Guitar Ted Lube-Off 2025: The Introduction

 NOTICE:  The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all.  

Okay, it is high time to kick off this season's Guitar Ted Lube-Off competition! Last year I tried a new lubricant from Effetto Mariposa called "Flowerpower" which did okay. Actually it did better than okay, it was one of the best lubricants I've tried for dry conditions. The final results of last year's contest can be seen HERE.

This year I have a new contender and I am going to pitch it against the Flowerpower lube, SILCA's Super-Secret lube, and DuMonde Tech, the latter two of the three being perennial "best lubes" in year's past. The idea is to see which lubricant will be best over a riding season in dry, dusty gravel riding conditions.

The Stan's BioBased Dry Lubricant is the new lube on the test and while it doesn't really say what it is, I am pretty sure I am safe in saying this is not a wax-based lubricant. There are no real detailed instructions for application for this lubricant, nor any idea given for what to expect for longevity. Essentially I will be on my own in this regard. My plan was to strip the chain down, (already done), apply the BioBased Dry sparingly, (done), and wipe down the chain after application (done) then start riding, (also done).

I'll have some first impressions soon. I want to log a few more rides before I chime in with any  first impressions. I will say my expectations are that this lube will end up being dirtier in the long run since it isn't wax based, but then again, neither is DuMonde Tech and I have seen really clean results with it in the past. So, maybe Stan's lube will surprise me here.

All chains will get stripped clean, reapplied with their individual lubricants, and then the riding shall commence! One minor point: The Honeman Flyer single speed bike is currently running Flowerpower so I'll keep running that chain as is and do a long-term report with that bike.

So, to recap: Effetto Mariposa's Flowerpower Wax Lubricant, DuMonde Tech, SILCA Super-Secret Lube, and Stan's BioBased Dry lube are the contenders this year. I also will be updating my over all lube post detailing all the different lubricants used for a reference. The last update to the post was in 2022.  

Stay tuned for updates.

Stan's Biobased Bike Care Products: Review Intro

NOTE: Stan's sent the Biobased Bike Care Products, Stan's Exo-Core valve stems, and Stans DART tool for review to Guitar Ted Productions at no charge. GTP is not being paid, nor bribed for this post and all opinions are Guitar Ted's.

 Stan's  recently introduced a new line of "biobased" products and sent a suite of these to me here to check out. The products are centered around lubricants, maintenance, and cleaning. I also received a set of Exo-Core valve stems and a Stan's Dart tool with the accessory handlebar mount. 

I will be breaking out separate reviews on several of these products and accessories over the next couple of months. This post will get you acquainted with what I have and I will let you know what my plans and expectations are for each product. 

Stan's had Whistler Performance Labs develop lubricants and oils by manipulating the biomaterials and their properties into products for your bicycle. They claim these products will not harm the environment if/when they get washed off your bicycle. All products are USDA Certified Biobased and come in bottles which are 100% recycled "sea plastic". The grease, lubricants, and oil are products of Canada.

Lubricants: Let's get into the lubricants first. While Stans may not be the first name you think of when it comes to grease and chain lube, they hope to make a mark with the following offerings.

First up we have Stan's Biobased Wet Chain Lube. ($13.00 USD) This is intended for mixed to wet conditions and has a unique "Emulsifite Technology". This is a feature which allows you to clean your chain after the lubricant gets dirty by spraying it with water. This allows you to re-lube the chain again.

 Next we have, (obviously) the Stan's Biobased Dry Lube. ($13.00 USD) This PTFE free lube is meant for your dry conditions and promises longer component life. 

Then we have the Stans Biobased Grease ($15.00 USD) A waterproof, safe for seals and elastomers grease for general maintenance purposes. 

Finally we have the Stans Biobased Forkboost ($13.00 USD) This oil helps to reduce "stiction" and lubricates seals on suspension forks. Safe to use on all fork seals and is PTFE free. 

Stan's Biobased Bike Wash ($15.00 USD) is a cleaner which promises to cut the gunk and grime off your bike to bring back that shiny thing lurking beneath all the gravel dust.

Non-corrosive and free of VOC's and phosphates, this cleaner is safe to use on any frame material. 

Comments: My intentions here are to run the dry lubricant in a Guitar Ted Lube-Off over the riding season. The Wet lube will be a little trickier since we would have to rely on wet/rainy weather, which may or may not happen here. I will try the Wet lube on my commuter bikes though, since those have the better chance of seeing rain or any sort of moisture.

