Guitar Ted Lube-Off Update: NFS Blue Devil Lube

My new Wippermann chain as it looked out of the box.

 Hey folks! It's another Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' update! I know.......super exciting stuff here. More ride reports will happen soon! But for now, here is the first report I have for the NixFrixShun, (NFS) 'Blue Devil' lubricant.  I decided to put this on my other new Wippermann chain I purchased recently, and that all went on the pink BMC MCD bike. 

So, looking at the page for the Blue Devil lubricant, I got two very different approaches to the application process. But one thing I did see which I was not surprised by was that NFS recommends that you only apply the lubricant to a clean chain. Say no more! I dunked my brand new Wippermann chain in a solution of warm water and dawn dish soap and scrubbed, rubbed, and let it sit for a bit, then I removed it and air dried it. How did I air dry it, you might ask? Well.......

Centrifugal force is a neat thing. Using that idea with air flow, I went into the back yard, checked for any overhead obstructions like wires to the house, etc, and swung that chain 'round like a propeller blade, holding it by its end. There is something rather boyishly satisfying that comes from hearing the 'whooshing' sound of an object that you wield while swinging it through the air. Anyway, I swapped ends, and repeated the process for good measure. 

Post-application look at the chain with the Blue Devil lubricant.

I had thought about laying it then across the hood of my still smoldering grill which I had used to cook dinner on, but it felt so dry that I skipped this measure. So, off to the dank reaches of 'The Lab' to install the golden strand and apply the Blue Devil lubricant! 

The interesting observation I have made so far in this round of the 'Lube-Off' is that both lubricants I am trying are colored blue. DuMonde Tech's 'regular blend' is also blue in color. Coincidence? We will see.... At any rate, getting back to that application process- NFS's site has wording to do the application in one way, then recommends you take a look at a video, which tells of a bit different application process. Actually, the two are pretty different. I took the road the video showed me, so we will see which is correct.  

Well, that done, I went and checked on the shifting and found that my cable tension was off. Like way off! It's funny how much better a new chain shifts than an old one does. So much so that my minor adjustments to cable tension as that old chain wore made the new chain shift horribly. It was so bad it had become unrideable. Something to think about if you swap chains. 

Speaking of the chain- This Wippermann chain did not start out nearly as noisy as the first one but hasn't gotten as quiet as the first one has either. So, kinda consistently 'ker-chunky', if you know what I mean. Shifts are smooth though. Even under heavy pedal pressure. Good there so far.

And as you can see, the new lube, which was run in for about 40 minutes or so, looks okay so far. But this is not gravel riding. So, stay tuned for the next update on this lubricant coming soon. 

Guitar Ted Lube-Off Update: NFS Blue Devil Lube

My new Wippermann chain as it looked out of the box.

 Hey folks! It's another Guitar Ted 'Lube-Off' update! I know.......super exciting stuff here. More ride reports will happen soon! But for now, here is the first report I have for the NixFrixShun, (NFS) 'Blue Devil' lubricant.  I decided to put this on my other new Wippermann chain I purchased recently, and that all went on the pink BMC MCD bike. 

So, looking at the page for the Blue Devil lubricant, I got two very different approaches to the application process. But one thing I did see which I was not surprised by was that NFS recommends that you only apply the lubricant to a clean chain. Say no more! I dunked my brand new Wippermann chain in a solution of warm water and dawn dish soap and scrubbed, rubbed, and let it sit for a bit, then I removed it and air dried it. How did I air dry it, you might ask? Well.......

Centrifugal force is a neat thing. Using that idea with air flow, I went into the back yard, checked for any overhead obstructions like wires to the house, etc, and swung that chain 'round like a propeller blade, holding it by its end. There is something rather boyishly satisfying that comes from hearing the 'whooshing' sound of an object that you wield while swinging it through the air. Anyway, I swapped ends, and repeated the process for good measure. 

Post-application look at the chain with the Blue Devil lubricant.

I had thought about laying it then across the hood of my still smoldering grill which I had used to cook dinner on, but it felt so dry that I skipped this measure. So, off to the dank reaches of 'The Lab' to install the golden strand and apply the Blue Devil lubricant! 

The interesting observation I have made so far in this round of the 'Lube-Off' is that both lubricants I am trying are colored blue. DuMonde Tech's 'regular blend' is also blue in color. Coincidence? We will see.... At any rate, getting back to that application process- NFS's site has wording to do the application in one way, then recommends you take a look at a video, which tells of a bit different application process. Actually, the two are pretty different. I took the road the video showed me, so we will see which is correct.  

