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. From a cost/benefit viewpoint, there's no point spending more on hi-tec unguents than you're saving on drivetrain wear. Squirt lube easily survived 30-odd miles of normal commuting in all weathers, at which point it faced about the sternest test possible: 40 miles in the salt, snow and rain finishing up on the muddy, puddle-strewn canal towpath. I wouldn't expect any lube to survive that and the chain showed some evidence of rust the next day after a hose down, but it wasn't noisy - there was still some lube in there, so it's pretty tenacious stuff. The reason I stopped doing that was that the wax treatment only lasted a week or two unless topped up with some other wax lubricant (e.g. Smoove), so in the end I thought it was less trouble to just go with the pre-made lubricant. hawkinspeter replied to Argus Tuft: I've tried paraffin wax myself, but I didn't use any solvent with it. I used to melt the wax in a small frying pan and put the chain in it. Then, sprinkle some micronised graphite on top of the chain and put some paraffin wax granules on top so that they melt and carry the graphite into the chain. Swill around a bit and then remove the chain and let it cool. Once cool, spend a bit of time removing excess wax and flexing each joint of the chain and then pop it on the bike.

In a study of the efficiency of bicycle chain drives by James Spicer in 2000, it’s suggested that chain lubrication has a negligible effect on efficiency under laboratory conditions, and that friction can account for only a few percent of the overall losses in drivetrain efficiency. Ice Wax 2.0 from Pedro's is a chain lubricant that aims to reduce the time you spend cleaning your chain, by doing it for you in part. A lube for dry conditions, it's perfect for summer riding. If you’re a regular commuter or a year-round long distance cyclist, then a wet lube is going to be our tip for you. It will not only last longer but also handle any weather conditions.

CeramicSpeed UFO Drip All Conditions

Looked at some standard grease in a hardware shop at the weekend - decided to send off for some TF2, a fraction of the quantity, because it's labelled as "for bikes".

In general you should always clean your chain thoroughly before lubricating it if you're using conventional lube; lubing a dirty chain will just wash grit into the links where it causes wear. Whichever lube you prefer to use, for the best results Trimnell suggests that you leave the lube on the chain overnight before riding for maximum benefit.It worked and was durable. But many cyclists on the road racing scene took to waxing chains in a frying pan. Secret formulas mixed in the kitchen often led to chains being dipped in bespoke waxy lubricants overnight. So, I have been adding drop wise to the top of the roller for a few years now, the thing that I discovered was that if I did a small drop on each roller and then after doing the full chain doing another drop, it seemed to aid penetration and staying power. With overnight set up and wiping down before riding. I might lose a little more on the rag but it seems to work for me.

visionset: How many miles you get out of chain is irrelevent unless you also state oyur maintenance philosophy. If you are running the whole drive train into the ground (or at least cahin and cassette) you probably can get 10,000 miles out of it. No one is gonna be impressed with the shfiting on said drive train after say 3000 miles. Or alternatively you intend to keep your cassette throun many chains, and you can for probably 10 chains if you wear to 100.2% Yep that's just 0.2% of wear. equates to about 5mm of 'stretch'. Over this and you start to shag the cassette. If you are on Ultegra or better then the latter approach is cost effective and always a crisp change to boot.

Finish Line Fiber Grip Carbon Fibre Assembly Gel

He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history. When conditions are reasonably dry then it lasts very well and I have used it without issue on road, gravel and mountain bike drivetrains, but I confess that my chains do get very regularly cleaned. If you prefer to layer on lube after lube without recourse to a brush and cleaner, then perhaps look elsewhere.