Lubes for your bike, one for you, and a towel to clean up when you’re done. Whoa, let’s try that again. How about a couple of chain lubes, a shaving gel for cyclists, and some heavy duty towels for the home mechanic. Yeah, that sounds better.
Up first is Yelo Velo. This line of biodegradable lubricants will appeal to two groups of cyclists – those that want quiet, smooth shifting drivetrains, and those that care about the environment. That should cover all of us. Their product line includes Milky White Lubricant, Nasty Wet Lubricant, X-Tra Dry Lubricant, and Wholesome Degreaser. So you can have a lube for just about any conditions, plus a cleaner that won’t make you sick. Next up, they’re working on a plant-based shock oil that is set to perform better than petroleum based oils. Read more at yelovelo.com
Gnar Lube wins on so many levels, it’s not even funny. Another company offering a complete line of lubes for all conditions, they also have humorous packaging that includes lubes in a familiar honey bear bottle. Flavors (definitely not edible) include Black Sapphire, Pink Delicacy, Blue Opal, and Gang Green. Their site features a video on lubing your chain, and an excellent video featuring a behind the scenes look at their 2011 photo shoot. The only thing you might question is their claim that Gnar Lube is made from the finest unicorn dust. Oh, and every email I have gotten from them is punctuated with at least one Gnar! All joking aside, they make some fine products. gnarlube.com
Dumonde Tech has applied their motorsports know-how to cycling, and come up with a couple of highly rated lubricants. The have their Original lube for mountain biking, and Lite for road cyclists. We have a sample that we haven’t tested fully yet, but it’s gotten praise from pro bike mechanics, who can’t really afford to use anything less than a high quality, reliable lube. Visit dumondetech.com, and look for a review in the coming months.
Our own Alex (Steak Sauce) reviewed Leg Lube, and found it to be an excellent product for shaving not just your legs, but your face as well. (According to the Leg Lube website, you can use it on your whole body. If Alex used it any place else, we don’t want to know about it) Leg Lube contains aloe and eucalyptus for a super smooth and close shave that leaves you feeling fresh and a bit tingly. The eucalyptus scent may not agree with everyone, but it doesn’t stick around too long. It comes in a bottle that looks suspiciously like actual oil, but is actually a highly concentrated gel. A little goes a long way. Search our site for the review, or head over to leglube.com for more info.
Last up is Cat’s Tongue heavy duty cleaning towels. These are like those wetnaps they give you with your ribs, but not really. Instead of some postage stamp sized hanky, the Cat’s Tongue is a full 8″ x 12.25″ towel. This product gets its name from the toothy texture that works in conjunction with a variety of ingredients to remove grease and grime from you and your ride. It’s easy on your hands, thanks to the addition of aloe. Carry these sealed pouches in your car, keep them in your shop and anyplace else you need a waterless cleanup. Best of all, 25% of proceeds from Cat‘s Tongue-branded products are donated to the Pan Mass Challenge, and 100% of every dollar donated will go directly to cancer research, cures, and patient care via the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. That’s some generous donating. catstonguetowels.com
– Brian