Well, that done, I went and checked on the shifting and found that my cable tension was off. Like way off! It's funny how much better a new chain shifts than an old one does. So much so that my minor adjustments to cable tension as that old chain wore made the new chain shift horribly. It was so bad it had become unrideable. Something to think about if you swap chains. 

Speaking of the chain- This Wippermann chain did not start out nearly as noisy as the first one but hasn't gotten as quiet as the first one has either. So, kinda consistently 'ker-chunky', if you know what I mean. Shifts are smooth though. Even under heavy pedal pressure. Good there so far.

And as you can see, the new lube, which was run in for about 40 minutes or so, looks okay so far. But this is not gravel riding. So, stay tuned for the next update on this lubricant coming soon. 

Guitar Ted "Lube-Off": SCC Tech Lube

The next round of the "Guitar Ted Lube-Off" has begun and both of the new contenders have arrived. The first one I will cover here is the SCC Tech lubricant, or as they like to say in their marketing, "drivetrain treatment'. Kind of like STP, I guess.

But first, I wanted to quickly address a request heard from my original blog post last week and from social media. These pushes came too late, so I am afraid that regardless of the passionate responses, I am left with the only option I have at this point. Let me explain.....

A week ago today I posted the announcement for this new round of the 'Lube-Off' and asked for your suggestions. On Thursday last week, I announced my two selections for this round based upon the feedback I had gotten to that point. So, we're off and running. The orders were placed and product was on the way.

Friday, a "Jeff from Silca"made a near novel length comment pushing hard for Silca lubricant to be included. Then on Saturday, a no less weighty request came from another industry person on social media, whose opinions I regard highly, asking for the inclusion of Silca lubricant. Okay......look. As I stated, (I thought it was clear) in my posts last week, there were only going to be two slots in this round which were filled Thursday of last week. So, all I can do is to wait and ask you passionate about Silca lubricant to wait, until the next round of the 'Lube-Off' happens, which I guess is going to be right after this one, eh? 

Now with all of that out of the way, let's take a closer look at this SCC Tech stuff. As you can see in the image, I purchased a small bottle of the lube and it came with that sticker and cloth you see in the image there, which I did not expect, but it was a nice touch. The lubricant's application process is online at the SCC Tech site. So, I hopped on there and did a little studying to see what I needed to do with my new chain and current drivetrain. 

By the way, I am using a brand new Wippermann 11SB chain for this lube. The drivetrain is made up of a Shimano XT 11 speed cassette, GRX 1 X ring and GRX rear derailleur. In terms of the cassette, chain ring, and derailleur jockey wheels, SCC claims the lubricant will 'clean' it up, but I went ahead and 'dry cleaned' (NO SOLVENTS) the parts with a rag as best I could. 

They don't really say what to do with a new chain, so I did not strip the chain down with cleaners, as I would typically do. I thought I saw where SCC claims you don't have to do anything there, but when I went to verify that I could not find that claim. Anyway, this stuff, if claims are to be believed, should handle whatever Wippermann ships chains with easily because it isn't much. A Wippermann chain seems to have a LOT less shipping oils/grease than say, a Shimano chain, and feels a lot cleaner than any SRAM chain I've handled out of the box.

This is what the chain looks like midway through the first test ride.

So, SCC Tech wants you to put a drop of this blue lube on each link, rotate the chain a bunch of times, and then remove the rear wheel and clean the drivetrain bits. Well, I had started with a clean drivetrain, so I just wiped off the excess lube and let it sit overnight. Then I rode it the next day for about 45 minutes (to run in the chain and make sure everything was shifting good) and that was that. Mid-way through the ride I checked the chain with my 'Wipe Test', which longtime readers know is a simple swipe of the finger tip across the mating side of the chain. I did get some wet, blackish residue, but as SCC Tech says, this is simply the lube working out anything in the chain and drivetrain that shouldn't be there. 

My impressions of this blue colored lubricant is that it is about the same viscosity and feel as DuMonde Tech, it just lacks the latter lube's aromatic element.  It went on easily, wiped clean easily, and left the requested 'sheen' on the black side plates of the Wippermann chain.

It should be noted that SCC Tech claims this lubricant is neither a "Wet" nor a "Dry" class lubricant. They call it a 'drivetrain treatment' which is fine as long as I don't end up with a bunch of caked on limestone dust after every ride. We will see....... 

