Watch This BEFORE Waxing Your Bike Chain!
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 17 ноя 2021
- I've been riding waxed chains for the last few months, my thoughts on it thus far.
PATREON: / pathlesspedaled
STICKER STORE: pathlesspedaled.bigcartel.com/
SHIRTS: shop.spreadshirt.com/pathless...
INSTAGRAM: / pathlesspedaled
3 QT Instapot: amzn.to/3clzQn9
Master Link Trident: amzn.to/3qOqzfM
Affiliate Links:
Riding Camera: www.insta360.com/sal/go_2?ins...
360 Camera: www.insta360.com/sal/one_x2?i...
Studio Camera: amzn.to/2U9SQiJ
Studio Mic: amzn.to/3eehci8
Fave Multitool: amzn.to/3ec9ntk
Fave Pump: amzn.to/3kd6Any
I don’t care about the marginal gains… I love the clean drive train!
I tried wax this year and came to this conclusion: it only works if you live in a very dry climate.
I live in central Russia, and for June and July everything went fine. But in August, when it started raining, my chain got rusty after one ride, and after that I decided to switch back to oil. Because rust sucks much more than an occasional chain tattoo
@@stuvademakaroner9607 True - it certainly needs doing more often in the wet. I got nickel plated (rust resistant) chains for this reason. This year I tried adding about 20% beeswax as it is quite sticky and that seems to be working pretty well - I thought the stickiness might make it feel slower but haven't noticed it much. With just paraffin I get about half the distance in the rain as in the dry - with the beeswax I get about 3/4. Good fenders make a big difference too.
@@stuvademakaroner9607 I use Squirt Low Temperature Chain Lube, its a wax and water mix you apply like normal oil based lube but doesnt pick up as much dirt as oil after it dries (although you have to prep the chain like for other waxes though and best to leave over night after application, although I took it with me once for a 4 day ride n camp at end of summer and was just applying just before riding, and it seemed to be fine). The Low Temperature version is good for cold and wet weather (like here in the UK). Works well for me on my gravel bike which goes off road more than on road (just have to apply it more frequently).
I tried it compared to a none waxed chain on a snowy ride. My chain was spotless and the rollers were still silver where as my friends was black with dirt and grime
exactly. I was just about to make the same comment. A clean chain is all I care about.
As others have said, it’s more about the cleanliness than it is the marginal gains in efficiency, with extending the drivetrain life a being a nice bonus. I do spend more time waxing, but I spend less time cleaning, compared to using oil based lubes. I figure it comes out about even, time wise. But in the meantime, being able to throw the bike into the back of a car, or take it on a plane, train, or bus, without having to worry about what a greasy chain is going to come into contact with is awesome.
I know plenty of people who rarely to never clean their drivetrains except for maybe a quick wipe down and squirting some more oil on it. I get it, that is way less work, and waxing likely isn’t for you. But if you are the kind of person who cleans their drivetrain regularly, you just might find that putting that same time and energy into waxing gives you a more satisfying result.
Do you have any tips for minimising wax flakes?
@@RobinCawser I pull the chain out while the wax is still very hot / thin. This minimizes flakes, but doesn’t completely eliminate them. I wouldn’t put a fresh waxed chain on a bike and ride a trainer over the living room carpet, but most of the flaking is done in the first 20 miles. Riding outdoors, it has never been an issue for me.
@@RobinCawser After pulling out the chain and it cooling off, I close it up and run it by hand around a 1" PVC pipe which throws off all the flakes at once. I put the chain outside in and do it again.
The clean drivetrain is awesome. I've had friends joke about my scrubbed clean cassette - which I have never cleaned since new. $8 crockpot and $4 of wax from krogers.
@@RobinCawser Frankly, I wouldn't worry about it. Aside from the mess, wax is cheap so no worries about waste. As for the mess, I agree w/ Gary that a good ride outside eliminates the bulk...I also don't like to wipe them off, as it could potentially push unwanted dust/dirt back into crevices as you wipe, or worse, take off some of the non-flaking wax which you want to stay on.
Loved your chain waxing tutorial! All my bikes have waxed chains (wax laced with PTFE). When my wife didn't want me to use her crock pot ceramic container I called the manufacturer to order a second container. The sales person was so intrigued that I wanted to melt paraffin in their crockpot that they offered to send me the entire crockpot free, and they were true to their word! PS. Oz Cycle in Australia also has a good tutorial on how to was your chains.
I've found that waxing is godsent if you live in an apartment. For me, cleaning greasy drivetrain is waaay more PITA than waxing unless you have a garage or an open space. Waxing is super easy once your setup is dialled in. It is also much cheaper in the long run. This is especially true if you live in a dry and dusty climate, as the combination of grease and fine sand flying in the air is an abrasion nightmare for all moving parts
I’ve been molten waxing for almost 2 years now following the procedure offered by Oz cycle. I’ll never to back to chain oil or other types of lubes. The chain stays clean, fixing rear flats on the road is totally no mess, and if the drive train longevity pans out, all the better!
It's all good until you ride in the wet
Something I haven't seen mentioned - get 2 chains so you can rotate them every 200 miles or so. That way you'll always have one ready to swap out when you start "hearing the chain" and/or after a wet ride. No more babysitting after the first prep and wax cycle. Also, you'll want to use quick links for easier swapping.
