White Lightning Clean Ride The Original Self-Cleaning Wax Bicycle Chain Lubricant 8 oz

it leaves wax-like lubrication after the kerosene evaporates, so make sure the environment you will be riding before purchase

The only downside I can see to this lubricant is that some of the competitors are claiming this uses forever chemicals. I haven’t been able to find any independent sources stating this and to some degree forever chemicals are everywhere, so I didn’t let this affect my review.

I’ve tried multiple lubricants designed to “run clean” (performance dry lube, Boeshield T9, Tri-flow, etc…), but this one is the best in terms of actual lubrication, resistance to picking up dirt, and overall duration in-between applications. First, I’ll say that there’s a noticeable improvement in how smooth my drivetrain runs compared to other dry lube products. This lasts way longer than both T9 and Tri-Flow (in dry conditions, I regularly go 300 miles or so in-between applications). Where T9 was every 100 and tri-flow slightly better. However, neither of those other 2 lubricated the chain as well. Overall, this is one that I’ll keep handy, even when I switch to full wax lube in the coming months.

I had previously used Boseheild T9 (Parafin) and Finish line Dry (Teflon)

Both are good lubricants, but neither one was actually dry. Both are SUPPOSED to be dry, but neither one ever dried for me no matter how thin I applied it. So both collected tons of road grit and grime, which in my opinion is the most damaging thing for a drive train. It gets into the chain links and acts like sandpaper.

But White Lightning actually goes on dry. And pretty quickly too. It dries to the touch in minutes, though from what I understand it needs a few hours to really dry thoroughly and set properly.

When riding in dirty conditions with gravely road grit that used to clump onto my chain and cassette like crazy, my chain is now clean to the touch. There is no accumulation of grime on the chain so nothing between the links that is grinding away and wearing everything out. A thin coating of the wax still appears on the rollers so it’s gliding smoothly over the crank. And the wax is visible between the links as well.

The product works just like it’s supposed to. It falls off the chain when it accumulates grit. The grit sticks to the wax and the wax sluffs off, taking the grit with it. For that reason this does not last for 500 miles between applications. It lasts for 50-100 miles depending on road conditions. It wears off faster when its’ wet out, not because of water washing the wax off, but because wet road grit is stickier so it attaches to the chain easier, causing more of the coating to sluff off to get rid of the dirt.

I don’t ride in full rain (not on purpose anyway). I would NOT recommend this for a bike that you regularly ride in rain. I find I need to do a quick reapplication of this after a ride on wet roads shortly AFTER a rain. It lasts for several rides in dry conditions.

The first application needs to be a clean drive train. But no matter how well you think you’ve cleaned it, there will probably be residual lubricant from your previous lube on things. The White Lightning will take that off quickly, but it will mean you have to reapply it after 10-20 miles the first time you use it. Then it should last for 100 miles in dry conditions, 50 miles in damp conditions, and a single ride in totally wet conditions.

I’m guessing the larger bottle is good for 25-30 applications. So it’ll last a while. The first application should be a total clean job where you take everything apart and clean it thoroughly. Most subsequent applications can be done by just adding 1 drop to each roller on the chain as you back pedal it 1 cycle around, then letting it dry for the evening before riding the next day. You don’t have to do a full cleaning every time.

Perfect for easy maintenance with benefits of wax. Other wax options are tedious and require chain removal. This is perfect option if you ride in dry conditions and are sensible enough to follow the instructions. Recoat every few hundred km and it will be fine on your chain. It is not a apply once and forget about it solution. Not ideal for the wet/dirt conditions, but doesn’t profess to either! Those that don’t like it didn’t read the instructions.
Excellent support from velogear as bottle had spilt in transit.

Easy to use, keeps my bike chain clean and quiet.

Tends to collect dirt on chain and pulleys & will harden in cassette space between cogs…so see application below.
Lube a day in advance to let thoroughly dry.
Doesn’t work well in the cold—rocks up in the bottom, so I keep it in the house now. As long as I take it out warm from the house, it applies fine.
Apply 6 ml (~1/3 bottle, 17 ml needle oiler) to moving chain. I turn the cranks backward, and drizzle the lube on both “sides” of the “top” of the bottom chain segment where it comes out of the jockey wheels. Blow out needle immediately after use by holding tip down and squeezing bottle, or it will clog. Wipe chain & jockey wheels thoroughly immediately. I also wrap a cloth or shop paper towel around a steel 150 mm ruler, and use that to clean twixt the cogs.

Monthly, I clean my chain using a citrus cleaner and a large plastic juice container. Takes several clean and rinse passes. When the chain is clean, I stretch it out and measure 762 mm (30″) of chain at link midpoints. 0.5% wear is about 766 mm, so this is a good length to measure. When the link centers are greater than 766 mm, I replace chain.

After cleaning, I lube with Finish Line Ceramic Wax Lube. I like this lube, but it attracts too much dirt for me. I apply it, wait a day or more, then ride.

Thereafter, until I clean the chain next, I use White Lightning Clean Ride weekly. Takes ~5 minutes to do the whole task. The needle oiler makes the process tolerable. I don’t think that I’d use this if I had to use the bottle. I use separate needle oilers for the Ceramic and the Clean Ride because I don’t know if they are compatible in solution.

I use this on my MB and road bikes. I’ve never seen my “ideal” bike lube, but this combo and the way I use it works for me. 150 km per week on the road; plenty of hills. MB as often as I can, usually day trips to the White Mtns. Mud, rivers, bears…the usual. Seems to hold up OK there, but I am more generous with the Clean Ride.

I’ve seen a 3-pack of needle oilers here for ~$8.

~R~