Now a brief word about the chain, in case you are curious about Wippermann chains. I used the Shimano chain sent with the GRX group up until this point and so there is a distinct difference here between the two chains. Immediately I noted a much louder and authoritative 'ker-chunk!' with each shift of the gears. It was quite reminiscent of how a SRAM drive train sounds when shifted. After riding for 45 minutes though, the sound deadened out quite a bit. I'm not sure if that was due to the lubricant or just the chain 'getting acquainted with' the rest of the drive train.  Of course, this being a clutch derailleur and 1X, the drive train is going to always have a bit more noise when shifted. 

You don't get that sort of an experience with a Shimano chain. It just runs with whatever noise it makes for its lifetime, and that isn't much noise at all. So, I'll be keeping an eye out for where this goes as I keep using the Wippermann chain. Shift quality was fine, and speed of shifting was excellent, but I did a bit of a tune-up as well, so keep that in mind here. 

Stay tuned for the next contender- The NixFrixShun "Blue Devil" lubricant.

Guitar Ted "Lube-Off": SCC Tech Lube

The next round of the "Guitar Ted Lube-Off" has begun and both of the new contenders have arrived. The first one I will cover here is the SCC Tech lubricant, or as they like to say in their marketing, "drivetrain treatment'. Kind of like STP, I guess.

But first, I wanted to quickly address a request heard from my original blog post last week and from social media. These pushes came too late, so I am afraid that regardless of the passionate responses, I am left with the only option I have at this point. Let me explain.....

A week ago today I posted the announcement for this new round of the 'Lube-Off' and asked for your suggestions. On Thursday last week, I announced my two selections for this round based upon the feedback I had gotten to that point. So, we're off and running. The orders were placed and product was on the way.

Friday, a "Jeff from Silca"made a near novel length comment pushing hard for Silca lubricant to be included. Then on Saturday, a no less weighty request came from another industry person on social media, whose opinions I regard highly, asking for the inclusion of Silca lubricant. Okay......look. As I stated, (I thought it was clear) in my posts last week, there were only going to be two slots in this round which were filled Thursday of last week. So, all I can do is to wait and ask you passionate about Silca lubricant to wait, until the next round of the 'Lube-Off' happens, which I guess is going to be right after this one, eh? 

Now with all of that out of the way, let's take a closer look at this SCC Tech stuff. As you can see in the image, I purchased a small bottle of the lube and it came with that sticker and cloth you see in the image there, which I did not expect, but it was a nice touch. The lubricant's application process is online at the SCC Tech site. So, I hopped on there and did a little studying to see what I needed to do with my new chain and current drivetrain. 

By the way, I am using a brand new Wippermann 11SB chain for this lube. The drivetrain is made up of a Shimano XT 11 speed cassette, GRX 1 X ring and GRX rear derailleur. In terms of the cassette, chain ring, and derailleur jockey wheels, SCC claims the lubricant will 'clean' it up, but I went ahead and 'dry cleaned' (NO SOLVENTS) the parts with a rag as best I could. 

They don't really say what to do with a new chain, so I did not strip the chain down with cleaners, as I would typically do. I thought I saw where SCC claims you don't have to do anything there, but when I went to verify that I could not find that claim. Anyway, this stuff, if claims are to be believed, should handle whatever Wippermann ships chains with easily because it isn't much. A Wippermann chain seems to have a LOT less shipping oils/grease than say, a Shimano chain, and feels a lot cleaner than any SRAM chain I've handled out of the box.

This is what the chain looks like midway through the first test ride.

So, SCC Tech wants you to put a drop of this blue lube on each link, rotate the chain a bunch of times, and then remove the rear wheel and clean the drivetrain bits. Well, I had started with a clean drivetrain, so I just wiped off the excess lube and let it sit overnight. Then I rode it the next day for about 45 minutes (to run in the chain and make sure everything was shifting good) and that was that. Mid-way through the ride I checked the chain with my 'Wipe Test', which longtime readers know is a simple swipe of the finger tip across the mating side of the chain. I did get some wet, blackish residue, but as SCC Tech says, this is simply the lube working out anything in the chain and drivetrain that shouldn't be there. 

My impressions of this blue colored lubricant is that it is about the same viscosity and feel as DuMonde Tech, it just lacks the latter lube's aromatic element.  It went on easily, wiped clean easily, and left the requested 'sheen' on the black side plates of the Wippermann chain.

