Squirt

[5oakterrace]

A friend gave me 5 "sample" bottles of this wax based chain lube called Squirt. I always have used oil. Do I just clean my chain as best I can and apply this... Does it stick when there is leftover oil on the chain? How often do you apply it? Anyone use it - what do you think of it...

[NHAero]

Also curious about users' feedback. My MTB friend has used it for years and his chains last well and are much cleaner looking than mine, so I'm giving it a whirl. Last weekend I cleaned four chains with chain cleaner, rinsed with warm water and detergent, dried in the toaster oven, and lubricated with Squirt. On the bikes I have ridden I did a second application as recommended. But way too early to tell anything. The chains are very quiet.

[dem]

I've used it on my mtb/gravel bikes. I usually just hit the chain with citrus degreaser when washing the bike, then apply Squirt from there.

The carrier agent is water, so not as critical the chain is hyper dry either. This also means the lube in the bottle can dry and thicken up - if that happens, just add a bit of water to thin out.

The main downside is that it is a "loss" lube - ie, you're actually flinging off chunks of wax and dirt. You don't want to use this on your indoor trainer bike. :)

It tends to build up around the jockey wheels, so when washing I take a plastic putty knife and scrape it off.

Chains definitely seem to stay less "gritty" with Squirt.

[rockdude]

Clean your chain in a good degreaser until you can wipe it on a white towel and leave no mark. Put squirt on each roller then run the chain between your fingers for several rotations until the wax works itself into the roller pins. This way you never have wax buildup nor does it attract dirt and grim. Repeat every 200 or so miles. It so nice not to get grease on your calf or hands every time you bump the chain or you touch it. Next thing you know, you will be waxing your chains.

[Pinned]

I used Squirt for a while - it works alright. I found it a pain to get everything cleaned off the chain and you end up with a lot of waxy buildup. But it's not oily and doesn't rub off on everything. Never had any issues with chain life and it's easy to apply.

Switched to NFS recently, but I think Squirt is still better than the vast majority of oil based lube.

[LegendRider]

Squirt made my drivetrain very quiet, but the waxy buildup was annoying.

[m_moses]

I’ve been using Squirt for over a year and I like it except for the waxy build up. And the comment above about using indoors is a good point.

You also need to reapply often. I believe Squirt recommends every 6 hours of riding. Personally, I apply it weekly. I recommend making sure to remove any oil based lubes before using Squirt.

But I like the fact that my chain always looks clean.


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[SpokeValley]

All of the above.

I liked the performance of Squirt, but it does not last long and the wax build up is annoying.

[hobbanero]

I've been using Squirt for at least a year. I don't notice the waxy buildup, but I wipe down my chain every couple of rides, and I specifically wipe the rollers after applying and spinning the cranks for 20 seconds (by putting a rag on the chain as it goes around the jockey wheels. Every 5 rides or so I will degrease the chain and reapply.

My cassettes still look good and my gold chain stays gold. Other lubes I have used attract more dirt.

A key thing may be to let the lube sit overnight, per the instructions. Then the solvent carrier completely evaporates by the time you ride it.

Squirt performed well on the Friction Facts tests.

[5oakterrace]

Thanks a lot for all the info. Very helpful. The idea of having to re-apply this stuff every 6 hours of riding... a bit much in my mind.

[DRietz]

As a licensed professional mechanic with nearly a decade's worth of skin in the game, I started charging my customers who used wax based lubes and never cleaned their bikes a surcharge. Not only does it build up, but it's hard to get off when it does.

Hard veto from me, every time, unless you're a world tour pro lining up for a time trial - I've done it in that case.

[rockdude]

If you put a one small drop on each roller and work it into the roller, no wax buildup problems. If by chance you get a little wax buildup wipe the chain down lightly after applying the wax. Unlike oil, wax just doesn't work itself into the chain, it needs some help. If you don't work it into the chain it just build up on surfaces that it touches.

