Home > Bike Types > Mountain Bike

Wolf Tooth WT-1 Synthetic Chain Lube cleans, lubes, & protects in one blue/green bottle

27 Comments
Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

Another chain lube? Yeah, that was my first reaction, too. There has been no shortage of new, quality chain lubes lately, with everything from Pumpkin Spice to Super Secret formulas. But instead of another take on wax, Wolf Tooth Components has finally released their WT-1 All Conditions Chain Lube – and it’s worth checking out.

Wolf Tooth WT-1 Synthetic Chain Lube blot

Is it blue? Is it green? Whatever you want to call it, WT-1 is quite colorful which helps you see where it’s been applied.

Calling it an All Conditions Synthetic Chain Lube, Wolf Tooth WT-1 boasts properties of dry lube, wet lube, chain cleaner, and a drivetrain treatment all in one. Sounds too good to be true. But then again, that’s what led Wolf Tooth Components to partner with SCC Tech to bring WT-1 to market.

When asked how WT-1 compares to SCC Tech’s own Drivetrain Treatment, Wolf Tooth’s Brendan Moore told us that, “both chain lubricants rely on the same formulation. If you’ve liked using SCC Slick, you can expect the same great performance from WT-1 Chain Lube.”

What does that mean? If means that you should end up with a very clean chain lube that lasts a claimed 3-5x longer than the competition. WTC calls out the fact that WT-1 is 95% chain lube and 5% carrier fluid. Other chain lubes can be as low as 20-50% lubricant. But even with most of the fluid being an actual lubricant, the WT-1 fluid is still a low enough viscosity to easily flow into the rollers and fully coat the chain.

Additionally, a “detergent-like additive” is included to clean your chain as it lubricates. That forces all those contaminants to the surface where they can be wiped away. The lubricant is said to then bond to the metal plates of the chain to protect all surfaces, decreasing wear.

WT-1 Claims:

  • Cleans lubricates and protects chains
  • Peak performance in all conditions
  • An optimal choice for complex modern drivetrains
  • Available in 2.0 and 0.5 fl oz bottles, sold individually and by the box
  • Easy to use; the application takes about 10 minutes
  • Also works on other places of your bike, including hubs, cables, and pulley wheels

First Impressions

Wolf Tooth WT-1 Synthetic Chain Lube on chain
Don’t be alarmed. Your chain won’t be Smurfed forever.

From the very first application, three things stood out about WT-1 chain lube. It goes on very bluish-green, it flows easily through the chain, and the self-cleaning claims seem to be true.

I started by adding a drop of WT-1 to each roller of a very well-used SRAM Eagle 12 speed chain. Initially, it shows up as bright blue, making you think it’s going to make a mess of everything it touches. But that blue quickly fades as it works its way into the chain after a few pedal rotations.

Wolf Tooth WT-1 Synthetic Chain Lube clean chain after application
Before even leaving the stand, after a couple of wipes, this super dirty chain was already starting to look clean from a WT-1 application.

Soon, you’ll start to see all the gunk hidden inside your chain work its way to the surface where it can be wiped away. I was surprised to even see tiny bits of metal on the rag after the first application.

It will continue to clean the chain for the first few rides, and WTC recommends wiping off the chain at the end of the ride, but not adding more chain lube until it really needs it.

Application

Wolf Tooth WT-1 Synthetic Chain Lube application

One of the biggest selling points of Wolf Tooth WT-1 seems to be the ease of application. There’s no need to clean the chain upfront, and you don’t have to be super careful in how much lube is applied to the chain. The process should only take about 10 minutes, and most of that is waiting before the final wipe down.

WTC Application directions:

  1. Shake a bottle of WT-1 for 30 seconds. A ball bearing is present in every bottle to help mix things up.
  2. Apply one drop to each roller of your chain. We recommend applying WT-1 Chain Lube to the top side of your chain between your derailleur and chainring, just in front of that lower pulley wheel.
  3. Backpedal 20-30 times. This helps WT-1 Chain Lube find its way between all the pieces of your chain.
  4. Wait 5-10 minutes. Pretty simple.
  5. Wipe the chain with a microfiber cloth until it appears clean with a light sheen. It’ll look extra dirty at first, then it will clear up as you wipe away that dirt.
  6. Ride your bike. Reapply at least once every 400 miles.

Pricing and Availability:

Wolf Tooth WT-1 Synthetic Chain Lube bottles

Available in individual 2.0 oz bottles for $18.95, there’s also a smaller 0.5 oz bottle sold for $6.95. Cases of 12 2.0 oz bottles will also be available for shops. Everything is available now.

wolftoothcomponents.com

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

27 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Trevor
Trevor
2 years ago

“cleans as it lubricates” nonsense.
None of these “me too” companies who come up with such statements has ever proven it in independent tests. Show us the data!

