First impressions of the IceWax-2: I will need many more miles to for my opinion on this new lube, but the first few miles were very smooth. I noticed the chain had a feel and quiet smoothness like it were a belt rather than chain. I did not ride enough to find out if it lasted longer than the original IceWax. I put it on a dirty chain and it seemed cleaner at the end of the ride with the pulleys showing collected gook. It seemed to find its way inside the chain. I put on a thick coat and within the half hour or less it was obvious it has soaked in quite well. I did like my first ride. I will find some deep sand this weekend to find out more about its suitability in Florida.

One weird thing to note: IceWax 2 seemed to attract a grasshopper to my cogs. This morning, I found a grasshopper carcass sticking face first between the middle gears of my cassette.

Dr. Bike

Though I do not agree that WD-40 and Pro-Link are essentially the same, your "home brew" suggestion is excellent.  There is not a single biking subject that is more overdone than that of chain care and lubrication. In some cases one would think that we were discussing brain surgery instead of some ultra-simple subject like chain lube.  Basically, 99% of the lubes on the market will do the job just fine. To shell out 7-8 $ for a few ounces of some mysterious chain lube is nuts. In my case; I spray on common kerosene as a cleaner (petroleum based) let it dry, and then apply Marvel Mystery Oil generously, let it soak in and wipe down thoroughly. Marvel Mystery Oil is an excellent lubricant, penetrates well, and is very cheap.

However, the mysterious subject of chain lubes will continue and there will always be some new addition suggesting magical qualities.

I wholeheartedly agree with bl1730a regarding Dumond Tech Lite.  I have used most of the well-known lubes, including several wax-based ones and ProLink.  I used ProLink on my road bike for several years, but a few years ago I was on a ride across Wisconsin and had my bike cleaned professionally, including the chain.  The fellow gave me the option of several lubes, but he suggested that I try the Dumond.  He gave me a .5-ounce bottle as a sample.  My chain was SO incredibly smooth and quiet that I was immediately sold.   There was a world of difference from ProLink.  It does tend to hold onto dirt more than ProLink because it's definitely wetter, but on my road bike, that's generally not much of a problem.  My chain doesn't get all that dirty.  And I appreciate the additional protection against the greater enemy -- rain and the resulting corrosion.  That sample bottle lasted me 4 or 5 years until last summer when I was pleased to find it at my local Performance Bike Shop.  It smells a little funny -- a little like anti-freeze, but that dissipates quickly.

I use a wax-based lube on my recumbent, which gets a lot of use on crushed limestone trails.  With such a long chain and being right between my legs on that bike, I appreciate the fact that the wax-based lubes keep the chain drier and cleaner overall. 

I think that if I rode my road bike on limestone, I would lean toward ProLink.

Wow.

Some interesting new suggestions.  Purple Haze, rather Extreme and the low calorie Dumond Tech Lite! 

Thanks for the suggestions riders!

EJ

Boeshield!  Period.  I've tried them all.  Boesheild is by far the best.

Eric,

I haven't tried all of those suggested but I've been a fan of Boeshield for years and what I've been saying is that "If its good enough for JET ENGINES its good enough for my bike!

I like reading about other options however.  I've been using Pro link of late as well as Boeshield and I'm still leaning toward the Boeshield. Have not tried several of the others yet. 

EJ

Krytox or Nye Uniflor - remember that the wear points are on the pins.  In real dusty conditions wax might be the best (melted wax).  WD stands for "Water Displacement" - it was designed as a rust inhibitor, not a lubricant, done at Rocket Chemical in 1969.  Krytox and Nye are better than the Gargoyles and Shell lubes in the Boelube stuff - why Boeing is a large customer of both companies - i design gyro's, and the real bearing guru's steer me to these types of chemistry - Anderol too, but I use Krytox GPL-226 grease and Krytox XP-1A4 oil on most of my bike parts.