At the suggestion of my local bike shop employees I’ve decided to try a new chain lube. For the last year or soI’ve happily been using White Lightening’s Wet Ride lube. It’s a very thick, heavy duty wet lube and in my experience a single application will last a couple hundred miles, in any kind of weather. Rainy and muddy, dry and dusty, through axle deep creek crossing, you name it, White Lightening’s Wet Ride stays on the chain and keeps the drivetrain spinning smoothly and quietly. I rarely need to re-lube my chain.
The problem is, Wet Ride is really messy. Wet lubes can attract dirt which will accelerate wear on your drivetrain, and they make working on your drivetrain a dirty affair. Also, when I do need to re-lube I have to first completely clean and degrease the chain before adding fresh lube. That’s the only way I’ve found to get rid of the gunk and grime that’s stuck to the chain. It’s time consuming, messy, and I’d rather be riding!
Why Squirt?
Squirt Lube is a dry, self cleaning wax-based lube. It goes on wet, then dries leaving behind a waxy substance that will lube moving parts, and then flake away when it gets dirty. That last part is the reason I’ve stayed away from wax-based lubes in the past: they shed like a snake’s skin. I like going on long, all-day rides, and I don’t want my lube to be all gone before I get home. But supposedly Squirt lasts a long time before you need to re-lube your chain and the best part is, when you do need to re-lube, no de-greasing is required. You can simply brush off the old wax, then put new wax on. Here’s what the manufacturer has to say about their lube:
Squirt is a wax based, long lasting dry lube for the use on bicycle chains. This liquid lubricant has unique properties that make it ideal for use in any cycling condition. It had been developed to give better lubrication, last longer and keep the chain cleaner over extreme distances for both MTB and road cycling. No degreasing is required.
Due to Squirt’s composition, build-up due to dirt does not occur and no grinding paste will form. Continuous application can be done without having to clean the chain. Excess wax that gets expelled by the chain does not attract dirt, hardens slightly and falls off during riding. Cleaning with a dry brush is adequate. This lubricant also sticks to the chain longer and extends lubrication intervals.
How’s it going to stand up in the real world? Will creek crossings wash it off? Will it survive 6+hr rides? Does it really stay clean? These are the questions I’m going to answer. In the next post on Squirt I’ll go over the initial application, how it’s withstood various conditions, and how often I’ve had to re-apply.
MSRP is about $12 at your local shop, or $10+shipping directly from Squirt.
