Tru-Tension maybe newcomers to the scene but have a wide range of lubricants and cleaning products for both bicycles and motorcycles. The lubes we have had in for testing are their middle-tier. Below are standard All-Weather & Wet conditions lubes and above is the Race Lube, also bearing the Tungsten branding.
On the tip of my…
The Tungsten referenced in the product name is Tungsten Disulphide. A new component in bicycle lubes but one that has a long history in Aeronautical and Space applications. First used on the Mariner Space Program, Tungsten Disulphide has proven it’s worth protecting spacecraft in extremes of temperature (-273 to +300°c), shock and vibration.
That’s all well and good but how does it deal with the harshest conditions known to man, a Welsh winter? Outside of a laboratory, the real world has so many variables it’s impossible for us to provide you with any empirical test data, but we will give you our impressions on how these lubes performed.
All-weather all-star
The Tru-Tension Bananaslip all-weather lube was our first guinea-pig to attempt lift-off. As a water-based wax lube, the all-weather variant is both biodegradable and free of harmful solvents. Starting with a clean chain, application of the lube requires a degree of delicacy to prevent excessive run-off. If your chain is wet, or still holding traces of your old lube then the Tru-Tension won’t adhere as well. It takes a few minutes for the lube to dry so you have to be patient before hitting the trails, better still plan ahead and apply it the night before! It sets with a light grey film. In use the all-weather lube resists picking up excessive dust and proved pretty resilient to puddles and water splashes. Inevitably heavy rain takes its toll after an hour or two and it’s difficult to get the lube to set in those conditions.
The all-weather lube sets as a light grey film
Going bananas!
Both the Tru-Tension all-weather & wet lubes have a Gorilla graphic with the title BananaSlip. The wet lube however goes one step further by actually smelling of bananas! I’m happy to report that this didn’t lead to any Planet of the Apes experiences when out on the trail. Whilst it also contains tungsten, the wet-lube is a very different product compared to its all-weather counterpart. Instead of being a water-based wax emulsion it is a more traditional oil. When applied you can see just how tenacious it is as the oil creates elastic strings as it sticks to the jockey wheels and chain. Subsequently there is very little that runs or flicks off where you don’t want it to.
Sticky string, no fling!
The wet lube of course picks up where the all-weather leaves off. If you’re heading out somewhere with wet & boggy terrain or you’re expecting rain you won’t be disappointed. Inevitably it does pick up more dirt, but then there’s more dirt flying about in these conditions. When it does finally give in to the elements the wet lube is sufficiently viscous to allow successful reapplication as opposed to dripping straight off. Unlike the all-weather lube, it’s not so fussy about chain condition so if you need to lend a drop to a friend it’ll mix pretty well with whatever remains on their chain.
Hmm, smells of bananas!
Summary
Hand on heart, without a testbed and a series of control bikes, it’s impossible to say whether the addition of tungsten provides any benefit over a standard lube. We can say however that over a series of rides in some pretty grim conditions, the Tru-Tension Bananaslip lubes performed brilliantly. Between the pair of them, whatever the UK weather throws at you, they’ve got it covered! At £10 for a 50ml bottle (for both varieties) they are at the premium end of the market. The lack of dirt collected and tenacity go some way to justify the price.
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