FENWICKSFenwicks All Conditions Chain Lube: 100ml & Disc Brake Cleaner Aerosol - Green, 200 mlFenwicks

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Ice Wax 2.0 from Pedro's is a chain lubricant that aims to reduce the time you spend cleaning your chain, by doing it for you in part. A lube for dry conditions, it's perfect for summer riding. As well as its well-known multipurpose spray, WD40 does make a specialist bicycle chain lube, which is formulated for the job. Chain lube lowdown

PRSboy: Squirt seems to be the holy grail of lubes, as long as you don't mind reapplying after a wet ride. I've been most impressed. Squirt's Chain Lube is a wax and water-based lubricant that is noticeably drier and cleaner than most oil-based options. Ideally, it should be applied to a sparkling clean chain and then left for a while to penetrate fully before use, so no last-minute applications before diving out the door on a Sunday morning. Some brands recommend leaving the lube in place for a specific period of time before wiping off the excess, so read the manufacturer's instructions to make sure that you're doing it right. What’s the difference between wax and oil lube?Get recipient chains surgically clean, shake the bottle and then apply the metallic grey fluid to every link, holding some rag beneath to catch any overspill. This way the drivetrain is far more efficient and you gain extra life out of the whole system, along with no loss of power from the rider.

Studies have shown that the type of lube itself makes little difference to the efficiency of a clean chain, although we've looked at whether swapping your chain lube can make you faster. Graphenlube does appear to reduce friction, and it's certainly pretty tenacious in real-world conditions. It's very expensive, but so are a lot of other bike-related things. If you're the kind of person who looks to buy a bit of extra performance, then here's another thing you can spend your hard-earned on. For the sort of savings you can expect I wouldn't say it was particularly good value, but you might have snaffled all the low-hanging fruit already, or you might not care. And it probably is the best lube I've tried.” Oh boy, you wouldn't like how I got only 500 miles out of my last chain (Shimano HG40) before it was stretched 1%. That's with obsessive wiping after every ride. On a city bike. When conditions are reasonably dry then it lasts very well and I have used it without issue on road, gravel and mountain bike drivetrains, but I confess that my chains do get very regularly cleaned. If you prefer to layer on lube after lube without recourse to a brush and cleaner, then perhaps look elsewhere.The best part about cycling is that you need very little to get going. There are a number of must-have pieces of equipment such as a helmet, high visibility clothing and lights, but apart from this small group, you don’t need anything extra. WD40 or equivalent are effective at displacing moisture from your chain, so they can be useful to help stop it from rusting after you've cleaned it. But they won't help to reduce friction and wear in the drivetrain, they're easily washed off and they attract dirt. They're not as effective as a chain lube at reducing friction either. Wet lubes are used in all weather conditions but really come to the fore when riding in autumn and winter as they are water resistant so won’t get washed off riding through puddles or in a rainstorm.

And if you’re wondering why you can’t use WD40 or GT85, they’re water displacement products and should only really be used after cleaning your bike and before correct lubrication. They have some lubricating properties, and plenty of uses on bikes and round the house, but they're not up to the job of keeping a bike chain properly protected. Wet lubes can be used all year, offer better value and have the greatest longevity. Whether wet or dry, it’s often a question of how much time and effort you want to put in. I've now switched over to using DryFluid which is a special slide lubricant that although expensive lasts really well and is easy to apply and stays nice and clean. For riders seeking a really clean, long-lasting lubricant, Stealth should be high on the list. VerdictBefore you go we’ve put together some top tips for you to consider when you’re buying any cycle products online. These tips can apply whether you’re a new rider or an experienced cyclist. How to shop for cycling stuff, smartly and safely.