The Best Bike Chain Lubes of 2024

Think about all of the work that your bicycle chain does. It’s what makes your bike move forward, and every revolution of your pedals forces each chain link to click over hundreds of teeth on your chainring and cassette. You’re basically grinding metal on metal.

If the chain is dry, rusty, or coated with a layer of grime, it reluctantly creaks and grinds through each pedal stroke while the friction and contaminants slowly grind at the contact surfaces and cause all of the components, the chain, cassette, and chainring, to wear out.

Chain lube not only protects against corrosion, but it reduces friction to help keep that chain moving freely which can enhance efficiency and reduce the wear on your drivetrain. It helps to keep your drivetrain running smoothly and quietly and can extend the service life of all your drivetrain components.

Unfortunately, the answer here is “it depends.” There are various factors at play including the conditions you ride in and the lube you use. If your chain is looking or feeling gritty, or you’re starting to hear it squeak, that’s a good indicator that it’s time to clean and re-lube your chain. This may come after a single muddy, wet ride, or it could come after several hundred miles of dry riding. Paying close attention to how your drivetrain looks, feels, and sounds will be the best way to determine when it’s time to reapply.

Most chain lubes won’t work well if you’re applying them incorrectly. Thankfully, it’s a pretty simple task, though it can be messy if you’re not careful. (Stay off white carpets while applying it.) There is some variability between types of lubes and brands, but most manufacturers provide recommendations to achieve the best results.

Start by cleaning and degreasing your chain (keep reading for tips on how to do that).

For oil-based lubes most experts recommend dripping a single drop of lube on each roller in the chain. Use the quick link as your starting and finishing point so you don’t do it twice! Let it sit for 30 seconds, then backpedal for 15-20 revolutions to allow the lube to sink in and penetrate the nooks and crannies of the chain. Once you’ve done that, take a clean rag and wipe down any excess lube before heading out the door. Don’t skip this step or you’ll instantly start to collect grime.

For drip-on wax-based lubes, it is recommended to apply it to a perfectly clean and dry chain (for the initial application) and to give the lube time to “cure” for up to 12 hours. This takes a little more forethought than just squirting some lube on the chain minutes before you head out for a ride, but typically it’s easy enough to apply the lube the night before and let it sit overnight so that it has adequate time to penetrate the chain’s internals and form a hardened protective layer.

Often, people will skip the degreasing step and just lube the chain, counting on the lube and subsequent wipe-down to remove most of the built-up gunk. While this will quiet a chain, this is definitely not the best way to approach cleaning and lubing your drivetrain and may actually accelerate wear with more lube trapping more grit and contaminants. It does, however, depend on the type of lube you’re using, as a few brands claim that their products clean and lube the chain in one.

Even with those all-in-one lubes, like those from Rock N’ Roll or the Wolf Tooth WT-1, we feel it’s always best to start with a super clean chain and go from there. They are intended to push contaminants out as you ride, so you’ll want to be sure to wipe those away frequently to remove them from the system.

Since wax-based lubes don’t attract as much grit and tend to flake off a bit as you ride, you may only need to wipe down your chain unless you can feel grit trapped in there. In general, wax-based lubes don’t require as frequent of cleaning.

Most oil-based lubes aren’t designed to clean your chain (with the exception of the Wolf Tooth WT-1 Synthetic mentioned above). In fact, it can just end up creating a sludge that acts like liquid sandpaper and wears down your entire drivetrain faster, costing you more in the long run. Not to mention getting all over your socks, legs, walls, car…everything.

The more common oil-based lubricants are classic because they’re easy to use, and in most cases, they keep a chain running quietly and smoothly. But unless you’re regularly cleaning and degreasing your chain, oil lubricants are dirt magnets, attracting dust and grit as you pedal.

On the other hand, some cyclists might have experience using actual wax, which provides the same smooth and quiet riding experience without as much grime. Originally, waxing a chain required a labor-intensive wax melting process (and the use of a slow-cooker or saucepan). While it was cumbersome, the results couldn’t be matched by oil-based lubricants.

Thankfully, new technology has allowed for the development of wax lubricants in liquid, drip-on form, making them as easy to apply as their oil-based counterparts but with the longevity and friction-reducing benefits of wax. So, with drip-on wax-based lubes like Effetto Mariposa Flowerpower, Ceramic Speed UFO Drip, Silca Super Secret, and Squirt, you can get the best of both worlds.

If you’re riding inside on the trainer, you may want to stick to an oil-based lube. Wax sloughs off as it’s used, so you may end up with a carpet stained by “greasy” chunks of wax if you’re not careful.

And if your riding conditions are wet and sloppy, wet, oil-based lubes, especially those specifically designed for wet conditions, have traditionally been better to overcome the constant onslaught of rain, mud, slush, and grime. That said, in those conditions, you’ll want to be sure to clean your drivetrain and reapply lube more frequently.

It’s only in recent years that lube companies have shifted to looking for eco-friendly options. According to The Ecologist, many lubricants were made with environmentally unfriendly Teflon and petroleum distillates. More recently, many chain lube brands are striving to provide more environmentally friendly products that still perform just as well.

