Your Chain Lube is Hurting the Planet

Living By Bike Newsletter October 21.

What I’m Reading rn: A Collective Bargain: Unions, Organizing, and the Fight for Democracy by Jane McAlevey. I’m not often an audiobook girlie, but this one is great to listen to, and incredibly informative. Learn about how wages are determined, the history of the working class, your rights, freedoms, and who fought for/against them, and capitalism’s objective in respect to the working class.

Products to Share: Gear Hugger’s Heavy Degreaser, Dry Bike Lubricant, Multipurpose Lubricant; Muc-Off Dry Lube; REI Convertible Pants (my current fave travel/camp pants)

Upcoming Events:

October 26th, Frederick County, Maryland: Dirty Kitten Gravel is having their Grand Fondue, mixed surface race this weekend, October 26th! I can’t go this year (I have other plans) but I went last year and had SO much fun. You can do a 25, 50 or 100 mile race over a mixed-surface ride in beautiful Frederick County, Maryland. You also get ONE free glass of mead at the end, and stacked aid stations along the way (last year they had grilled cheese!). This is not sponsored, I just love Dirty Kitten Gravel and would highly recommend this event/any other ones (I’ve always had a fun time).

November 24-26th, Montgomery County, Maryland: I have THREE tickets left for my weekend bikepacking trip along the C&O Canal. I’ve rented out the historic lockhouses so that you don’t have to carry a tent with you and can focus on pedaling and eating your heart out in the beautiful autumn weather. Join this small group for a peaceful weekend of cycling!

Did you know that chain lube can be made out of petroleum? I didn’t. Chain lube is just some mystical concoction I know I need as a cyclist to keep my bike running smoothly, but I didn’t really know what it is.

Gear Hugger recently gifted me a set of Multipurpose Lubricant, Heavy Duty Degreaser, and Dry Bike Lube to try out. I had no idea that there was an “eco-friendly” option towards cleaning your bike and bike chains (along with other things). I just use a random bottle of bike chain lube a friend from college told me was the best brand, and it has lasted me ever since. When I clean my bike, I use dish soap, a hose and brushes. And when I clean reclaimed bicycle chains for my arts and crafts, I use a standard degreaser I purchased from my local bike shop. To say the least, I’ve gone with the simple and easy options that last me for months/years on end. I didn’t know there were eco-friendly options out there worth considering.

What makes Gear Hugger different?

Gear Hugger advertises itself as an eco-conscious brand that is petroleum free. They specifically say under their FAQs that

“Petroleum is a crude oil and a fossil fuel. It occurs naturally in geologic layers and can be refined into oil and fuel. Petroleum combustion releases polluting gases and high amounts of CO2, a dangerous greenhouse gas that contributes heavily to global warming. Petroleum is a non-renewable source of energy, so we will eventually run out.”

They also specify on their website that

Replace harsh odors, petroleum-based products, Teflon and harmful forever chemicals with our sustainable, plant-based, biodegradable dry bike lube.

Plants provide heavy-duty antioxidant and anti-wear properties for superior adhesion, penetration deep into chain pins and lasting protection to prolong the life of your chain system.

Gear Hugger is a safe alternative with an odorless, non-toxic formula that can be used indoors, outdoors and around kids & pets.

So far, they make a very good claim that they are the best environmentally conscious brand on the market!

Subscribed

What about the other competitors?

Let’s take a plunge into what else is on the market, and how they compare to Gear Hugger. If you need a refresher on dry vs. wet lube, and what grease vs lubricant is, read this short article here.

Muc-Off.

Muc-Off is rated on Cycling Weekly as the “Best lube for longevity and environmentally friendliness” and is described as “Readily Biodegradable”. There isn’t much more that explains what makes it readily biodegradable, but there is a page on the website that explains some of their environmentally conscious decisions that you can read up on here. I’ve met a number of people who like this brand over my years of cycling, although I have not personally used it (yet).

FinishLine.

FinishLine is what my friend (from back in college) recommended I use when I first got into cycling. I have two different bottles of the product that will likely last for the next several years. Cycling Weekly rates this as “Best lube for dry and dusty conditions” and “Good value for money”, but it contains Teflon, which is NOT biodegradable and is harmful for the environment. As I read this, I think of all the times I have cleaned off my chain in my front yard, the extra lube running off in the soapy water into the nearby grass. Even though it is a small amount of pollution, and riding my bike in replacement of driving a car is significantly more eco-friendly, I still do not like the idea of hurting the planet, regardless of if it is a small amount.

Squirt Chain Lube.

Cycling Weekly rates this as “Best lube for high performance use” and the website specifies that it is “biodegradable and contains selected waxes performing different functions in a creamy emulsion”. I’ve used this chain lube (it was a tiny to-go bottle a shop gave me when I was passing by) and have no complaints from it, other than its thick viscosity makes it slightly harder to apply at times, and you definitely need to degrease your chain from your prior lube if you want to use this wax-based lube. It was hard to find more details as to what exactly makes it biodegradable. But Google came to the rescue and shared this when I was trying to learn more:

Biodegradable wax-based lubesThese lubes can decompose naturally with the help of microorganisms. Some examples include:
Squirt Chain Lube: This wax-based chain lube is biodegradable and sticks to the chain in solid form.

Slick Wax: This biodegradable, wax-based chain lubricant is suitable for all weather conditions and cycling disciplines.

MOTOREX CHAINWAX: This high-performance chain wax is biodegradable and made from renewable materials.

Flowerpower Wax: This bicycle chain lube is made with sunflower seed wax and other natural waxes. It’s also vegan and free of hazardous additives.

mountainFLOW Bike Lube: This plant-based, biodegradable bike lube is made without petroleum.

Non-biodegradable waxesSome waxes, like paraffin wax, are not biodegradable and can release harmful chemicals into the environment.

Fenwick’s.

Cycling Weekly describes this as “Works well in both wet and dry conditions, Doesn’t collect too much dirt, Easy to clean off, Good value, and Biodegradable”. At this point, I’m starting to think that there are a number of biodegradable bike chain lube and products out there.

Conclusion.

I don’t think I need to do too much more digging at this point! From this quick research, it seems as though there are plenty of biodegradable options out there, but you need to read up on what is biodegradable before purchasing something that may be petroleum/Teflon based (thinking of you, FinishLine…..). Remember that in order for you to make the best decision based on the type of lubricant (wet/dry) or chain wax that you want, think about the weather and conditions in which you will be cycling in, as well as the effort you feel like putting in to maintaining your bike.

Please feel free to comment further on this newsletter about the nuances of bike chain lube, wax, cleaning and eco-friendliness of various companies.

Happy Cycling everyone!

-Claire

Original post can be found here on Substack.