Any oil lubricant is just pointless with bike chains. There is a simple reason for it – oil attracts dirt (turning to a paste) and cant prevent metal on metal contact unlike wax lubes. This is why wax became so popular these days. It’s simply much better option with well documented claims against any oil.

Where is the data to support that this rebranded lube of another company is “3-5x longer than the competition” ? It’s so easy to write such stuff. But show us proof. Who tested it, where are the results, what did you test it against?

A different Trevor
A different Trevor
2 years ago
Reply to  Trevor

Say what you will about it, but I’ve never had lube last as long as SCC Tech does. There’s something special in it that does seem to shed dirt and grime better than the rest. I’m consistently getting 2-3x longer service intervals compared to any of the many other lines I’ve tried. Their marketing might be BS but the product sure isn’t.

Tim Bennion
Tim Bennion
2 years ago

^This dude. He knows what’s up.

Wolf Tooth
2 years ago
Reply to  Trevor

These are valid criticisms of any chain lube. It’s worth explaining our thought process with WT-1 Chain Lube. When selecting a chain lube for real-world riding, there are really only three questions to ask:

Does it last in all conditions?
Is it easy to apply?
Is it clean in-use?

WT-1 Chain Lube is one of the few that can answer unequivocally yes to all three questions.

In real-world use, most wax-based lubes can only answer yes to question 3 and many of the liquid wax lubes actually end up making a sticky mess after repeated applications.

While it’s fun to compare watts in carefully controlled lab tests, these tests have little meaning for most riders in the real world. We wanted a lube that keeps our drivetrains quiet and smooth for a long time in all conditions, does not require any special cleaning or application procedures and keeps our drivetrains clean. WT-1 Chain Lube does all of that better than anything else we have tried — and we’ve tried a lot. Although the price may seem high, even the 0.5 fl oz bottle will last most riders for many months.

aws
aws
2 years ago
Reply to  Wolf Tooth

Fair play. So do a test like ZFC does showing us how long the CHAIN will last on your lube in mixed conditions.
As the most important thing the lube has to do it do deliver low friction which in turn keeps the chain from wearing out.

Show us how long the chain will last till it reaches 0.5% wear.

New generation wax lubes will last longer and wear chain less than any oil. At the end of the day it’s this metric that cost us money – how fast will I need to replace the chain and rings.
ZFC tests clearly show all oils are just a terrible idea as chain dies 3x faster.

So if you think you have a great product, then run tests and present them publicly.

Kieselguhr Kid
Kieselguhr Kid
2 years ago
Reply to  Wolf Tooth

Errr… Only one of the three? Liquid wax lubes are hard to apply?!?

Cut the BS.

There’s a place for liquid lubes but dusty mountain bike conditions isn’t one of them. Also, liquid lubes might *seem* like they last longer in wet, muddy conditions but they have turned into a grinding paste.

I’m curious how the detergent in this lube knows where the outside of the chain is. I mean, that’s pretty smart for a chemical… Detergents in oil are generally used to keep contaminants in suspension so they can be removed when the oil is changed and prevent them from building up which is more of a problem in engines, less so on bike chains.

Jaap
Jaap
2 years ago

I will confuse this for loctite

tinker
tinker
2 years ago
Reply to  Jaap

now that you said it, it suddenly clicked where I know this color from. loctite 243. That’s kind of wired now to lube a chain with it thinking you are actually using a glue.

Toby
Toby
2 years ago

If I would have to judge this lube by the effort that was put into the above video, I would pass. Same as Silca “driveway product launch”.

Raymond
Raymond
2 years ago

In the UK shops were giving exactly such blue stuff in that small bottle for free to any customer who booked in for service. That was horrendous lube.

mynameismud
mynameismud
2 years ago

I have to wash my bike too often to bother with expensive lubes. I just use chainsaw lube – cheap and available at any hardware store. Apply it with an old bike lube bottle. In a week I have to put on more. No lube is going to stand up to a hose. Living in the northeast it gets muddy quite often.

Ant'ney
Ant'ney
2 years ago

Only until you get on the bike and try to pedal….

blahnblahblah
blahnblahblah
2 years ago

looks like trans fluid to me

Larry Falk
Larry Falk
2 years ago

Could it be made in Celeste for my Bianchi?

OTB4MTB
OTB4MTB
2 years ago

Only lube I will ever use. I switched to SCC Slick 2+ years ago and was sold when my chain was whisper quiet while riding through one of my favorite trails lined with miles and miles of pulverized limestone. I just wash my ride and wipe my chain after the ride…and I’m ready for the next ride. Just hit .75 chain stretch at 1373 miles. Never got that on my MTB with any other lube.

mate
mate
2 years ago
Reply to  OTB4MTB

0.75% at 1400miles is pretty bad man. This chain is already dead. When you hit 0.5% you need to replace it asap as any more than this and you need to replace cassette and chainrings when replacing the chain. If you just try to replace the chain now you will see what I mean – horrible grinding should as nothing matches anymore.

