Yeah, I couldn't care less for marginal gains or losses and I'm not prepared to do that drip wax hanky-panky but I use wax emulsion stuff from bottles like squirt or Silca. Chain wouldn't become a black gunky mess anymore, greyish flakes can be wiped off using a cloth or toilet paper.
I just started waxing my chains. Not for watt savings. But to treble the life of the drive train. Because I have to pay for my bike parts. Also, every time my first generation eTap drops a chain, I can put the chain right with bare hands and turn up at the club ride with clean hands. So awesome. The initial setup is a pfaff, but all follow up maintenance is easy.
Waxing chains has proven to be less work and substantially cleaner than using oil for me. Takes about 2-3m of active work to re-wax. It has proven to be so much more pleasant to work on the bike, I do a lot more regular maintenance. I don’t believe the power savings claims and don’t care. But I will never go back.
Wax chain is a million times better than lube. Once you've done it once it literally takes as long as lube. If it makes your bike dirty you did it wrong!
I must say. Chain waxing is definitely not over rated. Way cleaner than oiled chains, far less wear on your chain and parts. And genuinely, if you clean an oiled chain properly, it still takes at least twice as long than I takes just re wax a chain. I think too many videos have made it sound more complex that it actually is.
I’m all with you. The only thing that maybe annoying about chain waxing is the marketing wave at the moment. It’s easy to perfrom (drip wax every 1k, top up every 100) nothing clogs up, chain, chainrings, cassette and bike stay appartement/hotel room-clean, it’s less noisy, no need to clean the chain apart of a light sweep with a microfibre cloth. And no - no! - chain wear after +4k until now. Never again will I oil my chains.
100%. I think it's very trendy to hate on immersive waxing when not having ever tried it for themselves. The fact that so many people are excited about it and wanting to share that excitement makes other people hate on it for no other reason. I'm sure I do that too in other aspects of my life without knowing it. Humans. What are you gonna do?
@@ElrocStone cant believe this, my lubed chains lastet around 3500-3800km, all my waxed chains lasted roughly the same sometimes less. the only difference was that the drivetrain always look nice
@@MaceWanted What type of wax are you using? All waxes are not created equal, submersive waxing with a graphene wax will be considerably better than just drip on wax on a clean chain.
@@ElrocStone yeah I am using Dynamic Chain Wax. Havent used any submersive waxing, because it was too expensive for only trying it. I only washed the whole drivetrain in brake cleaner several times and than dripped the wax on the chain like normal lube. I mean I have to wax my chain as often in the summer as I have had to lube them, but everything stays clean, so I am cool with it. And buying every 2-3 months a new 7 speed chain / cassette for my working bike is propably cheaper than using submersive wax
Hard disagree on waxing. Immersion wax every 500 miles and drip wax every 100miles. Chain and gears are clean and all you have to do is just wipe the chain after a ride. Get it on your bike or legs and it just wipes away with water.
This 100%. Even just the Silca SS drip wax has approximately 30-40x less wear rate vs. Majority of wet lubes. Wax crock pot + drip on wax comes out significantly cheaper when you factor in component cost, is way cleaner (only need to use boiling water to wash my drivetrain, no harsh chemical cost on your wallet or environment or time excessively scrubbing) with the bonus of it being a more efficient drivetrain.
I agree with the "screw the few watts" sentiment. But not having black grime by simply running it through a rag for one rotation after a ride is amazing. Have 2-3 chains prepared at once, and you don't have to wax for quite some time and just fill it up with liquid wax. It's worth the 20-30 minutes of hot waxing every couple of months if I don't have dirty hands just from touching my chain.
Agree. Don't really care about the watts, the cleanliness is what does it for me. Also, I get more mileage out of 1 wax application than wet lube. So the time that I "save" with wet lube I lose by having to do more maintenance.
As a recreational cyclist, that only rides once a week to make myself feel better, I agree with all your points. I have to go to bbq's in shorts during warm weekends, I'm not going to explain to my friends why my shaven legs will save me 1W.
I think waxing is overrated if you try to find power gains. But for me, it as being great for "Rinko Bagging" I can pack the bicycle without making everything a mess.
