Bike lubricants with graphene

Bike lubricants with graphene

The only exclusive lubricant for bicycle chains is wax, as it cannot be used on other parts of the bike. Oil, in addition to the chain and transmission, can be used on other moving parts. The other range of lubricants for bicycles are greases, whether for assembling parts, anti-skid or anti-seize.

What is the best lubricant for bicycle chains?

There are two main groups of bicycle chain lubricants.

Wet chain lube or dry chain lube?

Let’s be honest! There is no perfect bike chain lube for all climates, all terrains and all riders, what we can find is a bike lube that is best suited to each type of ride and climate.

As an example, if you are going to go to the Titan Desert or the Monegros I would use a dry chain lube instead of a wet chain lube, simply because dust will predominate in that kind of races if it doesn’t rain. If you look at user reviews on marketplaces like amazon, in Germany they prefer oil, and in Spain and Italy they prefer wax, basically and generally speaking because of the dry or wet climate.

On the other hand if you are going to go to the Purito I would use wet lubricant with graphene, as the climate in Andorra can be more humid and rainy, the roads are clean and there are many kilometers. The wet lube reduces the coefficient of friction more than dry lubes so if we can save a few watts they are welcome.

Does this mean that we cannot use wax in the purito or oil in the monegros?  Well no, since within the dry and wet lubricants there is quite a range, but it would be an overview of their use.

Basically we find two families of lubricants for bicycle chain “OILS AND WAXES”:

Wet lubricants “Oil “

Advantages:

They lubricate more than waxes.
Resist humidity better.
Last longer than waxes.
Immediate usability.
Resist water and mud better.

Disadvantages:

They are dirtier to dust.
More careful application so as not to contaminate discs.
They can stain the frame with drops of excess lubricant.

A wet lubricant does not mean that it is suitable for humid climates or rainy days, but that it acts in a wet format, that is, an oil. When applied it will always remain in liquid form and it is this film of oil that helps to reduce friction between the components of the bike’s drivetrain.

There are oils with different compositions that will make it lubricate better or worse, currently the best additive and the one that reduces the friction coefficient the most is graphene. It is a material that we will begin to see in many products although it is quite expensive, especially in the world of cycling is beginning to be used in lubricants, tires and frames.

The wet lubricant, “oils”, have several advantages and I would say a disadvantage, lubricate more and last longer than dry lubricants or wax type, withstand more moisture and can be applied and use the bike instantly. They are water repellent, repel water while protecting against rust and usually penetrate all corners of the chain, much more if they incorporate graphene, since the particle is at the molecular level, there is no smaller and more resistant particle within the additives for lubricant than graphene.

The disadvantage they have is that on very dry days and with a lot of dust or dirt in the environment they can create a kind of paste on the chain, i.e. they are dirtier. They can also dirty the frame if the excess oil is not removed from the chain, and if they touch the brake disc it must be cleaned because it would stop braking.

As an anecdote, if you have the opportunity to see professional cycling teams live, especially on the road, you will see that they use lubricant in oil format, even if they are sponsored by a brand of wax. We will be able to find oils designed for wet environments, which are very thick and stick more to the chain, so it is harder for them to leave with water, they have the disadvantage that they will get dirty very quickly in dusty environments.

There are also oil lubricants designed for dry climates, which are very liquid and penetrate all the components of the chain and transmission. They have the advantage that they lubricate much better than a wax, they get dirty much less than those designed for humidity, but a little more than dry lubricants.

In Migou bcn we have opted for a wet lubricant with graphene, which would be an oil base 50% for dry 50% for wet, or mixed climates, but with the advantage that by incorporating graphene, lubricates much more, gets much less dirty and exponentially increases durability.

We could say that it is a lubricant for all terrains and climates, for riders who seek savings in watts and participate in competitions, so that pampering and cleaning the bike is not a problem for them.

Dry lubricant ” Wax “.

Advantages:

Easier application
Better dust resistance.
They do not dirty the frame.
Really comfortable to use.

Disadvantages:

They are more damaged by water.
It is necessary to wait a minimum of 30 minutes before using them.
Less durability than wet lubricants.

The dry lubricant can be liquid wax or paste type, but the most commonly used are water-based liquids. It is a biodegradable liquid lubricant that when it dries leaves a film adhered to the chain that acts as a separator between the metal components, thus reducing friction between them.

That is why it is necessary to let them dry before use, normally with 20-30 minutes they are usually effective, but if you let them dry for 8-9 hours is when they really reach the peak of lubrication. They are very easy to use lubricants, since it does not matter too much that we put an excess of liquid, once dry the excess will go away, we simply clean the chain, and apply the lubricant, that if, the chain must be dry.

Being a dry lubricant, the dust will not stick to the chain or will stick much less than a wet lubricant, on the other hand the water will make it dissolve dragging it with it and therefore leaving the chain without the protective film. Wax with Migoubcn graphene has the advantage of increasing water resistance, as the graphene gets into all the holes in the metal, however small they may be, as well as being water-repellent, and these same characteristics make it last much longer than a wax without graphene.

Lubricants in wax format are recommended for rides where dust and dry weather predominate, but if you are a cyclist who prefers comfort over performance, you should choose wax, especially with graphene, as it will last you long enough to ride 150km with the convenience of not having to clean the chain thoroughly before each use.

What is the best lubricant for the MTB chain?

As a general rule I usually use dry chain lube with graphene for MTB, since living in Spain and the Mediterranean area, the climate is dry and it rains little. But that’s my case, you can’t advise a wet or dry lubricant without analyzing the climate where we are going to ride.

I have ridden in Morocco and used wax, I have ridden in Belgium and used oil, I choose one or the other depending on the outing.

Which is better, wax or oil to lubricate the bike chain?

As far as technical characteristics and mechanical properties are concerned, oil is a better lubricant than wax, it simply lubricates more and lasts longer in the chain, but it has the disadvantages of dirt. For example our oil with graphene can last up to 500km riding in favorable conditions, i.e. no dust or water, while wax can last up to 200 kilometers, more than enough for a Sunday ride.

If you are an amateur cyclist you will ride 50-80km, so the wax will last you the whole route. Maybe you will be compensated to use the wax, as it is more comfortable and cleaner, plus losing 5-6 watts compared to the oil will not mean anything to you.

On the other hand, if you want to steal a Strava KOM from your friend or you are competing, you want to maintain the optimal state of lubrication and scrape as many watts as possible, so using oil is optimal in that case, even if you then have to clean the bike more thoroughly.