The Forkboost oil will go to N.Y. Roll who will use it on his Santa Cruz Blur. I don't do suspension at this point, and honestly, I told Stan's not to send the Forkboost, but they did. (You can thank me later N.Y. Roll!) I will get him to chime in with a report on how this works for him later on into the Summer.

The Bike Wash will go to work at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective where it will see use on a myriad of dirty bicycles and when I get a few, or several, bikes cleaned with this product I should have a handle on how it works enough to come back with a final word on the product in a few weeks.  

But wait.....there is more.

Stan's also sent over their Exo-Core valve stems for tubeless usage. There also was a Dart tool and Dart Tool handle bar mount in the box. So, let's take a look at these tubeless accessories. 

The Exo-Core stems are a unique design with a promised higher flow rate, a resistance to clogging, and which come in various lengths to fit most rim depths. You can even get custom colors to match your bike's other components. The Exo-Core stems cost $55.00 USD.

Next up we have the Stans Incredible Dart Tubeless Repair Tool and Incredible Dart Handle Bar Mount.

This precision Swiss made tool will deploy three Stan's Dart plugs (included) to repair tubeless tire punctures. Stan's partnered with Daysaver to make this 27 gram tool which can be mounted in a handle bar with the separately sold Handle Bar Mount.

The Dart tool goes for $72.00 USD and the Handle Bar Mount is another $32.00 USD.

Comments: The Dart tool and handle bar mount will go in my kit and we will see if I have to use it or not as time goes by. Before this happens I will do a separate detailed look for both of these pieces.

The Exo-Core stems will also be detailed out, installed on a wheel set, and I will get some new tires to air up using them to see how the claimed higher air-flowing valve helps out or does not help.

In the meantime, please check out these Stan's products via any of the links in the post or go to www.stans.com for more on these products and all of Stan's offerings. 

I should be back with a look at some of these products in more detail very soon. Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions.

Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Final Results For 2024

NOTICE: The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all. None of the companies represented in this Lube-Off have any knowledge of this review, nor are they sponsoring me at all.  

Okay folks! The results are in and I have a decision on this year's contenders. This test has been carried out over the past several months on Iowa gravel roads in dry, dusty conditions. Things changed in terms of conditions over the Summer and this played into the results. But before we get to all that I wanted to link back to the previous posts so you can check on how things progressed throughout this test, if you care to do that. 

Introduction, Update #1, Update #2, Update #3, and Update #4. 

 Overall Comments: 

This test was conducted in only dry conditions. Starting out it was extremely dry! We were in severe drought conditions at the beginning which created copious amounts of dust on every ride. But since the month of July we have come out of that and now have had plenteous amounts of rainfall to the point which we have come out of drought conditions completely. 

This has had the effect of returning the roads to "normal" dry conditions with far less dust. The latest results have bourne this out and while that has been noted it did not affect the outcome. So, with all the hoopla out of the way, let's get stuck in......

SILCA Super-Secret Lube:

This was the winner last year and was clearly superior to the contenders last season. I expected the Super-Secret Lube to do exceptionally well with the super-dusty conditions since we experienced similar conditions last year. 

Overall Super-Secret Lube is easy to apply, lasts a long time in the tested conditions, and cleans up well when a micro-fiber cloth is used to knock off accumulated dust. Jockey wheels stay relatively free from "gunk" build-up also, which is nice to see. The same applies for chain rings which saw minimal gunk accumulations over the testing period. Chain wear is normal with Super-Secret lube and the chain rollers seem to self-clean well, which I attribute the low-wear to when using this lubricant. 

The "Touch-Test" revealed a similar amount of dirt/dust which I have seen come off chains I've used Super-Secret lube on in the past. No surprises there! While I was tempted to re-lube this chain I resisted and after several miles in dusty conditions I was not at all surprised to see that this lube, which was applied last year, is still holding up quite nicely. 

Noises in the drive train are normal. You do get a bit more chain noise with these dry lubricants since oil damps vibrations and therefore quiets down chain noise. However; it is not necessarily an indication of excessive wear issues and anyway, on gravel roads, in wind, with all that loose rock, you are not going to hear your chain making noise until it is too late to do anything about it. 

Flowerpower Wax Lubricant:

This was a new entrant to the lubrication choices recently and so I thought, after reading the marketing hype, I should give this a try. So far, it has been a very, very impressive lube.

