Product Review: Finish Line No Drip Chain Luber

Lubricating my bike's chain used to cause drips that either ended up on my garage floor or my wheels and chainstay.  After seeing the No Drip Chain Luber from Finish Line last year at Interbike I figured this may be a solution to that problem.  In theory it seemed like a good idea but how would it work with lubes of varying viscosity and would it coat the chain evenly without drips?  After receiving some of samples from Finish Line I decided to test it out and see if it would live up to its name.

The No Drip Chain Luber is simple in its design, it comes with an empty 2 oz. bottle, a unique applicator head, 3 wicking pads and a travel cap.

The two lubes I use most are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of viscosity.  ProGold Extreme is very thin while Chain-L is as thick as honey.  I would put the No Drip Chain Luber to the test and see how it would handle both of these lubes and maintain its No Drip claim.

I used the the ProGold Extreme on the 9:Zero:7 fatbike all last winter and was surprised how well it penetrated the rollers without the No Drip Chain Luber delivering too much thus dripping onto the floor.  A little squeeze and a couple of back pedal revolutions while the wicking pad was in contact with the top of the chain was all it took.  A quick wipe down on the side plates of the chain with a rag and I was ready to roll.

For my gravel bike I use Chain-L lube.  I like this lube because it lasts a long time and delivers a very quiet and shift responsive drivetrain.  This stuff is thick so I wanted to see if the No Drip Chain Luber would distribute it evenly onto the chain.  I squeezed the bottle upside down until the wicking pad was thoroughly soaked with the lube.

Now I was ready to lube the chain.  Lightly squeezing the bottle with the wicking pad in contact with the top of the chain, I began to slowly back pedal until lightly coated.  Because Chain-L is so thick I repeated this process on the bottom side of the chain and gave the lube time to work its way into the rollers.  After about 10 minutes I wiped the excess (which was very little) off of the chain and was ready to ride.

The No Drip Chain Luber did a very good job applying the necessary amount of lube to the chain using both thin and thick lubricants without a mess or dripping.  It made the task quick and easy, I used less lube and there wasn't a lot of excess to be wiped off afterward.  I now keep several No Drip Chain Lubers labeled with the lube they contain so I can use which ever one I desire depending on the conditions or bike.  No dripping on the concrete in the garage or on my wheels/chainstay were a welcome change from the old method of lubing my chains. 

The No Drip Chain Luber is available from Penn Cycle and other fine bike shops for $8.99.

Disclosure:  Finish Line provided the review samples for this article, but offered no other form of compensation for this review.

Product Review: Finish Line Super Bike Wash

I don't particularly enjoy cleaning my bikes and would often ride until they were really dirty before taking the time to get the dirt and grime off.  I ride a lot of gravel roads and singletrack mtb trails that will get a bike pretty dusty in between cleanings.  Until I started using Super Bike Wash from Finish Line, I would dread getting out the brushes, rags and soapy water bucket to wash my bikes.  Now it's quick and easy to get 'em clean and I don't mind washing them anymore.

I recently took a day trip up to Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area to ride the red dirt singletrack on the fatbike.  After several hours of riding the trails of this former mining pit area, the bike was completely covered in rusty dust.

I have used this product in the past for gravel dust and dirt, but this would be the ultimate test for Super Bike Wash.  I wanted to see if it required little or no scrubbing to remove the iron red dirt without leaving a rusty residue behind.  Super Bike Wash is designed to lift dirt and grime instead of dissolving it by simply spraying it on, letting it sit for a couple minutes and either wiping or rinsing it off.  

Not only was the frame dirty, but the wheels, tires and components had Cuyuna red dirt in every little nook and cranny.  This is one chore I don't like to spend a lot of time on so if Super Bike Wash could lift this stuff with minimal scrubbing, I'd be a happy biker.