Immersive waxing your chain makes makes your bike dirty? WTF? And why does it always have to be just about watts? I'm old and slow so I couldn't care less about the watts. I get to have a clean chain all the time and hand to heart, my chain checker has shown close to zero wear on my X01 chain with over a year of MTB riding in different conditions. It's also pretty much silent. I really love you guys, but on this one, until you actually give it an honest try, no. Just no.
It makes it dirty if you don't wipe the excess wax, But if you do it is scary clean. Sometimes makes me second guess if it's going to be safe. So far so good.
This, I have a carbon bike that I only use when it's sunny. Thanks to waxing the chain I only need to wipe it down now and again when it comes to cleaning.
Waxing is really an extreme bother. For it to be effective, you need an absolutely clean chain. That means using volatile chemicals which create a lot of pollution. Using wet lubes, properly applied, is way more environmentally friendly and can be applied to chains right out of the bag without spending hours of chain cleaning.
@@jamesmckenzie3532 I very much appreciate your environmental approach. I feel the exact same way and that's one of the reasons I immersive wax my chain. I clean a new chain once, and only once. And that takes a max of 15 minutes. From then on it's just a rewax. If it's been an especially wet and muddy ride, it gets a boiling water bath and then a wax. For me, a chain can last a couple of years with immersive waxing. That saves more chemical use from me by at least 10 times which makes it considerably more environmentally friendly from my experience. And I'm not throwing away worn chains and other drivetrain components nearly as often either. I understand that you feel it's a bother but it's really just a simple process for me so I don't mind it at all. Thanks for your input though.
@CatManDoSocial It is the cleaning process that is the issue. Three baths in mineral spirits and the use of other volatile agents aren't necessary if you are using wet lubricants. The only exception is if you are using chains that haven't been greased or otherwise placed in preservatives. Teams usually get spools of such chains where the mechanics can use whatever lubricant they want. Some bike shops can do likewise. Anything you buy in a box, wrapped in plastic, has to be treated to remove every last trace of this grease or wax will not adhere.
I resisted being a 'waxer' for sooo long, it seems every bloody man that does it just can't shut up about it...but then my riding buddy's new Colnago C64 had it's 2nd birthday...the chain, cassette and rings were immaculate and he does 300-400km per week-in & week-out.That's 30-40,000km over 2 years on a cassette and 2 chains and they are unblemished. I was sold. Even the mechanic pulled the BB and wheel hubs and was shocked by how good they were, the lack of degreaser in the cleaning process is thought to be the answer. I still don't tell anyone I wax, i want to be the 1st man to ever do it without yabbering about it like it's a cult...but I honestly can't blame them
I may be biased, but I’ve been riding around on a titanium Serotta for the last 20 years, and it’s still my favorite road bike. It has just the right amount of springiness, my only wish was that I should of specked it to a wider tire clearance. (28mm) There’s some exceptional manufacturing happening now, but I think Serotta was ahead of the curve for their time. 9:04
LOL at you two! You raving about Steel bikes, but have to have a stainless steel so it doesn't rust, but then dis Ti off! Ti is very much like Steel in ride feel etc, Ti a bit lighter and does NOT rust! yes it is more expensive due to been HARDER to work/machine/weld, which adds to the cost. If I had to choose stainless steel or Ti it be Ti every day of the week!
Yea, that seemed odd to rate stainless steel, but diss TI. I have 15,000 miles on a ti bike and it certainly rides better than aluminum. I would say that its ride is comparable to a custom steel bike, the difference being mine's off shelf and about half what I would have paid for a custom bike.
Thanks for all of your videos and valuable insight. I have a couple of non biking questions. I’m upgrading my computer and want to edit videos. Which Apple models are you using here and do you use them for editing? Are you pleased with them? Thanks so much.
Immersion waxing is so much better for me. Cleaner by far than any other product (including drip wax). I couldn't care about the watt savings, it's about how clean it keeps your entire drivetrain. Yes it does require a little more effort, but it becomes a routine which I find quite cathartic. Plus you can rotate chains i.e. have a spare chain so you can wax less often. It's a nice way to treat your pride and joy. I get that not everyone will want to do it, but the benefits for me outweigh any hassle
I can tell you what is making modern built titanium frames better welded then in previous times. It is due to the proliferation of laser welding instead of TIG or MIG.
