A few days ago, I posted about switching chain lube and trying out White Lightning original. It’s a wax based, patented formula that claims to keep your drivetrain clean by trapping dirt in the wax and shedding this dirt off like a snake would its skin. It also has the added benefit of keeping your legs free from black marks when you accidentally rub up against your chain. I bought some a while ago but didn’t end up using it because of some negative reviews some other folks had given it. But I was bored and wanted to try something new so I figured I’d give it a shot.

I did full clean and degrease my drivetrain and applied the product as directed. The product itself went on very easily. The solvent that the wax is mixed with dries fairly quickly so each drop onto the rollers of my chain was followed by a quick evaporation of the solvent leaving a dull white finish that must have been the wax. After each application, you let the solvent dry for a couple hours leaving just the wax in place. I applied two coats Sunday evening and was set for my ride the following day.

I rode for 30 miles the next day. No real complaints other than maybe my chain being a little louder towards the end of my ride than at the beginning. If it was louder, it wasn’t by much. It may have possibly just been in my head. There was no squeaking in my chain and my bike shifted through its gears flawlessly, so things worked alright. I got home and inspected my chain. I saw little clumps of black wax sitting on various parts of the chain link plates. The chain itself wasn’t filmy or oily to the touch. It had a wax-like feel to it and my finger was pretty clean off the chain except if I hit a clumped up wax piece. I wiped the chain with a shop towel to get off most of the clumps and reapplied.

Another 30 mile ride on Tuesday revealed pretty much the same results. Again, my chain seemed to be a bit louder coming home than it was on the way out. The same waxy clumps were on my chain when I returned. I also noticed that I was starting to develop a little waxy haze on the pulleys of my rear derailleur. I only really noticed because those small gears are black which shows the white wax more easily than my cogs or cranks. I’m guessing there was the same build up across the board, but I just couldn’t see it on the other pieces. I hate to even say build up as it wasn’t really caked on there or anything. It was pretty easy to remove by just wiping it with a shop towel, but then again it was only have 60 miles and two uses of the lube. I don’t know if it would have been as easy to clean after say 600 miles of use?

I didn’t ride Wednesday, but the more I thought about it that day the more I thought about switching back to using Prolink. Eventually, I cleaned everything again Wednesday night and switched back. My reasons? In the back of my mind it was starting to bug me that wax really probably wasn’t the best lubricant out there. I mean, sure it could keep metal parts from rubbing together but what happens when the lube, working as advertised, sheds all of its wax complete off? Reapplying on the spot would be a pain and really isn’t an option anyway since you have to let it dry for two hours before riding. I was a little hesitant to push the envelope of how far could I ride before my chain started to squeak. It seemed like it was getting louder after just 30 miles. Would the wax be gone after 60 miles? 100 miles? Whatever the distance, I didn’t want to have to worry about going out for a century ride and having my lube be entirely gone before I got back leaving me to finish the remainder of my ride with a dry chain.

The clumps of wax also bugged me a little bit. Again, the product did seem to work as advertised and the wax would clump up taking the dirt with it, but I didn’t think that the clumps would stick to the chain as much as they did. I thought that the wax would shed more during normal riding. It also seemed to be creating some build up between the outer and inner plates which worried me because I couldn’t get that off with a quick wipe of a shop towel. That took a bit more work and that was just 60 miles of riding.

So… I’m back to using my trust Prolink chain lube. The stuff is oily to the touch and leaves black marks when you touch the chain, but I have the satisfaction of knowing that it’s still there after 100 miles; my chain stays whisper quiet at the end of a century as the beginning of the ride. I’m pretty sure it’d be there after 200 miles, but I’m not that cruel to my bike. :) It’s good stuff. It always gets very high reviews. I does its job and does it well. I can’t really slam White Lightning. The stuff does work and the added bonus of your drivetrain always looking clean is appealing. I guess I’m just in favor of staying power with a little dirt and no buildup over questionable longevity and clean.

I’m sure I’ll get bored with Prolink sometime down the road and start itching to try something different. I’m pretty dumb like that and always end up switching products despite finding stuff that I know works for me.