Camchain and tensioner seen up close in a cutaway bike engine

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Muc-Off Dry P.T.F.E Chain Lube Review

Review date 01 December 2014

By Sharon Parker

My boyfriend Ren makes his own chain lube. A secret mixture that I am sure he should patent one day and make his millions. However although it does work beautifully at keeping the chain in tip top condition it does flick off and leave oily blobs on his bike.

Now I had a shiny new bike and I did not want any dirty oily splatters anywhere near my bike. So I decided to use dry chain lube. That way no dirt from the chain would flick onto my bike.

Ren warned me against using dry lube, he is of the opinion that it does not effectively grease the chain. Now I value his experienced opinion on most things bike related, but I really did not want grease all over my bike. Surely if dry lube is available to buy then surely the research must have been done and surely it must work?

So I opted for Muc-Off dry chain lube. I also ensured the chain was sprayed liberally with the chain lube before every journey.

After owning the bike for several months and having covered around 5000 miles I had got used to how my bike should sound and feel. So whilst on a journey when the bike did not either sound or feel right I decided to give it a quick look over. The chain felt too tight. A closer inspection revealed one of the links on the chain had seized. Ren believed this was due to me using the dry lube which he had insisted from the very beginning was not any good.

After a thorough application of Ren's home made lube and spinning the rear wheel several times the seized link released. I noticed straight away how much smoother the chain seemed to rotate once it had a coating of nice greasy sticky stuff rather than the dry lube.

Since then I have only used Ren's wet lube and have never experienced thus far any problems with a seized link again.Yes it does throw sticky black blobs onto my back wheel and number plate but these wash off with a bit of a rub.

Ren has many years experience of riding and it seems I have to admit he knows a thing or two. The chain does without doubt feel smoother with a wet rather than a dry lube.  

I am confused because the Muc-Off dry lube did get good reviews elsewhere. Maybe dry lube works only for a dry weather, occasional use, low mileage bike? Maybe it was never designed for the rigours of winter and the amount of dirt thrown at it from an all weather biker. Maybe it only works if you clean the chain completely itself after each ride? Maybe it is just crap? Maybe I some how used it wrong?

What ever it is it did not work for me and my bike and my situation. So I can only give it a miserable low score.

It gets a score because it is better than no lube at all. It is ok for emergency and occasional use but I would never consider using it long term ever again. Wet lube may be dirty and greasy but it keeps the chain happy and moving freely with no seized links. I would rather have a working chain than a bike with no grease blobs on its rear end.

Score for Muc-Off Dry Chain Lube 3 out of 10

a can of muc-off's dry PTFE chain lube
Not what I'd hoped for.

Reader's Comments

Spacepig said :-
Tried many chain lubes over the years but for me Scot Oiler is the best way t care for a chain granted messy at times but for the hugely increased chain life well worth it and supprisingly easy t fit
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Kumar said :-
Seems you didnt know what dry lube are use for!
01/02/2018 10:00:40 UTC

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