I was planning to ignore this, as I do most Kickstarter news, but it just kept popping up in my feed, and I’m feeling a bit punchy today… OK, I must admit, that in concept, the LUBRI DISC seems appealing. Chain maintenance can be messy business. But this device is only addresses half of that problem, and does it in a way which is less than ideal.

If you want your chain to last longer, improve chainring/cassette life span, and make less noise. Lubrication is critical, but even more critical is the part that this product doesn’t address, and will likely make much worse – cleaning. The chain attracts all sorts of nasty stuff from the road, all of which turns into a sort of grinding paste which wears down everything it touches. Using the LUBRI DISC on a dirty chain will foul the foam part of the product, and make the problem worse by applying a layer of oil/lube on top of this paste.

Unfortunately, there’s no substitute for a proper clean, and that’s the messy part. Once it is clean, unless you’re very heavy handed with the lubricant a minimal amount should end up on the floor. Put down a drop cloth, or something else to catch it, and the environmental issue is sorted as well.