I have a Ti road bike that was custom made for me in 2006. My only real complaint is that as cycling evolves the tire clearance doesn’t allow for more than 28mm, tires, but that would likely be true of any bike made in the same period. It was well made and comparable to a custom steel bike in terms of fit. You failed to mention two worthy attributes: longevity and durability. Is it really anymore overrated than carbon? Takes almost no effort to maintain and you can buff out scratches. Wish I could say that about the paint jobs on my carbon frames.
re: shaving legs, was talking to an old boy who used to race at Herne Hill when he was a kid. He said the reason they shaved their legs was because when you crashed on the concrete, if your legs weren't shaved, the medics would first scrub the wound with a stiff brush to remove dirt, etc. You only needed to experience that once to start shaving your legs, apparently...
I wax, not for the gains but drivetrain is so much cleaner and stays clean. Also not so annoying to me, wipe after every ride and then leave it in the pot at the wax interval while I am playing video games. Its actually been easier than keeping my bike clean using oil.
Kudos on an excellent list of items to discuss. Sure to generate lots of debate in the comments. However, your opinions were not that well considered - came across as hot takes more than reasoned opinions.
The only pro to titanium as a metal is the strength and lightness, but that is balanced out by its cost and manufacturing difficulties. Titanium is unmatched in many areas, but it's not a "universal" material. That's why you don't see exotic cars and race cars being made out of titanium. They use kevlar, carbon fiber or a mixture of composites to achieve similar results at a fraction of the cost. Small parts are where titanium shines, but again, there are other alloys and composite materials that have similar properties for a lot cheaper. Carbon fiber/kevlar can be molded and shaped. Titanium not so much.
I’m going to disagree with you on the molten wax. I tried it and I’m sold. I don’t really care about incremental gains of 3w or anything like that. What I do like is how clean the bike stays, and how easy the drivetrain is to care for. Every 200mi or so I just put the chain in the pot, turn it on, and take it out an hour or two later. Chain cleaned and lived for another couple hundred. And when I take that chain off, I don’t even need gloves. It’s all just so clean. Yes, you get a little wax buildup. But it’s far easier to clean than oily muck.
The guy in a black cap doesnt know what hes talking about. I live in the philippines and our air is quite dusty and it always rains too. Waxing a chain is a game changer as my chain remains clean. Re doing the hotmelt once every 2 weeks is not a tall order while cleaning a dirty chain when it rains or not every other ride is annoying.. My bike is super clean due to waxing. If i need to fix something, i dont ever worry about getting my hands dirty from touching my chain. What are u talking about when u said the bike will be full of gunk? Im betting u havent tried waxing
I don't shave my legs, but after every crash be it mtb or road, I really wish I did. Being half man half wookie, the most painful part of any fall is removing the dressing.
Lance Armstrong making a succesful comeback after Cancer makes him underrated in my book. I feel he was made a scapegoat for the drug taking because he wasn't European
The european thing, I don't know - maybe. I think it might have been because he was hostile, he even admits that he was a dick but whatever , you may be right. I'm certainly no authority. Dig lance tho. Lance in the moutains is definetly some of the most epic moments in cycling.
Armstrong used bullying and lawyers to cheat. I love Pantani and there is no way he was any less juiced than Armstrong. I’ve been through 6 months of chemotherapy and I lost over 10kg, I was fast when got back on the bike, took a few KOMs in the Peak District. Armstrong is not a hero in anyway
I don't get the part where chain wax takes so much more time. Don't wax only one chain, do 3 simultaneously! That's enough for roughly 600-900 km, with some liquid wax even more. That's surely not comparable to regularly cleaning the bike from all the accumulated dirt on the drivetrain.
Steel bikes don;t rust near the sea any worse than anywhere else. I run 4 steel bikes: Colnagos and Carltons (as well as a Ti and a Carbon bike). ALl of them between 35 and 44 years old. I live in the rust empire of Scotland within short miles of the west coast, where it rains heaps. None are significantly rusted, and even the Clubman that shows surface rust in worn paint, is spotless inside. Stainless is not required, but it does look nice... My carbon bike is the worst riding bike I own, and one of the worst I;ve ever owned in 55years of riding and racing, only a cheap 7005 Aluminium bike was ever worse.
