I’ve written effusively about Boeshield T-9 chain and drivetrain lube in the past. It’s all I’ve used on my chains for two seasons. That was until my local shop ran out and gave me a sample bottle of Finish Line’s ceramic wet lube to try in exchange for unvarnished feedback.

This is where I come down on the two:

In my most humble opinion Finish Line’s Ceramic Wet Lube is technically the better lube. It lasts longer under dry conditions, keeps the chain quieter longer and using it improves power transfer… There’s less power loss at the chain and I can absolutely feel the difference. It’s not much but it is absolutely noticeable and it won’t make me faster, it just makes turning the crank a little bit easier.

That said, I went back to T-9 for two reasons and the bigger reason is vanity. After two applications (of the Finish Line product) and cleanings, the Ceramic Wet Lube is dirty. It leaves a brown residue all over my drivetrain within 30 miles (even though I wiped the excess off after application). One of the best things about T-9 is that it keeps the drivetrain clean looking in comparison, by an order of magnitude.

Second, Boeshield stays on in the rain. 10 miles in a rainstorm Tuesday night and my then Ceramic Wet Lube-stained chain, cassette and chainrings were sparkling… I rode most of a 100k in a downpour and the Boeshield was less degraded. Now I don’t ride in the rain often but I don’t want to ruin my drivetrain if I get stuck out there from time to time either, and I’m not about to pack it in for rain if I’m already out there.

Finish Line Ceramic Wet Lube, all things considered, is a fantastic chain lube but the truth is, even though I’ll be subjected to more frequent cleanings, I’m sticking with Boeshield because my drivetrain looks cleaner after 250 miles than it does after 20 miles with the Finish Line lube.