[Tony]

I use Squirt on my speedplay zero cleats and pedals, works great! Didn't care much for the wax buildup on the chain.
I use DUMONDE TECH pro for mtbing (BEST lube in ALL conditions!} and pro lite for road, good lube, product!

[Tompho]

You can try the Ceramicspeed UFO Drip.

[wkeller79]

I'm not a fan of squirt either..... just like everyone else, the build-up was a horrific mess.

[JStonebarger]

Lately I'm dipping chains in parrafin wax. I keep Squirt around as a backup, but so far I haven't needed it.

I'm curious why excess wax bothers people. Let it dry (or cool, in my case), then brush off. If this seems a mess compare it to any oil-based lube that attracts and holds all kinds of dirt. Wax is pretty darned clean.

By the way, I just did a week of muddy cyclocross at Nats with waxed chains. They're fast, easy, and don't hold mud or dirt the way oil-lubed chains do.

[m_moses]

I would not describe the waxy build-up as a “horrific mess.” To me, the waxy stuff is a minor negative. Most of it flies off while riding. The rest can easily be brushed off between washes.

The positive aspects of having a quiet chain that is clean and not oily far out weighs the negative, in my opinion.


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[jc031699]

All of this sounds like White Lightning all over again... IJS


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[Seramount]

based on this thread, I'll avoid this product...

[false_Aest]

If you put a one small drop on each roller and work it into the roller, no wax buildup problems. If by chance you get a little wax buildup wipe the chain down lightly after applying the wax. Unlike oil, wax just doesn't work itself into the chain, it needs some help. If you don't work it into the chain it just build up on surfaces that it touches.

This is what I did but with the chain off the bike.
Did this twice and let the chain hang dry.

Looking forward to trying it out come Jan.

[Dave]

My homebrew wax based lube is woking well. I do apply it every other ride, or at no more than 100 mile intervals. Since it's really cheap, I apply a little stream to the lower section of chain, with a paper shop towel held close to catch the excess. After the entire chain it is lubed, I use a dry part of the paper towel to remove excess, as I spin the cranks.

The formula is simple: 1 ounce by weight of paraffin (1/4 of a 4-ounce block) to 7 ounces of naptha or white gas camp stove fuel and a very small amount of heavy gear lube ( 2-3%). I recently found Crown brand camp stove fuel at Walmart for only $8.50 a gallon. That's about half what you'd pay for VM&P naptha.

[JStonebarger]

All of this sounds like White Lightning all over again... IJS


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Pretty sure that White Lightning is solvent based, while Squirt is not.

While I haven't used Squirt I keep it as a back up for my waxed chains. Why? Because my understanding is that petroleum anything will keep wax from sticking to bare metal. That's why Squirt, Molten Speed Wax, and any basement chain-dipper will tell you to get everything off your chain before treating it with wax.

[MikeD]

Pretty sure that White Lightning is solvent based, while Squirt is not.



While I haven't used Squirt I keep it as a back up for my waxed chains. Why? Because my understanding is that petroleum anything will keep wax from sticking to bare metal. That's why Squirt, Molten Speed Wax, and any basement chain-dipper will tell you to get everything off your chain before treating it with wax.


Squirt has oil mixed in. It's what is called slack wax.

[Dave]

Wax (paraffin) dissolves in petroleum based solvents like naptha and mineral spirits. Naptha evaporates much faster. Even with a small amount of oil added, it sticks quite well to the chain. There is nothing that every flakes off, as best I can tell.

The solvent based lube I make also works to clean off any build-up, since it's mostly solvent. I just take the paper towel used to collect the excess and turn it over to wipe off any build-up. If all you do is reapply lube and never take the time to do a little wiping, then you should expect to get some build-up.

Lubing and wiping should only take 2-3 minutes.

I tried mixing some oil with melted paraffin, but it didn't seem to soften it much. When hardened, there were a few drops of oil sitting on the top.