Black Ox is a North Carolina bicycle products company that produces some mean chain lube. We're a fan of this environmentally friendly nanoparticle Carnuba Wax based product. Plus the company has two slogans for this product: "Stay Clean, My Friend", and "Apply Well, Ride Like Hell". Their sloganeering alone is a reason to buy this product.Because it's aqueous, you need to degrease your chain before using. How? I use a bath of easy-to-find kerosene or mineral spirits (be sure to recycle any waste product), swirl the chain around in it for a few minutes and then wipe it dry with a rag. I then dip it in a bath of Dawn dish detergent and hot water, give it a swirl, and then wipe it dry again. Finally, I dip it in a bath of isopropyl alcohol to drive off any water and let it hang dry. After the chain dries, I put it back on the bike and treat it with the Black Ox. Give the bottle a shake to send everything back into suspension and drip it right onto the chain links and rollers with a rag underneath the chain. The liquid dries quickly, leaving a tacky residue on and inside the chain. I let the chain dry and hit it a second time, especially after cleaning it. The result? Awesomeness. It's quiet and your drivetrain stays clean in the dustiest gravel conditions. It's also surprisingly good in a peanut butter mud situation--once you get the mud cleared, the wax sheds the mud better than any petroleum-based lubricant I've used. It's not perfect for riding in the rain, but hey, nothing is really. After you ride in the rain, you're going to need to hit the chain again with the Black Ox before you head back out, same as you would with any other chain lube. But you won't need to degrease it this time. In dry conditions, the chain and drivetrain stay remarkably clean--the wax lubricant picks up practically no grime. It's nothing like you've tried. Contains no petroleum distillates or Teflon. We sell this in a pack of two 4oz containers. Roll with the Ox!
