Revolubes?

Anyone tried this stuff? It popped up as a Facebook as - very expensive chain lube that makes some very strong claims about not picking up the usual crud on your drive train and not needing frequent reapplication.

Of course we've read it all before but the reviews seem mostly positive.
[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
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Comments

  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    Well I've ordered some - will be going on a new (degreased) chain and drivetrain so we'll see if it lives up to the hype.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    It won't.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    Probably but it's a relatively small outlay and hopefully worst case is it's simply an expensive lube.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • yes i have been using revolubes chain lube for 3 months now and it is brilliant..chain must be cleaned as instructed but once the lube is established a tiny drop on each link every 400 miles (maybe more i just like to do it even when no noise) and the 50ml goes a long long way..well worth the money and the best chain lube i have used by far..and i have used wet,dry and wax based
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    Yes I've been using it on my best bike and I agree it's the best I've tried - should add I haven't tried the modern wax stuff like squirt which seem popular now or ridden this bike in Winter yet but certainly so far so good.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • i did use squirt previously..it was good but had to apply frequently and it did wash off when wet and it did gunk up around derallieurs/cassette etc..revolubes far better in my opinion..cannot fault it
  • s_j_pwmb
    s_j_pwmb Posts: 75
    I tried (also FB advertised) the similar TruTesion lube on my road bike chain this spring, and overall I wasn’t impressed at all. The applicator nozzle blocked every time I used it, the chain didn’t shrug-off dirt as advertised and went a grey/black (probably from the metal grinding away!), I found I needed to reapply it after every ride otherwise I’d have a noisy drive-chain, and worst of all I wore-out a chain more quickly than I ever have before.

    I can’t help but think that the “convenient” wax and/or new-technology lubes are just not as good as old-fashioned wet/dry or as good as time-consuming waxing.

    Having said that, I’m now using Squirt and 1,000 miles in I’m pretty impressed with it as a convenient wax-substitute for dry-weather riding.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    To be fair that doesn't sound similar at all other than it being advertised on facebook.

    I haven't had to degrease my drivetrain in the time I've been using this stuff - must be over 1000 miles - and I've reapplied it once - though I wouldn't say I had to I just thought another coating wouldn't do any harm. I do intend to try squirt however - on another bike - as I know a few lads who rave about it so be good to do a comparison.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,252
    edited July 2020
    I found Squirt is not very good in the wet as it washes off too easily. Interested if the Revolubes lasts as well as claimed in the wet.
  • k3vinjam3s
    k3vinjam3s Posts: 266
    Just looked at the application process. Dont mind if it does what it says.

    Would a new chain need to be soaked and treated first too?
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    Yeah you are meant to degrease the chain first - same as the squirt stuff - the idea is if you leave grease on it it'll prevent the lube or wax getting into the rollers. Must admit I've not done loads of wet riding with it - only one where it got a good test and seemed ok after that.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • k3vinjam3s
    k3vinjam3s Posts: 266

    Yeah you are meant to degrease the chain first - same as the squirt stuff - the idea is if you leave grease on it it'll prevent the lube or wax getting into the rollers. Must admit I've not done loads of wet riding with it - only one where it got a good test and seemed ok after that.

    Dont mind doing it with a new chain but will be using sram 12 speen axs chain were removing after install isnt encouraged.
  • k3vinjam3s
    k3vinjam3s Posts: 266
    So applied it to the very clean and very dry chain. Seemed far to noisy so put a bit more on. Then went out on ride, after 50 miles still as noisey as ever. So much so that i wish i hadnt bothered. Ive applied some more and riding tomorrow around the same distance. Should i be expecting it to be more quiet? Seems a faf so far.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    Mine is still ok - initially I'd say it was quieter but probably about the same as my old lube overall just a lot cleaner.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 14,498
    Face = palm

    Please save your money chaps.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    edited August 2020


    That's my chain and cassette about a minute ago. I haven't so much as wiped it with a tissue in about 500 miles, I've not degreased it since fitting chain and cassette maybe 1500 miles ago. Hopefully the pic shows it is still clean, almost shiny.

    Any other lube I've used over 20 years it would have been caked in crap by now.