All throughout the test Flowerpower Wax has shown a cleaner level of performance, in terms of what sticks to it, versus anything I've yet tried. It will accumulate dirt, as I found out after riding Mid-South's red dirt roads, but talk about an extreme condition! That is about as bad as anything I am aware of, and after a wipe-down, the chain was fine. 

Noise was comparable to SILCA's wax lubricant, so that is a wash, and to be expected anyway. The shifting performance was on par with SILCA as well, so no real issues with that either. Longevity of use before needing reapplication? Also on par with SILCA and most other lubricants I've grown to admire and use in the past. 

So, the only real difference I see here is in cleanliness. The Flowerpower Wax leaves very little residue and very little build-up on chain rings and jockey wheels. The chain appears cleaner as well. If I had to tip one way or the other here I think my hand goes for the Flowerpower Wax lubricant. 

Final Verdict: Honestly, either one here is worthy of your consideration for a dry conditions lubricant for chains. Both are stellar in regard to cleanliness, lubricity, and longevity between applications. This may be different when it comes to exposure to moisture or wet conditions, but that sort of thing was not in my parameters for testing. 

I'm very tempted to give the nod to Flowerpower Wax lubricant here, but there is one thing that separates these lubes, the SILCA and the Effetto Mariposa brands, and that is cost and availability. My bottle of Flowerpower Wax came from Switzerland and cost $33.00 with shipping and took a week to get to me. The SILCA Super-Secret Lube cost $25.00 total and has 25ml more lube in the bottle. Plus it took less time to get to me.

SILCA literally spams the cycling social media and you are in for a constant stream of emails if you sign on to their list. Effetto Mariposa? Who can name the last time anyone has seen a post or social media mention for them? I know we all grow weary of constant bombardment from brands, but tell me, how else do these brands get any notice? We don't employ paper, physical media anymore so advertisements are dead. There is no radio, T.V., or other mainstream way for brands like this to get their messages out. So while you might not agree, I have to tip the hat to SILCA for at least being the brand you've heard about and maybe even trust. Effetto Mariposa? Meh... Not that their stuff is untrustworthy, no! Far from it! But you are not going to find them unless you specifically seek them out, maybe even due to this post! 

Considering all angles this is a tie. If I only look at it from my perspective? Flowerpower wins the day. Again - both lubricants are excellent. You cannot go wrong with either one, but Flowerpower does cost more. So, choose according to your needs and values there. 

 Thus ends another season for the Guitar Ted Lube-Off. I'll be back again next year with another run at it with something else that hits my radar here in the field of chain lubricant. If you have any suggestions for lubricants let me know in the comments or you can always reach me via my email at g.ted.productions@gmail.com. 

Thank you for reading Guitar Ted Productions and as always, keep ridin' those bicycles!

Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Update On Testing

NOTICE: The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all. None of the companies represented in this Lube-Off have any knowledge of this review, nor are they sponsoring me at all. 

It has been a while since I've posted anything concerning the latest Lube-Off testing so I thought it would be a good idea to touch base with how things are coming along. You can check in on the last update HERE if you'd like. A brief recap: The Honeman Flyer and the Noble GX5 got the new lube, the Flowerpower lube, and the Raleigh Tamland Two has DuMonde Tech, my old #1 choice, while the Black Mountain Cycles MCD and the Twin Six Standard Rando v2 have SILCA  Super-Secret lube on their chains. 

The Raleigh has been run a fair amount already this year, as well as the Honeman Flyer, so we will definitely be looking at those two bike closely in this post. The Noble GX5 has a few rides on it now, but not as much as the others, while I have yet to really get out on the T-6 at all this year. The MCD has seen very few rides as well. Gotta get that changed here soon though! 

Flowerpower on the Honeman Flyer's chain

Flowerpower: 

This lube, from Effetto Marip[osa, is pretty impressive so far. Keeping in mind that this is the same application from the very beginning of the test and the red dirt of Oklahoma was all over this chain at one point, I have to say that this Flowerpower stuff is very good. 

You can see from my "touch-test" that it doesn't leave much residue on my finger after wiping a section of the chain. In fact, I had to swipe the chain twice to get anything to appear on my finger! 

I think one thing to keep in mind here is that what the side plates of the chain - both inner and outer - look like is of much less concern than how the rollers look. That is the business end of a chain, so to speak, and the part that is important to have lubricated. Now, having the side plates clean is a goal worth having, but dust here means nothing. A build-up of gunk, however, is a different matter. I'll have a bit more to say about Flowerpower in a bit here....