The shit is attaching only to the parts which are not in any contacts and is therefore irrelevant. It's a pure placebo effect to think that it makes any difference.
Immersive / Molten Wax worked fine for me for almost 2y, >95% off-road, on both MTB & Gravel, for mine and my small family's bikes. Say w/e you want, The only way to work "faster" with regular lube is to not clean the chain at all, and just keep adding lube ontop of the old oily mud... Thus I clearly don't get the "who has time for this" argument: this very day, I took off my "chain to be waxxed", i turned the dedicated $12 slow cooker on @ low, went for a ride just under 1:30h, came back to find the wax @ 85oC or so, dropped the chain in and steered it a bit, took a shower, came down to pull the chain out and hang it to cool. I could do 2-3 chains one after the other within the same session if I was working around the kitchen etc. I re-wax my chain 4-5 rides or 60mi/100km. I have two chains for my "babied" bikes and I rotate them, one being always "waxxed-to-go". This - AFAIK - will give me the most run for my $ for the combination of chain(s)+cassette. Some rotate 3x chains. The chain is stupid clean, definitely lasts longer in the loose over the same dry debri that would grind it when using dry lubes, is clean to handle, clean to accidentally touch your clothes, etc, and more resilient if you were to be involved in limited creek crossings etc.
How does waxing the chain make your bike dirty? I don't think you know how to do it. It takes a few minutes and bike and chain, my legs and hands are clean. And it is cheap.
Chain waxing overrated lmao. Your average person won't care about 3 watts. They will however be happy with there chain lasting around 4 times longer than an oiled chain. 12,000 plus km out of this chain so far & absolutely no mess or gunked up bike & gears. Sorry Jimmy but you don't know what your talking about 😂
I've been planning to go to hot wax simply because I'm %$%ing sick of the greasy mess regular lubes create. I don't give a snot about putative wattage gains, I just don't want to deal with the @%*%#ing mess anymore. Wax seems like a no-brainer to me. What am I apparently missing? 😕
Leg shaving is for wobblers The best riding bike is the best fitting bike-custom Use Dumonde tech chain lube and correctly (it’s not petroleum or wax, it’s a polymer) 🔨
Pet peeve - all metal bikes are alloy bikes. Stop calling aluminum bikes alloy. Steel is an alloy. Ti bikes are usually include 3% aluminium and 2.5% vanadium. Most aluminum bikes are 6061 Aluminium alloy.
Totally agree waxed chains are overrated. I live in the pacific northwest of the US. Tried waxing a chain. It did not even last 50 miles in the rain. Useless in this type of climate.
More dirty with wax? I feel he said that just to get me to comment. I had a chain drop on my wax chain the other day, popped it on and went to wipe my hand before touching bar tape and my hand was perfectly clean, would not be the case with a lube like muck off…
I've not shaved my legs for 4 years haha. And my Dad's Roberts, he's had since I first started riding!! Steel is strong. Also if it's cold enough for leg warmers, wear tights. 😅😅
You guys missed the mark on wax by a mile... that shit is so clean compared to oil in dry and dusty conditions. Guy says it gunks up your bike... lmfao oil gunks up your bike and wax stays clean.
I’ve got a Tommasini Mach Ti (which I bought from Nick btw) and it’s nicer to ride than my stainless steel bike, and cost the same, so perhaps some of your argument is lost there.
Are you really that naive to believe that pro cyclist are not taking drugs now. Better drugs and better at hiding it. There are way to get around biological passport.
I have time to wax chains, and my chain and myself stay much cleaner. Also, how hairy must your legs be if your bibs move because of it? 😂 I have hairy legs and my bibs don't ride up at all. Wait, I don't shave my legs, no WONDER I have time to wax my chains. 😁
Yeah Jimmy doesn’t know what he’s talking about on waxing. It’s a bit of faffing that may or may not be worth it but it’s the cleanest / longest wearing solution out there. And even if you don’t molten wax, the very best drip wax products (Silca or UFO) are nearly as good. Any of them stay remarkably clean. He literally doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
As someone with legs so hairy that it looks like I have seaweed draping my calves whenever I'm at the pool, all the things Francis pointed out about bib shorts and leg warmers are just not true. Sorry mate, Jimmi is right, you're doing something wrong.
