 | |
| MANUFACTURER | ProGold Lubricants |
| WEBSITE | www.progoldmfr.com |
| PRICE | See Individual Products Below |
| PROVIDED BY | Samples from Company |
| FEATURES | Lubricants, degreasers, wash solutions for the bicycling industry |
| HOT: All products met or exceeded expectations–Most mileage achieved with a chain by using ProLink–Luber Pen is perfect for hard to reach derailleur pivot pins and brake caliper pivot points | NOT: I recommended to the company to add a new product Xtreme Luber Pen.–Some degreasers cannot be used on or around painted parts (i.e., bicycle frame), raw carbon, rubber or plastics.. |
PROGOLD Lubricants SUMMARY:
As can be seen by the testing described below, I am very satisfied with these products. They make cleaning the bike an easy chore by greatly reducing the time it takes to clean a bike in a conventional way.
PRODUCTS TESTED | SIZES AVAIL | PRICE | DESCRIPTION | HOT! | NOT! |
PROLINK CHAIN LUBE RATING: 5/5 | – 0.25 oz Luber pen – 4 oz bottle – 16 oz spray bottle | ProLink Chain Lube is a ‘thin-bodied’ lubricant which utilizes metal friction reducer technology for smooth shifting and a quiet drive train. ProLink Chain Lube does not build up or become tacky. It sheds dirt, mud, and other abrasives, repels moisture, | – Luber Pen gets ProLink into those hard to – Really does repel dirt and other road grit – Used regularly, ProLink makes the chain last an incredibly LONG time. – One of my 2 favorite products from ProGold. | Everytime I need to stock up on Prolink ,the price keeps going up and up. Look for sales especially at Performancebike.com. | |
XTREME CHAIN OIL RATING: 5/5 | – 4 oz bottle – 16 oz spray bottle | – check on Amazon | Identical consistency to ProLink, including advanced metal friction reducing technology Xtreme is more waterproof than ProLink and should be considered by cyclists riding in wet conditions, cyclocross | Same advantages as ProLink but made for wet environments. This gives the cyclist 2 options. | Is not available in Luber Pen size which is really needed. |
PROGOLD DEGREASER + WASH RATING: 5/5 | – 16 oz – 1 gallon bottle | Cleans grime, oil, and greases gently. Safe on all surfaces. Concentrated degreaser and wash. | – Since this is in a concentrated form, with – Meant to take off the grime slowly. Safe on paint, rubber and plastics. The longer the degreaser sits, the better it works. | None identified | |
BLAST OFF DEGREASER RATING: 5/5 | – 14 oz aerosol | Dry Degreasing for Precision Bicycle Parts. Blast Off’s sprayer deep-cleans and flushes dirt, grime, and grease | – Quickly strips away grime and any caked on – Dries quickly, no need to rinse with water since it contains a corrosion inhibitor. | ProGold recommends not to get on paint, rubber or plastics. | |
HELMET CLEANER & DEODORIZER RATING: 4/5 | – 8 oz aerosol | Returns Helmet to Like New Condition. Foaming action safely removes the dirt and smell from the liner and padding. | – One spray is all it takes to completely clean the pads and straps of an average drty helmet. – Spray turns to foam which cleans the dirt and smell. Hose off after 10 minutes. | Need to apply and spray twice (maybe 3x) for extra dirty, smelly helmets. | |
EPX GREASE RATING: 4/5 | – 2 oz bottle – 3 oz tube – 16 oz tub | Includes Rust and Corrosion Inhibitors. EPX is compatible with all ordinary greases, except silicone, and will not | Light waterproof grease. Viscocity is a light/medium weight between that of TPS SBG-32 and regular bicycle grease. | Great lube for screws, nuts and bolts, but, in my opinion, a little heavy for bearing internals (lubing the balls and races) and cables in which you want a lighter viscocity. | |
PROGOLD BIKE SHINE RATING: 5/5 | – 16 oz spray bottle | Restores to Like-new shine. Bike Shine also protects against the sun’s rays that can dull and fade your paint over time. Safe for all surfaces on your bicycle. Bike Shine also leaves a residual coating that aids in repelling dust and dirt. | Easy to apply via a damp cloth. | None identified | |
