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review

Carbon Pro Lite Silicone Wet Lube

6
£5.99

VERDICT:

6
10
Failed to deliver the promised wet-weather performance
Weight: 
56g

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The Wet Lite lube from CarbonPro is designed to displace water and remain in place making it suitable for long rides. On top of this it will reduce friction and prevent corrosion;think of it as a very modern 3-in-1 oil.

The 60ml bottle has a canny screw shut/release top that means no fiddling with lids. The lube itself is clear and reminds me of Airfix glue for those who may have built models in years gone by. The upshot of this is a lube that is easy to apply.

In terms of performance, the story is not quite so positive.

Wet lubes are designed to offer more protection in extreme, wet conditions. They can keep the chain lubricated for longer but the downside of this is the debris picked up on your ride can be caught on the chain due to the lube. It can attract the grit which means after a while your chain is spinning unevenly and possibly noisily too.

Carbon Pro lube kept the chain lubed but created a black sludge as the days went on despite a wipe down. After some particularly heavy rain the lube washed off altogether which was surprising given the purpose it is designed for. There's no disputing that it applies a decent layer of lube to the chain but if is detrimental to the performance this will undermine the effectiveness.

Verdict

Our test sample failed to deliver the promised wet-weather performance

road.cc test report

Make and model: Carbon Pro Lite Silicone Wet Lube

Size tested: 2 oz

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Wet lubes are designed to protect your chain and drivetrain in the worst of conditions but the Carbon Pro despite this background failed to deal with the worst conditions leaving the chain unprotected at worst or covered in a black sludge that didn't improve performance.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

CarbonPro Sports have designed their lubes with the most efficent ingredients to achieve this, able to displace humidity and repel grime or other factors that may harm the chain and metal components. CarbonPro Sports Wet Lubricants are formulated with selected biodegradable base stocks. These are based on organic fatty acids derived from natural feed stocks and additives which provide lubricity, stability, and resistance to corrosion, prevent the adherence of debris and deflect the penetration of water, these stay put and won't budge on high water situations, while at the time remain extremely effective against friction.

Rate the product for performance:
 
6/10

The aim of the Carbon Pro lube is to protect your chain, the micro particles are supposed to coat the chain to provide lubrication. This in turn creates a protective layer which reduces friction. It did create a protective layer but to the extent it increased friction by leaving a sludge trail of black, sticky lube.

Rate the product for durability:
 
6/10

As covered above, given that wet lubes are designed for that kind of weather or more extreme but it was washed off too easily in heavy weather. In more sporadic rain it just provided a thicker glupe.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Below par, designed for the wet and extreme conditions but the Pro lube fails to protect and lubricate well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Application is straight forward but the end result is not ideal.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The cleaning of the chain, drivetrain after the lube had turned to a sludge.

Did you enjoy using the product? Not really.

Would you consider buying the product? No.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? No.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

The Carbon Pro is designed for the worst of conditions but unfortunately it fails to deliver the protection and friction-less performance you expect.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10
Value wise, the Carbon Pro wet lube is on a par with the competition from a price perspective. However you don't get the level of protection or performance you would expect.

Overall rating: 6/10

About the tester

Age: 45  Height: 178cm  Weight: 80kg

I usually ride: Currently riding a Pinnacle Evaporite Three  My best bike is: As above

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, sportives, mtb, Not yet but looking to dip my toe in the world of TT

 

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1 comments

Avatar
HulaBoy | 9 years ago
0 likes

Always use Muc Off Dry Ceramic lube whatever the weather.
It keeps my bike running smoothly and quietly.
If my bike is that filthy/grimy/wet then it gets cleaned anyway.

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