Review: Smoove Chain Lubricant

[eddy]

Clearly then, it's the thinking man's lube?

 

Oh, and it works quite well under the limited conditions I have used it.......

[porqui]

If it ain't oil it ain't lube.

 

Period.

 

 

If you are really snoep you can get some sump oil from your local garage - put a small rare earth magnet in it and let it stand for a week and pour off. Best and cheapest multi-grade.

 

Use often. Every second ride.

 

Best tip - once in a while remove chain and clean in diesel or terps and hang up to dry.

 

Nothing leaves a chainring mark like oil - hell some people pay a fortune to have it tattoo'd on the calf.

[D Vader]

Just try it, you will see.

Edited April 29, 2014 by D Vader

[Cassie]

 

We don't use it by the liter though skylark, heck I am sure the 100ml bottle will last me six months. Now for the convenience of a clean drivetrain, cleaner hands after wrenching and washing the bike and the nice applicator bottle it's worth it for me.

 

You said something very true there...nice applicator bottle...

My next lube purchase will be solely determined by the applicator nozzle....i want a small thin one which deliver the lube right into the rollers....where it should be!!

Any suggestions for best applicator bottles?

 

[rouxtjie]

What makes Smoove any different from/better than any other oil-based lube ?(I don't consider solvent-wax blends to be lubes)

Anybody have some facts? I'm interested in facts, not opinions of recent converts. Seriously.

Sure, but you are going to have to return the favour after my post. Why is oil based lubes better...

 

So here we go...not opinion but fact

 

It lasts 90km before the drivetrain starts singing..fact

 

It applies very easy unlike some of the other lubes...whether that is the bottle or lube dunno, doesnt matter....fact

 

It is easily available, all the lbs if have been into lately stock it....fact.

 

It doesnt gunk up your cassette like other wax based lube, to the point where you can't shift....fact

 

Its clean in the sense that you don't have black oil spots all over your frame and wheels like oil based lubes. Its also a breeze to clean from the drivetrain with a brush and soapy water....fact

 

And here is the tjerrie on top....It doesn't make your drivetrain last any less km than other lubes...oil based or teflon(tracked my components wear on sporttracks with different lubes), now this is the point that all the oil based lube fans harp on, have you tried measuring life of chains and cassettes using both, I did and I was really hoping the oil data set would prove that it gave a better lifespan to justify the royal mess it makes, it didn't, in fact the lube types came within 200km of each other(measured with same cassette and chain model and brand)...fact

 

We are paying for "snake oil" cause its convenient...that's all.

 

Your turn, why is oil better?

[rouxtjie]

You said something very true there...nice applicator bottle...

My next lube purchase will be solely determined by the applicator nozzle....i want a small thin one which deliver the lube right into the rollers....where it should be!!

Any suggestions for best applicator bottles?

Smoove.....works really well....Boshield also have a nice applicator.

[Cassie]

@Rouxitjie, I'll accept your arguement 100%...wanna know why? Cause over the years i come to know you as a guy "wat nie k@k vat nie, en ook nie praat nie!"

Seriously, if you did the homework you said you did, i believe you.

Dankie pel.... I would like to try it...

[Cassie]

Thanks! Sal dit gaan siek hier innie weskaap...my lube is juis nou op en my olie storie maak n lekka gemors!!

[rouxtjie]

Thanks! Sal dit gaan siek hier innie weskaap...my lube is juis nou op en my olie storie maak n lekka gemors!!

Lekker cassie....

 

I would love it if oil lubes would make the drivetrain last longer, heck I would go right back if it would make it last 15% longer. But it doesn't...well not according to my data at least.

[rouxtjie]

@Rouxitjie, I'll accept your arguement 100%...wanna know why? Cause over the years i come to know you as a guy "wat nie k@k vat nie, en ook nie praat nie!"

Seriously, if you did the homework you said you did, i believe you.

Dankie pel.... I would like to try it...

Lekker meneer, right back at you. The only catch is that you have to apply the night before. But its not a train smash.

[D Vader]

I am just going to let Rouxtjie speak for me, helluva sensible ou.

[madmarc]

Sure, but you are going to have to return the favour after my post. Why is oil based lubes better...

 

So here we go...not opinion but fact

 

It lasts 90km before the drivetrain starts singing..fact

 

It applies very easy unlike some of the other lubes...whether that is the bottle or lube dunno, doesnt matter....fact

 

It is easily available, all the lbs if have been into lately stock it....fact.

 

It doesnt gunk up your cassette like other wax based lube, to the point where you can't shift....fact

 

Its clean in the sense that you don't have black oil spots all over your frame and wheels like oil based lubes. Its also a breeze to clean from the drivetrain with a brush and soapy water....fact

 

And here is the tjerrie on top....It doesn't make your drivetrain last any less km than other lubes...oil based or teflon(tracked my components wear on sporttracks with different lubes), now this is the point that all the oil based lube fans harp on, have you tried measuring life of chains and cassettes using both, I did and I was really hoping the oil data set would prove that it gave a better lifespan to justify the royal mess it makes, it didn't, in fact the lube types came within 200km of each other(measured with same cassette and chain model and brand)...fact

 

We are paying for "snake oil" cause its convenient...that's all.