It should be noted that SCC Tech claims this lubricant is neither a "Wet" nor a "Dry" class lubricant. They call it a 'drivetrain treatment' which is fine as long as I don't end up with a bunch of caked on limestone dust after every ride. We will see....... 

Now a brief word about the chain, in case you are curious about Wippermann chains. I used the Shimano chain sent with the GRX group up until this point and so there is a distinct difference here between the two chains. Immediately I noted a much louder and authoritative 'ker-chunk!' with each shift of the gears. It was quite reminiscent of how a SRAM drive train sounds when shifted. After riding for 45 minutes though, the sound deadened out quite a bit. I'm not sure if that was due to the lubricant or just the chain 'getting acquainted with' the rest of the drive train.  Of course, this being a clutch derailleur and 1X, the drive train is going to always have a bit more noise when shifted. 

You don't get that sort of an experience with a Shimano chain. It just runs with whatever noise it makes for its lifetime, and that isn't much noise at all. So, I'll be keeping an eye out for where this goes as I keep using the Wippermann chain. Shift quality was fine, and speed of shifting was excellent, but I did a bit of a tune-up as well, so keep that in mind here. 

Stay tuned for the next contender- The NixFrixShun "Blue Devil" lubricant.

A New Round Of The Guitar Ted "Lube-Off" Begins

New Wippermann Connex 11SB 11 speed chain

 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. 

A couple of the G-Ted gravel sleds are due for new chains so I figured what the heck?! Why not start up another round of the "Lube-Off"? Okay, so with that, I want to kick off this latest round with a short introduction of my two most impressive lubricants so far and then get into the chains I am testing for RidingGravel.com that go with this round. First up, the long running 'top-dog' of lubricants in my opinion, the DuMonde Tech lubricants in either "Light" or full-strength versions. 

I first was introduced to DuMonde Tech lubricants for bicycle chains via Mike Curiak at Trans Iowa v1. Although, I should mention that Mike does not recall that he used DuMonde Tech there, I clearly remember otherwise. Regardless, that's where I got interested in that chain lube. Eventually I tracked some down and it has won every "Lube-Off" since. 

The other really good lubricant I have tried is Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Dry Lube. It came about when I ran into the Muc-Off line a few years back testing tubeless tire sealants. Muc-Off C3 is really pretty good stuff and nearly knocked off DuMonde Tech here from its lofty throne. Now with these new chains I have in, I will introduce two new lubricants to the "Lube-Off" and see which, if any of the two, can approach the goodness of the two top dogs in "Lube-Off" history. 

And those lubes are.... 

 Well, this time I am going to take 'reader's suggestions'. This means you get to pick the two lubes I will pit against DuMonde Tech and Muc-Off C3. But before you fire up your comments, you'll want to read which lubricants I have already tested so you won't be adding a suggestion that will be rejected. Here following is a short list of popular lubricants I have already tested and have not measured up....

• aMTBer Products
• Squirt
• Lilly Lube
• Tri-Flow
• WD-40 Lube
• WPL Lube
• ProLink Gold
• Pedros Chainj
• Chain-L Lube
• Rock & Roll Lube
• Smooth Operator Lube
• Boeshield T-9 

So if your suggestion is not on that list, throw in a shout out in the comments and I will pick two. If no one suggests anything- or only one, I'll add whatever I want. Ha! So, hit the comments with your ideas. Now one more thing here....

Brassy! Wippermann Connex 11SG chain.

Some of you have in the past, and probably are already thinking I should try some chain wax- or in other words, do a complex task involving cleaning, melting wax in a crock pot, and dipping a cleaned chain in it and hanging that up to dry, THEN putting the chain on your bike and riding it. Well, that's not going to happen. I'll tell you why, because the mere process of waxing a chain makes it a loser in my "Lube-Off" from the get-go- before a pedal has been turned. Why? 

The application process is waaaay too fussy. While I do clean the bejesus out of my chain before lubricant application, I do not want to have to do that waxing process, and.......a crock pot? Not happening here. So, I apologize to you folk who are rabid chain-wax fanatics, but you won't ever see me test that. Not when DuMonde Tech already is nine times easier to use and the prep to apply it is not something I need to have electricity for and ruin a good kitchen appliance to do. 

Okay.... Now what about those chains? Well, the black one is a Wippermann Connex 11sB BLACK EDI chain. The 'gold' one is a Wipperman Connex SG 11 speed chain. (Note- the Connex SG is not listed on the Wippermann site so I linked to a source that sells the chain) Wippermann chains show up well in wear tests and with gravel use, long-wear claims are high on my list of desirable chain characteristics. I've used one Wippermann chain before on a derailleur set up and it worked well, as I recall. The Connex quick link is a really easy one to use and is reusable, unlike many quick links you may think are reusable. 

