Chain Lubes
Browse chain lube for sale from riders across the UK. Chain lube is the drop-by-drop oil or wax that keeps roller, pin and bush turning under load, and the type you choose is decided by weather rather than by bike — a dry lube typically wants reapplying every 100 miles or so and after any wet ride, while a wet lube survives a British winter and gathers grit doing it. This category covers wet, dry, ceramic and wax-based drip lubes.
Wet or dry chain lube — which do I need?
Wet lube is a heavier oil that clings through rain, road spray and salt, which makes it the sensible winter and wet-trail choice; the cost is a black, gritty chain that needs degreasing more often. Dry lube goes on as a carrier that evaporates and leaves a thin film, so the chain stays visibly cleaner in dry weather but washes off in the first proper downpour. Riders who do both seasons usually keep a bottle of each rather than trying to compromise with one.
Is wax chain lube worth it?
Drip-on waxes such as Squirt, Smoove and Silca Super Secret run cleaner than any oil and hold their coating for a long ride, because the wax dries to a solid film that dirt cannot stick to. They only work properly on a chain stripped back to bare metal first — factory grease left in the rollers stops the wax bonding, and the result flakes off within a ride. Full immersive waxing goes further still, using a slow cooker and wax flakes rather than a bottle.
How is chain lube different from grease?
Chain lube has to flow into a gap smaller than a millimetre and then resist being squeezed out; grease is far too thick to get there and would sit on the outside collecting grit if you tried. The reverse also holds — chain lube in a hub bearing runs out within days. Fork stanchions are a third case again, wanting the bath oil covered under suspension oil plus a seal-specific grease.
How do I apply chain lube properly?
One drop per roller, turning the cranks backwards, on a chain that is clean and dry. Leave it for a few minutes to penetrate, then wipe the outside of the chain firmly with a rag until it looks almost dry — lube on the side plates and chainrings does nothing except attract dirt. Applying fresh lube over a dirty chain is the common mistake; it turns the grit already in the rollers into a paste that grinds through a cassette.
What should chain lube cost, and when does a bottle stop working?
A 100ml bottle covers many applications, so the per-ride cost is small, but a workshop-sized bottle is much better value if you ride year-round. Shake anything wax-based hard before use, since a separated emulsion goes on unevenly, and treat a bottle that has been through a frost in an unheated shed as suspect. Sealed bottles from other riders are fine; part-used ones are worth having only if they have been kept indoors. The wider range sits under lubricants.