Best Mountain Bike Chain Lubes (Reviews & Buying Guide)

MY BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAIN LUBES COMPARISON:

Product:	Features:	Pros/Cons:	Price:
Best for wet and damply environments Finish Line Wet	-Bottle quantity: 118ml -Type of lubricant: wet	water resistant polymers anti-corrosion maximum lubrication Finishes quickly	See on Amazon.com
Best for road riders looking for smooth shifting MUC-OFF DRY	-Bottle quantity: 50ml -Type of lubricant: Dry	Incredibly quiet shifting wax based may take time to dry	See on Amazon.com
Best for a rider looking for a long-lasting wet conditions lube DuPont Teflon Dry Self-Cleaning	-Bottle quantity: 325ml -Type of lubricant: dry	Sticks protection from wear prevents the chain from stretching Too thick for most chains	See on Amazon.com
Best for all round lubricant with incredible waterproof lubricant BOESHIELD T-9	<-Bottle Quantity: 120ml <-Type of lubricant: Dry	long lasting maximum lubrication uses patented Boeing technology Quite expensive	See on Amazon.com
Best for multi-purpose lube that does great in intense temperatures Tri-Flow TF0021060 Superior	-Bottle Quantity: 177ml -Type of lubricant: Wet	Top of the range lubrication does well in intense temperature Can form dark grease build up if not cleaned more often	See on Amazon.com
Best for long-distance biking and extreme off-road conditions PROGOLD XTREME	-Bottle Quantity: 118ml -Type of lubricant: Hybrid	Stubbornly sticky exceptional performance long-lasting expensive	See on Amazon.com
Best for both mountain and road biking Rock N Roll 135816 Gold	-Bottle Quantity: 47ml -Type of lubricant: Dry	Incredibly easy to apply cheaper leaves your chain look all new Need regular re-application messy during application	See on Amazon.com
best for wet to those nasty weather conditions MUC OFF WET	-Bottle Quantity: 50ml, 120ml -Type of lubricant: Wet	Biodegradable penetrates the chain long-lasting Finishes off real quickly	See on Amazon.com
Best for the moist and dry environment and conditions Park Tool CL-1 Synthetic Blend	-Bottle Quantity: 118ml -Type of lubricant: Hybrid	impeccable protection against rust effectively removes moisture extremely thick tend to wear off real quick	See on Amazon.com

MY BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAIN LUBES REVIEWS:

Finish Line Wet Bicycle Chain Lube

• Bottle quantity: 118ml
• Type of lubricant: wet
• Pros: water resistant polymers, anti-corrosion, maximum lubrication
• Cons: Finishes quickly

MUC-OFF DRY

• Bottle quantity: 50ml
• Type of lubricant: Dry
•  Pros: Incredibly quiet shifting, wax based,
•  Cons: may take time to dry

DuPont Teflon Dry Self-Cleaning Bicycle Chain Lube

•  Bottle quantity: 325ml
• Type of lubricant: dry
• Pros:  Sticks, protection from wear, prevents the chain from stretching
•  Cons: Too thick for most chains

BOESHIELD T-9

•  Bottle Quantity: 120ml
•  Type of lubricant: Dry
•  Pros:  long-lasting, maximum lubrication, uses patented Boeing technology
•  Cons: Quite expensive

Tri-Flow TF0021060 Superior Lubricant

•  Bottle Quantity: 177ml
•  Type of lubricant:  Wet
•  Pros:  Top of the range lubrication, does well in intense temperature
•  Cons: Can form dark grease build up if not cleaned more often

PROGOLD XTREME

•   Bottle Quantity: 118ml
•   Type of lubricant: Hybrid
•    Pros: Stubbornly sticky, exceptional performance, long-lasting
•    Cons: expensive

Rock N Roll 135816 Gold Chain Lubricants

•   Bottle Quantity: 47ml
•   Type of lubricant: Dry
•   Pros: Incredibly easy to apply, cheaper, leaves your chain look all new
•   Cons: Need regular re-application, messy during application

MUC OFF WET

•   Bottle Quantity: 50ml, 120ml
•   Type of lubricant: Wet
•   Pros: Biodegradable, penetrates the chain, long-lasting
•   Cons: Finishes off real quickly

Park Tool CL-1 Synthetic Blend Chain Lube Bottle

• Bottle Quantity: 118ml
• Type of lubricant: Hybrid
•  Pros: impeccable protection against rust, effectively removes moisture
•  Cons: extremely thick, tend to wear off real quick

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAIN LUBES:

If you want to nail a perfect chain lube for your bike, there are quite a number of things you need to consider. From the type of lube, condition, and among others, you need to factor them in when you are making a choice.

Which type of lube should you actually go for?

You can decide which one to go for different types depending on what you want. To give you a clear picture of what each one is all about, let’s take a quick look at each one of them,

• Wet Lube

This is one of the most popular mountain bike chain lube. This lube is designed to handle wet, rainy, and even muddy conditions. How they do the work is pretty much simple. It helps protects water from coming in contact with the links. Wet lubes are usually a little thicker and comes with low viscosity level than dry lube. That could actually come with a few issues. Dirt can easily get caught on the lubricant and that can cause wear and tear on the chain.

