
Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
In the official west coast office of RoadBikeRider, I go through my share of lubes and cleaners. So I was happy to receive a care package from Finish Line to replenish my dwindling supply. I’ve used products from the brand whose logo is the checkered flag for years – and they only make quality stuff.
They also have some great help on their website for figuring out the best lube and cleaners to buy. Here’s their lube selector: Finish Line – Bicycle Lubricants and Care Products – Lube Selector Tool (finishlineusa.com)
And here’s their degreaser selector: Finish Line – Bicycle Lubricants and Care Products – Degreaser Selector Tool (finishlineusa.com)
Check out their channel for instructions for use: (1) FinishLineUSA – YouTube
Here are the Finish Line products I’ll be using in the RBR shop:

Dry Bike Lubricant
This is Finish Line’s most popular and most versatile chain lube. It goes on wet and dries to a ‘wax-like’ synthetic film that helps keep your chain clean by not absorbing excessive amounts of grit, grime, or dust. Thanks to the added Teflon fluoropolymer, it minimizes pedaling friction, repels moisture, and excels on rides up to 100 miles.
Dry Lube is especially recommended for riding on or off-road in dry, dirty, dusty environments, plus it holds up well in moderately wet conditions. Dry Lube can also be used on derailleurs, shifters, cables, and brake pivot points. It’s an extremely versatile lubricant – the ideal choice for many road and off-road cyclists.
Available in squeeze bottles and aerosols in several sizes priced from $5.99 to $89.99.

Wet Bike Lubricant
Finish Line – Bicycle Lubricants and Care Products – WET Lube (finishlineusa.com)
Wet Lube is Finish Line’s strongest, longest lasting and most water resistant lube. Since 1994 when it debuted, it has become the preferred lubricant for many professional on and off-road teams worldwide. Recommended for extreme conditions, it’s formulated with high viscosity synthetic oils, water repelling polymers, and advanced anti-wear additives.
It goes on wet, and stays wet, to provide maximum drivetrain smoothness, extremely quiet rides, and ultimate rust protection in the harshest of environments. It’s the perfect choice for 100-plus mile rides, muddy off-road conditions, long rainy commutes, and foggy salt-air coastal climates. It’s a heavier, wet-style lubricant delivering the ultimate in lubricity and protection. It does require a little more attention to drivetrain cleanliness.
Available in squeeze bottles and aerosols in several sizes priced from $5.99 to $89.99.

Premium Grease
Finish Line’s legendary synthetic bicycle grease is formulated with Teflon fluoropolymer, advanced rust or corrosion inhibitors and extreme pressure additives that withstand the worst conditions that a bicycle can encounter.
This is the grease that most high end bike manufacturers specify in their factories because it exceeds the unique and demanding requirements of bicycle bearings. It prevents wear and distortion in headsets, hubs and bottom brackets – even in brutal downhill racing and Grand Tours. No matter how hard or long you ride, Premium Grease with Teflon will provide the lubrication your bearings require.
• Functional thickener totally prevents rust and corrosion (even in salt water)
• Polymers prevent washout and water emulsification
• Withstands higher pressures without shearing
• Tested, approved, and used by leading bike and bearing manufacturers
Available in:
3.5 ounce tube: $7.99
1 pound tub: $21.99
4 pound tube: $52.90

Speed Bike Degreaser
Finish Line – Bicycle Lubricants and Care Products – Speed Bike Degreaser™ (finishlineusa.com)
Speed Bike Degreaser is the fastest way to clean a drivetrain and get riding again. It utilizes dry degreasing technology so that it leaves no residue and water rinsing is not required. There’s a “turbo” sprayer which uses mechanical agitation to help quickly remove contaminants from the drivetrain. And for most applications specialty brushes and tools are not required. It also dries rapidly and lubricant can be immediately applied so you can hit the road or trail again ASAP.
Speed is formulated with specialized solvents which break down grease and grime, plus it has other solvents whose specialty is removing organic soils like dust and dirt.
It’s available in a recyclable steel 17 ounce ozone-safe aerosol: $11.99

Super Bike Wash
Finish Line – Bicycle Lubricants and Care Products – Super Bike Wash™ (finishlineusa.com)
Super Bike Wash quickly cleans dirt, clay, road grime, chain soils, energy drink spills and winter storage grime off all surfaces of your bike with little to no scrubbing. It uses state of the art, eco-friendly cleaning agents, is non-toxic and meets the highest readily biodegradable standards. It’s safe for use indoors and out.
Super Bike Wash can be used two ways: spray on and wipe off; or spray on and hose off. It is strong enough to remove drivetrain grime and safe enough to remove the grime that builds up on the frame, saddle, brakes, and handlebar tape. It’s also safe for carbon fiber, titanium, aluminum, steel, and clear coats.
Finish Line recommends using Super Bike Wash every second or third ride to keep your bicycle looking like new and to remove the contaminants that slowly but surely start to degrade its look and performance.
Available in:
1 liter ready-to-spray bottle: $12.99
1 liter refill bottle: $9.99
16 ounce concentrate: $8.99
1 gallon jug: $32.99
Ride total: 9,941
Jim Langley is RBR’s Technical Editor. A pro mechanic & cycling writer for more than 40 years, he’s the author of Your Home Bicycle Workshop in the RBR eBookstore. Tune in to Jim’s popular YouTube channel for wheel building & bike repair how-to’s. Jim’s also known for his cycling streak that ended in February 2022 with a total of 10,269 consecutive daily rides (28 years, 1 month and 11 days of never missing a ride). Click to read Jim’s full bio.
I love Finish Line products! They have a great degreaser, brush set, Showroom cleaner, Fiber Grip, and Dry chain lube. Their Gear Floss is good too. Definitely my non-tool “go to” products.
Thanks for sharing your great experience with Finish Line’s products, Katharine. Appreciate it!
Jim Langley
Agree on the Gear Floss recommendation.
Daaaaaah, of course you are going to use and then review a product, “care package” Finish Line just happens to send you. Tell Finish Line to send me a ”care package” and I will be sure to use it also.
Hi Chuck,
Sorry I didn’t make this crystal clear in the story. Finish Line sent the care package to our office with no request for us to do anything with their products.
It was my decision to write about them based on my belief that readers would appreciate knowing what’s available in lubes and cleaners from one of the leading companies making bicycle specific lubes and cleaners. And that Finish Lines makes quality products worth considering.
If you would like Finish Line to send you a care package, you could certainly contact them and ask nicely if it’s possible. Maybe they have some samples they send to riders wanting to find a better lube or cleaner? I don’t know, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.
Thanks,
Jim Langley
Classy answer. Kudos Jim
Finish Line never sent me anything either so my comments are wholly unbiased, though Jim’s explanation also show no bias. When I started wrenching my own bikes, I also took a week long mechanics class, and then got into restoring the neglected bikes of family members. Finish Line’s selection of non-tool products were instrumental in going from a good restoration to a great restoration. If I don’t like a product or company I have no problems constructively noting this.
https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/711621-wet-vs-dry-lube-chain-cleaning.html
I look forward to this newsletter & the product reviews, but this sounds significantly more like an advertisement for Finish Line products than just a review. I, for one, object. I have no loyalty to any brand(s) so I’m not upset about you not recommending something else. I would be saddened if this nice newsletter went the way of commercializing cycling products. There’s certainly plenty of that elsewhere.