If Armstrong had been Italian he’d still be 7 times winner. Steel bikes are a big yes👌🏻 Waxing cannot be beaten 👌🏻 Ti bike frames more trouble than they’re worth ☹️. Love these podcasts 👍
@@rosomak8244 A dirty messy chain will wear pretty quickly. And it will wear out the rest of the drivetrain in the process. With hot wax I don’t even need to clean it cuz it doesn’t really get dirty. Plus it doesn’t even remotely wear as fast. For me that’s a no brainer.
Gonna disagree with you on waxing. I run 2 chains in rotation, so only have to immersion wax half as often. So far I have 12,000 km on each chain, and still below 0.5 wear. Cassette is still schmick, and the chainring will be immortal.
Don’t forget the cost savings from reduced wear. Using a waxed chain can reduce wear by a factor of 2 to 3. A Dura Ace cassette costs €250! Do the math.
Shaved legs are the single most important thing you can do for aerodynamics after your position--Specialized has done the wind tunnel tests to prove it. But I agree that it's elitist, so you shouldn't ever care if anyone else does it.
I have never seen another company release a 110 page technical document, on a single model no less, for customers to study before choosing to purchase.
😂 Chain Wax is the only cycling marketing BS I agree with but you've been swayed by performance as usual. More benefits not performance related. Make my own so always clean and real easy to do. Anything commercial out of a bottle is messy as hell
I think that with this wax diss you just do it for the engagement just like those 2 idiots in Australia who from time to time say stupid things just to make some controvertion
It is pretty obvious you guys have not researched hot/drip waxing enough. Most people dont do it for the watts, but for less dirt/grime/wear and tear.
You know he used to partner with a wax brand, right?
And longevity of chains ⛓️. Also Jimmy - what kind of a comment is “it’s not needed”, half the shit we all have on our bikes is “not needed” 😂
Francis and Jimmi...you have angered the Wax Fan Boys....second only to Apple Fan Boys in their unwavering adulation.
Yeah, I couldn't care less for marginal gains or losses and I'm not prepared to do that drip wax hanky-panky but I use wax emulsion stuff from bottles like squirt or Silca.
Chain wouldn't become a black gunky mess anymore, greyish flakes can be wiped off using a cloth or toilet paper.
I just started waxing my chains. Not for watt savings. But to treble the life of the drive train. Because I have to pay for my bike parts. Also, every time my first generation eTap drops a chain, I can put the chain right with bare hands and turn up at the club ride with clean hands. So awesome. The initial setup is a pfaff, but all follow up maintenance is easy.
Waxing chains has proven to be less work and substantially cleaner than using oil for me. Takes about 2-3m of active work to re-wax. It has proven to be so much more pleasant to work on the bike, I do a lot more regular maintenance. I don’t believe the power savings claims and don’t care. But I will never go back.
@jyalpert, that is exactly what I find using Putoline molten wax, I use it on all my bikes and will never go back!
100%
Totally agree. My experience aligns with your list of benefits.
Straight out of the bottle, beat decision ever! No more constant cleaning the chain. So for MTB I am not going back to lube
"Wax is overrated rubbish!" Oh, yeah - also, our sponsor is GT85.
And then there's Si from GCN who used to recommend WD-40 for chains 🤦♂
Wax chain is a million times better than lube. Once you've done it once it literally takes as long as lube. If it makes your bike dirty you did it wrong!
I don’t have any problems with bib shorts sliding on non shaved legs 🤔
Me neither. If the garment moves around too much, go a size smaller.
Yea, I didn't know this was a problem.
If the quadriceps is big enough, nothing moves.
I must say. Chain waxing is definitely not over rated. Way cleaner than oiled chains, far less wear on your chain and parts. And genuinely, if you clean an oiled chain properly, it still takes at least twice as long than I takes just re wax a chain.
I think too many videos have made it sound more complex that it actually is.
