AbsoluteBlack Graphenlube - setup and first impressions
OUR THOUGHTS ON SETUP AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF ABSOLUTEBLACK’S FRICTION FIGHTING GRAPHENLUBE
Words and Images - James Raison
Hello and welcome to AbsoluteBlack Graphenlube: a little $239 bottle full of friction-fighting magic. I got sent a bottle in the mail so I wanted to introduce it, talk about how to use it, and give some early impressions on it. Let’s do it!
ABOUT GRAPHENLUBE
Graphenlube is a “Hydrocarbon (wax) based water emulsion containing a special mix of high purity Graphene.” The AbsoluteBlack website is chocked full of info about the hows and whys of the Graphenlube’s testing and development so I’ll give you the quick snapshot of claims:
Under 5 watts of frictional loss over 900 km with a single application in dry, low dust road conditions, after immersive lubing.
Graphenlube can stay on the chain for over 1800km in dry, low dust road conditions, after immersive lubing
Repels water and does not attract dirt.
Extends life of your drivetrain, hence saving on replacement costs.
Here’s the big important graph to pay attention to. In short; it says Graphenlube can give very low drivetrain friction for a very long time. Go to the AbsoluteBlack website for more graphs and numbers about Graphenlube.
VIDEO
See the full process in the video below
MY TESTING PARAMETERS
Right at the top: I don’t intend to pass comment on drivetrain efficiency gains or comparative drivetrain longevity from using AbsoluteBlack Graphenlube. There’s one person who I trust to properly test those things: Adam Kerin from Zero Friction Cycling (ZFC). He has consistent test parameters, controlled environment, and a commitment to independence. That’s where people should go for their friction research and he’s starting to run his tests on Graphenlube in the near future.
Drivetrain friction falls into the same basket as aerodynamics for me. I can’t measure it, and I’m not scientifically equipped to scrutinise it, so I steer clear of confirming or denying manufacturer claims.
I’m interested in what AbsoluteBlack Graphenlube is like to live with. I chose to put it on two gravel bikes (the Grove R.A.D and Bossi Grit) because they’re what I ride most, and I’ve become supremely tired of cleaning crud off the drivetrain after every ride. A lubricant that requires less attention and obsessive cleaning appeal to me.
There’s two things I want to test:
Does it save me time by reducing cleaning and maintenance? Does it save me money by making the drivetrain last longer?
There has to be a return-on-investment beyond claimed wattage benefits for me. Again, I’ll await Zero Friction’s test results on this.
SETTING UP
I chose to start with completely new chains for my Graphenlube testing because I didn’t want a worn or dirty starting chain to interfere with the process. So I cracked a fresh Shimano 11 Speed and SRAM 12-speed chain out of their packet and followed the AbsoluteBlack process:
Soak the chains in cleaning spirits/white spirits in the supplied zip-lock bags. This is meant to remove the default grease from the chains. I soaked them both for about 4 hours but ended up soaking the Shimano chain for another 3 hours because it still felt greasy when I removed it the first time. It still felt greasy after a second round. That Shimano grease is resilient! The SRAM chain felt completely grease-free after its soaking.
Hang the chains out to dry. I left them overnight for about 16 hours to make absolutely sure.
Soak the chains in Graphenlube using the other supplied zip-lock bag. You vigorously shake the lube bottle, pour it over the chain (which I did one at a time) and massage it thoroughly so the lube coats all parts of the chain and particularly the inner plates and rollers. I left each chain immersed for 20 minutes.
Take the chains out and let the excess drip off into the bag. Be patient with this because every drop is precious at $239 per bottle. I hung them to dry over 24 hours before fitting them to the bikes.
It’s noteworthy that the Graphenlube doesn’t dry solid. It’s still tacky and will rub off onto your hands when you handle the chain. Those familiar with waxing their chains, like myself, might expect it to dry solid but it won’t.
