As you long-time blog readers will know, I periodically run my lubrication tests for chain lube. I call them "Lube-Offs" and I generally pit a few lubricants against each other by applying them to my bicycles, running them for a season of riding, and then analyzing the results.
My expectations are for "dry lubricants" which will be used for gravel riding, primarily. Those expectations are as follows:
- No "gunk build-up" on the chain, jockey wheels, or cassette and crank rings.
- Slippery feel to chain even after many miles.
- Ease of application and re-application.
- Resistant to wet conditions, but not impervious to them. I want to be able to rely on the lube even if I have a low water crossing, or get caught in a shower.
- No dirt or gritty residue when checking the chain with my "Finger Test".
This round will be much like the previous rounds where I have pitted a challenger against my current "best" dry chain lube. That is now SILCA's Super-Secret Chain Lube. You may also remember that I am a big fan of DuMonde Tech. So, I thought it might prove to be a good test to have these two pitted against a newcomer.
And what will that new lubricant be? Well, I came across an interesting new contender with a nice set of results from some well-respected testers. So, let's introduce you to....
Effetto Mariposa's Flowerpower Wax Chain Lube:
From the webpage for the lubricant:
- Creates a solid layer of wax between the moving parts of the chain, reducing friction, noise and increasing the life of the chain
- Unlike lubricating oils, it does not dirty clothes and resists contamination by dirt and dust very well
- Thanks to the sunflower seed wax, it is very resistant to water and is ideal in any season, on and off-road
- High wax to water ratio (over 50%!)
- Rapidly biodegradable: it does not contain PTFE, sulphides, graphene or other chemicals harmful to the environment
- Evaluated by Zero Friction Cycling as the best drip lubricant ever tested
Okay, so that's pretty impressive. I have already purchased a bottle of this stuff and it is on the way to G-Ted Headquarters. (From Switzerland!) So, when it gets here I will choose a bike to put the stuff on and we'll get on to testing this lubricants heady claims out on real gravel in Iowa.
By the way, the DuMonde Tech was freshly installed on the new chain I just put on the Tamland Two. The SILCA Super-Secret lube is on the Noble GX5, the Twin Six Standard Rando v2, and the Black Mountain Cycles MCD. I'll likely clean off the SILCA Super Secret lube from one of those bikes and put the Flowerpower on that bike. All I am waiting on is for the Effetto Mariposa lube to arrive and the test can begin.
Stay tuned for updates throughout the season.
3 comments:
Have you tied or considered trying hot melt wax lube? I have considered going this route from the positive reviews I have read, but the time involved for each chain might not be worth the benefits. Curious of your thoughts
@james - You no doubt read the post and saw where I stated that one of my expectations is that the lube in question be easy to apply.
That pretty much excludes a hot melt wax.
That said, SILCA claims that their Super-Secret Lube gives you nearly the same benefits, and if the claims for Flowerpower are to be believed, why on Earth would you want to go to the trouble of using hot melt wax?
Well, that is unless you like that sort of ritual. ;>)
@james I do both drip and hot melt, and find myself using the drip more and more. I’ll dip before a big event or where I want some really long lasting performance, but the silca drip is awfully good and I don’t take the chain off.
That Effeto stuff seems pretty interesting. Curious how you’ll get on with it.
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