Gravel Bike Chain Lube Guide

Gravel riding and racing can really wreak havoc on your equipment, in particular the drivetrain.  The races typically involve extremely long rides with dust, dirt, water crossings, etc.  This makes your lubricant choice extremely important given the demanding nature of these events.  It can be the difference between crossing the line in silence or focusing on the noise from your drivetrain for the last half of the race and having to swap your chain.

Dry Lube is ineffective, dangerous for your health, and should never be used for bicycles, gravel, road, mtb, or otherwise.  

We would suggest throwing it in the trash, but the contents are also supposed to be disposed of at your local hazmat facility.  The best thing you can do is avoid picking up a bottle of dry lube to begin with.  The typical formuals are about 5-10% PFAS and 90-95% carriers such as NAPTHA, acetone, alcohol, etc.  Things that flash very quickly so you really are dripping the PTFE powder on the chain with a carrier that will go away which is how you get the "dry" effect without any real long lasting lubricant effect.  

Just like the other categories of lubricant, not all wet lubes are created equal.  Wet lubes are going to be your best choice for anybody not looking to use wax.  You might want to do this in very fine dust conditions if noise reduction is more important than drivetrain efficiency or longevity.  

Something like a Synergetic chain lube makes for a very good top up lubricant if you have a particularly long and nasty gravel ride.  The downside of oil lubricants on gravel is that they will attract dirt and mix them into the lubricant.  This means you are getting a bit of a grinding paste rather than a lubricant after a while.  This requires some deep cleaning to get rid of for the next ride or you will be starting with a pretty sub-optimal drivetrain.

Wax is the best possible option for gravel bike chain lube. The combination of Secret Chain Blend and an EnduranceChip will get you through just about any single day gravel event quietly, clean, and be really efficient.  There are a few different ways to go the wax route.  You can use Secret Chain Blend with any of our WaxAdditive Chips, top up with SuperSecret Chain Lube, or use that drip wax all by itself.  For an even easier prep, the SILCA StripChip lets you strip factory grease and wax your chain in a single step.

Any of these options are going to be a great way to go and help keep your drivetrain protected from the dirt that you are likely to encounter on a gravel ride. For riders who want all the benefits of wax without the prep work, the SILCA Pre-Waxed Chain comes fully treated and ready to install.  Chain wax is by far the cleanest option which is not only helpful when you go to clean the bike, but will keep your drivetrain running efficiently.  If you use some of the other options you may be losing 10-15w once the chain gets dirty.

1. Cross-chaining as much as possible is a great tip to start. The biggest cog in the back that you have and if you do have a 2x chainring, put it in the big ring as well. Add one drop of lubricant per link and spin backwards.
2. Spin the cranks in reverse 4-10x to make sure all the lubricant penetrates the inner and outer links of the chain.
3. For wet lubes, you will then want to wipe all excess lubricant from the outerlinks and rollers. This will help minimize the dirt contaminants and keep things cleaner and more efficient for longer.
4. For wax based drip lubes, let sit for 4-8 hours before riding. 

If you look at the world's premier gravel race series, the Lifetime Grand Prix, there are half of the peloton on SILCA products and another handful that are running SILCA Chain Lubricants without officially being affiliated.   

The choice of most is Secret Chain Blend.  This is the premier option for speed, cleanliness, and drivetrain longevity which is why it is the go to for racing and training.

SuperSecret Chain lube is often used to supplement hot waxed chains by topping up the night before a race, keeping a training chain going, etc.  It is a great option should you be looking for a waxed chain without the need to remove the chain.

Synergetic is used as a primary lube for a few, but due to the fact that it is much dirtier and ultimately higher in friction, it leaves Synergetic Wet Lube to be the choice for mid-ride lubrication.  The last muddy edition of Unbound Gravel 200 was some of the worst condtions imaginable for drivetrains.  Most riders were applying Synergetic to their chains in the aid station as it doesn't have the need to dry like a drip wax would have.  

No matter which way you go, you should have a great option that keeps your bike running efficiently, quietly, and for most options it will keep your bike clean.

For any chain lube questions, recommendations, or instructions, you can read our other blog posts, watch our videos on your YouTube Channel, or email us at sales@silca.cc and we are always happy to help.