Bike Maintenance Reviews

When I lubricate my chain, I want it to sound brand new. It's a hum achieved by a lubricant somewhere between the too-light viscosity of some lubes and the gunk-attracting feel of others. I've found Tri-Flow's Superior Lubricant to provide the right mix: it's a wet lube that manages to thrive in most conditions (though, I do prefer Tri-Flow's Dry Lubricant for my mountain bike), but one of its strongest features is how much of it you can wipe off. I usually lube the chain, run it through the cassette a few times and then let it sit while I clean the rest of my bike. After 10 to 15 minutes, I wipe off a majority of the excess; by this time the lube has worked its way into the rollers and the chain is humming through the derailleur like it did the day it was cut. Better still, Tri-Flow's drip bottles come with tiny plastic straws that fix to the nozzle for extremely precise application. This comes in handy if you like to lube every single roller on your chain, but its especially practical for lubing hard-to-reach spots such as derailleur cable guides (my personal favorite) and stem or headset bolts (to keep them from rusting).