NFS Chainlube & Race Grease: The wait is over

[PaMtbRider]

I'm going to need a bigger bottle.

[Chik]

I forgot to mention that I finally finished my first bottle last month. Don't ask me when I got it because I don't remember.

[Arlon]

Huge shout out to NFS, now "The Official Chain Lube of Raid Rockingham"!

[Too Tall]

Huge shout out to NFS, now "The Official Chain Lube of Raid Rockingham"!

HA! You rule Arlon. In case anyone does not know who my man is please sign up for Raid Rockingham or one of his running events to find out how things should be done.

[Too Tall]

https://www.creakybottombracket.com/...genie-wax-lube





A demanding weekend demands reliable chain protection. After a brutal outing at Monkey Knife Fight, a ride that saw arguably every season appear in one day, the bike needed strong love to come back and ride the Hell of Hunterdon the next day. The bike’s chain was in desperate need of love, and naturally NixFrixShun Speed Shop’s new biodegradable wax lube called GreenGenie was tapped to make day two happen.


Having busted a chain before, the grinding noise was a concern in the first gravel grinder of the weekend. Grit, sand, and dirt caked itself into the pins and plates of the chain. I was hoping for a miracle that the chain would remain strong. As it held firm, the bike was hosed down for day two with strong attention to the drive train. If the chain was to have any chance of a longer life, NixFrixShun’s wax lube was its lifeline.


NixFrixShun GreenGenie is a biodegradable wax lube, but it’s much more than that. GreenGenie is odorless and non-toxic, the perfect addition to the service course. The lube is designed to be remarkably silent, thus directing obsessive glares at other parts of the bike not so silent. GreenGenie is also designed to stay put for up to twelve hours of wet riding, which was certainly describing the weeping bike in our stand after the first gravel ride.


The drivetrain was sprayed and cleaned. It was brushed and wiped. The old silvery shine came back to life, even if briefly knowing that the Hell of Hunterdon on day two would test GreenGenie’s claims. Then, once the drivetrain was sparkly, the manufacturer’s recommendation of fifteen drops of GreenGenie was applied. Here at creakybottombracket.com we like to apply the night before, let it absorb into the chain, and then wipe down the next morning. And we did that.


What followed was the most incredible drivetrain transformation ever. Riding to the start of the Hell of Hunterdon was one of the most peaceful trips made. The drivetrain worked effortlessly while the disc brakes started their attention-seeking behavior. Perhaps the new application was the reasoning behind the silence, but no, hours into the ride, and through numerous gravel sectors, GreenGenie yawned off the debris and gunk. This is the new service course default bottle. This is what the drivetrain wanted after all these years.


With hundreds of riders attacking gravel sectors, certainly one of the concerns could be toxicity of all those drivetrains. What seems negligible in the form of fifteen drops, becomes substantial when the amount of riders are considered on a daily basis. To have GreenGenie ranked as biodegradable is a step forward in cycling lubrication. If cycling cannot pursue bio-safe items, how can the sport be at the front of climate concerns?

NixFrixShun’s GreenGenie checked all the boxes for our testing parameters. There could not have been a harder weekend to test GreenGenie and it left the rig powering quietly after the second day. This is the good stuff. Now if we have to inventory all those new noises we can no longer ignore.

[Chik]

Wax lube? WAX??

Otherwise, fab article.

[Too Tall]

Wax lube? WAX??

Otherwise, fab article.

G.G. is not your usual gimmick "wax" lube. This is purely plant based and derived by modifying the molecular bonds of crop plants. It is also a drip lube AND is extremely durable eg. will not wash off in rain or a bike wash.

Riders know the love/hate associated with traditional "waxed chains". G.Genie is the opposite, you will use it the same as any high quality drip chainlube dot period with the understanding you are now associating yourself with a product that is non-toxic, odorless and highly biodegradable. To say I'm glowing with pride to bring this to market is a understatement. Fingers crossed, folks will have faith and try it.