DuMonde Tech on the Raleigh Tamland Two chain.

DuMonde Tech: 

This was my #1 lube for years. It still is really good, but it is very hard to get on correctly. I'm pretty sure I put too much of it on when I applied it and I tried to only put on one drop on each roller. It doesn't take too much of this lube to cause a bit of build-up, as you can see from the bigger image. 

However; the touch-test showed little to be concerned about. I will say that this lube feels tackier to the touch than either the SILCA or the Flowerpower does. 

Again, it still is a good lube and I recommend it, but you have to have a clean chain and you cannot use too much. A little DuMonde goes a long way. That said, the SILCA and the Flowerpower lubes are easier to deal with during application, although again - you must have a pristine, clean chain. 

Any of these lubes are still easier and less equipment intensive than waxing a chain. So, if you are thinking of that as an alternative which is better, maybe it is, but it takes more futzing around, which I rather would not have to do. 

Flowerpower lube on the Noble GX5 chain.

Flowerpower (again):

This time I took a look at the chain on the Noble GX5 since I just did a 30 mile ride on it the other day. It was pretty dusty, but not crazy dusty, like Mid-South or how it has been here for the majority of the last two years. 

Also, it should be noted that I have not ridden the Noble near as many miles as I have the Honeman Flyer this year, so far. That may change here in a hurry as there is another test being done that requires the use of this bike. So, miles will accumulate on this lube/chain combo soon enough. 

With all of that, I still am pretty impressed here with what I am seeing. I should also note that the chain shifts really well and is pretty quiet. Of course, that cannot be determined from the Honeman Flyer since it is a single speed bike, so this was of note to me. 

So Far... Okay, well I think we have a very strong contender here in the Flowerpower lubricant. The SILCA Super-Secret lube is going to have some stiff competition here. The current #1 lube is on my MCD and Standard Rando bikes and I'll have to get those two out to start making some comparisons to the Flowerpower lube. The MCD will for sure get into the mix because it has a couple of components being tested on it right now as well. 

Stay tuned! I'll be back with another Lube-Off update this Summer!

Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Update On Flowerpower Lube

 NOTICE: The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all. None of the companies represented in this Lube-Off have any knowledge of this review, nor are they sponsoring me at all. 

UPDATE: I was hoping that the weather would provide a bit of wet conditions riding in my last update (HERE) but that did not materialize due to our severe drought conditions which allows the moisture to disappear into the soil around here so fast that all I got was one ride in semi-moist conditions. Not at all what I would need to judge the Flowerpower lube in wet conditions. 

Oh well! At least it has remained dry and that plays right into the purposes of the test anyway, so there we go! Let's take a look at how the Flowerpower wax lube has been doing since Mid-South....

Some dust, but not bad.

You might recall that after Mid-South this chain looked red with that dirt from Oklahoma. Well, that theme continues on only with a grayish dust from Iowa limestone now! This seems to be a theme with Flowerpower wax lube, but the layer of dust is fine and pretty thin. It could be partially blamed on the finish of this 8 speed SRAM chain as well which is not very smooth and allows places for dust to grab hold. Now on to the "Touch Test" where I check for gunk and smoothness.

Not much to show here!

There was little to no residue coming off the rollers and side plates of the chain. Wow! This might be the best result I have had for a Touch Test. The chain is quiet and feels slick to the touch as well. 

Okay, so let's contrast this with the bike that has had the SILCA Super-Secret lube on it since last year. I've ridden this bike just a little bit this year, no where as far as the Honeman Flyer, but the lube on this chain has been there since last year when I was riding this bike on the regular. 

Not much dust here.

 The SILCA Super-Secret lube is the current "champ" in the Lube-Off and shows a little dust accumulation, but really only on the inner link plates. The outer link plates stay shiny for the most part. But is this because the Connex Chain has a better finish than the PC-830? I think that has something to do with it. On to the Touch Test....

Again, pretty darn good!

I did get a bit more residue off the SILCA lubed chain, but barely. So, I would say this comparison is a wash so far. The Super-Secret Lube lasts a fair amount of time. How will the Flowerpower Wax lube hold up? That's the last big test to consider here. 

Obviously, this will take some time, and I'll have to consider running the Flowerpower on a derailleur drive train just to make it fair. Stay tuned for another update to come in a month or so.

Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Flowerpower Post-Mid South Results

NOTICE: The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all. None of the companies represented in this Lube-Off have any knowledge of this review, nor are they sponsoring me at all. 

The introduction to this lubricant can be read HERE.

The Effetto Mariposa Flowerpower Wax Lubricant has been on my King Fabrications "Honeman Flyer" now since I built up the bike. The bike was ridden briefly here on Iowa gravel, did several city commutes, and the lube went through 60+ miles of  Oklahoma red dirt roads. 

The test riding was pretty normal for dry conditions riding. Lots of dust! In fact, in Oklahoma at Mid-South it was so dusty that the red dirt was sticking to everything, including the chain. Here's a shot of my bike right after the Mid-South finish where you can see that the chain looks reddish in color.

Mid-South's red dirt roads made my chain match my bike's color scheme!

I also rode another three extra miles on the bike after the event and a little more goofing around before the start and after the finish. I figure I put on 60+ miles in Oklahoma on this bike. Total riding distance with what I've done here would be well over 100 miles. So, it is time to check into where we are at with the Flowerpower lubricant. 

What the chain looked like after I got back to Iowa.

The trip home saw the bicycle riding inside the back cargo area of a Toyota RAV 4 SUV. A lot of that accumulated red dirt was knocked off in the trip. That said, there was more than enough on the chain to cause some concern. 

First of all, I need to say that I had no negative issues with the Flowerpower wax at Mid-South. No noises, creaking, or anything like that. What I was looking for here were two things coming out of the riding so far. One - Did the Flowerpower wax lubricant actually keep things running smoothly? Secondly: Did the wax lube cause a gunk build-up? 

Added to this is the experiences I have had with SILCA Super-Secret lube and some others of this ilk where a lot of dust deposits on the chain isn't unusual. Typically a quick wipe-down with a terry cloth rag does the trick. Usually the dust comes right off and the chain looks great again.

The "Finger Test" showed only dirt. No "gunk" or other lubricant based residue.

The "Finger Test", where I wipe a portion of the chain with my index finger along the side of the chain that contacts the gears, showed only red dirt. This was good to see. Any gunky-build-up would have been a cause for alarm. The chain rollers did feel slippery and I could detect a slightly waxy feel to the chain itself. 

This gunky build-up came off the freewheel. There was some on the chain ring as well, but nothing  too concerning.

I did see a little gunky build-up on the freewheel and chain ring, but I did not clean these parts ahead of putting this Flowerpower lubricant on the chain, which was thoroughly cleaned. I noted that this residue was not reddish brown in color, which is weird. But whatever, I went ahead and wiped down the chain. This only partially cleared things up. I ended up having to very carefully wipe each link and I used cotton tipped sticks (Q-tips) to clean in between the chain links. 

The chain after a cleaning session.

I did not get every spec of red dirt off the chain, but that doesn't matter. What we have here is a higher maintenance wax chain lubricant than we would have with the SILCA product or with DuMonde Tech lube. Flowerpower isn't bad, but if it requires this level of maintenance versus the others, which require almost no maintenance, then - at least in that view - the Flowerpower lube is not measuring up to the "best". 

It did keep the chain running smoothly though, and there was no sign of gunk build-up. So, on those two points I was impressed.

That said, my intuition tells me that what Flowerpower claims may be true. That being that it has staying power in all conditions. Which tells me that this stuff would work great when it is wet. That may get tested soon as I see we are to have several rainy days in the near future. 

Stay tuned.....

Catching Up

Look for a Lube-Off update soon.

Whew! Thank you for being patient as I worked through my Mid-South report. Now it is time to catch up on what has been happening since a week ago when I returned home. 

I was pretty torched after that trip. Tuesday was essentially a write-off. I was very out of sorts and very tired. Wednesday didn't start out a whole lot better either. 

The weather was very blustery and chilly on Tuesday and Wednesday, so along with my low levels of energy I just did little efforts and I tried not to overextend myself in my weakened state. Rest isn't coming as easily as I had hoped for, though, and short nights have been the norm so far.

One of the things I tackled immediately after coming home was to diagnose what was going on with the slipping seat post at Mid-South on the Honeman Flyer. The clamp was torqued as high as I dared and still no love. 

