The Guitar Ted Lube-Off: Final Word On Stan's Dry Lubricant

   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. 

Stan's BioBased Dry Lube was a contender in the 2025 Guitar Ted Lube-Off which was never really concluded. So, I wanted to give some closure to this and report on my very long-term  findings! 

The lube lived on the chain running the Black Mountain Cycles MCD drive train and was doing okay. Obviously gravel riding was paused for the Winter of '25-'26, but when things got warmer again, the MCD came out and was put back into use. 

Then BRAN came calling and I decided to take the MCD on the week-long multi-surface ride. BRAN, in case you are unaware, is a ride through Nebraska which hits an overnight town every day for seven days, ala RAGBRAI. You start in Western Nebraska and travel East. Each day has a gravel route option, but you also get a fair amount of paved riding as well. 

I did apply a new coating of the Stan's BioBased Dry Lubricant just before leaving for Nebraska. The image above shows you what the chain and cassette looked like when I returned back to Iowa afterward. You can see a bit of accumulation of dust/dirt on the chain links and a fine coating of dust on the cassette. 

Results of the "Touch Test" after BRAN

The Touch Test is where I run my finger across the chain rollers on the inside run of the chain and observe whatever residue I see on my finger. Depending on the residue, more stuff on my finger usually means a lower rating from me. 

As you can see, there was a fine coating of dust which came off on my finger. In my estimation, we rode nearly 400 miles that week, so this would be what you'd see after that amount of miles with approximately 60% of that total being off-pavement. 

In my opinion, the chain was in definite need of a reapplication of lubricant after BRAN. It felt dry, not very slick, and there may have been a tiny bit of metal on my finger there, which I found a little concerning. 

Final Verdict On Stan's BioBased Dry Lube: 

At the end of the day, Stan's Dry Lubricant is merely "okay". It certainly isn't 'bad', but there are better lubes out there. The BioBased Dry Lubricant is not a dirt magnet, it does the job, for a little while, and it is easy enough to use. 

I wish Stan's Dry Lube had a longer span between applications. 300- 400 miles isn't a lot. Again, not terrible, but I have had other lubricants go longer between necessary reapplications. The amount of dust/dirt which was sticking on the chain and cassette is about the most I would tolerate. The fine coating on everything was a bit thicker than I'd like to see. However; I will say this was Nebraska dirt, not the Iowa dust I normally test in. So, this may have played a part in my end results.  

Good - not great. That is my final word on the Stan's Dry Lubricant. SILCA's Super-Secret and Effetto Mariposa's Flowerpower Wax still are at the top of the heap as of this writing. 

Coming Soon:

I'll have an update on the SILCA Super-Secret v2 lubricant in a little bit. Testing has been going on and I have some thoughts to share on it so far.

Additionally, the 'super-secret', secret lube under embargo until September 1st is also being tested and I have some thoughts on it as well. I think this should prove to be an interesting product. 

Finally, I will have an update when the 'super-secret, secret lube is revealed which has to do with another product I was recommended to use for the test. Stay tuned for that - again, after September 1st. 

Guitar Ted Lube-Off 2025: An Update

 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.  

Update: Well, it has been since May when I introduced this year's contenders for the new Lube-Off. (Here is that intro) 

Now it is time for an update. I'll start out with the previous lubes I have used which are in the rotation and conclude with the Stan's Biodegradable lube., First up - The Flowerpower lubed Honeman Flyer. 

I was riding the Honemann Flyer over the weekend and noted the chain was starting to sound noisy. This is a cry for help! I will clean it with a dry rag and hit it again with the Flowerpower lube. I last lubed the chain in May at the start of this run of testing.

This lube was the winner of the last Lube-Off equaling, or in some ways, bettering, the SILCA Super-Secret wax lube. Both are wax based lubricants, but the Flowerpower was just a bit better in terms of dealing with dusty, dry conditions.

The Super-Secret lube is on the Noble GX5. I have done a fair amount of riding on this bike and the lube is holding up well. If I recall correctly, I remember hearing the chain a bit more than usual last I rode the bike, so this one may also be in need of a refresh as well. 

The Stan's lube is on the pink Black Mountain Cycles MCD. I have ridden this bike a bit, but not quite as much as the Noble or the Honeman Flyer. The lube is doing fine. You'll see here in a minute the images of each. I will comment further on all three after the images.

The DuMonde Tech is on my Raleigh Tamland which I haven't hardly ridden at all this year. (Maybe a commute and test ride?) I'll have to get this one out more this Fall and catch up with the results later. I'm not as concerned with this lube though as I am fully aware of how it works and I have had years of usage on various bicycles with which to draw my conclusions from.

Images next. Captions will guide you as to what lube is being shown.

Flowerpower Wax

Touch-Test results for Flowerpower Wax

SILCA Super-Secret wax lubricant

Touch-Test results for the Super-Secret Wax lubricant.

Stan's Biodegradable Dry lubricant

Touch-Test results for Stan's Biodegradable Dry lubricant.

Comments: So the two wax based lubricants seem to be dealing with dry conditions in the same way as I have seen in the past. There is a tiny bit of dust accumulation on the inner chain plates, but the chains wipe clean with a dry rag and the performance is good to great with little chain noise or wear.

It is necessary to note with these lubricants their propensity to be washed away in wetter conditions. So, as an example, if you ride in areas with water crossings, or get caught in intermittent showers often, I wouldn't recommend these as being good lubricants. But for completely dry conditions these two keep the chain happy for a long time with little accumulation of gunk and dust.

The Stan's is "good", but it isn't as good as the other two. I might suggest here the fact of little to no information being provided on Stan's end makes judging this lube more difficult. Is it wax based? Petroleum based? Something else? I don't know other than it is "biodegradable". It may be the Stan's holds up better to wet conditions as well, but I have not tested this out. I may try it if I get the chance, but my main focus here is on the dry conditions. 

So Far... If I called the test over today, the Stan's lube would lose, but this isn't a bad thing. The Flowerpower Wax and SILCA\s lube are just awesome and it would be hard to top these two lubricants. I've seen DuMonde Tech be as good and even slightly better, in terms of longevity and cleanliness. However; DuMonde Tech is harder to apply correctly the first time, and if you don't get it right, it will be an abject failure compared to the two wax based lubes in this test. 

Stan's might prove to be a longer-lasting lube than either of the two wax based lubricants here. This is something I will monitor going into Fall and will figure into my final evaluation. But Stan's doesn't seem as good as the two wax based lubes as of now. Good, but not great.  

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.