If you only compare that Shimano grease vs other bad results them yes, it’s better than the terrible ones. But that doesn’t make it not bad. And we now know that the Ride chain is KMC anyway, and we don’t have data on that (but it’s likely to be bad compared to a good lube).
I can´t confirm that. I got a Graphene Wax which is grey and those flakes are all over the place and they even don´t wipe off easily. The vacuum will take care most of it, but the rest is everywhere. I´m about to switch back to lube for indoors as soon as I don´t need to switch the bike between in- and outdoors anymore.
What do the different columns indicate? Do you have a chart that includes Squirt?
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See https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/ and also check out the Zero Friction Cycling YouTube channel.
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For me as i only use the Zwift ride a decent Sram or Shimano chain should work well and quieter than the stock chain.
Another vote for squirt lube. Better results if you take the chain off lay it out and lube each link, only a drop is needed. Let dry over night. It will be stiff in the morning just like it’s been waxed. Won’t last as long as wax but longer than traditional wet lube and no mess.
Hello, I have just bought a Zwift smart bike - wahoo kicker Zwift cog and frame do I need to do an anything to the chain and cog to keep it maintained - wax? Or anything else ?
Thank you
Thank you Paul - that’s very helpful to know
For indoor cycling, keeping your chain as clean as possible is key to extending its life and ensuring smooth operation. After trying various approaches, I’ve found a good system that works well for keeping indoor chains pristine and functional.
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Choose the Right Lubricant: Since indoor conditions don’t expose your chain to moisture, dirt, or debris like outdoor rides, a dry lube like Muc-Off’s C3 Ceramic Dry Lube is a great choice. It’s easy to apply, provides lubrication, and doesn’t attract much dust or grime.
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Alternate Lubes for Optimal Cleanliness: Every other day, to avoid lube buildup, lightly apply a bit of WD-40 “yes, WD-40”, to the chain—it helps clean and keeps things running smoothly while being easy to wipe off without residue.
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Wipe Down Regularly: After every ride, give your chain and drivetrain a quick wipe-down with a clean, dry cloth. This removes any accumulated dust and old lube that can gunk up your chain and attract more dirt.
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Avoid Over-Lubricating: Excess lube can attract more dust and dirt. Apply sparingly, and always wipe away any extra after application.
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Note: I only use silver chains to let me know grime isn’t building up, and a chain only last a couples of thousands miles at best…
This approach has kept my indoor bike setup both clean and quiet, while avoiding too much buildup or mess.
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Please don’t use Dry lubes. Typically they contain very little lubricant (hence why they’re “dry”) so they typically perform badly in the tests detailed by Zero Friction Cycling - see https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/
Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Dry Lube performs poorly in the ZFC tests compared to others, for clean conditions . Sure, you can use it and it’s not terrible, but there are other lubes that will perform much better and hence will cause a lot less wear on your drivetrain. Why not pick the best you can get hold of, or close to the best?
Lubricants can be something of a religious issue, but nothing beats intensive actual testing on a bike on trainer, which is what ZFC do as opposed to the nonsense “testing” that Muc-Off do.
You’ll find much better-performing drip lubricants in ZFC’s testing data, e.g. Effeto Mariposa FlowerPower, Silca Synergetic and many more.
If anyone wants to say how great Muc-Off C3 is then please back that up with specific testing data and fhe full test protocol for that as opposed to anecdotes about how it “works well” for you.
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I have zero interest in debating this. All I can say is that I’ve never won or lost a race because of lube -this topic often leads to pointless arguments among cyclists. But after tens of thousands of miles, all my drivetrains remain in impeccable condition. Now, as I transition to a 12-speed system, I’m discarding cassettes that still look practically unused; for indoor riding, I would never go back to the mess of the wet lube chains and cassettes are super cheap, but wet lube generates more buildup, grime, and ruins everything.
Note: all those tests don’t account for the practicality factor. Sure, waxing shows great numbers, but it’s a massive hassle if done daily. That’s why I only wax a couple of times a year. Give me a super clean chain with dry lube any day over a grime-covered chain with the world’s ‘best’ lube… LOL!
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This is nothing about chain efficiency, that’s not what ZFC is about. They test chain wear, not efficiency.
It should be of interest to every single cyclist to look for chain lubes that have been properly tested for chain wear. Lower wear = less expensive drivetrain components wearing out = saved money.
The “pointless arguments” you refer to are typically ones based on mere opinion and what bike shops recommend (based on what deal they.get from their suppliers). That’s completely different from looking at intensive testing on a bike drive train under an open protocol.
It’s fine if you want to bury your head in the sand and not look at alternatives. You can use whatever you want. And certainly indoor-only bikes suffer much easier conditions than any outdoor riding, so less wear is likely in any case.
As I said, anecdotal evidence about how long your own drivetrain lasts is totally meaningless, sorry, when there is detailed independent test data available. It’s like the guy who smokes 40 cigarettes a day and lives to 100.
As for wet lubes, wax-type drip lubes are much better for the reasons that I suggest, and the FlowePower drip wax is bot a wet lube. CetamicSpeed UFO Drip is also a drip wax that gives outstanding results in ZFC’s testing. There are plenty of drip waxes available that perform very well and are very easy to apply. There are also some very bad drip waxes too, just check the test results at ZFC.
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The reality is that a bicycle chain remains efficient and unstretched for only about 300 to 400 miles. After that, it’s all downhill, leading up to around 2,000 miles before it’s really worn out. I can’t understand the focus on maintaining chains with fancy lubricants when I always race with a brand new chain. After the race, I simply move it to my trainer. These chains cost me just $60, and I find that using a new chain offers more benefits than any of those expensive lubricants manufacturers try to sell -no lubricant can prevent the stretching effect caused by the power applied to the chain, wear and tear. I’ve tried them all, and as I get older, I may not be getting stronger, but I’m definitely getting smarter! Thus, once again, a new clean chain proves to be the superior option!
There is no actual stretching effect, in terms of the metal stretching. When you measure a chain for wear and it appears to have stretched, what you are seeing is wear to the chain components that means the links can pull fractionally further apart. No component has stretched, they’ve just worn.
Lubricants have a huge effect on chain wear. The best lubricants can make chains run for thousands of kms with very low wear and hemce virtually no impact on other drivetrain components. The best do this by effectively lubricating and keeping contaminants out.
Sorry but saying that all chains stretch after 300-400 miles is nonsense. If you are seeing this yourself then that backs up my statement (based on intensive testing by ZFC) that Muc-Off Ceramic C3 performs poorly and/or perhaps that that’s all down to the factory grease (and without removing that first, the lubricant can’t do its job properly).
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Thanks for all the advice - as with most things in cycling there are various opinions - just to be clear I am just taking about an indoor trainer chain that will never see the outside world - Zwift said I don’t need to put anything on it because it comes pre waxed so I was wondering if this is true for the long term
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There is no such thing as permanent lubrication, and the KMC Z1 used on the Zwift Ride isn’t one of the waxed chain options from KMC AFAIK. I’m sure it has factory lubricant on it but that will not last forever. Wax doesn’t last forever either.
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As Paul says, Zwift mis-spoke there. The chain will have factory grease on it (not wax) and this will be ok-ish for a while but will degrade over time as it picks up contaminants (e.g. dust if it’s only indoors) and gradually gets spread out and it can’t do its job so well.
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Does anybody have a part number for such a “98 link” chain?
As far as I can see the KMC Z1 is only available in 100, 112 and 128 link variants. 
It’s normal that you would use a chain rivet tool to make it the correct length. And you don’t need to buy a KMC Z1 - you could pick a higher quality chain if you want.