The next part of the process was where things got hazy with the AbsoluteBlack instruction being “you can give it a good wipe with a cloth in case you want to remove the excess wax or you can leave it for longer sustainance (sic)”. I took that to mean wiping excess would reduce the longevity of the wax application, and thus the bottle, so I left the full amount on the first chain. That was a mistake.
THE FIRST RIDES
I took both fresh setups for a zing in quite different conditions to see how the lubricant reacts. I put over 100 km on each bike so I could see what effect the fresh application has on the drivetrain.
The Bossi went for its first shreds through some of my favourite gravel and dirt trails in the Cleland area. It had been dry for a few days but there were occasional mud patches and small creek crossings to make sure the bike and the drivetrain got dirty enough to warrant a clean.
This is what happens when you leave the excess on the chain and ride it in moderately wet conditions
I whipped the chain off to give the bike its clean and noticed it was mucky. The excess lube, and an impressively small amount of dirt, had smeared across the chainring, jockey wheels, and cassette. It wasn’t the same gross clumpiness of wet lube and dirt scunge but it was the tacky Graphenlube with some dirt stuck to it. I reached out to Adam Kerin who told me wiping off the excess is quite important, which shows some lack of clarity in AbsoluteBlack’s instructions. Those who have invested $230 in the wax, have been told it will repel water and dirt, and have the option of not wiping off excess could find themself with a grotty drivetrain like mine.
Being fair to AbsoluteBlack, I do find it feasible that the stubborn Shimano grease was partly responsible for that messy chain as well. A deep ultrasonic clean may be necessary for best results with Shimano chains.
The second ride on the Bossi was dry and the cleaner chain didn’t pick up anywhere near so much junk. Graphenlube is still lightly smeared across the drivetrain components though. Don’t expect a spotless drivetrain.
The lighter smearing of the wiped SRAM chain has stayed much cleaner
The Grove, with its SRAM drivetrain, went for a couple longer and entirely dry jaunts with a more wiped drivetrain. I wasn’t sure how aggressive to be with the wiping down so I focused on pinching the outer chain plates to leave as much lube as I could on the rollers where it’s needed. The drivetrain looked nice after a few hours of testing. Removing the excess and having less factory grease seems to give what I expect is the ideal experience with the Graphenlube.
THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE
AbsoluteBlack Graphenlube is a long-term investment where the high up-front cost is meant to pay off over time with performance gains and reduced drivetrain wear. Your time investment reduces after the first immersion application too with a more standard application process, just with longer use times between them:
Wipe the chain with a cloth. (Use gloves)
Shake the bottle. Apply the lube continuously to the inside of a chain turning cranks backwards (simple dripping procedure).
Let the lube dry for a min. of 2h before riding, ideally overnight.
AbsoluteBlack does give some best practice instructions: “For absolute maximum Racing performance where every watt counts, re-lube (by dripping) every 600km or sooner in dry conditions and after every wet ride. If you race, apply a day before the race. For everyday riding, you can re-lube (by dripping) between 900-1200km in dry road conditions and after 3-4 rides in wet conditions or when you hear chain becomes dry. Always apply to a dry chain.”
WRAPPING UP
Drivetrain efficiency has become a hot issue in the last couple of years because it can be a high-value performance upgrade. More efficient drivetrains save watts and save money by helping your perishable drivetrain last longer. Again, I’ll leave scientific friction measurement to ZFC and focus on the user experience.
Did it pass my living with it test? Generally yes. It was easy to set up, if a little messy, but once I figured out to wipe the chain clean it became much more likeable and I can see myself living with it long-term.
Only time will tell whether the economics of that $239 RRP pay you back with reduced drivetrain wear, thus less ongoing costs of running your bikes. Replacement costs of chains and cassettes can add up quickly, especially if you’re riding in dirty and wet conditions regularly. Check back in a few months for a long-term reflection on AbsoluteBlack Graphenlube.
Disclosure statement: This Graphenlube was sent by AbsoluteBlack distributor FE Sports