I’m all with you. The only thing that maybe annoying about chain waxing is the marketing wave at the moment. It’s easy to perfrom (drip wax every 1k, top up every 100) nothing clogs up, chain, chainrings, cassette and bike stay appartement/hotel room-clean, it’s less noisy, no need to clean the chain apart of a light sweep with a microfibre cloth. And no - no! - chain wear after +4k until now. Never again will I oil my chains.
100%. I think it's very trendy to hate on immersive waxing when not having ever tried it for themselves. The fact that so many people are excited about it and wanting to share that excitement makes other people hate on it for no other reason. I'm sure I do that too in other aspects of my life without knowing it. Humans. What are you gonna do?
Mavic wheels overrated
Tubeless road setup overrated:
A waxed chain is the cleanest chain setup you can have.
And the chain lasts up to 5 times longer than a chain using traditional lubes. Its totally worth the effort.
@@ElrocStone cant believe this, my lubed chains lastet around 3500-3800km, all my waxed chains lasted roughly the same sometimes less. the only difference was that the drivetrain always look nice
@@MaceWanted What type of wax are you using? All waxes are not created equal, submersive waxing with a graphene wax will be considerably better than just drip on wax on a clean chain.
@@ElrocStone yeah I am using Dynamic Chain Wax. Havent used any submersive waxing, because it was too expensive for only trying it. I only washed the whole drivetrain in brake cleaner several times and than dripped the wax on the chain like normal lube.
I mean I have to wax my chain as often in the summer as I have had to lube them, but everything stays clean, so I am cool with it. And buying every 2-3 months a new 7 speed chain / cassette for my working bike is propably cheaper than using submersive wax
Hard disagree on waxing. Immersion wax every 500 miles and drip wax every 100miles. Chain and gears are clean and all you have to do is just wipe the chain after a ride. Get it on your bike or legs and it just wipes away with water.
This 100%. Even just the Silca SS drip wax has approximately 30-40x less wear rate vs. Majority of wet lubes.
Wax crock pot + drip on wax comes out significantly cheaper when you factor in component cost, is way cleaner (only need to use boiling water to wash my drivetrain, no harsh chemical cost on your wallet or environment or time excessively scrubbing) with the bonus of it being a more efficient drivetrain.
Waxing the chain is a game changer. Everything stays clean and it’s easy. Big F from y’all on this.
I agree with the "screw the few watts" sentiment. But not having black grime by simply running it through a rag for one rotation after a ride is amazing. Have 2-3 chains prepared at once, and you don't have to wax for quite some time and just fill it up with liquid wax. It's worth the 20-30 minutes of hot waxing every couple of months if I don't have dirty hands just from touching my chain.
I agree. And you save yourself the hassle of degreasing your chain. Just use the drip on. No hassle at all.
Agree. Don't really care about the watts, the cleanliness is what does it for me. Also, I get more mileage out of 1 wax application than wet lube. So the time that I "save" with wet lube I lose by having to do more maintenance.
As a recreational cyclist, that only rides once a week to make myself feel better, I agree with all your points. I have to go to bbq's in shorts during warm weekends, I'm not going to explain to my friends why my shaven legs will save me 1W.
Steel bikes are definitely under rated, particularly custom built high-end steel bikes.
I think waxing is overrated if you try to find power gains. But for me, it as being great for "Rinko Bagging" I can pack the bicycle without making everything a mess.
Immersive waxing your chain makes makes your bike dirty? WTF? And why does it always have to be just about watts? I'm old and slow so I couldn't care less about the watts. I get to have a clean chain all the time and hand to heart, my chain checker has shown close to zero wear on my X01 chain with over a year of MTB riding in different conditions. It's also pretty much silent. I really love you guys, but on this one, until you actually give it an honest try, no. Just no.
It makes it dirty if you don't wipe the excess wax, But if you do it is scary clean. Sometimes makes me second guess if it's going to be safe. So far so good.
This, I have a carbon bike that I only use when it's sunny. Thanks to waxing the chain I only need to wipe it down now and again when it comes to cleaning.
Waxing is really an extreme bother. For it to be effective, you need an absolutely clean chain. That means using volatile chemicals which create a lot of pollution. Using wet lubes, properly applied, is way more environmentally friendly and can be applied to chains right out of the bag without spending hours of chain cleaning.