Great tip! I suggest this every chance I get. Makes the whole drivetrain last longer, and sustained high performance. No reason not to w quicklinks as you said. It's all safer and economical too, win win win.
I just wipe down a new chain and run it and forget it. If it's gone through a bunch of water, then fine, lube it back up, but to me the faff isn't worth the few bucks for a chain every so often.
@@MattExzy how about the drivetrain? Certainly that wears less with a waxed chain and Di2 ain’t cheap..
I run 3 chains coz i'm lazy and I re-wax them all at the same time every few months. It's more about the cleanliness than anything else.
Clean chains won't really stretch, I used to use chainsaw oil and get 1800 miles max, I've used IPA homemade wax mix since doing deliveries about 80 miles a day from doing a 40 mile commute. I got 14 k miles on an Ebike, squirt the wax on everyday, only thing is it will rust in the rain.
I cant understand why people wait for the "crust-phase" when they wax chains. The only thing that leads to is more wax on the outside of the chain where it is just going to flake off anyways and make cleanup worse. No matter how hot the wax is, the important parts on the inside will be coated with wax and the wax will stay there due to capillary effects and surface tension.
I pulled out a chain I forgot in the slow cooker last week when the wax was already smoking from the high heat. When I trimmed the chain lengh after cooldown, I noticed the rollers were packed with wax regardless of the high temperature.
science yo
I’ve been using the Oz method for a couple of years now. Can attest to longevity - my current Ultegra chain is reading just slightly less than .25 and it has 8,675.4 Km on it. I don’t wax as often as most and I use Squirt between waxing sessions. This chain has probably been dip waxed 4 or 5 times. For cleaning, I have a small kettle and I boil the chain directly in the kettle a few times. The old wax just floats up in the kettle and then I pour it through a coffee filter/funnel to capture the wax for garbage disposal. You don’t want that hardening in your drain pipes. Optional quick ultrasonic bath with a bio-friendly degreaser then follow that with a dip in alcohol and your chain is squeaky clean. I use mason jars to rinse with alcohol and deep clean a new chain. If you leave the jars alone for a while, the residue will settle out and you can reuse the solvents - just pour off the clean solvent into another jar.
I love how pampered my bike feels when I'm done cleaning it and putting on a freshly waxed chain
Really glad for this vid. I'm doing a complete bike build this winter and I've been on the fence if I should wax or not. I'm kinda convinced that I'm going to go ahead with waxing. Plus this totally satisfies my urge to bike nerd. Thanks Russ.
Keep in mind wax performance is variable with temperature. You may have to adjust the recipe. Just saying.
Ill stick with an every ride solvent/oil application and wipe.
Great supple video and a simple introduction to the topic! I also started waxing my chains with liquid ready wax and I'm quite satisfied until now. Looking forward for your field test. Especially how you'll clean it and reapply it in the field :)
I switched to wax 1 year ago on my mtb and I love it. Love that the chain stay clean, and so my hands are ! Also the ride is smother.
Coincidently, I had just ordered my kit to start doing this for the first time. I'm super handy and curious, so I'm stoked! I'm doing it for the same reason; noise reduction and parts lifespan. THX!
Thanks for making this one. Home brew wax and PTFE all this year and so happy with how clean and how easy to clean the drive train is even in the mucky British winter, no messy cleaning or degreaser and dirty lube getting washed down the drain or on rags in the bin. Quick link makes re-waxing a breeze.
Ok, sounds good, but how do you avoid rust on the drivetrain? I live in Denmark where there is often applied salt to the roads in winter
@@JoakimGarde we don't have snow but we certainly have salt and gritted road and in truth rust hasn't been a problem but I certainly need to apply more often as spray with grit does knock the wax off the chain. I now have a process that's quite easy so as I'm cleaning the bikes more often in winter it isn't as difficult as it might sound. So far so good is all I can say.
Good introduction to waxing a chain. I'd like to try this since I'm always getting chain grease on my legs or pants and it's a pain to clean. Keep us updated on your experience with the chain waxing. Thanks.
I use a small $15 crock pot for waxing only and do it once a month for my three bikes. I make it a monthly ritual of maintenance with toping off the tire sealant and going over the bikes and whatever issues need to get fixed, etc.
Thanks for the video. It's great that you are testing chain waxing out. I feel that in this video you are making it look a lot harder and more complex than it needs to be. I look forward to the follow up video in 12 months where you are a chain waxing convert and have streamlined the process a fair bit! I've been chain waxing for years (for the clean chain benefits) and it takes me about 15 mins to clean a new chain and about another 15 mins to wax 2-3 chains at once.
Hi - when you mention that " it takes me about 15 mins to clean a new chain " - is this a new factory chain with the factory grease? Do you find that cleaning a new factory chain in that time is sufficient to thoroughly clean the chain compared with soaking in solvent overnight? Thanks!!
Hi Russ I am going down the road of waxed chain this year. Never have done this before. I'm looking forward to the cleanliness aspect. Going to use Silca Secret Chain. Hope you are enjoying your winter get away. I'm still stuck in Missoula. Stay safe
I have a mini Instapot that was a mistake purchase. Now I have the rationale for getting a real 4-liter for the kitchen. I will check out the Silca information too. This is good introduction to the process. The process does intrigue me for my sloppy winter bike 8-speed and high $$ 12 speed chains.