I decided to switch out the post, but before I did that, I put a caliper to the shaft and found out it was barely larger than 27mm in diameter. Okay! Now it all makes sense. The Wolf Tooth clamp probably is fine, it was the Tamer post being undersized. I put a caliper to a few other 27.2 mm seat posts and confirmed that it was an undersized seat post issue. 

So, I grabbed a PRO 27.2mm post with a slight set-back in black and put that on with the same saddle, the WTB Volt, and did a test ride. I am still fine tuning my position after Mid-South and when I get it dialed in I'll get another longer gravel ride in to confirm everything and then I hope to write up a final take on the project. 

The new seatpost is in.

I'll also have a take on the Flowerpower chain wax after Mid-South. I think you will find the results interesting. I know that I was a bit surprised. I'll contrast what I found with how SILCA Super-Secret lube works in extremely dusty situations also. 

The weather went to heck after I got back also. Really cold, blustery, and a touch of snow has greeted my return. This will keep me out of riding the country for a bit. It's probably a wise thing anyway, since I am run down and the chance of getting sick is pretty high. Plus, I have a new component in for review which I cannot talk about just yet. So, it isn't as though I don't have anything to do. 

Stay tuned, we're back on track now! 

Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Flowerpower Wax Intro

Wax Lubricant Claims 4 Season Effectiveness:

 NOTICE: The Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' is a comparison of different lubrication products for bicycle chains that is undertaken in 'real world' conditions in a set way. Then I compare and contrast the results with past 'Lube-Off' products to see "which one is best for me". This is done for entertainment purposes and the reader should apply their own reasoning and discernment while reading my 'Lube-Off' entries. What works for me may not work for you at all. None of the companies represented in this Lube-Off have any knowledge of this review, nor are they sponsoring me at all.

Okay, so here we go with another Guitar Ted Lube-Off! This time the new lubricant is Effetto Mariposa's "Flowerpower Wax". This is a drip wax chain lube that is supposedly akin to the old-fashioned melt chain wax in as far as how it will affect your chain. The main benefit of Flowerpower, as is the case with other lubricants of this ilk, is that you do not have to remove the chain to lubricate it. 

Well.....kind of. 

You should degrease your chain completely before applying this, or any, chain lubricant, especially the first time you use it. So, to best do that degreasing, you should remove the chain. Yes, after this the chain removal does not have to happen, that is unless you need another deep cleaning of the chain. In my case, I doubt that will be necessary as we are looking at mostly dry gravel road usage here. The point is, you should remove the chain for degreasing. That is, if you want the best possible results. You don't have to do this. Thus my "kind of" statement above. 

The Noble GX5 will get the new lubricant this time out.

Impressions: I ordered and paid for this direct from Effetto Mariposa, so it was shipped from Switzerland and delivery took about a week. With taxes and all it ended up costing $33.00USD for a 100ml size sample. Note that the web site claims this costs $21.00.  This compares with the 120ml bottle of SILCA Super-Secret lube at $25.00USD

I don't know what it is, but I've noticed lately that several things I have received of late in terms of new consumer products have arrived with dismal, or no directions. It seems as though that no paper instructions, or as in the case with this Flowerpower lube, no directions at all, with the product is now "normal". Effetto Mariposa has directions buried in their FAQ which should come with the product, in my opinion. Note: There is also a somewhat informative application video on the site, but it gives you no indication for when to reapply this lubricant. I find this to be unacceptable, but maybe I'm just an old man yelling at the sky here. 

Image courtesy of King Fabrications' social media.

The lubricant in the Flowerpower bottle is very white in color and has a very faint smell, neither pleasant or unpleasant. It seems to have a thicker viscosity than Super-Secret lube does, and it felt waxy on my finger. This tracks with what Effetto Mariposa claims as they claim the wax content is over 50% for the lube. 

The Test Bikes: I'm probably also going to apply this on the chain that I use for the new Honeman Flyer which is incoming from King Fabrications any day now. That will be a single speed application, despite the appearance of a derailleur hangar in the image there. 

I have the Super-Secret lube on the BMC MCD and on the Twin Six Standard Rando. DuMonde Tech is currently on the Raleigh Tamland Two and on my Pofahl Signature single speed.  

Test Procedure: The bikes will all be ridden throughout this season until Fall when the test will end. I will have periodic updates throughout the Spring and Summer. Testing will be for shifting performance, (unless it is a single speed bike), lubricant lifespan before reapplication is necessary, and I'll be looking to see if the lubricants are effective at keeping the drive train free from gunk and dust build-up. 

