Shout out: Bike Blood chain lube

By Shannon Mominee

We often hear of bicycle products created by bikers for bikers, but Bike Blood Synthetic Lubricant can claim roots to a rich racing history. Bike Blood is brought to market by former pro BMXer and Pittsburgh native Mat Harris.

As interesting as lube is, Mat’s back-story is worthy of a mention and successful enough to claim him a spot in the Heinz History Center, which has on display his Huffy Pro Team racing suit, photographs, and career summary. At age 11, a year after he began riding BMX, Mat won the Grand National Championship for his age group. Mat dominated the expert class through the ’70s, turned pro at 17 and signed on with the Huffy Pro Team. In a four-year period he claimed 1st place in 30 races and in 1983 won the International BMX Federation World Championship Pro Cruiser Class in Slagharen, Holland.

Biking may be in Mat’s blood, but Bike Blood is a synthetic lubricant with a light consistency. The lube applicator is pen-style with a needle tip. It’s perfect for lubing hard to reach areas such as derailleur pulleys, spoke nipples, suspension pivot points, shifting mechanisms, and more. It also works great for dripping lube inside of cable housing. On my commuter bike the full-coverage fenders and a rear rack make some spots hard to reach without dripping lube all over ground, but the Bike Blood applicator reduces waste and allows for precise lube application.

Bike Blood contains anti-rust and anti-corrosion properties, plus reduces dirt-attracting static. Because the lube is petroleum-free, it’s also safe for use on carbon, plastic, and rubber. It works well inside my cable housing, derailleur pulleys, and clipless pedal springs.

A .25oz. pen of Bike Blood retails for $5 and is made in the U.S.A. It can be purchased online at www.bikebloodlube.com.