FOAMING CITRUS DEGREASER RATING: 4.5/5 | – 18 oz Aerosol | – check on Amazon | Water based foaming degreaser with high solvency, fast acting, and clinging properties. Degreases chains and other lubricated parts quickly and effectively. Leaves parts super clean with no residue. | Foaming action cleans quickly and completely. | Do not use on paint, rubber and plastics. If using to clean chain, wipe frame immediately after use. |
PRO TOWELS RATING: 5/5 | – 100-Pak Wipes – 90 Count Tub | Combines a powerful cleaning solvent formula that is tough on grease yet safe on the hands. Solvent is integrated with industrial strength, super absorbent, dual-textured towels. | – Dual-textured towel scrubs while wiping. – Unbelievably quick and thorough cleaning of chain. – One of my 2 favorite products from ProGold. | Can’t use on untreated carbon frames. |
PRODUCTS TESTED | PHOTO | DID IT WORK? | ||||
PROLINK CHAIN LUBE |  | Right now, I’m in the middle of a long term chain test. For this manufacturers test, as well as my own chains, I exclusively use ProLink chain lube. I contacted ProGold lubricants and asked them if they would be interested in being part of the chain test and they said sure, and sent me a ‘care package’. To summarize the test to date, I have 3,100 miles on the chain and it is at 60% wear. I am convinced that this long chain life is partly to do with ProLink Chain Lube. I put between 10,000 and 12,000 miles per year on the bicycle, so I want the chains (and drivetrain) to last as long as possible. To ensure this, I use ProLink exclusively.In order for the chain to work at peak performance levels, I have found it best to (a) use the PRO TOWELS to thoroughly clean the chain, (b) dry the chain with a soft cloth, and (c) apply a drop of ProLink to each link, both the top and the bottom of the chain. Do this before each ride and you will be able to achieve the most miles possible from your chain. ProLink is one of my two favorite products from ProGold!Lubed clean chain after cleaning with PRO TOWELS. This chain has over 3,000 miles on it!
| ||||
XTREME CHAIN OIL |  | Xtreme is more waterproof than ProLink and ideal for winter racing/training – road, cyclocross, MTB. Xtreme can also be used in dry road racing conditions as well, but since it is more expensive than ProLink, and offering nominal advantage in dry conditions, I recommend ProLink for all dry conditions and Xtreme in hard-use/wet environments. I have been using Xtreme as well during my chain test and chain wear with Xtreme is identical to ProLink (in our dry SoCal environment).
| ||||
PROGOLD DEGREASER + WASH |  | Note: this is a concentrated degreaser and meant to be diluted with water. ProGold recommends 1 part degreaser with 3 parts water. After testing this on various items, my opinion is that this concentration depends on what you are cleaning.The other day, I went to put my bike in the SUV and noticed some crud all over one of the aluminum ‘mag’ wheels. Seemed to be a combination of either a dog or cat finding my wheel coupled with some road tar. I tested several other manufacturers products which claim to ‘foam away’ wheel dirt, but none worked like spraying a little full strength ProGold Degreaser+Wash and using one of their PRO Towels. After about 15 seconds of minimal elbow grease, the stain was reduced 90%. No other cleaner I tried even came close to removing this stain.After the training ride, I used this degreaser full strength spraying it directly on the dirty/greasy cassette. Since I was also using a brush dipped in water, this made for the perfect concentration. After a light spray-off from a hose, the cassette was very clean with 95% of the grease and crud removed.If using on the frame, I recommend using their 1:3 dilution. Take a clean towel, soak in water, lightly ring, then spray 2-3 squirts onto the wet towel. Ring the town out slightly and this will be the perfect concentration for your frame. So far, no paint has been harmed using this concentration | ||||
