Recommended Dry Lubes
 

Hi All,

What are the most popular / recommended Dry Lubes these days? Finally running out of my Prolink Gold.

My bike has SRAM Force AXS if that makes a difference.

Thanks!

rock and roll has been good I never have to clean the chain. just apply and wipe it off. I only get a tiny bit of buildup on the jockey wheels and chainring. it lasts around 100 or so miles. the blue does better in rain I like it because it is easy to apply you don't have too go link by link. I wish it lasted longer though.

Squirt

I switched to Dumonde Tech Lite from Prolink Gold. Can't remember why I made the switch but I keep buying it so I guess its ok LOL :lol::50: Seriously though I think with the Dumonde Tech Lite an application lasts a little longer and runs a little quieter (splitting hairs), but it can get a messy and attract grit if I don't periodically wipe down with a rag beyond normal full on chain cleanings. If I couldn't find Dumonde tech anywhere though, I wouldn't hesitate to buy Prolink or Rock N Roll Gold instead - all are good products.

I've been using White Lightning for years. It's clean and doesn't give that black residue that gets all over everything. It doesn't last real long, but it is good stuff.

mainly for me it is to keep from having to clean the chain. you pay the price of having to apply it more often. a few I wanted to try but they want the chain to sit overnight to dry but that does not work for me I usually ride within a few hours at most after applying it. rock and roll will even work if your chain is wet.

Wait, I'm confused: Is Prolink Gold really considered a "dry lube"? Or are you just looking to make a change?

For my dry lube needs I've long been a fan of Finish Line Dry with Teflon.

Looking for a change :)

If you want to step out of the "bicycle use" category, the various hardware stores have lots of options.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Blaster-Har...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

Ah...well then, at the risk of encouraging option anxiety: While I do indeed use Finish Line Dry with Teflon for all my dry lube needs, I don't actually use it as my regular chain lube. After having used Prolink Gold as my regular chain lube for a decade or so, I switched to NFS and that's now my go-to for most bike lubing requirements. The Finish Line Dry mostly just gets used for lubing cleats.

Contrasting opinion:
I like pretty much anything besides White Lightning or actual wax. Literally anything. I think that WL is the worst thing you can put on your chain...besides wax.

I've recently switched from Squirt to Silca Super Secret. I have to say the Silca makes my drivetrain run completely silent and super clean. It repels dirt amazingly well. I had pretty good results with Squirt too, but the Silca seems to penetrate the chain links much better and the chain runs cleaner. Squirt tends to get a bit sticky after a few applications. Overall I'm pretty sold on the wax based lubes.

I decided to dump using the drip wax stuff.. For whatever reason, a week goes by and you have this sticky gunk on your chain.
Went back for now to RnR "Holy Cow".

How is the mileage between applications with the Silca Super Secret (under normal conditions)?

Squirt used to generate the sticky gunk you describe, but I don't get that at all with the Silca. It just stays really slick and clean.

I've only been running it for a couple of months, so still figuring it out. I did a 150 km dry race a few weeks ago and it was fine for that distance and I didn't re-apply any more lube for at least another 100 km afterward. I would say after about 200 km the drivetrain starts to make a little more noise, so that's when I have been re-applying it so far. The chain and cassette still look very clean after about half a dozen applications. Just a quick wipe over with a micro-cloth and re-apply one drop per link. So far I'm liking it more than Squirt, which I used for many years. The Silca seems to penetrate right down into the chain links when you apply it and doesn't create any sticky residue after a ride.

I got the idea of trying Silca from reading the lab tests on zerofrictioncycling.com.au

Thanks, I'm getting similar mileage with Dumonde Tech Lite I mentioned above, but it does go sticky and attract grit pretty easily which is good to hear about the Silca not doing that. May give it a try.

Yes, I've been really impressed how clean my drivetrain has remained with Silca. It runs very quiet too, especially after a fresh application. Only unknown for me now is actual chain wear, but it performed extremely well in the lab tests I read. I think it's only weakness was wet weather wear, but that was partly due to them not leaving it to harden for a full 24 hours, which is now recommended for best performance in wet conditions. For use in dry conditions it's good to go after a few hours, but I try to remember to lube it the day before I next ride so it can harden overnight.

Yep, differing opinions. I've used just about everything over the years, Rock and Roll, Pro Link (my team was sponsored by Pro Link and I HAD to use it), Tri Flow, and many others. I always gravitated back to the White Lightning. I guess I just like having a clean chain so I don't mind applying it more often that others. All of the others were good, but messy and left than nasty black chain tattoo on my left calf every other ride.

I made the same transition when I ran out of Prolink Gold. I like the NFS and logged more than 4k miles on my last chain. But I'm not a zealot about it; lotsa lubes are just fine.

Good luck!

I've used Finish Line Dry for decades. It's easy to apply: you can just sort of slop it on your chain, let it dry a bit and wipe off the excess. It's almost entirely solvent so it almost acts as a cleaner/degreaser. It does not attract dirt in my experience, it does well in dusty conditions. It's cheap and easy to get. The major downside is it doesn't last very long and is 100% worthless in wet conditions, but both of those traits are true of most dry lubes.

I tried just about every lube, except NFS which I just ordered.
I've been using the Oz Cycle recipe for chain wax and have 2 chains. One on the bike and one in the wax container. This way there is no hassle and quick to change.
The recipe:
Here is the complete recipe and all items can be purchased on Amazon:
* 1lb of household paraffin wax (454g)
* 5g of pure PTFE (Teflon) powder
* 1g of pure molybdenum disulfide (MoS2).

I use Rock & Roll Blue even though I never ride in the rain, but I always apply 2 drops per roller, link-by-link, to minimize any mess.

Left calf? My chain is hardly spotless but both my calves manage to avoid it. But I have skinny calves.