In the case of these wax based lubricants, like the Super-Secret and Flowerpower lubes, the idea is that you will have to wipe down the chain from time to time, essentially "dusting" it off. DuMonde Tech doesn't require this, by the way, so that will have to be accounted for as we go along. 

So Far... Well, this is a kind of pricey lube and I don't like the lack of any instructions with the product. So as far as presentation and first impressions go, this has been a disappointing experience so far. But....That will all be in the rear view mirror soon enough, once I start riding with the stuff. The next update should come soon with a look at the application process and first ride impressions. 

Thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions

Guitar Ted "Lube-Off" 2024 Intro

Announcing The Guitar Ted "Lube-Off" 2024:

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.

Guitar Ted "Lube-Off": Update On Super-Secret Lube - Part 2

 NOTE: The Guitar Ted "Lube-Off" is an occasional series here on the blog where I pit chain lubrication products against each other to see what- if any- chain lubrication products are good for riding on gravel. These reviews are my opinions only and are not meant to be taken as the final word on any of these products.

Okay folks, this is another update on the "Lube-Off" which started earlier this year with two new contenders. One of those being SILCA's "Super-Secret Lube", a wax based lube that had a much easier protocol for using than doing the wax-potting method typically required to use a wax for lubricating a chain. My last update was in June here. 

This is a longer term update. First, I was so impressed with Super-Secret that I kept using it on the Black Mountain Cycles bike and I also put it on the new drive train for the Twin Six Standard Rando v2. The two bikes have been ridden a lot of miles on very dusty roads. I saw where the Weather Service mentioned that many reporting stations in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin had reported their driest Septembers in over 130 years. Huh! No wonder the roads were so dusty! 

Additionally, I think I may have reapplied the lube to the pink BMC but I know that's it. One reapplication because I could hear some noise. Anyway, the rest of the time it was just riding with zero maintenance whatsoever. So, that meant no wipe-downs, no reapps, (other than that one) nothing.  

That's fairly impressive, if I do say so myself.

Again, pretty impressive.

So, as you can see, there isn't much 'gunk' (sticky, tacky, gooey residue from a mixture of chain lube , metal, and dirt) and I hardly could get anything on my finger but a few bits of dirt ad dust. I will also add that the chain felt slick. Not at all wet, but slick. 

After I took these images I did take a terry cloth rag and I wiped the chain down. I saw very little residue on the rag and the chain shined up nicely. So, that's pretty darn good there. Keep in mind, this period that the bike was used was one of the driest, and therefore one of the distiest, we've ever seen here. 

Pretty much just a dust residue here.

Even the cassette looked just dusty, no real 'gunk' accumulations to speak of at all. Okay, now I am really impressed. So, what does this all mean? Well, after many years of DuMonde Tech domination, I think we have a new champion on our hands here, that's what it means.

While I still think DuMonde Tech is really, really good stuff. It's just that the Super-Secret lube is a bit nicer in a couple of areas. One is that it is a bit more forgiving in its initial application. It also has an even cleaner performance than DuMonde Tech, which is saying something. It lasts on the chain a long time. Finally, given the extremely dusty conditions, I have to hand it to SILCA. This is really good lube, it is easy to use, and easy to maintain. 

Once again, SILCA did not sponsor this review. I bought and paid for the Super-Secret Lube with my own money. See the "Standard Disclaimer Page" for further explanation.

Guitar Ted "Lube-Off": Update On Super-Secret Lube - Part 2

 NOTE: The Guitar Ted "Lube-Off" is an occasional series here on the blog where I pit chain lubrication products against each other to see what- if any- chain lubrication products are good for riding on gravel. These reviews are my opinions only and are not meant to be taken as the final word on any of these products.

Okay folks, this is another update on the "Lube-Off" which started earlier this year with two new contenders. One of those being SILCA's "Super-Secret Lube", a wax based lube that had a much easier protocol for using than doing the wax-potting method typically required to use a wax for lubricating a chain. My last update was in June here. 

This is a longer term update. First, I was so impressed with Super-Secret that I kept using it on the Black Mountain Cycles bike and I also put it on the new drive train for the Twin Six Standard Rando v2. The two bikes have been ridden a lot of miles on very dusty roads. I saw where the Weather Service mentioned that many reporting stations in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin had reported their driest Septembers in over 130 years. Huh! No wonder the roads were so dusty! 

