Originally Posted by
Slaninar
I'd just argue that dry lube gets pushed aside even in dry weather, especially if there's power applied when riding cross chained (like most multispeed drivetrains do).
Perfectly clean chain lasting similarly long as a wet lubed (and often dirty) one confirms my theory about the downsides of dry lubes. If they were more water resistant, or at least able to replentish the contact area they get pushed out of, with having such a clean drivetrain, it would most probably result in 3 to 6 times longer chain life.
However, the fact that you don't get any shorter chain life, and the drivetrain is always clean is definitely a plus. If price difference is not a problem, it's a good recommendation. The way I see it, it literally is a choice: bit more expensive lube with a clean drivetrain vs the other way round. At least for the modern, bushingless chains.
The thing is that I get similar mileages to the average around here and other places I've seen around the Innertubz. If you get the same results, you are getting similar lubrication. It doesn't really matter what you do to the chain. I haven't been brave enough to just run the chain dry all the time but I'm pretty close. I get about 600 miles between applications which is about what people using wet lubricants get.
You'd have to do something very different to get 3 to 6 times the chain life and, at about $14 each chain, it's just not worth the effort.