@@jamesmckenzie3532 I very much appreciate your environmental approach. I feel the exact same way and that's one of the reasons I immersive wax my chain. I clean a new chain once, and only once. And that takes a max of 15 minutes. From then on it's just a rewax. If it's been an especially wet and muddy ride, it gets a boiling water bath and then a wax. For me, a chain can last a couple of years with immersive waxing. That saves more chemical use from me by at least 10 times which makes it considerably more environmentally friendly from my experience. And I'm not throwing away worn chains and other drivetrain components nearly as often either. I understand that you feel it's a bother but it's really just a simple process for me so I don't mind it at all. Thanks for your input though.
@CatManDoSocial It is the cleaning process that is the issue. Three baths in mineral spirits and the use of other volatile agents aren't necessary if you are using wet lubricants. The only exception is if you are using chains that haven't been greased or otherwise placed in preservatives. Teams usually get spools of such chains where the mechanics can use whatever lubricant they want. Some bike shops can do likewise. Anything you buy in a box, wrapped in plastic, has to be treated to remove every last trace of this grease or wax will not adhere.
I resisted being a 'waxer' for sooo long, it seems every bloody man that does it just can't shut up about it...but then my riding buddy's new Colnago C64 had it's 2nd birthday...the chain, cassette and rings were immaculate and he does 300-400km per week-in & week-out.That's 30-40,000km over 2 years on a cassette and 2 chains and they are unblemished. I was sold. Even the mechanic pulled the BB and wheel hubs and was shocked by how good they were, the lack of degreaser in the cleaning process is thought to be the answer. I still don't tell anyone I wax, i want to be the 1st man to ever do it without yabbering about it like it's a cult...but I honestly can't blame them
I wax my leg hair and have titanium fillings
Oliver Bridgewood is now having a stroke over you guys disrespecting the waxed chain lol.
My 'sensible' bike is an '83 Galaxy. Had a hard paper round, internal rust not an issue.
Stopping to rust from the inside and go stainless? You should just spray it with rust preventive from the inside.
all my clothes from before I discovered paraffin wax have giant chain-shaped stains on them. That made the trouble worth it for me!
What? Wax makes your bike dirty? U crazy? Waxing is the best thing ever happened to my transmission
I may be biased, but I’ve been riding around on a titanium Serotta for the last 20 years, and it’s still my favorite road bike. It has just the right amount of springiness, my only wish was that I should of specked it to a wider tire clearance. (28mm)
There’s some exceptional manufacturing happening now, but I think Serotta was ahead of the curve for their time. 9:04
LOL at you two! You raving about Steel bikes, but have to have a stainless steel so it doesn't rust, but then dis Ti off! Ti is very much like Steel in ride feel etc, Ti a bit lighter and does NOT rust! yes it is more expensive due to been HARDER to work/machine/weld, which adds to the cost. If I had to choose stainless steel or Ti it be Ti every day of the week!
Yea, that seemed odd to rate stainless steel, but diss TI. I have 15,000 miles on a ti bike and it certainly rides better than aluminum. I would say that its ride is comparable to a custom steel bike, the difference being mine's off shelf and about half what I would have paid for a custom bike.
I'm living in a appartment. I do wax for the ease of cleaning my chain. I have to put drops of wax more often but the cleaning is so easy.
Chain wax: Big in the 90's. With oval chainrings and bar ends. And day glow colors.
Thanks for all of your videos and valuable insight.
I have a couple of non biking questions.
I’m upgrading my computer and want to edit videos.
Which Apple models are you using here and do you use them for editing? Are you pleased with them?
Thanks so much.
Immersion waxing is so much better for me. Cleaner by far than any other product (including drip wax). I couldn't care about the watt savings, it's about how clean it keeps your entire drivetrain. Yes it does require a little more effort, but it becomes a routine which I find quite cathartic. Plus you can rotate chains i.e. have a spare chain so you can wax less often. It's a nice way to treat your pride and joy. I get that not everyone will want to do it, but the benefits for me outweigh any hassle
I can tell you what is making modern built titanium frames better welded then in previous times. It is due to the proliferation of laser welding instead of TIG or MIG.
