Finish Line has had a ceramic-infused liquid wax chain lube for years, but never dipped into full wax and hot melt products until now. Their new HALO lineup brings that to your workshop, along with claims of reduced friction, water resistance, longevity, reduced mechanical wear, and dirt
defense.
And, they do it with a PFAS-free, biodegradable formula that won’t hurt the environment. Here’s what you need to know…
The Finish Line HALO family has three products, all made in the USA and/or Canada:
- Liquid Wax Lubricant
- Hot Melt Wax
- Wet Lube
HALO Wax Lubricant
The Wax Lubricant is a liquid product that comes in a 4oz bottle ($29.99) with an applicator cap that makes it easy to coat your chain without wasting product. Three main ingredients set it apart and help it perform. First, highly-refined paraffin wax coats the chain with a dry-to-the-touch film that repels moisture and sloughs off dirt and grit.
Second, micron-sized spherical tungsten tubes reduce friction by effectively rolling between the surfaces of chain plates, chainrings, and cogs. Third, ceramic boron nitride platelets form a non-stick coating to keep the tungsten on board so it lasts longer.
The first application should be on a completely clean, degreased chain and allowed to dry completely (they recommend 6-12 hours). Subsequent coats can be applied over that, just wipe off any surface contamination. You can also use it to top off the…
HALO Hot Wax
The HALO Hot Wax comes in a 600g bag that you place directly into a pot of boiling water (or you can pour the pellets directly into your slow cooker…but why?). It includes an “immersion tool” that you use to hang your chain on, dip it into the melted wax, then keep it hanging for 30 minutes until the wax fully dries.
It has the same three performance ingredients as the liquid lube, but fully immerses your chain so the lube gets into all of the nooks and crannies. MSRP is $39.99.
HALO Wet Lube
There’s the new HALO Wet Lube, which swaps the paraffin wax for a hydrodynamic fluid film synthesized from natural gas. It includes the same spherical tungsten and ceramic platelets, so it provides most of the same benefits as the wax lubes but won’t repel and shed dirt and grit.
They say it dramatically reduces friction, repels water, and works in extreme temperatures. They also say oil-based lubes have less total friction, handle extreme pressure better, and are quieter, but have that little problem with attracting dust. So it makes a great race day lube when you need the ultimate performance, as long as conditions aren’t too dusty or the race isn’t too long.
It comes in a 4oz bottle for $29.99. All three are non-toxic and non-flammable, making them safe for air travel (and humans).