    You can spend your money on a decent lube (of which this is one, the wax stuff seems to be another) or you can save it to spend in a new drivetrain - your choice.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,596

    Hopefully the pic shows it is still clean, almost shiny.

    It does show the onset of rust.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    pblakeney said:

    Hopefully the pic shows it is still clean, almost shiny.

    It does show the onset of rust.
    That's the sun reflecting from the steel. Honestly this stuff is good - whether it's as good as the wax stuff people rave on about I don't know - after a positive experience with this I'm going to try that on another bike.

    Fair play if you try it and don't like it but it's (from memory) about £12 so you aren't losing much. If it extends the life of a chain a decent amount you've probably made your money back and saved a lot of time degreasing and lubing. I'm comparing it to proper bike lubes too not 3in1 or WD40.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • pblakeney said:

    Hopefully the pic shows it is still clean, almost shiny.

    It does show the onset of rust.
    and a crack in the chainstay.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    Well I've just got in from 50 miles in the Peak so if it's cracked it can't be too bad - possibly you are looking at the edge of some helicopter tape or you have a crack in your screen?

    The Matt finish does get a little grubby but as I don't have to clean the drivetrain now the frame tends to get cleaned less often too.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • bsharp77
    bsharp77 Posts: 533



    That's my chain and cassette about a minute ago. I haven't so much as wiped it with a tissue in about 500 miles, I've not degreased it since fitting chain and cassette maybe 1500 miles ago. Hopefully the pic shows it is still clean, almost shiny.

    Any other lube I've used over 20 years it would have been caked in censored by now.

    You can spend your money on a decent lube (of which this is one, the wax stuff seems to be another) or you can save it to spend in a new drivetrain - your choice.

    Thanks for the update, looks good.
    I took a punt on it for the price, so will give it a go next time I give the drivechain a clean.

    Currently using NFS which seems to be very good - doesn't need much to keep everything silent and running smooth and chain still seems clean, but not as clean as the wax based lubes such as Squirt appear to be able to achieve ( I still get some black marks if I touch chain with NFS).

    How does the Revolubes fair out in that respect? Does it leave the drive chain so clean and that you can touch it without any greasy marks?
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,719
    Just tested it - you get some mark on your skin if you rub it across the chain. You wouldn't get the classic 4th cat tattoo and if you wipe the plates occasionally probably nothing - as you can see from the pic I'm not huge into bike cleaning.

    Be good to see how you get on - I don't want to sound like a salesman for this stuff .
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • k3vinjam3s
    k3vinjam3s Posts: 266
    Just an update on the limited use ive had. Put the lube on 2 bikes, both brand new chains. Both been out in wet weather and attracted pretty much no dirt. One bike i just hosed down, dried off chain then reapplied. Absolutely spotless and worth it for ease of keeping clean.

    As for the noise issue i was having, ive put this on a sram 12 speed chain and a kmc 11 speed chain. Its the kmc that seems to be noisier and the sram seems very quiet.

    Will stick with it till i run out, but if still the same over winter than will be buying again.
  • triathlete
    triathlete Posts: 1
    edited August 2020
    I got some in July, then followed the proper cleaning instructions and applied it to my 3 bikes (road, CX and hardtail). All components are new-ish (i.e. under 500 miles use) with a new chain on the CX bike.

    After 8-10hrs of mixed riding on each bike none of them need re-lubing yet. All nice and quiet with crisp shifting, as you'd expect with any lubed drivetrain.

    Each chain got a quick wipe with a sheet of kitchen roll after the first ride to remove the excess, but no more cleaning needed since then. There's no crud gathering between cassette sprockets or on the jockey wheels. Just a slight blackening by the chain plates, which is dirty rather than oily/greasy, no need to wipe it again, it's so minor. In fact after a wet road ride the chain is cleaner than the bike.

    I might re-lube before the next ride just for peace of mind, as I'm still sceptical, but so far I'm not disappointed which is a good start.


    ETA: I haven't posted in here for many years, I guess Bikeradar has removed old posts and made me a newb! Also, I logged in with my email address and had forgotten my username - I haven't done a triathlon since 2013 ;)
  • Just tested it - you get some mark on your skin if you rub it across the chain. You wouldn't get the classic 4th cat tattoo and if you wipe the plates occasionally probably nothing - as you can see from the pic I'm not huge into bike cleaning.

