Latest News 55 – Video’s and Lube Questions!

Latest Video’s

Firstly a big thank you for the engagement on the Muc-off video. Your support in the efforts to try to make a change here is heartening indeed.

The cycling industry still has SO FAR to go vs other industries with regards to having an agreed upon accurate chain / lubricant efficiency test standard. Until there is an agreed upon standard, it is just so easy for such worrying data situations to occur.

It is a bit like if there were zero regulations around share trading, well quite likely we would see a heck of lot more insider trading. Why wouldn’t there be when people could make a lot of money with zero consequence. There needs to be a standard. There needs to be a control. And everything tested in line with that control – as per basically every other major established industry.

Whilst M-O are certainly not going to admit / react positively, and I need to state again whenever talking about this that the conclusions presented were my personal beliefs based on the information we have, and despite the weight of that information I am not stating it is proven empirical fact – I do hope that even in lieu of any explanations from M-O in this case, that may just see improved behaviour going forwards. (i’m an optimist!) And one day, an agreed standard.

Until then, ZFC wear rate testing really acts as the back check for outright efficiency test claims. If a manufacturer claims massive losses for a competitor lubricant but in my testing for the same period there is 0.00 wear – well what is causing the say 10w of loss?! – it is not possible without an easily measured high rate of wear. If a manufacturer is claiming amazing low friction performance but in ZFC test it is rapidly eating through hardened steel – again that just obviously takes friction to occur, and we can all make some very concerned faces and accompanying concerned noises re the claims.

Your engagement with the video makes the chances of positive change with such manufacturers more likely in the future. It will especially help if you engage on other videos and media articles covering lubricant testing and performance. The more engagement that is seen in more places, the more it is going to be discussed by the execs involved at the manufacturers re future decisions. And that will help all cyclists.

The latest ZFC you-tube video has just gone up – Episode 21 – taking you through hopefully how to make the right lubricant choice. More and more frequently ZFC is receiving enquiries where cyclist wants to get onto a great lubricant but are just a bit overwhelmed with the options.

For me there is (of course…) no really concise way to take your though that as we really need to cover off waxing on or off the table, wax lubricant or wet lubricant, type of riding, type maintenance – I don’t think I did the best job but it is attempt 1, check it out at let me know if it has added clarity to your decision making or not! If not I can plan a take 2 in future.

Lubricant Questions in Spotlight

Alrighty I will try to make this little segment part of most latest news now just to cover off / reinforce the most common recent questions that really all should ensure they know the answer – both for them and their friends.

Muc-Off c3 dry lubricant.

Worldwide this is a super popular choice as it is heavily pushed by LBS a) they make great margin on M-O products b) they really will likely have no knowledge that is not a good product because they don’t check customer wear rates vs km’s vs lubricant for bikes through the workshop and c) a lot of customers ask for a lubricant that stays clean (ish).

I haven’t control tested c3 dry and don’t really want to because a test takes a lot of resources and really we already know the answer. Even right back from the friction facts days – these types of dry lubricants are shown to be VERY poor. They are mostly carrier that is designed to evap off, so what is left is a fairly clean looking chain vs a black wet chain. The problem is they just leave behind so little actual lubrication that wear rates are typically very high vs proven top lubricants.

This is not reserved to just Muc-Off dry, Finish line dry is in my opinion equally horrendous, as is white lightning clean ride – be very wary of this lubricant category. I have never ever seen a bike using such products without really bad wear rate in a very short amount of kms. (the only likely exception I can think of which is on my long list to test is a lubricant called Dry Fluid – it is a highly rated by a credible source, but it is not a well known product).

Please don’t make me test M-O c3 dry – I will if I have to in the end but that is a month of machine time I can use to try to test a product that might be a great product instead. If we can all just get updated that it has been known for over a decade now this class of product is just very poor, and if you value not wearing out your lovely components really quickly, go with a proven top lubricant option instead, there are PLENTY of them known for all demographics and preferences now.

I will cover the whole ceramic bullshit with lubricants next latest news I think. The short version though it is bullshit. (in my opinion…) .The mental map being painted is that all your chain parts are coated with a hard ceramic coating greatly lessening wear rate.

Right….. so how are they achieving that?! Putting a token amount of ceramic particles, in a liquid. Your chain is not being coated in a high concentration of ceramic and then baked in an oven. There is no protective ceramic coating (in my opinion..)

I STRONGLY believe adding a token amount of very small, very hard particles – since when is that going to reduce friction vs cause friction. I can send you some iron filings to add to your lubricant too if you like.

Mspeedwax and chains

Firstly – MSW stocks are still struggling – managed to keep in stock for about a month ish, but now out, however more coming shortly. It is going to be in and out a little bit but shouldn’t be delays longer than a week. It is so great to see just how many on waxing nowadays and the constant growth rate – just so many drivetrains on happy happy days! It is fun to have a blank order cheque with Mspeedwax re send as much as you can as often as you can and I still cant get enough in fast enough.

Packaging – Apologies on behalf of MSW – for a little bit the pucks will just be in some little bubble wrap bags. Old packaging has run out before their new recycled packaging for the pucks has been able to come online. They are quoting about 6 weeks for new packaging. I can’t share it, but I can say that mspeedwax have done a BRILLIANT job with the new packaging. I know its just packaging but still.. it is great to see packaging worthy of the product, and also move away from plastic to using recycled material. Yeehaa.

Chains
Ah dear.
YBN – Most lines going ok – similar to wax, they may be going in and out of stock temporarily – and I just cannot keep all bundles etc up to date all the time – we will email if out and check if another colour ok or a short wait ok.

Shimano – DA / XTR ok – XT / ultegra 12spd – almost we are out and no eta from shimano.

Eagle x01 / xx1 – almost out and eta of approximately 1 YEAR for my back order. Sigh. Sadly Sram are prioritizing NX & GX vs X01 and xx1 because that is what is mostly OEM, but also that is mostly what gen pop is buying. Considering GX level chain wears out approximately 10 times faster than an x01 level chain, I really wish people would save a lot of money and buy x01 not GX, and that we could get these prioritized instead.

AXS road – stocks ok for the moment and importer has stock I can re order soon.

Campy – who knows. Have some 11spd, 12spd I haven’t been able to order for a stupid amount of time, no eta, I get some in here and there just buying from other online stores around the world like lord gun just so I have some prepped from time to time. No idea if will need to do same with 11spd when run out.

In short – overall – mostly plan ahead a little bit for lots of cycling stuff if you are going to need it, as somethings are still tricky to get in a timely manner.

And again apologies the online store due to the bundle packs which have all the drop downs for chain selection, then prep selection – it is really hard to have this accurate. Ie I might indeed have ybn silver in stock in hot melt prep, but not msw prep, nor one left as is to prep. Or vice versa. Same with black. Gold. Rainbow. Or shimano. Or campy. Or same across 12spd – it is a lot of chain & prep variations that when they are coming into and back out of stock on various lines weekly – the website may be lying to you – but we will manage this as best we can and check with you what you would like to do if the online store was not up to date re stock. The goal of course is to have stock buffer on all main stock lines so that nothing ever has to be constantly moved from in and out of stock- I just physically cannot buy enough stuff to make this happen, but I sure am trying. Again we did almost 3000 pre prepped chains last year, so unless im getting about 30kg of chains a week coming back in, I’m running out.

And I just can’t get that volume coming in. Yet. I am of course working on it, like all retail – you sell more when you physically have stuff to sell! (unlike some places that offer awesome discounts on stuff they don’t actually have).

Righto – that will do, thanks again and stay low friction!