Following the instructions for using with water, I sprayed it on liberally and let it do its work before rinsing it off with the hose.  It worked well, but did require a little light scrubbing or agitation with my hand on some areas, especially the sidewalls of the tires.  It definitely was a time saver, most of the rusty dirt just rinsed right off.  I was impressed by how it loosened the dust on the wheels, crankset, chainrings and front/rear derailleurs without having to use a brush.

 

After a short time, the bike was showroom clean and ready for another adventure that would likely get it good and dirty all over again.  Super Bike Wash can be sprayed on dirty areas and wiped off with a towel for a quick touch up to keep a bike looking clean.  I was happy with how Super Bike Wash performed, it removed most of the dirt without scrubbing and didn't leave a rusty residue behind when rinsed saving me time and elbow grease.  Because Super Bike Wash is so quick and easy to use, I don't go as long between cleanings as I did before.

Super Bike Wash is completely safe for all bike surfaces, even carbon fiber and is biodegradable making it safe for the environment.  It comes in a 1 Liter Spray Bottle, I Liter Refill (w/o sprayer), 1 Gallon Jug and a 16 oz. concentrate that makes 4 Liters.  Available at Penn Cycle and other fine bike shops.

Disclosure:  Finish Line provided the review sample for this article, but offered no other form of compensation for this review. 

Product Review: Finish Line Gear Floss Microfiber Ropes

Gear Floss Microfiber Ropes from Finish Line are a simple but very effective product that makes cleaning those hardest to reach places on your bike a breeze.  If you use a wet lube, ride a lot of gravel, dusty singletrack or just like to keep your bike clean and detailed, this is a must have product.  No more getting out the brush, degreaser and rags to clean your cassette, derailleurs and chain rings.  Using these will keep the mess to a minimum where brushes can splatter and scatter grease and grime all over the place.  They're like dental floss for your bike.

Each package of Gear Floss contains 20 microfiber ropes 20 inches in length with star-shaped grooves that attract and remove dirt, grease and grime.  I put them to the test without using any type of degreaser or cleaner to see how they would perform based on the manufacturers claims.  I was pleasantly surprised at how effective they were.

I started with my cassette which had a little bit of grime, but mostly dirt and gravel dust that gets into all of those little nooks and crannies.  Like its name implies, it's as easy as flossing in and around the sprocket spaces and teeth.  Thread the floss in and slide it back and forth to pick up and remove all that clings to your cassette.

I found Gear Floss extremely effective for getting into the space between the sprockets and cleaning the surface of each tooth on the cassette.  As the Gear Floss carries away more grease and grime they get dirty and become less effective, but luckily I have 19 more to use to get the job done.  How many you end up using to complete a cleaning will depend on how dirty or neglected things have become.  For me, it took four of them to completely clean the rear cassette, deraileurs & cogs, the chain ring and some of the hard to reach places on and around the frame.

When cleaning the rounded sides of the idler and jockey wheels, the Gear Floss was a little less effective at getting all of the stubborn grime off.  A quick scrub of the brush on these loosened it enough where a second pass with the Gear Floss picked it up and removed it.  It was however effective at cleaning all of the surfaces of the derailleur's cage plate.

After a short time of cleaning with Gear Floss my cassette was as shiny as the day it was installed and my chain rings were were looking clean again.  The ends of Gear Floss are just like the ends of a shoelace making them easy to thread into tight fitting areas.  Not only can they be used to clean the above mentioned but also brake cables and calipers, around cable stops, hubs or any other hard to reach areas on your bike.  Finish Line states they are highly tear-resistant and I found this to be true.  They are washable, but reasonably priced so I just threw the dirty ones away. 

In conclusion, I am glad I found this product because I hate cleaning my cassette, derailleurs and chain rings but now that I have used Gear Floss I won't be as reluctant to keep a clean drivetrain.

Disclosure:  Finish Line did not supply the package of Gear Floss Microfiber Ropes for this review, I purchased them on my own and will continue to do so again.