    I've been using Revolube since early May, having bought new chains for my road bike and my other bike which sits permanently on my Kickr Core smart trainer. I've ridden an average of 200 km a week, maybe 60% outdoors, so have done a total of around 3600 km, 2160 km on the road bike. Since I have the smart trainer for when it rains, it's been almost all dry riding outdoors except for a few showers and one excursion through a short flooded dip in the road.

    I think I've reapplied the lubricant three times indoors but not cleaned the chain at all, and it looks like new. Outdoors, there is a blackening on the gear teeth side of the chain which you can wipe off with a paper towel, though I've just been advised by Revolubes to wash it off after 30 km with a garden hose, so I did that this time without reapplying the lube. I've previously wiped and lubricated the chain every few weeks, though there was never any noise to suggest it needed re-application.

    A couple of weeks back I gave the road bike chain a proper clean with a Park Tool chain cleaner and there was a small amount of metallic 'dust' in the magnet trap - just fine particles. I measured the chain wear and it is still indicating between 0.25 and 0.5, the suggested range for a new chain. The chain it replaced after an estimated 3000 km lubricated by Finish Line dry lube had stretched outside the wear limit so I'm really pleased with the performance of Revolube, which doesn't cost a huge amount more. I'd say any extra cost would be more than compensated for by additional chain and sprocket life. I haven't bothered to clean the trainer bike chain or to measure its wear but I'm confident it is fine.

    In both cases, the drive train is quieter and feels subjectively smoother than before changing the chains, but of course that could be because I had fitted new chains (both degreased as per instructions). I ordered another bottle when they had an offer recently, even though there's plenty left in the first bottle. I've also bought a bottle of the motor bike chain lubricant after trying the bicycle lube on the chain - that cleaned up very nicely.

    Thumbs up from me!
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601

    Anyone tried this stuff? It popped up as a Facebook as - very expensive chain lube that makes some very strong claims about not picking up the usual crud on your drive train and not needing frequent reapplication.

    Of course we've read it all before but the reviews seem mostly positive.

    Well, I would ask the question "When did you last read a review for ANY cycling related oil that didn't get great press"? Hell, for that matter when did you ever read a review of ANY cycling product that wasn't glowing? The people who write these reviews work mostly for cycling related publications whose main income is derived from advertising cycling products. Do you need any more explanation? I hope not.
  • Hello? I've been using it for about 6 months now so I can say from personal experience it's the best bike lube I've tried in about 20 years since I took up cycling as a sport.

    I don't want to big it up too much because a) I don't want you to think I'm being paid and b) it's still just a chain lube not a cure for Covid, but that aside it's worth the money imo.

    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,052
    Not tried this one but have just switched to smoove because I was tired of the cleaning and blocked rear mech wheels, really impressed so far and I have tried three methods of application, sonic cleaned new chain, white spirit cleaned newish chain and wiped clean chain all three are spotless silent and smooth in use.

    I think finally there are a few companies out there making actually good bike specific chain lube rather than Rebadged generic stuff.
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • ballysmate
    ballysmate Posts: 15,921
    Special price.
    It only seems to be available via this link at the moment. Usual price £16.90 reduced to £9.90

    https://revolubes.co.uk/products/revolubes-bicycle-chain-lube-black-friday-offer?utm_campaign=emailmarketing_67802497102&utm_medium=email&utm_source=shopify_email

    I am nowt do with Revolubes btw, just thought the link I got via mailshot may be of use to someone. I did check with them that it was ok to share the link so it should work.
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601

    Special price.
    It only seems to be available via this link at the moment. Usual price £16.90 reduced to £9.90

    https://revolubes.co.uk/products/revolubes-bicycle-chain-lube-black-friday-offer?utm_campaign=emailmarketing_67802497102&utm_medium=email&utm_source=shopify_email

    I am nowt do with Revolubes btw, just thought the link I got via mailshot may be of use to someone. I did check with them that it was ok to share the link so it should work.

    The revolubes site said it was a professional lube. Guess I'll have to stick to 3 in 1 oil.