 

Your turn, why is oil better?

 

Just one question....How often did you clean your chain properly ? and I mean by actually removing it and cleaning it 100%.

 

In addition if as you say there is very little difference between wax and GTX then you already saving money. Wax lubes costing over R 100 for 100ml is a lot more than a Can of the best.

Edited April 29, 2014 by madmarc

[rouxtjie]

Just one question....How often did you clean your chain properly ? and I mean by actually removing it and cleaning it 100%.

 

In addition if as you say there is very little difference between wax and GTX then you already saving money. Wax lubes costing over R 100 for 100ml is a lot more than a Can of the best.

Knew that question is coming, so here we go. Firstly, I used the same chain model and make, same for cassette and rings and went with the oil lube when the crank and front chain rings were new....Shimano XT, to compare apples with apples so to speak. I also clean the drivetrain after every ride, still do. I don't ride dirty things

 

Ok so my cleaning regime is....

 

Take chain off bike using 10spd quicklink tool....drop in a bath of clean green(totally submerged in butro bakkie) and leave for a couple of hours. Got a brush set for drivetrain that I then scrub with car soap water until you can eat off it, front and back. With the oil lube it took alot longer to get clean, made a mess of my frame, wheels, brushes and hands(even after washing with clean green I still had this black tinge mechanic's hands going), sometimes I couldnt get the drivetrain properly clean and then had to use a little clean green(which opens another can of worms, but lets not go there for the purpose of this exercise). Couple of hours later I then wash the chain off using warm water under the tap until there are no debris between rollers....clean green does a pretty good job at this. Dry with a rag, fit and lube.

 

wrt to saving the 100 bucks, the convenience of not dealing with black hands, brushes and effort of cleaning a oily mess is worth double that for me...sure its only a 100ml but it lasts long....if I used the whole 100ml everytime I ride, it wouldn't have been worth it.

[CAAD4]

You said something very true there...nice applicator bottle...

My next lube purchase will be solely determined by the applicator nozzle....i want a small thin one which deliver the lube right into the rollers....where it should be!!

Any suggestions for best applicator bottles?

 

Dik syringe from Dischem. Tjeep as Tjips.

[Skylark]

The way to prevent mechanics hands is to use gloves, the mechanics style close fitting cloth with rubber coating gloves work like a charm. I used to destroy my hands and get those miff black rimmed nails, all a thing of the past , won't work on dirty/greasy stuff without gloves on, also prevents skinned knuckles etc. Effekto make a good pair for R22 from the gardening dept at the hardware store.

 

You using the wrong cleaning agent if you finding it hard to remove oil from your drivetrain, the right tools will solve the problem. Wynns 60 sec mag cleaner takes oil off a drivetrain like water off a ducks back, paraffin is also just as effective especially in a container to soak the chain in, 15mins and a bit of it agitation and sparkly clean and what's left over can be reused over and over.

Edited April 29, 2014 by Skylark

[johannrissik]

Sure, but you are going to have to return the favour after my post. Why is oil based lubes better...

 

So here we go...not opinion but fact

 

It lasts 90km before the drivetrain starts singing..fact

 

It applies very easy unlike some of the other lubes...whether that is the bottle or lube dunno, doesnt matter....fact

 

It is easily available, all the lbs if have been into lately stock it....fact.

 

It doesnt gunk up your cassette like other wax based lube, to the point where you can't shift....fact

 

Its clean in the sense that you don't have black oil spots all over your frame and wheels like oil based lubes. Its also a breeze to clean from the drivetrain with a brush and soapy water....fact

 

And here is the tjerrie on top....It doesn't make your drivetrain last any less km than other lubes...oil based or teflon(tracked my components wear on sporttracks with different lubes), now this is the point that all the oil based lube fans harp on, have you tried measuring life of chains and cassettes using both, I did and I was really hoping the oil data set would prove that it gave a better lifespan to justify the royal mess it makes, it didn't, in fact the lube types came within 200km of each other(measured with same cassette and chain model and brand)...fact

 

We are paying for "snake oil" cause its convenient...that's all.

 

Your turn, why is oil better?

 

Thanks for your response, unfortunately simply putting "....fact" after a sentence doesn't make it so.

 

Why is oil better? ummm, because it's a lube?

 

Oh, and if you prefer Smoove, I have absolutely no problem with that.

 

Pray tell, how do you measure the wear of the chain? I presume you had a large, random sample of chains? Under identical conditions, with the only variable being the "lube" ?

 

It's a personal thing, use what works for you.