When a chain is dirty, contamination is present in each chain link in the form of metal particles, dirt or sand etc. These contaminants are suspended within a chain lubricant, specifically the carrier the lubricant is held in, and essentially form a grinding paste which will just wear your chain out from the inside. Even the best road bike groupsets will be ruined in just a few thousand miles if chain wear is terminal. However, for the habitually lazy or fair-weather cyclist, a dry lube is going to be the preferred option.

The factory grease can be hard to completely remove from the inside of even a brand new chain. You need strong degreasers or solvents to get the job done properly, and you’ll be left with a fair amount of waste chemicals that you’ll need to dispose of carefully. As for Green Oil's claims of over 200 miles or 124 miles between applications, we found that after 100 miles of riding our chain was still running smoothly. Unless your bike ride is planned to take place underwater, we’d recommend steering well clear of using grease on your chain. Do aerosol lubes work? When you lube your chain at home, it's likely not going to be as precise or as thorough as what you'd get when you bring your bike in for routine maintenance. However, some DIY work is a great stop-gap between scheduled service intervals with a pro. Chain lube protects against rust, and it keeps that chain moving freely, bending and conforming to every turn of the pedals. It also helps it slip on and off chainring teeth and slide across cassette cogs, making for a smooth, quiet, and efficient ride.

All of the chain lubes featured have been tested in the real world. In general this means that the reviewers have used the products across a range of conditions to assess their performance, taking into consideration the different demands placed on wet and dry lubes as well as wax. We take note of a range of factors from ease of use to longevity.

As Nash also points out: “Value is an issue — in a bottle of wet lube, 100 percent of the formula will lubricate. In a dry lube, some of the formula is solvent, which is there just to aid application.”

ALL RAD DEALS

For every chain lubricant listed here, starting with a properly cleaned chain is essential for optimum performance and for you to enjoy its performance benefits. We generally do not advise too frequent deep-cleaning as it removes all embedded wax from inside the chain and a two-coat reapplication of the lube will be required as per the application instructions. However, cleaning should be handled on a case-by-case basis such as when you hear the chain grinding after a muddy ride, because this implies that excessive dirt entered the chain that needs to be washed out.