Eco-Friendly Bike Chain Lube, Maintenance and Cleaning Supplies from Mountainflow
A clean, lubed bike is a happy bike. It’s a simple concept, but even basic bike maintenance takes time and the right supplies. You can clean with traditional dish soap and water, but why not do it right and use environmentally friendly cleaning supplies and bike chain lube.
The innovative folks at Mountainflow, makers of plant-based ski wax, have taken the same plant-based, eco-friendly approach they use for ski wax and applied it to making bike maintenance supplies, including plant-based bike chain lube, degreaser, frame polish and grease.
We jumped straight into eco-friendly bike maintenance with the Mountainflow Whole Enchilada bike maintenance kit
What’s in the Bike Cleaning Kit?
The Mountainflow Whole Enchilada bike maintenance and cleaning kit has all the basics for keeping your bike clean, and the drivetrain lubed, and it’s all made from biodegradable, plant-based ingredients.
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Bike Wash / Degreaser: plant-based cleaner that’s strong enough for the drivetrain and gentle enough for the frame
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Bike Polish: Plant-based polish to keep the shine up
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Bike Chain Lube: Two types — All-Weather and Wax — Plant-based and bio-degradable chain lube
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Bike Grease: Plant-based grease for threads and bearings
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Polishing Towels (3-Pack): 100% cotton rags for cleaning, drying and polishing your bike
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Bamboo Frame Cleaning Brush: Super soft bristles to clean the whole bike. Safe on all surfaces.
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Bamboo Drivetrain Cleaning Brush: Stiff bristles cleaning the chain and cassette.
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Clean and Scrub
When it comes to basic bike maintenance, keeping the drivetrain — chain, cassette, chainrings, derailleurs — clean and lubed is the top priority. Routine cleaning is always better than letting it get so bad that it becomes a real chore
Having a solid bike repair stand makes any maintenance easier. The Park Tool PCS-4-1 and the Feedback Sports Pro Elite Bike Repair Stand are the best options for home shop use.
If you do regular bike maintenance and your drivetrain is reasonably clean, the Mountainflow spray bottle lets you easily apply degreaser to the chain, cassette and any part of the bike. The drivetrain brush does a great job scrubbing all the right places. It’s not a big surprise that the plant-based, biodegradable and non-toxic degreaser doesn’t foam up like dish soap, but it still does a great job breaking down dirt and grime. I’ve put it to work on multiple bikes with great results.
If your drivetrain is a mess and you have the skills, the best cleaning approach is to remove the chain and possibly the cassette for cleaning. Most chains have a quick-link system these days, so removal is fast and simple, especially if you have the Park Tool MLP-1.2 chain link pliers. Removing the chain also makes for easier cleaning of the cassette and chainrings. Once removed, drop the chain in a small container (yogurt container or similar), add degreaser, shake vigorously, scrub and repeat as needed. The Mountainflow degreaser is available in a concentrate for refills and doing stuff like cleaning your chain off the bike.
Plant-Based Bike Polish
The real surprise with the Mountanflow bike maintenance kit is the bike polish. This stuff works great. I’ve always been pretty good about cleaning my bike, but have never taken the time to actually buff it out with any type of polish or wax. The Mountainflow polish puts a real shine on everything, giving even a well-worn and faded frame a nice shine. It buffs out rims and tires really nicely, too.
In addition to giving everything a nice shine, the polish helps the bike repel mud and dirt, so the next cleaning is as simple as hosing off your bike. It comes packaged in a nice reusable aluminum spray bottle, too.
Wax-Based Chain Lube vs Oil-Based Chain Lube
The best chain lube for your bike depends on the climate where you live and your tolerance for maintenance. In relatively dry climates, wax-based lubes are hard to beat when it comes to keeping your drivetrain clean and running smoothly. Unlike oil-based lubes, wax-based lubes don’t attract dust or dirt, which means your drivetrain stays clean way longer than when using oil-based chain lube. However, wax-based chain lubes require more routine attention and application than oil-based chain lubes (plant or petroleum). Using wax-based chain lube also requires stripping your chain of any oils (plant- or petroleum-based) prior to using wax and then using wax-based chain lube exclusively.
The benefit of wax-based lubes is that your drivetrain never gets gummed up and gnarly and stays clean and easy to maintain for months at a time. Wax-based lubes are not for everyone, but they’re excellent if you enjoy routine bike maintenance and live in a drier climate.
The Mountainflow plant-based wax chain lube has proven to offer excellent results as my routine maintenance chain lube. As a dedicated chain waxer, I started with a clean, hot-waxed chain and have been using the Mountainflow wax chain lube for routine chain maintenance, applying it every couple of rides or around every 50-75 miles.
For best results, it’s important to apply liquid wax-based lubes the night before a ride or at least several hours before, so the emulsifier (the stuff that makes the wax liquid) has time to evaporate and the wax component settles into all the right spots. It’s also important not to mix wax-based lubes with oil-based lubes. Go with wax, and don’t look back!
Oil-Based Chain Lube
Since I run a waxed chain, I have not tested the Mountainflow plant-based all-weather oil chain lube on my drivetrain. However, even when you run a waxed chain, there are still a variety of applications for an oil-based lube (albeit plant-based oil). Stuff like bolt threads, bottom bracket joints, pedal cleat mechanisms and cables all benefit from lubrication. The Mountainflow plant-based all-weather chain lube has filled this roll nicely. From silencing a creaky bottom bracket shell to lubing bolts, the all-weather chain lube has performed well. It’s a little thicker than some traditional petroleum-based lubes I have used and offers good longevity. Although plant-based, the Mountainflow all-weather and wet chain lubes function very similarly to traditional petroleum-based lubes, with the benefit of being petroleum-free.
See all the different plant-based bike chain lube and cleaning products from Mountainflow and check out their how to lube your chain video and how to choose the right chain lube video
Check out more of our bike content like how to set up tubeless tires and other Adventure Ride Essentials
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