Great for some climates, but not others (in my experience). At this time of year here in Seattle I find that a waxed chain will start to show rust, and sound squeaky, after 3 or four days of rainy commutes. Maybe the particular brand of wax you're using would improve that, but I'm probably not going to bother trying. I use NFS lube (Nixfrixshun), which relies on you wiping the chain down after every ride, and re-lubing whenever it seems appropriate. Works well.
8 years of waxing my chains. Whether my chains last longer or save watts I honestly can't comment but I love it. My bike is so clean.
I did this for half a yr. yes it takes more time but it is so quite. Quite amazing. Thanks.
I am a covert. I will never use any other method until technology ends the need for chains. I get many many miles with zero dirt and grime. After a few times, my speed to perform the wax ritual is pretty quick as well. Great video, I picked up a couple ideas to streamline the process as well.
Technology has ended the need for chains, Gates Carbon Fiber belt
Belated "Thank You" for addressing chain wax. I have been procrastinating waxing for over a year, I am now willing to give it a go. FYI, my mission is just for cleanliness.
Never thought of leaving the chain in till the wax starts to cool.. great tip will definitely have to start doing that.
Super curious about the drive train longevity result. Thanks as usual for being so clear how to communicate the experiment and what is the main goal. Cheers, love your content. Take care
Fyi, I haven't needed to replace a chain since I started waxing with pure paraffin wax 3 years ago (Shimano Ultegra 10spd chains, only 1 new one). I do spread my riding between 4 bikes though...its like the chain wear has s nearly stopped (I replace at 0.75 on park tool checker).
Great vid - what really came across is how much Russ enjoys poking at wax with a flathead screwdriver ;)
Spot on. I’ve been doing this for a few years now and components last at least 3 times longer in my experience.
I always take my chains straight out and hang them up. It never occurred to me to wait for the wax to cool. Thanks for that, I learned something new. 👍🏻
I usually do several chains at a time. I then use a new one as my race chain. Once I’ve done two Ironmans then this becomes my training chain. This way you minimise the effort, have super fast race chains and you don’t have to do it more than once every couple of years.
Declaring that specially for MULTIPLE BIKES / Chains - its really economical. Waxing multiple chains at ones and store / rotate them is really economical and time saver - would make this video perfect. 👋
Recent subsriber, your vids are taking down nostalgia avenue, and I oh so appreciate the renewed relevance !!!
This reminded me of waxing my chains for moab! All aside, the more chains one rotates, the longer your rings and cassettes iast, w prolonged performance o course. Not sure ill give up my boesheild T-9, cheers.
Thanks for taking the time to explain this technique. I’m going to go buy a new chain.
Might try this when I have a lot of time. But for now, for the winter, quick cleans between rides and a good cleaning once a week.
I've been waxing chains since the mid-70s. Home made mix back then, paraffin, graphite powder, moly-disulfide and some motor oil. I used my backpacking stove and an old frying pan from a mess kit. Now I run Squirt wax lube and find that works quite well.
Yeah, Squirt lube is good enough for me, without all the hassle.
@@spektrumB Yes, especially with the new narrow chains that don't like being broken open many times. In the old 5sp chain days, just push out any pin with a pin vise, drop the chain in a pot of hot wax, drip dry and then press the pin back in.
Yep. Squirt lube at the end of a ride every couple of weeks. I use the park chain brush dry to knock off the build up now and then.
I love Squirt lube too!
Hey, great video and topic!!! Ever since I saw the waxing videos for "OZCycle" from Australia I found it is the best for my folding bikes. Getting in contact with your chain while folding, carrying or loading your folding bike is quite comon and with a waxed chain you avoid getting a black chain tatoo every so often on your cloth or skin.
Talking about folding bikes... what happend to your love for folding bikes? You two aren't in a crises, are you?
Thank you for your videos, I love them and I've been learning so much from them! What are your thoughts about belted bikes coupled with internal gear like rohloff or pinion? I shifted to this systems and not having to take care of my chain and drivetrain after every ride and especially during multiple days bike tires have changed my life as I can just focus on enjoying my ride without being bothered by the constant think "OMG, my drivetrain is getting so dusted and muddy that I'll have to clean it ASAP otherwise it'll wear down.."
Thank you so much
Luca from Italy
I haven’t tried immersion waxing yet but I did switch to a wax lube and I love it. Takes a little longer when the chain is new but the drive chain lasts longer and it’s never greasy or dirty.
I use Squirt lube right now but my try immersion soon!
I've been immersion waxing now for about 5,000 miles. (Same chain, from new, still not worn out). The maintenance is so much easier and that's enough to make me a convert. I use Hot Tub Chain Wax which comes as solid puck inside a plastic tub and I just double boil in a normal pot over the stove with water in it. The process is super fast and I have been getting about 500 miles between waxes. Much easier than the instapot method. Cheers!
5000 miles off road in dusty conditions?
I use 2 chains, swapping takes only 5 minutes every 2-300 km. And I can do the cleaning and rewaxing at my own convenience. Adding ptfe powder to the mix works great too, the particles stick inside the chain and tend to accumulate with the subsequent rewaxing. The stretch of the chain, which is the main cause of cassette/chainring wear, gets spread over the 2 chains. Resulting in an extremely durable and clean transmission.
