Bicycling gets a lot of attention for being an environmentally friendly activity. But what about the products that are used to maintain the bicycles? That’s where the Carbondale-based makers of mountainFLOW eco-wax saw an opportunity and rolled in.

The company successfully launched with eco-friendly ski wax in 2016, and since then, had been working on bike products as well. When the pandemic hit, they switched into high gear and created a plant-based, biodegradable line of bike lubes, wash and grease that are quickly being used around North America, including on WE-cycle’s own fleet of 250 bikes and e-bikes.

“The mission of both companies aligned so well,” says Peter Arlein, mountainFLOW founder. “WE-cycle is about getting people out of their cars and onto their bikes, and we’re about getting people on their bikes and providing a non-petroleum solution to keep those bikes tuned.”

The lube is 100% created from plant products, so it’s not only fossil-fuel-free in process, but any expelled residue from the lube during riding is guilt-free and green too. Even the packaging is post-consumer recycled plastic.

“It was a no-brainer for us,” says Jack Dimmit, WE-cycle’s Senior Manager. “It’s performing well and is a great product.”

And he agrees that the missions align.

“We’re a community-supported bikeshare system, and as a part of that, we like to support other community businesses,” says Dimmit.

That doesn’t mean mountainFLOW is a Roaring Fork Valley-only product, however. The lube is used on rental fleets at Killington, Stevens Pass, and in Europe and Canada, as well as being the official wax partner for Evo, an outdoor gear online retailer.

“Bikeshare systems around the country learn from each other,” adds Dimmit. “Hopefully other municipalities will see WE-cycle’s success with the mountainFLOW lube and begin to use it as well.”

So while awareness is the goal, the real beneficiary here is the planet. From opting out of the car to commute to using a plant-based product for bike maintenance, every action counts and changes can be made—one pedal stroke at a time.

Jack Dimmit giving WE-cycle’s some plant-based bike lube love.