Bike maintenance brand criticised for "really poor taste" video linking Sir Chris Hoy's cancer diagnosis to use of rival company's chain lube

Bicycle maintenance brand Green Oil has been criticised online for a series of social media posts linking Sir Chris Hoy's cancer diagnosis to rival company Muc-Off's chain lube. Joining those condemning the posts, Muc-Off has since said it is "shocked and saddened that Chris Hoy has been dragged into such squalid social media activity" and that the company would be "reviewing our options regarding these false allegations".

Posts appeared on Green Oil's Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages over the weekend, videos uploaded with the title: "Did Sir Chris Hoy get cancer from PTFE bike lubricant exposure?"

The voiceover to the two-minute video said Hoy "was part of Team Sky" who were "sponsored by the company Muc-Off", a rival bicycle maintenance products brand. Green Oil's video then said Muc-Off "manufactured lubricants containing PTFE", and later on that "there is a link between PTFE production and cancer".

It finished by asking: "What do you think? Is there a link here or not?" The final 30 seconds of the video then transitioned to an advert promoting Green Oil's products, including its chain lube.

Green Oil markets itself as "the world's greenest bicycle maintenance products" brand and offers a range of chain lubes and cleaning products, some of which have received positive reviews on road.cc. Now the brand has received many comments criticising the "really poor taste" video and accusing the company of an "utterly scummy way to approach marketing".

Muc-Off this lunchtime told road.cc that it was "in the process of reviewing our options regarding these false allegations" and expressed shock and sadness that Hoy had been "dragged into such squalid social media activity when he has other more important challenges right now".

A spokesperson told us: "We are shocked and saddened that Chris Hoy has been dragged into such squalid social media activity when he has other more important challenges right now.

"There are comments about our brand that are simply wrong. To be clear, we do not use PTFE in any of our current product range as we took a decision many years ago to become 100% PTFE free due to environmental concerns. We are in the process of reviewing our options regarding these false allegations."

One comment on Facebook accused Green Oil of "exploiting" Hoy's illness for sales, while others on Instagram saw viewers commit to never purchasing Green Oil's products due to the "distasteful marketing".

A bike shop owner told the brand: "You or any of your products will never set foot in my shop. This is absolutely disgraceful."

One YouTube viewer said that while PTFE is "an issue" the "unsubstantiated and tasteless" claims and "dragging Chris Hoy into your marketing" had "just lost you a customer/a shop". Another called it "disgusting opportunism", while a third urged Green Oil to take the "bang out of order" video down.

"Speculation like this (that smacks of commercial opportunism) is offensive and counter-productive," they continued. "Chris Hoy is a real person with a family, I hope they don't see this [...] Drawing on a specific individual case is unscientific, and the backlash will hurt the cause. There is a debate to be had but this isn't how to go about it."

Green Oil has replied to numerous comments and doubled down on the video. In one reply, the brand said "the idea was to simply raise the question — and awareness".

Without evidence to support the statement, another reply on the brand's Instagram page says: "A fit healthy man like Sir Chris Hoy shouldn't be getting cancer — it was likely caused by a carcinogen like PFOA. Will get in touch with him next week to see what he thinks, likely he would like people thinking about this to stop future victims of cancer don't you think?"

road.cc contacted Green Oil for comment and received a lengthy reply in which many of the same claims were repeated, although there was an acknowledgement the video and posts were "misjudged".

Hoy was diagnosed with cancer in 2023 and told the public of the news in February 2024. In October, he announced that the diagnosis is terminal and he has two to four years to live, adding that he is "feeling fit, strong and positive, and overwhelmed by all the love and support shown".

The NHS joined the cycling community and wider public in praising Hoy's bravery, the six-time Olympic champion's terminal cancer revelation prompting a near sevenfold increase in prostate cancer advice searches.

"Thanks to his bravery, we have seen a significant spike in people accessing vital information on our website about the signs and symptoms of cancer," NHS England's National Clinical Director for Cancer Professor, Peter Johnson, said in a statement. "One in two people will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime and detecting the disease early gives the best chance of successful treatment."

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Responding to the figures released by the NHS, Hoy said the "massive increase" in men seeking advice has been a "huge comfort" to him and his family.

Hoy's website, with information on an upcoming memoir about his life since the diagnosis, can be found here. For advice on spotting symptoms of prostate cancer, you can visit this page on the NHS England website.