@@thierrylerinckx1340 this. Two Chainz man.
What method do you use to clean prior to rewax?
@@davidrogers7137 put chain in a colander and pour boiling water over it while shaking. Learned from OZcycle
Thanks for scaring me off. I would love to extend the life of my chains to produce less waste though... Will wait for your long time review :)
Switched to wax on my road bike this year and I'm sold on the longevity of it. I use Speedwax and don't really wait for the wax to cool down like you did, but I've doubled the life of my chain so far and love it! I use a heated stir plate and a beaker with a stir bar in it to heat my wax. Melts much faster than an instapot. I re-wax around 1000 miles, where I was regularly lubing a chain every ~200 miles. Huge time saver as well!
Dang, 1k between waxes? I'm doing mine every 200-300 miles.
Hi, live in the UK been waxing for about 8 months now. Home brew food grade paraffin wax and PTFE. Super clean drive chain. Long lasting (300 miles between applications) i haven't waited for wax to start to cool before removing from slow cooker (maybe that bit colder in UK so don't need to). If I go for wet ride I simply drop back into wax again. Worthwhile having a couple of chains to swap out. I agree with comments that I now have super clean drive chain, and the home brew wax is really cheap.
I’m an all in chain waxer, no real wear and it is clean, no grease marks on your right calf.
A few things.
1. I do boil the chain before rewaxing to prevent small road debris and sand from getting into the wax in the insta-pot that could make it’s way back into the chain and cause wear.
2. Breaking the chain and cleaning out the links after waxing is tedious and hard on the hands and fingers, but it gets the chain up to speed faster and less dried wax everywhere. I do the chain breaking over a garbage can.
3. There can be a build up of wax between first and second cog (12 & 11 spd ) that could lift the chain off the cog in the first gear and cause the chain to skipver the gear, so take a dental tool and clean out the wax periodically between the first and second cogs.
4. I clean off the chain after every ride with a chain brush to remove any road dirt.
Other than those issues I will continue to hot wax my chains.
NOTE: It does make it easier if you have two chains to alternate so your bike is not out of commission.
Nice video Russ. I’ve been waxing my chains for awhile and mostly appreciate that they and the rest of the drivetrain remain clean. If the chain/cassette is dirty I just hit it with a gentle wash from the hose.
I mixed up my own wax with paraffin, paraffin oil and a few additives I don’t remember, maybe $20 worth of ingredients. I probably have enough to last a lifetime.
I bought a rice cooker at the thrift store for $5 and use it instead of an instant pot. Works well but seems that it heats the was quicker than what you experienced in the video.
i agree. I made my own wax, 1 ordinary lighting candle, 1 small bottle baby oil. My water bath is a smaller tin inside a larger tin on the camp cooker in the shed. With gravel rides where your bike is covered in grit you can just hose it off - all good.
@@grahamrichards8531 Your setup is near identical to what I have arrived at after years of trial and error. Cheers my fellow waxer!
Thanks very much for this video! I am super interested to see what you think about maintenance when you're out on the trail, like you said, without a home base for days and maybe weeks. I've been waxing my chain for quite some time now, but not on longer, overnight trips that might go dozens and dozens of miles. A tip, if it helps: I will keep an extra chain on hand fully waxed and then just swap it out quickly when it's time to re-wax. I then take the chain that needs waxing and do the maintenance when time allows. That way there's no rush to try to get your chain back on the bike for the next ride.
I noticed that on a 1000km trip in 6 days. I could literally feel the change from day to day. First 400km were fine, then the wax was not as effective anymore. Next time I will probably take some drip wax like a Squirt lube to top it off to push it till the end. Taking a spare chain is in my opinion too much weight and hassle to carry. Another possibility I have in mind is finding a bike shop that do chain waxing (plan before the trip and ask them if this is possible). Then it's a 1h pit-stop and there you go for 400km more!
@@swe223I rewax at 350-400km as it notice the noise increase. Squirt lube is a good substitute if you are not at home (I use it for week long trips)
Started chain waxing when i saw oz cycle (OG youtuber) video on it, his homebrew way of doing it years ago. Its not as convenient as cleaning and driping some lube but i mainly do it for cleanliness of the chain. Gone are the days when i have grease/oil streaks on my casual or work trousers. Paired with a quick link on your chain it’s practically easy to do. If you ride your bicycle to commute everyday its worth it, especially if you had a flat, you dont have to show up to work with black greasy hands. As for my set up. I use a small rice cooker (because its cheap) for cleaning the chain i used to use deisel fuel but converted to a natural degreaser on my screen and tub setup. Shuould probly convert to a ultrasonic cleaner sometime in the future
Great video , I've been waxing all my chains for many years , greetings from Australia !
Started waxing my chain few months ago when I installed a new microshift advent drivetrain. Love the clean drivetrain for commuting.
Back watching this as two bikes are approaching the need to re-chain. One 12 and one nine. And I trashed the lid to my flagging Instant Pot mini. No longer in safe food service. The IS pots are cool slowly with added metal thickness on the pot bottom. Even with Silva secret sauce that is less chemicals and solvents than with standard lubes. I am slowly convert as chains wear. I have resisted the tubeless coup but this change I like.
