multiple times and contaminated?

For US$165 I can buy 18.7kg of Gulf Wax. I could take 300g at a time, throw it out every month and it would last me FIVE YEARS while remaining uncontaminated. Nothing about the new Silca wax makes sense unless you're going for a world record.

Products like ultra-boutique molten wax and certain tubeless tire sealants will test well in the very near-term, but for most people products like that need to deliver over longer periods.
I didn't say it makes sense from a price perspective 😂 And I will not buy it for that price.
I'm not interested in those micro watts but more in how long they last between intervals.
That's why I referred to Rex as that seems to be the case for their new wax. The question remains of course if the price is double of MSW I pass too.
It's just that i have some case where I just wanted to have a longer times between waxes when I go cycling abroad. So a more durable hot wax is always welcome for me (dry conditions)
Don't worry I'm not going to buy that stuff as I can buy other equipment for that price 😂

eins4eins
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by eins4eins

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Thu Dec 29, 2022 5:27 pm
Since I still had some Silca Super Secret remaining, I used it for a 160km ride in torrential rain on Tuesday. It held up the whole time and didn’t squeal at any point. The chain was wiped down with a rag and appeared relatively clean…no rust appeared overnight. Needless to say I was impressed and need to do similar wet tests with Flower Power (wetter) and UFO Drip (drier.)
+1
SSS suprised me a lot during the last few weeks showing its strength in terms of longetivity especially on the Mtb and the wet and dirty conditions its mainly used in.

Ordered the Mariposa flower stuff for testing as well.

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Ritsuke
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by Ritsuke

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Fri Dec 30, 2022 2:21 am
MikeD wrote:
Thu Dec 29, 2022 5:59 pm

A wet chain while riding in the rain will not squeak. It'll only do that afterwards after it dries out.

This hasn't been my experience with lighter lubes like RnR Gold and Dumonde Tech Lite. Grit gets in between the pins/rollers during the ride and causes plenty of squeaking.
Same here. I've been using RnR Gold now and it starts squeeking during the rainy ride.
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TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

Flower Power started squeaking after 70 miles of riding through runoff and some standing water. It was not raining, but it may as well have been. This is pretty disappointing considering Silca lasted almost 50% longer in very rainy conditions. Perhaps the lack of rain made the conditions worse since sand/clay wasn't washing off the exterior of my bike/drivetrain.

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