If you run a premium drivetrain with the very best chain, logic dictates that you should use the very best bike chain lube too. In August last year, AbsoluteBlack registered a trademark name for its new chain lubrication product which has now come to market.
GRAPHENwax is the company’s new drivetrain lubricant and, unlike other wax drip chain lubes, it comes packaged in a solid form instead of liquid.
Presented in a box, the GRAPHENwax consists of four blocks which resemble a premium chocolate offering. The solid chemical formulation contains graphene, and according to the brand, this allows the new AbsoluteBlack wax lube to remain stable up to 100°C. It also resists friction better than most conventional chain lubes, especially in extremely hot or humid conditions.
Although the wax pot method is notably more involved than simply dripping a few drops of lube on your chain links, it does promise significant benefits and is cheaper than AbsoluteBlack’s own GRAPHENlube.
For those riders who don’t mind removing their entire chain, preparing the wax solution in a pot, and dipping it, GRAPHENwax should last 400km per application.
AbsoluteBlack set a high bar for premium chain lubes with its GRAPHENlube product. Capable of lasting 1800km per application, it is a hugely advanced drip formulation but at £114.99 for a 140ml bottle, it's also a bit too dear for most.
With the solid GRAPHENwax formulation, AbsoluteBlack is offering the benefits of graphene chain protection and friction reduction, at a much lower price. Until March of 2021, it will retail for $29.95 / £24.95 at AbsoluteBlack's website, after which the price is set to double.
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Lance Branquinho is a Namibian born media professional, with 15-years of experience in technology and engineering journalism covering anything with wheels. Being from Namibia, he knows a good gravel road when he sees one, and he has raced some of Africa’s best-known mountain bike stage races, such as Wines2Wales and Berg&Bush.