So, the chain review will be on Riding Gravel, but get those chain lube suggestions in to me and I will then get on to getting those lubes and moving on. OR- I will choose two lubricants and move on. Your choice, readers! 

Note: The Wippermann Chains were purchased by Guitar Ted with his own damn money and this post is not being paid for, nor is Guitar Ted being bribed for his opinions.

A New Round Of The Guitar Ted "Lube-Off" Begins

New Wippermann Connex 11SB 11 speed chain

 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. 

A couple of the G-Ted gravel sleds are due for new chains so I figured what the heck?! Why not start up another round of the "Lube-Off"? Okay, so with that, I want to kick off this latest round with a short introduction of my two most impressive lubricants so far and then get into the chains I am testing for RidingGravel.com that go with this round. First up, the long running 'top-dog' of lubricants in my opinion, the DuMonde Tech lubricants in either "Light" or full-strength versions. 

I first was introduced to DuMonde Tech lubricants for bicycle chains via Mike Curiak at Trans Iowa v1. Although, I should mention that Mike does not recall that he used DuMonde Tech there, I clearly remember otherwise. Regardless, that's where I got interested in that chain lube. Eventually I tracked some down and it has won every "Lube-Off" since. 

The other really good lubricant I have tried is Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Dry Lube. It came about when I ran into the Muc-Off line a few years back testing tubeless tire sealants. Muc-Off C3 is really pretty good stuff and nearly knocked off DuMonde Tech here from its lofty throne. Now with these new chains I have in, I will introduce two new lubricants to the "Lube-Off" and see which, if any of the two, can approach the goodness of the two top dogs in "Lube-Off" history. 

And those lubes are.... 

 Well, this time I am going to take 'reader's suggestions'. This means you get to pick the two lubes I will pit against DuMonde Tech and Muc-Off C3. But before you fire up your comments, you'll want to read which lubricants I have already tested so you won't be adding a suggestion that will be rejected. Here following is a short list of popular lubricants I have already tested and have not measured up....

• aMTBer Products
• Squirt
• Lilly Lube
• Tri-Flow
• WD-40 Lube
• WPL Lube
• ProLink Gold
• Pedros Chainj
• Chain-L Lube
• Rock & Roll Lube
• Smooth Operator Lube
• Boeshield T-9 

So if your suggestion is not on that list, throw in a shout out in the comments and I will pick two. If no one suggests anything- or only one, I'll add whatever I want. Ha! So, hit the comments with your ideas. Now one more thing here....

Brassy! Wippermann Connex 11SG chain.

Some of you have in the past, and probably are already thinking I should try some chain wax- or in other words, do a complex task involving cleaning, melting wax in a crock pot, and dipping a cleaned chain in it and hanging that up to dry, THEN putting the chain on your bike and riding it. Well, that's not going to happen. I'll tell you why, because the mere process of waxing a chain makes it a loser in my "Lube-Off" from the get-go- before a pedal has been turned. Why? 

The application process is waaaay too fussy. While I do clean the bejesus out of my chain before lubricant application, I do not want to have to do that waxing process, and.......a crock pot? Not happening here. So, I apologize to you folk who are rabid chain-wax fanatics, but you won't ever see me test that. Not when DuMonde Tech already is nine times easier to use and the prep to apply it is not something I need to have electricity for and ruin a good kitchen appliance to do. 

Okay.... Now what about those chains? Well, the black one is a Wippermann Connex 11sB BLACK EDI chain. The 'gold' one is a Wipperman Connex SG 11 speed chain. (Note- the Connex SG is not listed on the Wippermann site so I linked to a source that sells the chain) Wippermann chains show up well in wear tests and with gravel use, long-wear claims are high on my list of desirable chain characteristics. I've used one Wippermann chain before on a derailleur set up and it worked well, as I recall. The Connex quick link is a really easy one to use and is reusable, unlike many quick links you may think are reusable. 

So, the chain review will be on Riding Gravel, but get those chain lube suggestions in to me and I will then get on to getting those lubes and moving on. OR- I will choose two lubricants and move on. Your choice, readers! 

Note: The Wippermann Chains were purchased by Guitar Ted with his own damn money and this post is not being paid for, nor is Guitar Ted being bribed for his opinions.