I have been waxing my chain for years and years.. I remember as a small boy being caught melting down candles in moms best pot. Once you get a routine down it's simple. I rotate three chains, that way you only have to rewax all three after a lot of miles. The best part is how clean the drive train is. Still looks new after thousands of miles. And the wax does not pick up grit that wears out the drive train. I use molten speedwax. Its also really economical as you can get a year of riding out of a 19 dollar packet. Goodbye to chain ring tattoos, hello to clean, quite, long lasting drive train.
I'm a waxing devotee and have my "recipe" for doing it. I watch other youtube clips as there's always a new idea out there. This clip was pretty much my way of doing things and so the only suggestion I have is for the temperatures to be given for when the chain went in to the cauldron, and for the temperatures to be given in Celsius (as used by the world outside of the US). My own slow cooker was bought used on ebay, collected locally, cost $6, and is not allowed close to the kitchen!
I prefer the Rock n Roll Gold, cleans and lubes and takes non of this extra time. I have too many Dad bikes to maintain to do this. If I know its going to be more sloppy for a bit, Tri-Flow and Finish Line Heavy. I really like the Rock n Roll though.
I use rock and roll gold and red and i did some tests of surfaces and found a ton of PFAs near my bikes in my apartment. So have had to do some deep cleaning to get rid of those
I used Rock n Roll for a couple of years then went to hot wax about 5 years ago after reading controlled testing but I am only really interested in a clean chain free from oily muck and increased longevity. I will never go back to oil based lubes again .
@@pratikpramanik7782 what is a PFA?
I wondered why my waxed chains go squeaky so quickly. I think it’s the temperature situation. Thanks for making this video!
Another reason I use a Rohloff gear system , Yes the initial cost is quite high but ,I don't have to worry about constant maintenance & the chain lasts a lot longer ,over time it's worth it for me .
Both my bikes have Rohloff gear hubs. Nevertheless for my Tumbleweed Bikepacking fat bike, I've decided to use this waxing method prior to a long offroad bikepacking adventure, just to ensure I can keep my chain cleaner and minimise wear. I wonder whether there other Rohloff users out there who have made a similar decision?
Definitely going to look into waxing! I commute year round and keeping briny slush at bay with wax sounds good to me.
I'm in Minnesota. Waxing is very effective for salt/sand/slush.
Make sure your wax is hot so it's not too thick. I used to get chain suck - then I started waxing at the higher temperatures. Wax still pools inside the rollers - there's just less wax on the plates to get sticky on the gears.
When you prepare the chain for waxing, make sure you have _thoroughly_ rinsed it with water and that it is dry. When I first waxed my chain it started to rust because I hadn't completely washed the cleaner out of it before applying the wax. This prevented the wax from sticking to the chain properly. I boiled the chain in clean water a couple of times and then re-applied the wax and now it is fine. Wax ftw.
Used to do this with my road bike in the early-mid 80's. Would set up 5 chains to wax at once, fold them up nice when hot and wrap them in newspaper. Ride for 250 miles, swap to a new chain, repeat until I had to rewax them all. This was before quick links were popular, so it's even easier now. It was a good system. Not riding as much, so I'm using the liquid wax formulations; not as clean, but I'm getting lazy in my old age.
When travelling I use Squirt dry lube, after a trip and for around town waxing works well.
Nor sure why anyone would go through that time consuming process of waxing a chain when there is Squirt. I've done both and there is absolutely no difference between wax and Squirt in terms of a clean chain but a huge difference in maintenance time.
Thx for covering this, I am going to try wax with 10 percent PTFE as OZ cycle guy does, he tried almost everything. Lasts 300 km, just need ultra fine PTFE have to order it
I ride an eBike and its my daily driver, rarely use my car. nearly 9,000km last year and my biggest problem is chain wear and having to replace drivetrain components. I will be giving this a go, as anything that extends my chain life is great. I had never heard of this, thanks Russ.
Just use pure paraffin wax. Don't need any other additives unless you are trying to get the last 1% efficiency gains from the chain (racing)
A housemate started waxing the chains on our "daily driver" e mountain bikes. So much nicer (& Way Cleaner) than chain oils. We do a wax party every month or so, using a crock pot and an immersion thermometer with a modern wax blend. Besides riding trails every chance we get, we both are year-round elite commuters. Yes, the wet is harder on the wax than dry weather, so wax more often. The result is worth mastering the routine.
Slow cookers are a real pain because the inner pot is bad at conducting heat. A temperature controlled induction cooktop with a metal pot gets my wax liquid in just a couple of minutes. Induction pots are cheap, so it's nice to keep a couple around to switch out.
I'll be replacing the drive train on my Miyata 621-ST that I picked up a year and a half ago. After watching this im going to go with wax right from the start.
I've been using Molten Speed Wax (MSW) on my road bike. It is a hot wax system with a proprietary wax brew and a few % of MSo2 added - it's a gray colour.
I'm definiterly switching my gravel bike to MSW - I just need to buy a few extra chains so I can wax up in batches ;-)
I'll never come back. The cleanliness and the low noise of the chain are a double goal for me. Anyway I love the process: the majority of the work is the first time when you need to completely clean the new chain..and I love the neediness of that too
It's an interesting idea. My bike has a full chain case over the chain, so it's already relatively clean I suppose but extending the life sounds great!