Think about how you wash your bike, near a storm drain or on the grass in your backyard, or how your chain lube may get into the soil if you’re out on a long ride. It seems like a minor thing, but finding a chain lube that is biodegradable is just a small way to help reduce your carbon footprint (or tire tread in this instance).

In addition to the environment, chain lubes that don’t include toxic chemicals are also better for our health. Getting a lube on your hands that’s made from sunflower seeds like Effetto Mariposa Flowerpower, for example, is much less concerning than one that contains PTFEs or other forever chemicals.

Actual WD40 might seem like a substitute for chain lube since you use it to silence squeaky hinges or loosen tight bolts. But using WD40 as a lube on your chain is doing more harm than good: It acts as a degreaser, not a lubricant.

Use WD40 to clean your chain if you don’t have any Simple Green or your chain is so dirty that grease-fighting dish soap isn’t doing the trick, but we don’t recommend using it as a lubricant. (That said, the WD40 brand does make a chain lube that we recommend above.)

Yes. Your choice of chain lube should be more condition-dependent rather than bike-dependent. If you’re heading out on a wet or muddy ride, opt for wet chain lube. (Those tend to be popular with cyclocrossers.)

Ride in the desert? You’ll want a dry or wax-based chain lube to avoid a buildup of grit. If you bounce between settings or weather conditions, look for an all-around chain lube, though be prepared for frequent cleaning and reapplication, especially after particularly dusty or wet rides.

If you’re making the switch to a wax-based lubricant, the same rules as above apply: Clean and degrease your chain first. But it’s even more important when making this switch since the oil lube and wax lube won’t mix well together, so you want your chain to be completely oil and contaminant-free before making the transition. (Even if you’re starting with a new chain, clean and degrease it, since new chains come coated in heavy grease.)

Depends. Like most things in life, as you reach the upper echelons of performance, the price increases exponentially faster than the benefits. The gains in watts savings and friction reduction are real, but they are marginal enough that it probably doesn’t really for the vast majority of riders.

So, while the performance gains are subtle, there are other benefits: Longevity and silence.

The Silca, absoluteBLACK, and CeramicSpeed lubes are among the quietest we’ve used. When we’re cruising along and can’t hear or feel our drivetrain, we trick ourselves into feeling like it’s faster. So there’s that subliminal benefit, too.

They’re also some of the cleanest and longest-lasting. And some have ingredients that better protect the drivetrain, extending its lifespan.

Bottom line: Yes, they’re better, but maybe only worth the price if you’ve already optimized everything else.

The best and most thorough way to clean your chain is to remove it, soak it in degreaser or mineral spirits for an hour (or overnight), then spray it down with fresh degreaser and scrub all sides of it with a toothbrush. Then maybe some soap and water, rinse it and allow it to completely dry (like in a low-temp oven or direct sunlight).

Yes, this takes time, but if you’re prepping for a big event, complete overhaul, or switching to one of the premium chain lubes mentioned here, it’s worth the effort.

Alternatively, chain cleaners like the Park Tool Chain Gang kit often get it “clean enough” without having to remove it. The kit comes with a cassette cleaning tool and degreaser, too.

If you’re really time-crunched, the Finish Line Speed Bicycle Chain Degreaser works so well it’s scary. It literally blasts grease and dirt off your chain, leaving nothing but bare metal. The downsides are it’s not biodegradable (but is at least ozone-friendly), and that all that grease and grime ends up getting blasted onto whatever’s behind the chain…which can be your bike, garage floor, etc…make sure it doesn’t spray onto your disc brakes!

Here’s where it gets funny…most chain manufacturers will say no, that the stock grease is perfectly fine. Most chain lube brands will tell you that grease is too thick and a magnet for dust and dirt that also prevents lube from penetrating properly. We’d agree on the latter (third-party testing backs that up, too) and recommend using the cleaning method above to completely clean your chain first if you want to get the best possible performance from a lube.

Appropriate chain cleaning and lube reapplications will help elongate your chain’s lifespan. After every ride, give your chain and other drivetrain components a quick wipe-down to dry them off and remove buildup, especially if they got wet during your ride. This is even more important if you use a wet lube and ride in wet conditions frequently as mud, grit, and grime will get all over your chain. Consider the conditions you ride in, inspect your chain frequently, and clean and re-lube accordingly.

Many riders over-lube their chains. Generally, if there’s anything more than a light coating of chain lube on the outside of the chain, you’re just wasting lubricant, and risking it getting into other parts of the bike including the brake surfaces or rotors. Excess lube also ends up on the teeth of your cassette, chainrings, and derailleur pulleys. It becomes difficult to properly clean your drivetrain, collects dirt, and accelerates wear on your cassette and chainrings.

Avoid this by wiping excess lube from the chain after applying, ensuring that it’s nearly or entirely dry to the touch. Remember, generally speaking, you only need to apply lube to the rollers on the chain. Again, following the manufacturer’s recommendations is always a good idea.