Finish Line Stanchion Lube

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Key Search Terms: Finish Line Fluoro Oil; Finish Line stanchion lube; bicycle lubricants.

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Product: Finish Line Stanchion Fluoro Oil. Test Platform: Fox Float fork on Kona Dawg Primo. Product Put in Service: Late winter 2009. Reviewed by: Rich Ries. Cost: $10.49 MSRP. Recommended? Yes.

Executive Summary: Can't hurt and it may help.

Ratings

(1 is lowest, 5 is highest)

Comments

Effectiveness

Depends on how sticky your fork is to begin with

Ease of Application

Couldn't be simpler

Cost/Value

Tiny bottle but it doesn't take much

I'll admit up front that I'm biased. I've been using Finish Line products for years and have never been disappointed with the performance they offer. I'm also a big fan of Fox forks, including the Float model on my Kona. I had no complaints about the fork's action and I didn't expect any noticeable improvement after the application of Stanchion Lube. I pretty much got what I expected. Maybe the fork was a little more supple. Maybe it was my imagination.

In fact most modern forks behave well. Early forks, especially early air forks, were often plagued by stiction. “Stiction” is short for “static friction.” Stiction makes forks slow to respond initially and is most noticeable in poor response to small bumps. Better overall fork designs and better seal designs have mostly made stiction a thing of the past.

So why apply Finish Line's Stanchion Fluoro Oil? Even a little stiction is a nuisance and Stanchion Lube, which is 100 percent DuPont liquid Teflon, may eradicate any stiction still lingering in your fork. Finish Line also claims its Stanchion Lube will extend the life of fork stanchions and will condition seals and O-rings. They also recommend using Stanchion Lube on derailleur and brake pivots, spoke nipples, and cables. Seems like a reach. Other products work well in these applications and are much more cost-effective.

The kit comes with a 15 g bottle of Stanchion Lube, a couple of felt applicator pads, and an extension straw for putting the lube where it's needed. Application is easy; put a few drops on a pad and wipe it on the fork stanchions. I did it while the fork was disassembled for seal replacement, but you can apply Stanchion Lube when the fork is on the bike as long as you thoroughly clean the stanchions first. If you ride full suspension you might as well treat the shock shaft while you're at it.

I also treated the Rock Shox Psylo fork on my beater bike, a Caloi hardtail. That fork is noticeably stickier than the Float and I'm hoping the Stanchion Lube will improve the Psylo's small-bump sensitivity. I'll update this review after I've ridden the Caloi a few times, but that may be a while.