Unique? You bet your arse my friend.

Wrapping everyone's head around this change in how we think about what a product is based on terminology, as you know too well, is a tough row to hoe.

With more and more folks coming to use G.Genie I think this will chain-ge ;)

[Tom]

OK, so now I feel stupid for buying an extra bottle of the original stuff a year ago because its only about half empty now. I guess I'm just going to have to stick it behind some taller items unfinished when I get a bottle of this stuff.

[Bob Ross]

OK, so now I feel stupid for buying an extra bottle of the original stuff a year ago because its only about half empty now.

You think you feel stupid: I bought a 32 oz. bottle of Pro Gold ProLink lube one week before I discovered NFS! Decades from now the folks squabbling over who inherits my estate will wind up with all 32 ounces.

[Chik]

OK, so now I feel stupid for buying an extra bottle of the original stuff a year ago because its only about half empty now. I guess I'm just going to have to stick it behind some taller items unfinished when I get a bottle of this stuff.

You used up half a bottle in just one year??? Is that in a shop?

BTW, the original stuff is excellent, but GG is noticeably better (completely unscientifically, that is).

[Too Tall]

Nice write up at Bicycling Mag >> https://getpocket.com/explore/item/h...a-pro-mechanic

It is gratifying to hear they also use Dawn dish soap to clean chains.

[sfhbike]

Haven't been to this thread in a while. A few years ago WD40 was suggested by Josh for degreasing and cleaning prior to NFS (original formulation, not the green new stuff). Still good on that recommendation? Prefer not to futz with dish soap and water and drying.

[Bob Ross]

A few years ago WD40 was suggested by Josh for degreasing and cleaning prior to NFS (original formulation, not the green new stuff). Still good on that recommendation? Prefer not to futz with dish soap and water and drying.

I'm not Josh (nor do I play him on TV) but I will say that using WD40 never yeilded less futzing than dish soap+water+drying for me ...because it takes just as long to wipe away the WD40 enough so that the chain lube will stick as it does to dry the chain.

Someone recently suggested following up the WD40 with an alcohol rinse...haven't tried that yet, but it seems intriguing.

[sfhbike]

I'm not Josh (nor do I play him on TV) but I will say that using WD40 never yeilded less futzing than dish soap+water+drying for me ...because it takes just as long to wipe away the WD40 enough so that the chain lube will stick as it does to dry the chain.

Someone recently suggested following up the WD40 with an alcohol rinse...haven't tried that yet, but it seems intriguing.

I like that alcohol idea. I usually wipe down as best as I can, wait an hour or so for the solvent to evaporate, wipe one more time, then apply the NFS.

[Too Tall]

Haven't been to this thread in a while. A few years ago WD40 was suggested by Josh for degreasing and cleaning prior to NFS (original formulation, not the green new stuff). Still good on that recommendation? Prefer not to futz with dish soap and water and drying.

I may have overstated the simplicity. I'll use WD40 and a giant rag to blast a severely contaminated chain clean. Between the propellant and the 4D it will get heavy contamination that is difficult to clean with hot water and Dawn. Sooooo, Dawn + Hot water is still my go to for 99% of the time.

For the record, WHEN you switch to Green Genie use Dawn + Hot water. Do not use solvents or WD40.

[Chik]

For the record, WHEN you switch to Green Genie use Dawn + Hot water. Do not use solvents or WD40.

That's an important piece of information. Put it everywhere, Toots.

[rec head]

Is the grease OK to use with DOT fluid? Example: Shorten my Sram brakes cables.

[rwsaunders]

I definitely got my money out that set of cleats…no issues unscrewing either, as I used the magic red cleat sauce when I installed them.

[mnoble485]

RW, do you use coffees filters more than once too?

Mike

[rwsaunders]

RW, do you use coffees filters more than once too? Mike

Mike...what's a filter?