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Review: Whistler Performance Lubricants’ Fork Boost and Chain Boost keep things clean and smooth

Whistler Performance Lubricants, Fork and Chain Boost bottles
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Bicycle lubrication has come a long way since the days of all-purpose grease and oil. For some time now I’ve been testing Whistler Performance Lubricants products on my trail and DH bikes. Both their Fork Boost seal conditioner and Chain Boost lube have made post-ride maintenance easy, and they’ve performed quite well through a wide range of riding conditions.

The father and son team behind Whistler Performance Lubricants are serious local riders who happen to have some scientific expertise to back their products. One nice thing to know is that WPL’s products are all biodegradable and completely safe to use. No worries about needing gloves, inhaling fumes, or dripping harsh chemicals on the trails as you ride.

Fork Boost

Whistler Performance Lubricants, Fork Boost, clean fork seals and stanchions

WPL’s Fork Boost is designed to clean, lubricate and help extend the life of fork seals. The lube does not induce seal swelling or cracking. In addition to cleaning seals, Fork Boost can also be used to soak foam seals and cut grease to desired thicknesses during fork rebuilds.

I’ve been using Fork Boost on my DH bike since late-summer last year, and on my trail bike since this spring. My downhill bike spends most of its life in the Whistler Bike Park, which is typically muddy in the spring but dusty and dry for most of the summer. My trail bike sees similar conditions, and endures much more mileage than the DH.

Whistler Performance Lubricants, Fork Boost, grime on stanchions

Applying Fork Boost after a ride definitely helps lift dirt out of your seals. With a few cycles of the fork, the grime can be easily seen in the fluid on the stanchions. This product aims to eliminate stiction, and while it doesn’t exactly feel like an upgraded damper on the trails my forks were always buttery smooth after cleaning and lubing them post-ride.

Whistler Performance Lubricants, Fork Boost, stanchion scratches
Fork Boost won’t magically allow used seals to glide over nicks like these without gooping. These scratches have already been sanded, they were worse after the crash.

While the Fork Boost keeps seals soft and supple, it won’t work miracles against nasty stanchion scratches. I wouldn’t expect any lubricant to eliminate the need for replacement seals, but I was curious to see if my well-lubed seals would cope with the scratches better. Unfortunately, there wasn’t really a detectable difference.

I always felt like I was doing my bikes a big favor by using Fork Boost, and it certainly hasn’t produced any negative effects on my fork’s performance. If you’re looking to keep your forks clean and running smooth, I’d happily recommend Fork Boost.

Chain Boost

Whistler Performance Lubricants, Chain Boost, clean drivetrain

WPL’s Chain Boost is a long-lasting lubricant that encourages you to clean your chain in the easiest way- just spray or wipe it off with water. This wet lubricant binds to metal and eliminates corrosion, yet its self-cleaning emulsifying agent allows you to simply rinse dirt and mud off your chain.

I’ve been using Chain Boost on my trail bike as of this summer, and on my DH bike since late summer 2016. Right away I thought this product is very ideal for bike park riders, who typically hit the hose station after each session. With Chain Boost on your bike, there’s no need to worry about re-lubing right afterwards, as the chain will not rust despite being left damp.

Whistler Performance Lubricants, Chain Boost, dusty chain
This is about as bad as I got the chain to look during my test. It gets pretty dusty here!

I was told by WPL’s main brain Alejandro Marangoni that I didn’t need to use much for each application, and I find my small bottle is going quite a long way. Regardless of weather and trail conditions, the chains on both my bikes always stay pretty clean and always run smoothly.

In dry conditions, a small amount of dust would stick to my links but it never built up any worse than the above photo shows. With a spray of the hose, most of the dust slides right off and your chain is left clean and ready for another ride.

Whistler Performance Lubricants, Chain Boost, muddy chain after spraying
It was a pretty muddy day in the park, but this is my chain after a simple spray with the hose.

When things get mucky, the Chain Boost performs in a similar fashion. It seems to do a great job of resisting mud buildup, and again almost all of the grime simply washes off under the hose.

I’ve been quite happy with WPL’s Chain Boost because it’s safe to the touch, and makes post-ride maintenance painfully easy. I like how the transparent fluid keeps your chain looking shiny and new, and most importantly it’s proven quite effective at preventing messy buildups of anything from moon dust to clumpy muck.

Check out Whistler Performance Lubricants’ website to see their full line of products.

wploils.com

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nopers is bopes
nopers is bopes
6 years ago

i wonder if others can corroborate the chain not going rusty or dirty claim, because that’d be quite revolutionary and id jump on the product.

for the fork, having the grit on the stanchions just means that a lot of oil is leaking through the seals. that’s not actually all that great. they’re seals! the wipers are below for anything that passes the seal. a little bit of oil is normal though.
a lot of oil means that you’ll either have to service often (which is fine in itself – means buttery smooth fork but oil is lost quicker), either grit will ALSO make in past the seal, which means.. well also that you’ll have to service more often (which is less nice because stuff actually gets in)!

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