Actually... Out of curiosity would this be something worth doing for brake or gear shifter cables? Dumb newbie question mabye haha
I've been doing it for about eleven years and it substantially extends the chain life. That said your have to make sure the chain is cleaned with strong solvent like petrol, kerosene or diesel and well agitated. Not only does it remove the old wax and road grit it removes the very fine iron particles that would normally act as grinding paste. If you don't believe there is much iron particles, just drop a Neodymium magnet into the used solvent for a couple of hours and see how much is pulled out of suspension. The wax needs to be a soft mix ie 70% wax (paraffin/candle wax) 10% high temp marine greas and 20% 20W50 oil. Just wax is too dry and too high a softening temperature. You want the mix to soften and act as a lubricant quickly but not flick off the chain. Also it needs to be dry enough so sand and grit is less likely to stick to the wax as it does to just grease or oil. The next important condition is clean the chain every 100-200km and re apply the cold wax mix to the chain before each ride by spinning the cranks and holding the wax block against the chain to give it a light coating.
The chain should be clean and perfectly dry before submerging the chain into the molten wax ~50-60Deg C. Turn off heat and leave the chain for around 15 min you should see tiny bubbles coming out of the chain. that is the air being displaced out of the voids between the rollers and pins. Allowing it to cool a little in the wax means wax will be drawn into those voids and protect the chain. when the wax is just beginning to form a skin use a wire hook and pull the chain out of the molten wax and lay it on a cool clean hard surface, don't put it on a rag as it will wick out the wet wax.
Yes it is fiddly but chains will last 4-5 chains and dramatically extend the life of rings and clusters plus no lubricant splatter or rusty chains.
Ta the end of a ride don't use any detergents on the chain just hose cold water spray to dislodge sand or trail grit.
Maybe I'm not as hardcore of a biker as many people on here - I've not worn out many chains, and certainly not drivetrains.
I use a similar method but cut the paraffin with kerosene in a rice cooker. Needs to cool to consistently of floor wax. Last longer and stays clean. Cheers!
Russ make a follow up video when you take your bike on a long trip and your experience with waxed chain on multiday trips. I started waxing my commuter and road bike but holding back on the bikepacking rig.
As others said, the little bit of wax prep time is offset by less cleaning time, longer chain life, and less laundry headaches from something touching greasy chain. I use plain paraffin wax from the grocery store. No magic ingredients - the wax performs fine alone. Another good dive on a maintenance topic Russ. But people that can't comprehend the advantages may not be reachable.
I use OzCycles home brew mix (the PTFE one) but use Molten speed wax's method, the wax works fine I'm sure if we went to a lab I'm loosing a couple of watts/milliseconds per hour compared to the branded versions but for the type of riding I do I don't really care. The method works as well if not better than waiting for the wax to cool and far less time consuming.
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing. I'm always looking for ways to stop buying replacement parts for drivetrains. The pinion and gates belt drive system looks very appealing but you need a special frame to run it.
I have two Priority bikes, the Apollo Gravel bike with the Alfina 11 and Gates belt and the 600X Adventure bike with the Pinion and Gates belt drive, love then both, come home and hit them with a hose and I'm done.
@@dtglenz I am so in on that!
@@dtglenz I'm very happy with the Gothem I bought recently. I don't know what the Shimano internal hub longevity on it is, but it was fun giving the middle finger to the chains :)
Learning how to wax a chain was a covid-19 lockdown project for me. Although the inital cleaning of a new chain is time consuming, I've enjoyed the resulting silent drivetrain and cleanliness of the bike. Longevity of drivetrain parts was also a huge influence in pushing me to try waxing. Since my initial trial, I've purchased 3 new chains for each of the 3 bikes me and my girlfriend use (9 new chains in total). All 3 bikes have been converted over to a waxed drivetrain and I won't look back to an oil based lubricant for 1 day rides. As for multi-day adventures, I have made any decisions but I've contemplated the Silca Super Secret lubricant. I'm interested in hearing your opinion after you have tested it out!
Make your own to use on the road. Oz. Cycle
I started waxing my chains this summer after watching a series of vids from OZ Cycling. He did extensive testing and detailed videos on the cleaning and waxing procedure. I was sold. I used to meticulously clean my drivetrain after each ride and couldn't get a chain to last past 3K miles on the road! I am keeping track of my mileage and don't have results yet but I can say much time is saved and the bike is cleaner. As to wax flakes I clean them off with a soft brush. The first couple of rides are bad but after that not much. I add powdered PTFE to my mix. I reapply the wax every 200+ miles, not sure if this is too soon.
I rewax after 200miles (300-350km) of dry riding as chain gets noticeably noisier. Sooner if wet conditions. Been doing it for 3 years.
I wax the chain on my recumbent trike. But I'm looking at doing the transamerica route next year and wondered how I should handle keeping my chain waxed on the tour.
Picked up a small crock pot at a thrift store for $9, works great. I don’t care about speed gains, this is easy and keeps the chain so much cleaner and quieter.
Silca now packages the wax in a bag that you can put in hot water to melt. no ruining instapot needed
I used the bag stuff in the Instapot. It takes about 2x as long to melt in a water submersion. Josh at Silca recommends using the Instapot when possible.