Try wax lubes and you will get 3x that to 0.5% if you do first application correctly.

Paulo Neves
Paulo Neves
1 year ago
Reply to  mate

I have road bike with Ultegra 11sp. I never ever replaced a chain at 0.5%, always at 0.75%. My cassete has 60’000km and counting and zero shifting issues. Don’t get caught by the 0.5% value, sometimes even 1% has no major problem in the cassete, if you detect it early.
Just my experience.

Frankpovich
Frankpovich
2 years ago

This stuff rocks. No more dirty pulley wheels or chain rings. Once you use this you’ll never use anything else.

Deputy Dawg
Deputy Dawg
2 years ago

Self-confessed chain lube kook checking in. I ordered a bottle. Several first-hand positive reviews, and several second-hand naysayers, so what the heck.

Currently running Smoove. Will report back.

Mtbrdude
Mtbrdude
2 years ago

Yes, believe the hype. I’ve been running SCC Tech for over 2 years and I’ve never had anything last as long. In over 20 years I’ve riding I’ve used dozens of lubes including Dumond, Rock and Roll, Squirt, Finish Line, Pedro’s, Smoove, and yes even wax, and nothing stays clean in both the wet or the super powdery moon dust of SoCal summers. Sure it’s really easy to write it off, hate on it and rattle off your current favorite… until you try it. Go ride 200 filthy miles across Kansas or doing the Leadville 100 and finishing a race with a chain that’s as clean as when you started, because that’s what sold me. There’s no waxy build up like Squirt or Smoove (which I’ve both ridden unsuccessfully on endurance races). It works in below freezing temps and unlike other lubes it doesn’t leave you with a chain that looks like it was dredged in cocoa powder after 20 miles. Wolftooth did a great job partnering here and did their research. There’s a reason they’re not using a wax based formula.

doug kalb
doug kalb
2 years ago
Reply to  Mtbrdude

This sounds quite similar to Rock N Roll Gold, possibly other Rock N Roll lubes, too. Since you’ve used both, how would you compare the two, similarities and differences? Which Rock N Roll have you used?

Martini Linguini
Martini Linguini
2 years ago

@Wolf Tooth. You missed a even more important “question to ask” especially with how expensive modern drivertrains can be:
-Will it decrease the rate of metal fatigue that my chain goes through? E.G. will it help my chain last longer?

Collin S
Collin S
2 years ago

Another SCC Tech fanboy here. I bought some last year and it has been great. While wax stuff can be pretty quiet, it gums stuff up. I’ve done full hot waxes which work pretty good at certain temps, its super time consuming, so its really only a raceday lube, and at very cold temps (Like Michigan’s Iceman), it becomes brittle and breaks off shorty. By the end of the 30 mile race, my chain although looked cleaned, there was zero lubrication properties to the thing. It sounded like metal on metal.

Mic
Mic
2 years ago

Don’t care about negligible watts from my Chain I care about maintajing my drivetrain for as long as possible and keep dirt from accumulating as sludge and tar all gunked into the chainrings and chain links. Will never touch muc off again for this reason. Still using my old tri flow type lube as it’s the only thing I’ve found that doesn’t create thick buildup that I csnt clean and wipes off nicely even if I have to re apply more often I don’t care. I wonder if this is like that or another oil that will thicken as it ages and collect dirt particles like a magnet

Bill N.
Bill N.
2 years ago

SAVED MY BACON! Duramond to start. Threw my stiff chain into the hub guard on a multi-day race in the southern hills of Kansas after a snow storm and bitter cold. “B” road conditions: snow, water, rocks frozen in icy puddles, dust, mud grit. In the field wiped grit off chain after freeing with a drop to each link with my 0.5ml WT-1 bottle. Chain immediately subtle and quiet-rolling- no worries. Ten-hour hike-a-bike without WT-1. I am sold! I make it a part of my tool kit for any ride over 4 hours from here on out.

David
David
1 year ago

Every time a new lube comes out I get excited and every time I go back to Pro Gold.

Paulo Neves
Paulo Neves
1 year ago

I went all in on this stuff. Having used Squirt and Smoove (a little better) I always had to take out the chain to clean it before reapply. It took an average of 700/800km to do so, but chain got a little dirty in the meantime.
Bought 100euro of this stuff because I wanted free shipping to Portugal.
Best lube I have ever used, period. Chain is clean, I can reapply and my current Ultegra 11sp chain with 8800km has 0.6% elongation and never needed a degrease in the process. I am a fan, great investment!
As a side note I believe I have enough lube for the rest of my life, this stuff lasts and lasts, I bought 4 bottles and a small one and the first one is almost full yet .

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.