There are a few things you need to know about this lube. Before you start using it, you need to clean the chain as well as gears. You also have to reapply it more frequently and wipe off the excess lube after applying. Wet lube is not the perfect choice for dry and dusty conditions

Advantages

• Does not wash off easily
• You don’t have to apply it more often
• The best option for wet and muddy conditions

Disadvantages

• Can get really messy
• Quite hard to clean the chain

• Dry Lube

This is an alcohol based lube designed for dry conditions. This lube is able to protect your chain against debris much better than wet lube. However, they don’t provide the best level of protection against water. Additionally, when it comes to its application since it is alcohol-based, you should let it dry out for a few hours before you start riding. Ideally, when it is completely dry, it has a sort of a sticky feel.

Unlike wet lube, dry lube may need more frequent applications. Plus, you don’t need to wipe off any excess lubricant. Dry lube is typically the best choice for dry and dusty conditions. It is also one of the cleanest. It won’t leave you looking all messy.

Advantages

• Prevents dirt particle from sticking to the chain
• Not as messy as wet lubricants

Disadvantages

• Wash off quickly
• Needs to be reapplied frequently

Other types of lubes

They are not common, but it is very likely you will come across them at some point if you are a serious outdoor enthusiast. The best part, they do a perfect job just like wet and dry chain lubes.

• Wax Lubes

This is a combination of high tech polymers that are said to fight friction and dirt. Normally, once you are done with the application, you are typically left with a dry wax film. This type of chain lubricant is oil-free, making it a perfect choice for dry, dusty conditions. Additionally, it is also one of the cleanest lube. So if you want to keep your chain clean, this is what you should be going for real soon.

Advantages

• Makes dirt flake off
• Keep the chain clean and not wet often

Disadvantages

• Has to be applied more frequently
• Doesn’t perform well in wet and muddy conditions
• Wax is said not to get between the necessary parts

• Ceramic lubes

Another pretty new technology and is fast being embraced. It comes with ceramic as the key ingredient. The ceramic is then enhanced using platelets and boron nitride particle. This creates a ceramic coating that offers one of the smoothest and efficient lubrication for your chain.

Other Factors to consider when choosing the best mountain bike chain lube

As when you are making any other selection, there are quite a number of things you need to consider when buying your mountain bike chain lube.

Application Type

Once you decide on whether to go for dry or wet, the application type comes in next. There are two main application types you will find in the market; drip and spray.

• Drip Application

As the name suggests, lube is applied by dripping directly it on the chain and other components to be lubricated. This one is very popular among most riders because you can easily control how much lube is actually applied onto the chain. It is also not very messy. Drip application is often the best choice for a wide range of applications

• Spray

This is one of the easiest to use. You typically spray out the lubricant from a pressurized aerosol can. Although this can effectively penetrate every single corner of the links, it is a little bit messier than dripping. Normally, immediately you are done with the application process, you will have to wipe down the lubricated part so as to remove any residue.

Re-application time

During the entire selection process, you also need to factor in the re-application time of the lubricant. Normally re-application time mainly depends on the type of lubricant you go for. How you ride your bike can also dictate re-application time.

We have some lubricants that offer the best results when you lube more often. Others have been formulated in a way it will require you to re-apply after 6 months or even just once in a year.

Nevertheless, if you ride your bike in one of the most vigorous ways and mostly under very harsh conditions, it is advisable to lube it more often. This will ensure you get the highest level of performance.

Conditions you will be riding in

Practically like any decision you make about your bike parts, conditions you are likely to ride the bike in will dictate the type of lube to go for. For example, there is a type of lube that does great when it comes to wet and muddy conditions and there are those that perform so well in dry conditions.

So if you know you are going to visit a very wet area and likely cross a few streams, going for a product designed for that condition will make a lot of sense. In this case, we are talking about wet lube. It is a perfect choice for such weather conditions. Likewise, for dry conditions; you need to get a product that can effectively handle such conditions without any problem.

Riding Style

This also comes into play when you are choosing the right chain lube. If you know you are one of the most vigorous riders and you do some technical terrains, going for a lube that can handle that is essential. In other cases, if you often do long-distance rides, you may also want to buy chain lube that can deal with such distance. It must be sticky and should not wear off easily.

How to apply lube and care for your bike’s chain

After spending a considerable amount of money on the best chain lubes on the market, obviously, you would also want to know how to use it best. You might also want to know how to care for the chain as that will ensure the chain serves you years.

Clean the chain

This is the first thing you need to do before you do any other thing. Armed with a rag and degreasing agent, do a quick but easy cleaning on the area to be lubricated. Ideally, you need to get most of the dirt and greases off your chain before you apply the lube. You can take things a little bit higher and use a chain cleaning device for those thorough cleaning.

Application process

Once the whole thing is cleaned and well dry, apply now the lubricant to the chain and ensure you wipe off any excesses. Additionally, make sure every single part is well lubricated, keep spinning the pedals. The lube must touch the whole length of the chain. In the end, really, the lube should penetrate inside the chain and the links.

Check for wear

Last but not least; if you want your chain to last for years, ensure you periodically check for any wear and tear. This is a moving part and obviously it will be subjected to a degree of wear and tear over time. This will make the length of the chain a little bit longer and this could be dangerous. As the chain stretches, that will make it not to match up with the space between the teeth of the gear. This will lead to the quick and fast wearing down of the whole component.

Bottom Line

In the end; when it comes to chain lubes, just like any selection you make today in regard to your bike parts, there is no going around it. Before you even decide on the type to go for, you need to factor in your needs first before anything else. From there, it will be much easy to decide on the product to go for. It is as simple as that.

Updated on January 22, 2021 by Ben