Additionally, I think I may have reapplied the lube to the pink BMC but I know that's it. One reapplication because I could hear some noise. Anyway, the rest of the time it was just riding with zero maintenance whatsoever. So, that meant no wipe-downs, no reapps, (other than that one) nothing.  

That's fairly impressive, if I do say so myself.

Again, pretty impressive.

So, as you can see, there isn't much 'gunk' (sticky, tacky, gooey residue from a mixture of chain lube , metal, and dirt) and I hardly could get anything on my finger but a few bits of dirt ad dust. I will also add that the chain felt slick. Not at all wet, but slick. 

After I took these images I did take a terry cloth rag and I wiped the chain down. I saw very little residue on the rag and the chain shined up nicely. So, that's pretty darn good there. Keep in mind, this period that the bike was used was one of the driest, and therefore one of the distiest, we've ever seen here. 

Pretty much just a dust residue here.

Even the cassette looked just dusty, no real 'gunk' accumulations to speak of at all. Okay, now I am really impressed. So, what does this all mean? Well, after many years of DuMonde Tech domination, I think we have a new champion on our hands here, that's what it means.

While I still think DuMonde Tech is really, really good stuff. It's just that the Super-Secret lube is a bit nicer in a couple of areas. One is that it is a bit more forgiving in its initial application. It also has an even cleaner performance than DuMonde Tech, which is saying something. It lasts on the chain a long time. Finally, given the extremely dusty conditions, I have to hand it to SILCA. This is really good lube, it is easy to use, and easy to maintain. 

Once again, SILCA did not sponsor this review. I bought and paid for the Super-Secret Lube with my own money. See the "Standard Disclaimer Page" for further explanation.

Guitar Ted "Lube-Off": EcoSheep Lube - Final Thoughts

  NOTE: The Guitar Ted "Lube-Off" is an occasional series here on the blog where I pit chain lubrication products against each other to see what- if any- chain lubrication products are good for riding on gravel. These reviews are my opinions only and are not meant to be taken as the final word on any of these products. 

Okay, I finally got the EcoSheep oil lube out on some dusty gravel and finished up this test. I probably actually have far more than six hours on this lubricant, but the chances to use the bike it is on for a dry, dusty ride hadn't presented itself until last week. So, anyway, here we go with a final look at this unique, 100% natural lubricant. 

One thing before I get to my final thoughts here. I don't know for sure if this is a wet or a dry lubricant, or none of the above! EcoSheep does offer a "road version" of this and a "MTB" version, (tested) and I assume that should be interpreted as 'road = dry', and 'MTB = wet'. 

That said, I assume I have wet lube here and that's how I am judging the EcoSheep "for mountain bikes" product.

So, typically you would never want to use a "wet" lube on dry gravel roads. it is a recipe for a bad result. Gunky build-up, gritty, grinding noises, and accelerated wear as a result are what you'd most often have happen. but I think EcoSheep will surprise you a little bit here.

So, as you can see, there is a fine coating of dust on the chain. However; you can still read what is embossed on the side plates of the chain, and the rollers look okay. No "gunky build-up" here. 

The "Touch-Test", where I roll the chain rollers on my index finger to see what, if anything, comes off, showed little but some dust and maybe a bit of dark residue. Interesting! 

The chain shifted great, by the way, and it wasn't noisy at all. Not anything above a typical chain noise that I would consider 'normal' for a derailleur based drive train. I do think it is high-time for a reloading of the EcoSheep, but I have to say, this stuff wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! 

The cassette is about the same as the chain.

So, is the EcoSheep good stuff? I would put it this way- If you ride a lot of places where stream crossings are common, or if you live where it rains a fair amount, this might be a great all-around lubricant choice. For me? No. It is not good enough compared to DuMonde Tech, SILCA Super-Secret Lube, Muc-Off C3 ceramic dry lube, or even some others I've tried. However; I'm keeping this stuff around for our sometimes wet Springs and I want to test this on my Winter bikes. 

Conditions on my last, 2+ hour ride were horrendously dry and dusty, so if this lube can come through that and not totally fail, well, I think that is impressive enough. But it is 100% natural, won't harm the environment, and it is a byproduct of sheep shearing, so it is a renewable lubricant. Add that all up and I think it is definitely a player in the Wet lube category.

Again- EcoSheep did not sponsor this review. I bought and paid for the EcoSheep with my own money. See the "Standard Disclaimer Page" for further explanation.