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review
Lubrication
B'Twin Lubricant with TeflonBTwin Lubricant with Teflon

B'Twin Lubricant with Teflon

8
by Shaun Audane
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Jun 23, 2014

0
£2.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Cheap but effective and long-lasting three-season chain lube
Weight: 
100g
Contact: 
www.decathlon.co.uk
How we test

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B'Twin Teflon lubricant is an honest to goodness, three seasons, most conditions lube. Such lubes might lack the outright cleanliness of the latest generation of friction busting super-polymers but then it goes on in a flash, doesn't contain seriously flammable solvents, and stays put and all for less than the price of a pub-pulled pint.

The label gives little clue as to ingredients, but confirms it's produced in the UK. It appears suspiciously similar in weight and viscosity to another popular brand. Teflon, or PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) has been around since its accidental discovery in 1938 and remains revered for its low-friction, non-stick properties, hence it continued popularity in everything from control cables to cookware.

Application couldn't be easier. Clean the chain, dry and then drizzle into every link, capturing the excess in old rag/kitchen paper. Contemporary space age preps demand a curing time, usually of several hours/overnight so being able to hop on and scoot off is extremely liberating, not to mention convenient on club runs, commutes or a week's tour.

The middleweight formula also lends itself handsomely to cleats, pedal mechanisms, jockey wheels, quick release skewers, old-fashioned screw-on freewheels and even as a grease substitute on mounting hardware. Steer clear of pivot points and cables though since they'll just gum up. Formative impressions on my fixed winter/trainer were extremely favourable: slick but with staying power.

For the most part this remains unchanged in several weeks' mixed terrain use. Wet, gritty lanes have seen chains cultivate a thin, grimy patina but (aside from a slippery stainless steel unit) hasn't dispersed, penetrated the top layer or become a transmission gobbling grinding paste. Shifting lacks the outright responsiveness of the 'barely there' summer brews too, though it lasts considerably longer.

Jockey wheels, cages and side plates benefit from weekly wipes to prevent grungy beards developing, especially in mixed terrain contexts yet sporadic immersion and shallow river crossings haven't dismissed it either, although salty coastal stuff dented miles per application (90-130 miles tops) whereas it's teetered around 185/two weeks when subjected to this spring's volatile temperament.

Verdict

Cheap but effective and long-lasting three-season chain lube

road.cc test report

Make and model: BTwin Lubricant with Teflon

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

'perfect lubrication for your drive train. Teflon® lubricant that limits salt deposits TEFLON lubricant for all weather!!!'

Surprisingly capable three season's lubricant for general riding.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Synthetic oil with Teflon 100ml 2 year warrantee

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Surprisingly tenacious-even through some wetter conditions

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10

Simple to apply, easily carried.

Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

Reduced price of £2.99 is an absolute bargain.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Overall, there's very little to dislike here-especially given the reduced asking price. Simple to apply, its middleweight formula requires minimal clean up while zero curing time allows one to literally lube n' go. Admittedly, more sophisticated "dry" blends will run decidedly cleaner but lack comparable staying power.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Slick, cheap and stays put.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing of note.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Definitely.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Definitely.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 1m 81  Weight: 70 kilos

I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

 

B'Twin Lubricant with Teflon
B'Twin 2014
Shaun Audane

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

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