By Brian Hester
I first tried synthetic “dry” lubes way back in the mid 1990’s. They promised to keep your chain clean while providing superb friction reduction. And they did, but only for a very short ride….on a dry road. After a few miles your chain started making that noise. You know the one. The one that sounds like you took your bike to the car wash and forgot to lube your chain before the next ride. I quickly gave up on the fancy, expensive lubes and went for the relative quiet of Tri-Flow.
Fast forward 15 years and dry lubes are pretty much the same. Or so I thought until I got my hands on a bottle of Squirt Lube (www.squirtlube.com). Billed as a long lasting dry lube, Squirt is a water based (emulsion) wax lube. Those of you over 50 will remember the days of waxing chains. This is the same idea but you won’t have to cook your chain in the oven!
Putting water on your chain is counterintuitive but in this case it carries the wax deep into your chain. The water then evaporates leaving the wax to do its thing. Simple! It repels dirt and lubricates at the same time. And for those of you that think Earth is a nice place to live, Squirt contains no solvents, is 100% biodegradable, and is made from recycled product.
Applying Squirt is the same easy process as any other chain lube. However, if you’re married, don’t use Squirt in the living room. The water based formula is impossible to put on without a few big drops ending up on your rim and….umm carpet. Because Squirt keeps your chain clean, you can reapply several times without wiping the chain down.
I admit to being a little skeptical before this product review. I would rather use motor oil on my chain than the typical dry lube. Thankfully, Squirt Lube is anything but typical. It works excellent in dry, dusty conditions and will get you through the rain as well. Squirt Lube has a new home on my workbench.
