cicadashell

it isn't really that bad, it just isn't really very good, either. the general rap is that it attracts and holds more grit and debris than other lubricants. because it is in aerosol form it has solvent carriers mixed in with it, and if you spray some onto a gunked-up chain the solvents will dissolve and flush away some of the gunk and you will notice a real improvement in performance, so you will be tempted to think "hey this is a good lube." but it would be better to clean the chain first, and then apply something like triflow, ich is what i use most of the year.

last winter, commuting through snow and slush and grime, i used a lot of wd-40 because it does a good job of repelling water. i would just spray it on every day (sometimes twice) and then swap the chain every week or so (i kept two chains, one on the bike, the other getting a nice slow cleaning). i also like it because the smell reminds me of the old days when nobody knew any better, and a nuovo record derailleur sold for $35...

jinx_removing

Not to jump into a lube debate but to answer the original question...

I have been using Tenacious Oil for the last two years or so and I can't really say it is that bad. It does go on pretty thick so you have to be careful not to put too much on. Otherwise, you will end up with an all black driveside. It does the trick and, if applied correctly, won't make too much of a mess.

That being said, when my bottle of TO runs out I may try one of those fancy dry lubes just for the hell of it.

One more thing, ALWAYS TAKE A BIKE MECHANIC'S LUBE ADVICE WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. You should see the arguments the guys in the Bike Mechanic forum get into about this stuff. Far worse than spoke card and Pista debates around here. I say go with what you think works and stick with it, unless you are feeling adventurous. As one forum member used to say:

"There are three things I will no longer discuss. Religion, Politics and Chain Lube."