Are you planning on going on that long cross country ride with your mountain bike, and you just want the best out of your bike?
Here are our top picks for the best mountain bike chain lubes.
Contents
QUICK ANSWER: MY BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAIN LUBES
- Finish Line Wet: Best for wet and damply environments
- MUC-OFF DRY: Best for road riders looking for smooth shifting
- DuPont Teflon Dry Self-Cleaning: Best for a rider looking for a long-lasting wet conditions lube
- BOESHIELD T-9: Best for all round lubricant with incredible waterproof lubricant
- Tri-Flow TF0021060 Superior: Best for multi-purpose lube that does great in intense temperatures
- PROGOLD XTREME: Best for long-distance biking and extreme off-road conditions
- Rock N Roll 135816 Gold: Best for both mountain and road biking
- MUC OFF WET: best for wet to those nasty weather conditions
- Park Tool CL-1 Synthetic Blend: Best for the moist and dry environment and conditions
MY BEST MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAIN LUBES COMPARISON:
 Finish Line Wet | -Bottle quantity: 118ml -Type of lubricant: wet |
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 MUC-OFF DRY | -Bottle quantity: 50ml -Type of lubricant: Dry |
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 DuPont Teflon Dry Self-Cleaning | -Bottle quantity: 325ml -Type of lubricant: dry |
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 BOESHIELD T-9 | <-Bottle Quantity: 120ml <-Type of lubricant: Dry |
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 Tri-Flow TF0021060 Superior | -Bottle Quantity: 177ml -Type of lubricant: Wet |
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| PROGOLD XTREME | -Bottle Quantity: 118ml -Type of lubricant: Hybrid |
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 Rock N Roll 135816 Gold | -Bottle Quantity: 47ml -Type of lubricant: Dry |
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 MUC OFF WET | -Bottle Quantity: 50ml, 120ml -Type of lubricant: Wet |
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 Park Tool CL-1 Synthetic Blend | -Bottle Quantity: 118ml -Type of lubricant: Hybrid |
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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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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 is 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.