BLAST OFF DEGREASER |  | To test the Blast Off Degreaser, I put my daughters Crit bike in the stand and moved the whole thing out into the driveway. Grabbed the garden hose and lightly wet the cassette. I shifted the rear derailleur to the small sprocket and then spayed down the cassette and chain, being careful not to get the degreaser in the jockey wheels or the wheel bearings. I depressed the white valve slightly and the degreaser shot from the can. BAM! All of the grease instantaneously exploded from the cassette. All over the frame, all over the driveway, but no grease or dirt was left on the cassette. WOW, I can’t believe this stuff! UNBELIEVABLE! I hosed down the cassette the frame and the driveway. I used some Simple Green to scrub the driveway and my daughter is out in the garage right now cleaning the frame with Bike Shine.This stuff is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! | ||||
HELMET CLEANER & DEODORIZER |  | After almost a year of wearing my helmet nearly every day, it reeks… Perfect opportunity to test out the ProGold Helmet Cleaner & Deodorizer. I waited for a sunny afternoon and sprayed one good coat of spray inside the helmet and onto the straps (picture 1). I followed the directions and let the helmet sit for several minutes. After the foam started melting away, I noticed that the dirt was running off the helmet (see sweat grime running off the straps onto the side of the helmet – picture 2). Since the helmet was really grimy, I repeated the spraying. Several minutes later, I hosed off the helmet. Still a little smell. I had to repeat 2 more times before the helmet came out sparkling clean without any stink. | ||||
|
|
| ||||
EPX GREASE |  | Last weekend, the bottom bracket developed a loud clicking sound. So loud it was almost embarrassing. I knew something needed adjusting in the bottom bracket or crank. Once home I put the bike in the work stand and removed the Rotor 3D+ crank. Popped out the bearings and laid everything on the workbench. Bearings were perfect. I use my own brand now after destroying Enduro bottom bracket bearings ever couple rides. I used some ProGold Degreaser+Wash to clean up the bottom bracket shell. I took the crank apart and cleaned the chain ring bolts. I then applied EPX Grease to the chainring bolts and torqued them to spec. I carefully wiped down the bearings and applied a liberal amount of grease to the outside surfaces of the bearings, the bottom bracket shell, crank spindle and all washers, spacers and misc. parts. I pressed the bearings back in. They slid into the shell like melted butter. I gave the bearing press an extra little turn just to make sure the bearings were set all the way into the shell. I applied a little more grease then reassembled the crank. Tightened everything back down and went for a ride… QUIET. This grease makes a good lube.The only drawback is that, in my opinion, it is a little too heavy for rebuilding bearing internals (lubing the balls and races in which you would want something lighter. | ||||
PROGOLD BIKE SHINE |  | Preparing my daughters bike for her next Criterium, I used Blast Off degreaser to clean the cassette, PRO Towels to make sure the chain is spotless and now my daughter is finishing by cleaning up the bike with Bike Shine.After using Blast Off, quite a bit of the dirt and grime went onto the frame. We took a clean rag and hit it with about 3 squirts of Bike Shine. One light swipe and the grime is gone! I was really impressed how easy it was. No rubbing or scrubbing, just a lite wipe and the frame is spotless. | ||||
|
|
| ||||
PRO TOWELS |  | This is the second product I tested and used. I thought why not clean the dirtiest part of the bike, the chain. Prior to a training ride, I scrubbed the chain completely clean, then oiled with ProLink. 40 miles later, I put  the bike back in the bike rack and wiped the chain. WOW, its incredible how dirty chains can get even after one ride. Anyway, I popped a towel out of the bucket and ran the chain through it. See results from a clean chain with 40 miles on it. | ||||
FOAMING CITRUS DEGREASER |  | After a recent training ride, I applied some Citrus Degreaser to a rag. I made sure the rag was saturated with the degreaser. I wiped the chain and chainrings and these were bright and shiny after 15 seconds of cleaning each. | ||||
I have always enjoyed bicycling and, through a series of coincidences, became a Bicycle Industry Consultant and Product Tester. I test prototype products for companies and have published only off the shelf production products on biketestreviews.com.
