However, despite there being so many purchases of chain lube people still don’t understand some of the differences between certain lubes. We’re going to discuss the main differences between them and how our product differs from the rest.

The two categories of chain lubricants that are available for your chain are dry lubes and wet lubes.

Dry Lube

Dry lubricants are better for dry conditions because they don’t attract any dirt or sand. Dry lubes are commonly Teflon dissolved in a solvent like heptane. Essentially a toxic chemical dissolved in a toxic chemical. Teflon is a brand name you’ve probably heard of that’s original chemical name is Polytetrafluoroethylene or (PTFE) that produces a carcinogen (a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue) called PFOA, which is an acid that is found in the blood of 98% of the general US population. This acid even has a toxic fume that commonly kills birds and this even has a name, which is teflon toxicosis. This is a major problem and has become more prevalent because activities like biking requires lubrication and many companies use toxic materials that ultimately end up in water sources.

Another common claim from lubricant companies is that their products biodegrade. This is an ambiguous term because by their standards the product may take several hundreds of years to degrade. It may biodegrade eventually but by this time these carcinogenic products have already reached a water source and are being consumed by humans.

Like most dry lubes you have to let the lubricant dry. You can apply the lube and you must allow it 2-3 hours or overnight to dry for optimal performance recommended by companies. This becomes more of an inconvenience and requires you to plan your rides.

Dry lubes must be applied more often than wet lubes because dry lubes are solid after being applied to the chain and are removed easily with the moving parts of the drive train. Additionally, dry lubes work poorly in the rain because they dissolve quite quickly as a solid. As a result, the lubricant comes off quite quickly and requires regular re-lubrication.

Wet Lube

 

Wet lubricants are mainly used for wet or muddy conditions because they can last longer in wet conditions than a dry lube. Wet lubricants will repel water and act as a better lubricant because it’s a liquid that sticks to metal rather than a wax. Wax is a solid that can be ground up easier with a moving drive train.

Most wet lubricants are either a mineral or synthetic oil, which both ultimately come from petroleum. These are toxic chemicals that definitely don’t degrade and are already a massive problem due to how much is spilled per year. Not to mention, petroleum is carcinogenic and when in contact with skin it can enter the bloodstream within 15 minutes upon contact. This has caused health problems for many bike mechanics.

The common problem with a wet lubricant is that it’s messy to clean. Wet lubricants attract dirt and sand, which leads to black goop development that requires degreasing.

Benefits of WPL Lubricants

WPL offers a wet lube that has all the benefits of a wet lubricant, those being that it lubricates better than a dry lube and it lasts longer.

Our lubricant, ChainBoost, will continue to repel water but also attract dirt and sand like any other wet lubricant. However, we added an emulsifying agent that allows the lubricant to wash away with water. Apply ChainBoost to your chain and any dirt you collect from your ride can be removed easily with a hose or wet rag. The benefits of a wet lube without the clean up. #rideclean

You may ask what happens if you ride in the rain or over a puddle? The lubricant only has a certain percentage of the emulsifying agent therefore you need a certain amount of solubility like a hose or a wet rag to remove dirt and sand. It requires high pressure water to activate.

Similar to our suspension oil, ChainBoost contains triple esters, which are molecules that contain polarity. These hold a charge and are able to bind to metal at a molecular level.

Like always, in addition to these benefits all our products are 100% biodegradable and safe for the environment.

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What’s even more amazing is that our chain lube can be used on more than just a bike. Traction eRag recently did a review and they used our chain lube on dirt bikes.