Dig it. You have a nice bike and some time on your hands, why not prolong your drive train. Helps become one with your bike and is good for the soul. Thank You for another informative video.
Very interesting! Is chain waxing recommended more for certain parts of the country?
I used to use White Lightning wax-based chain lube in the 1990s and didn't like the wax build-up around my rear derailleur and pulley wheels because it was a pain to clean after 1-2 rides. Fast forward to around 2018 and I was up for trying out another White Lightning chain product, "Clean Ride." It works okay, with not nearly as much wax build-up like the original formula from 20+ years ago. And, I started using Muc-Off Bio Dry Chain Lube which uses a wax-based formula -- not bad, seems better/longer lasting that "Clean Ride" but both of require relubing after each ride to be safe.
I bought a hot parafin wax tub to treat "trigger finger" and have entertained the idea of what you did here, Russ, because I think that it would provide more riding in-between lubes. Thanks for posting, Russ.
I love it. No more chain tattoos! It's only a pain the first time.
My first chain I waxed lasted (50% wear) more than 8,000km, it's clean, and I've got the process to be quicker than drip lube. I use a basic paraffin wax base, with PTFE powder additive and put the chain in a slow cooker about every 2 weeks (500kms or so). Never going back to drip lube!!
Good detail on the process. I tried it. I hated it all. The ultrasonic cleaner, the waxing, the bits of wax that end up on the floor in the house because they flake off the drivetrain and get tracked all over, and winter riding? Be ready for a stiff chain for a while until it loosens up.
I decided the time I was wasting, I should do core work, schedule a few appointments with a PT to get a body assessment, work on the issues, and overall be a faster rider.
I clean the chain, I have a lube I like right now, and the drivetrain is functional. I tried squirt and it was a mess. Reluctant to try the silca one but I am curious.
I see that Icetoolz Orcarina torque wrench on the tool shelf. I love mine.
Geeking out on bike stuff is fun. As a bike racer, I was a weight weenie, and I did all sorts of things to get marginal gains. I worshipped the bike first. I enjoyed it. Now I’m old, and I’m still enjoying messing with bikes, but now it’s single speeds, and English 3speeds. It’s just fun. Waxing is the best way to have a clean drive train, and less rolling resistance, if you have the time. After 41 years of being a bike geek, bikes are just cool, and whatever turns your crank just do it.
I enjoy your channel, and even as a racer in the 80s, 90s, 2000s, I’ve always enjoyed the the party pace, and was a big fan of Grant, Bridgestone, and Rivendell. It’s always been about the bike!
I like the clean factor and it is quiet. When I was using lube the chain and drivetrain would get ugly real quick, not to mention all the dust from the gravel roads. It was just a hot mess! Not so much any more. Efficiency? Well, yeah, for me it is. I spend a lot of time moseying along and taking pictures.
Not here for the gains, but I do like clean and quiet! If this keeps the drivetrain cleaner and quieter, I'm in!
I used to replace chains around the 1500 mile mark on my road bikes. My first waxed chain lasted about 5000 miles with substantially less maintenance overall. My first waxed mtb chain has lasted over 1k miles and counting in Washington weather. I don't care about saved watts, waxing demonstrably results in lower drivetrain wear.
Alt to cooling the wax is to chuck the hot waxy chain in cold water. The wax hardens up almost instantly. I keep a small pail of water right next to my chain waxer (mini rice cooker).
If starting with waxing one thing that might be worth considering is getting a chain with a re-usable master link, or old fashioned connecting pin. Most master links are designed for single use only. Wipperman Connex and YBS are 2 brands that come to mind with re-usable master links. Also worth getting several chains so if time is short you can just swap on a pre-waxed chain without all the rigamarole.
This is the issue with waxing. 2-3 chains, wax pot, wax, quick links, and Teflon powder costs more than enough drip on lube to last a lifetime.
Shimano master links can be reused indefinitely as long as there is no wear on the pins. If you can feel a groove on the pin with your fingernail, there is too much wear and your chain will also likely need to be replaced.
I’ve been waxing my chains for years. My fat bike chain has over 2000 miles on it on with the same cassette still in great shape. I have been using 2 pounds of canners wax and about 1.5 oz of T-9 for some rust proofing protection.
I have been dropping new chains into the fry daddy to burn off the packing grease.
Russ have you thought about reviewing a gearbox/belt drive long term. I only ask this because you have the miles and experience and I am curious as to whether they are all they are chalked up to be.
Plus, no wax.
I've been chain waxing since 1983. Better in dusty environments, and much cleaner. I will often touch the chain to show people. And I will run typically two or three chains.
I'm really not sure why so many people make this so complicated. I've been waxing my chains for 4 years+ now just using paraffin wax, a $7 crock pot and once the wax is up to temp it takes less time than lubing a chain with oil with no cleanup. I'll usually do multiple chains at a time as I have mutliple bikes and if you include the time saved from cleaning cassettes, chaintings, and the chain itself waxing is a huge time saver
Target sells a small slow cooker style electric pot for about $12. Takes longer to melt wax than an instant pot sort of thing, but the thicker wallet makes up for it.
