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review
Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Lube Wet£8.00
VERDICT:
Impressive ceramic lube for monsoon conditions
Weight:
137g
Contact:
muc-off.com
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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Muc-Off's C3 Ceramic lube has changed my chain-wetting preference, especially during these wetter months. This is my new favourite wet lube.
It contains a mix of nano-ceramics, boron nitride and fluoropolymers that all do their bit to reduce friction, and therefore wear, and to create a lube that adheres to the chain in a bid to repel water and mud from penetrating.
It's thinner than you'd expect which makes the pipette style neck of the bottle ideal for getting the liquid into each nook and cranny.
Muc-Off's instructions are easy to follow and it's pretty standard stuff: degrease the chain to remove any traces of old lube; shake bottle and apply to each link ideally 3-4 hours before you ride to allow it to soak in and wipe off any excess. Oh yeah – don't get any on your brakes.
On the first ride it was noticeable how quietly and smoothly the transmission was running and it stayed that way even when things started to get a bit dirty.
My commute has been pretty harsh over the last month with all the heavy rain, high winds and mud all over the road. I've been relubing the chain every weekend, which means every 200 miles or so. Considering about half of those miles have been done in the wet lately, that means the C3 has been performing well.
Chucking in a couple of grit-strewn canal path commutes hasn't seen too much dirt sticking to the C3 either.
When it comes to relube time a wipe over with a cloth has been enough to clean the worst off before re-applying. It's 95% biodegradable as well so any you do spill on the ground shouldn't kill too much wildlife.
It also smells very sweet, almost like strawberries. As you're lubing the chain you sit there thinking, 'I wonder what it tastes like.' I didn't find out.
At £8 for 50ml it's reasonably-priced as most lubes are around the seven to ten quid mark and the overall performance makes it worth the outlay.
Verdict
Impressive ceramic lube for monsoon conditions.
road.cc test report
Make and model: Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Lube Wet
Size tested: 120ml
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?
It's a wet weather lube which is good for road, cyclo cross and mountain biking. It stays put in heavy rain and standing water and doesn't seem to attract much dirt.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Nano ceramic
Boron Nitride
Flouropolymers
95% Biodegradable
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
Rate the product for value:
8/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Lasting around 200 miles between applications in all sorts of weathers I'd say it does exactly what it says on the tin.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Silent running drivetrain.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
I keep wanting to drink it, it smells so nice.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
About the tester
Age: 35 Height: 180cm Weight: 76kg
I usually ride: Ribble Winter Trainer for commuting, Genesis Flyer My best bike is: Sarto Rovigo
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,
Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.
With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.
He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.
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Add new comment
8 comments
I have been using this on my good bike, ridden extensively over the past few weeks in extremely wet and filthy off road conditions, I must say that it works well, it seems to attract less black stuff than my prefered wet lube, Finish Line Cross Country, I don't know if it lasts quite as long.
One thing, after cleaning and a couple of lubes, the bike was off the road for most of the summer with a leaking fork leg, the pink stuff had set into something nasty which took a few lubes to loosen off.
It is a lot more fluid and lighter than the FL XC stuff, and seems to penetrate very well, the nozzle on the bottle is a dream to use and the drop can be quite small, meaning less can be applied, then after a night sinking in, less to be wiped off.
Just paid £5.39 from Halfords with current discounts.
"At £8 for 50ml it's reasonably-priced as most lubes are around the seven to ten quid mark and the overall performance makes it worth the outlay."
Most lubes you get 120ml for seven to ten quid. With this you get less than half the usual amount. The review doesn't make it seem quite that good!
And for £10.20 off the interweb, I have ordered a bottle containing 120ml.
My chain needs lubing regularly, especially at this time of year. I also quite like the smell of strawberries. So, based on your review, I've just ordered a bottle off the interweb.
I used this through the summer on my number one bike, and have continued its use on my winter bike. As Stuart says, it really makes for super-quiet running. Noticeable to the point where a couple of clubmates have asked what I'm using.
The only downside is the smell of it, which I find rather nauseating.
These ceramic lubes are fantastic and mucoff stuff is usually good, so if you've not tried ceramic yet, this sounds worth a go.
I use this and its great. A little goes a long way. I only re-apply if I clean my chain otherwise a single application lasts for long time. My typical mileage is 250 a week in all weathers and my current bottle is over 6 months old.