Latest News 57 – Oz Cycle / Marketing call out / latest detail reviews and data and more

Alrighty low friction peoples of earth. Here we go.

I have (still am) very internally conflicted re covering this topic, but in the end I have decided to do so, I hope it doesn’t come with a backlash – I do not normally want to get into such things.

However, I still get far, far, far too many emails and social media contacts asking about X re Oz Cycle and waxing.

I know Oz cycle has a pretty big and pretty loyal following, with many cyclists appreciating his advice and information over the years on many things cycling.

I can say however, that in just one specific area – immersive waxing – his information has overall cause me a huge amount of head ache and lost time correcting DIY waxing gone wrong. I wont go into it here today as I would type for pages and pages, and I already have with another topic today – but for a start if you are wondering about his advice on waxing, I have a document in the instructions tab on ZFC website called “That Oz Cycle Video” – please read that.

Also – if you didn’t already know, and this is the part I have been really unsure whether to cover, but in the end personally think you should be aware if you have been an oz cycle fan if you should continue to be a fan.

Mr Oz (stephen leffanue) is now in gaol for an absolutely horrific act. Unless you also enjoy torturing animals, I just cannot see how anyone like this should have any followers or subscribers. No matter how good you think his information has been on X topics – surely there is a line re who you are going to support. He is not the only channel out there for cycling information – find others you like where the person behind it is not a horrendous human being. He should not be able to come out of prison and pick up where he left off with his channel. Anyway, enough from me, you read what he has done, and you decide for yourself, but if you are still a fan of Oz cycle, please feel free to please never ever contact Zero Friction Cycling.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-05/steven-john-leffanue-jailed-over-killing-neighbours-dog/101209462

Marketing call out

I will try to move onto highlighting other worrying manufacturers (oh they are out there – I will start on one other today…) – but as its in the news a lot…. First up I do hate to say again, we have Muc-Off.

You have probably seen a bit re Dan Binghams new hour record, what a legend, and upcoming Filipo Ganna attempt. As both are with Ineos, and Ineos are partnered with Muc-Off (in ZFC opinion they are the only team rich enough to afford the accompanying drivetrain wear rates…) – there is a fair bit about Muc-Off Lubricant chain prep and lubricant being used for the hour record achieved and the upcoming attempt. Cool – that is as it should be.

Before I get to the marketing call out (and this is something I am going to start doing more regularly as bit by bit I want to get more cyclists armed with how to spot complete BS marketing as it’s a wild world out there) – I need to quickly address the rather glaring difference between ZFC testing and results and the same lubricant apparently being good enough to attain hour records.

So – ZFC does not dispute that their latest terribly named product of Ludicrous AF may in fact be a very fast lubricant. I just believe, based on my testing, which is peer reviewed by many in the industry as being extremely robust – that there are SEVERE concerns (by me..) re the lubricant REMAINING low friction for very long outside of extremely clean conditions. Like a clean lab test, or an indoor velodrome for only an hours run time.

The ZFC testings showed L.A.F to readily absorb contamination and become much more abrasive over its baseline performance – so your real word riding may well come with a friction and wear penalty that Dan and Filipo wont have to worry about. Muc-off will of course dispute this fervently, and again I am not stating this is empiracle proven fact – but – again, the ZFC test is very robust, and the result sure is worrying. You are all able to test this wear on your own drivetrain vs other proven top lubricants – just…. Check that chain wear frequently indeed.

Ok – to Muc-Off marketing call out. I would like to point out that it is notable that many reputable publications have not run this article.

A $6,000 bike chain? Muc-Off to optimize Ganna’s Hour Record chain

https://bikerumor.com/filippo-ganna-hour-record-muc-off-chain/

Do you remember when Bradley wiggins did his hour record?

Wiggins’s £6000 Hour Record chain

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/wiggins-6000-hour-record-chain-video-176173

There are a bunch of articles from back in time for wiggins record – but basically the crutch of the marketing BS call out is this;

At the time, Muc-Off basically amortised the cost of the fancy machines like C.L.O.D into the cost of the chain. Other significant costs would have been involved such as lubricant development costs, production of final lubricant and other prep involved.

But the final figure is a pretty arbitrary one. It really is pick a number. What costs do they want to attribute to the chain, considering the lubricant developed was then on sale as its own commercial product. Why wasn’t it a 6000 gbp bottle of lubricant?

How many chains did they decide to divide into what they decided were the development costs? – 30? – 75? Again since pre-prepped Nano chains became a commercial product, I personally think the amortised cost should be development cost divided by expected lubricant and chain sales over expected lifespan of that product range.

Pick an item you like – a new internal combustion engine, a tesla model S, an F-18 Hornet fighter. You have a very high development cost, and if you just make one of them, or a few of them – wow – the item cost is rather huge. If you make a lot of them for the and expected product lifecycle – then the development cost is amortised across a lot of sales, it should pay itself, and then it should make a profit.