I made 5 gallons of chain cleaner / lubricant years ago, 1 gallon K1 kerosene, 2gallon odorless paint thinner, 1 gallon napha(bbq lighter fluid), 3 quarts ATF(auto trans fluid) 12 oz lanolin (heat to 140F then pour in. After use with park chain cleaner tool, I pour into a windshield washer fluid bottle with a super magnet on the bottom. Filter through cheese cloth when full. My chains never rust, last 3000 to 4000 miles easily. One solution for cleaning and lube, very quiet chains, just wipe with a rag after riding, I clean the chain 400-800 miles depending on riding conditions. I've had this fluid for 22 years, sometimes replenish with odorless paint thinner if there's a little volume loss. I store the bulk cleaner in a yellow diesel / kero 5 gallon container.
The biggest standout thing after I started chain-waxing was the cleanliness. After a super-dusty spring gravel ride in CA, my bike frame had dust stuck in lots of places, but the chain itself was almost perfectly clean.
Less friction paste inside the chain links means fewer lost watts, but also means more durable drivetrain. I care more about the durability, some care more about the watts, but they go together.
Some of the tech folks at CyclingTips who've been pushing this, have largely moved to drip-on wax lube - which gives similar gains but more convenience. Still gotta get grease out of, and keep if off of, the drivetrain system though.
Note: not everything advertised as "wax lube" real wax-based (e.g., Finish Line's products, which apparently score poorly on both wattage and durability tests as well).
I only use wax when I expect t the weather to be mostly dry, don't like it for wet seasons.
Some put through an ultra sonic cleaner first.This is all new to me.
A $50 ultrasonic from harbor freight has a heater and a timer. Cleans really well and super easy. Then dry it out and wax it. Also a Amazon wax melter for hair removal is cheap and easy.
I have never waxed a chain but i am always removing my dirt laden chain after a ride in the forest !! I feel this would work for me as my calf has a chain ring tattoo after every ride ...thanks
Great experiment. For me, it's all about simplicity. Dribble on chain, wipe, ride. Clean the bike after every ride and the drivetrain every week or 2...or 3...or 4
Okay I love your commitment, some old family friend used to work on HMS Kimberly before she went down under (Aussie Navy) and he spoke about heating chain grease before applying, I get that but 10,000 on a bike chain Km's or Miles? not possible if you want efficiency. Chains just aren't built that way. Chains work best when they're new. Modern chains are only good for about 600 miles, after that they still work and will do for many years so long as you keep the same running gear but they will be anything BUT efficient. And that's cycle chains in a nut shell.
Great vid and I was thinking about doing it until I saw the prices. I'll stick to a jet wash of the drive train and careful oil lubing afterwards
Another great video Russ! converted the road bikes and the gravel bike ( still use Tri-flow on the mtb ) 4 years ago, started w / Molten but switched to ( see Archer Sully comment in this thread) @ Ozcycle ( another great channel ) formulation easy, inexpensive and imho works as well or better than molten…
I also find the higher temp > 220 / drip off is fine -
I have 2 chains per bike and with a large crockpot ( from good will ) I do 4 chains at a time I swap out @ approx 300 mi I’m also running YBN chains
will never go back to oil I LOVE a clean drivetrain!!
Sorry I know this a bit old, just wondering why you don't wax your MTB? Do you hit water (creeks/streams) or something?
@@Thylacine1 Hi, it’s a good question, there are a few stream crossings in my local MTB park (Pocahontas state park in Richmond Va) but I’m just about ready to change out that chain so I just might finally move over to wax…
I’ve also bought a used “instapot” and I’m planing to buy a bag of Silca’s hot wax to start using on the road bikes and keep the gravel and MTB on the Ozcycle formula… over the winter I toss the wax in the crock pot and make a new batch… so next winter I’ll toss the DYI batch and I think going forward I’ll use the Silca for all and use Silca drip wax on the MTB and gravel after wet rides between hot dips… have you had good luck with wax on your MTB?
@@guspecunia5887 I actually only ride gravel, and where I'm at it gets really dusty (abrasive) when its dry. I was having to re-lube every 30-40mi although admittadly I like my drivetrain clean and QUIET, I just love a silent bike where you just hear the crunch of gravel that tight sound of your DT and your breathing. Anyways, so I actually just got some of SILCA's Hot Wax for my first try, I figured just go with the best and be done with it. I just got back from my first 50mi ride with it just now - SILENT the whole time, after not a speck of dust or dirt.
Here's a few things I had to deal with though, and not really SILCA's fault, but the bag had opened in the Amazon bubble mailer, was easy to put the pellets back in and no loss, so I popped the bag in my Instant Pot that was set to 175f and came back to find that I had missed a hole in the bag and crap was all over the IP and bag... Shit. So after a long clean up of that I thought about the fact that I use PP 5 plastic containers in my sterilizer for mycology purposes and that gets to like 260f and the containers are fine, so I used a PP 5 container that once held 16oz. of deli meat (every grocery store has these), tossed the wax in and floated it in the water bath - Worked great! I Because its wide and shallow I could really agitate the chain much better than the tall deep bag and its one less "thing" for me to own and store. Now the whole wax setup is self contained and doesn't need a dedicated pot. Sorry for the essay but I felt it was relevant lol hope it helps!
A tip on waxing. Put your wax in a half gallon mason jar, put water in your insta pot or a stive top kettle. Melt the wax and do the chain. Put lid on mason jar after wax cools and put it neatly away for next time.