Neither the lubricant developed nor the prepped chains were made just for Bradely wiggins, and that’s it – product lifecycle done. Both Nano lube and Nano chains were released for commercial sale and had a multi year lifecycle now being replaced by Ludicrous A.F.

At a stretch they may be able to call that the price of the chain AT THE TIME, but that is really a marketing stretch. Imagine if that was done industry wide. Every time a rider hopped on new model frame for upcoming tour de france – do we see “Tadej Pogacar to ride new $50,000,000 Colnago frame!” or “Primoz Roglic to ride new 10 million euro reserve wheels!”.

Thank goodness no one else has gone this path or we would keep seeing such ridiculous headlines for everything from new 100 million dollar shimano / sram / campy groupsets just starting to be used by pro’s, to million dollar tires to 100,000 dollar saddles.

But who has gone there? Muc-Off have gone there. Of course.

Not only that, Muc-Off have gone there again!! It seems they would like to re-amortise the cost of C.L.O.D into Ludicrous AF as well as counting it for Nano lube.
And despite the fact that again L.A.F has been selling as commercial product for awhile now, as are L.A.F pre prepped shimano chains – it is still apparently costing them $6000 to make Filipo Ganna’s chain?

I don’t know what they pay the staff at Muc-Off to prep chains, but it must be the best job in europe.

And if this was a tax deduction – I really do not know that if you claim a big deduction for equipment in 2015, if you can then re claim the same deduction for the same machine in 2022. It is possible of course Muc-Off have built and bought some new machines as part of ongoing lubricant development – but I bet they still use C.L.O.D, and it is rather interesting that we have the same big marketing banner headline price. If I was an auditor, I would want a real close look at those books.

In lieu of know what M-O have spent, just the fact that we have the price for a chain, that is using a lubricant developed for and is already on commercial sale, as is the chain that really doesn’t cost much to buy as is, and does not cost that much prep – in my opinion, I am calling a mountainous sized pile of Bullsh$t that Filipo Ganna’s chain costs $6000. Or pounds. Or Euro’s.

And thank goodness other manufacturers have not followed this marketing approach (although I am waiting to see if absoluteBlack do… they are really something on the marketing front as well!, and thank goodness that most reputable sites do not run articles with such ridiculous headlines and claims).

So apologies if one thinks I am on a bit of an anti Muc-Off bandwagon at the moment, just timing with the hour records and timing with me starting off on a key to do list item that has been overdue – which is highlighting the worst marketing BS in this space. I will be moving on to other manufacturers soon.
(*although next planned topic – ceramic lubricants, Muc-Off will feature again as they have ceramic lubricants, but at least they wont be alone).

If you have a query on a product or marketing claim that you are curious if the claims hold water, are a bit stretched, or outright bullsh$t – email them to info@zerofrictioncycling.com.au and I will see if it is worth joining the list of call outs to come. But holy batman there are plenty already!

Latest detail reviews and data

Can’t remember if I mentioned last latest news but the detail review for Revolubes has just been uploaded, and Rex Domestique should be up by end of the week. Latest data for testing and cost to run modelling is uploaded to lubricant test page on website.

I am currently testing Dynamic Potion Speedwax for Team Jumbo Visma, and this test data Dynamic have already agreed for the data to be public release vs private – Kudo’s to them for that already. I have my fingers crossed. Initial impressions are positive, this wax drip sets harder for a drip lubricant than any other wax drip on lubricant I have tested to date, and this is a good sign – but…. I do have my fingers and toes crossed re the wear rate check coming up. I think it is going to be positive, but one just never knows – stay tuned. However at least the manufacturer being completely open, that says a lot about them already and the confidence in their own testing and development of product. It is a rather large contrast to some other manufacturers….

Quick Holidays

I will be off next week for a weeks play with the superwifey and little guy during first week of school holidays. Retail Supreme Leader Andrew will be on deck and he will get out as many orders as he can (will depend on stocks and how many chains I can prep for him before I go. If I can get chains to prep….).

He is doing a great job working up to answering enquiries but there may be a bunch that are best for me to answer upon my return – but if you write in Andrew will let you know if that enquiry answer will be a mini delay until I get back to over type an answer for you ????

I will update again later but we will both be off at same time for a couple days later in October for a double header mtb bike race up in melrose so there will be a mini delay on both orders and enquiries as we head up north to zoom around some trails.

Reviews

I just wanted to say again a huge thanks to the many taking the time to put some great reviews up for ZFC. I don’t get a chance to answer the reviews as I spend all my available time trying to respond well to enquiries, prepping chains, keeping the test machines running + the data, client updates, detail reviews and knowledge guides updated / created – the hours in every day just are not enough!

So whilst I haven’t tried to get to also responding to reviews, please know that I do see them all and they really mean a lot to both myself and Andrew workding flat out to provide the best products and best service & information , as well as being a tiny specialist business with a marketing budget of $0.00 annually – it is of great value as well for others googling in this space re where to head for a great outcome.

So – heartfelt thank you again to all who have taken the time to post up the reviews, it means a lot!

Righto – till next time, stay informed, stay low friction.