I have a Ti road bike that was custom made for me in 2006. My only real complaint is that as cycling evolves the tire clearance doesn’t allow for more than 28mm, tires, but that would likely be true of any bike made in the same period. It was well made and comparable to a custom steel bike in terms of fit. You failed to mention two worthy attributes: longevity and durability. Is it really anymore overrated than carbon? Takes almost no effort to maintain and you can buff out scratches. Wish I could say that about the paint jobs on my carbon frames.
Carbon bikes are definitely more over rated than titanium bikes (not saying titanium bikes aren’t over rated to some degree)
re: shaving legs, was talking to an old boy who used to race at Herne Hill when he was a kid. He said the reason they shaved their legs was because when you crashed on the concrete, if your legs weren't shaved, the medics would first scrub the wound with a stiff brush to remove dirt, etc. You only needed to experience that once to start shaving your legs, apparently...
I wax, not for the gains but drivetrain is so much cleaner and stays clean. Also not so annoying to me, wipe after every ride and then leave it in the pot at the wax interval while I am playing video games. Its actually been easier than keeping my bike clean using oil.
"You have to shave your legs if you want to fit in" - at least cyclist guys understand how women feel in everyday life lol
Kudos on an excellent list of items to discuss. Sure to generate lots of debate in the comments. However, your opinions were not that well considered - came across as hot takes more than reasoned opinions.
The only pro to titanium as a metal is the strength and lightness, but that is balanced out by its cost and manufacturing difficulties. Titanium is unmatched in many areas, but it's not a "universal" material. That's why you don't see exotic cars and race cars being made out of titanium. They use kevlar, carbon fiber or a mixture of composites to achieve similar results at a fraction of the cost. Small parts are where titanium shines, but again, there are other alloys and composite materials that have similar properties for a lot cheaper. Carbon fiber/kevlar can be molded and shaped. Titanium not so much.
I’m going to disagree with you on the molten wax. I tried it and I’m sold. I don’t really care about incremental gains of 3w or anything like that. What I do like is how clean the bike stays, and how easy the drivetrain is to care for. Every 200mi or so I just put the chain in the pot, turn it on, and take it out an hour or two later. Chain cleaned and lived for another couple hundred.
And when I take that chain off, I don’t even need gloves. It’s all just so clean. Yes, you get a little wax buildup. But it’s far easier to clean than oily muck.
The guy in a black cap doesnt know what hes talking about. I live in the philippines and our air is quite dusty and it always rains too. Waxing a chain is a game changer as my chain remains clean. Re doing the hotmelt once every 2 weeks is not a tall order while cleaning a dirty chain when it rains or not every other ride is annoying.. My bike is super clean due to waxing. If i need to fix something, i dont ever worry about getting my hands dirty from touching my chain. What are u talking about when u said the bike will be full of gunk? Im betting u havent tried waxing
I don't shave my legs, but after every crash be it mtb or road, I really wish I did. Being half man half wookie, the most painful part of any fall is removing the dressing.
In that case you have never had a real crash buddy 😅
Lance Armstrong making a succesful comeback after Cancer makes him underrated in my book. I feel he was made a scapegoat for the drug taking because he wasn't European
The european thing, I don't know - maybe. I think it might have been because he was hostile, he even admits that he was a dick but whatever , you may be right. I'm certainly no authority. Dig lance tho. Lance in the moutains is definetly some of the most epic moments in cycling.
Armstrong used bullying and lawyers to cheat. I love Pantani and there is no way he was any less juiced than Armstrong. I’ve been through 6 months of chemotherapy and I lost over 10kg, I was fast when got back on the bike, took a few KOMs in the Peak District. Armstrong is not a hero in anyway
@@AndrewOliverHome Don't sell yourself short....
I don't get the part where chain wax takes so much more time. Don't wax only one chain, do 3 simultaneously! That's enough for roughly 600-900 km, with some liquid wax even more. That's surely not comparable to regularly cleaning the bike from all the accumulated dirt on the drivetrain.
Steel bikes don;t rust near the sea any worse than anywhere else. I run 4 steel bikes: Colnagos and Carltons (as well as a Ti and a Carbon bike). ALl of them between 35 and 44 years old. I live in the rust empire of Scotland within short miles of the west coast, where it rains heaps. None are significantly rusted, and even the Clubman that shows surface rust in worn paint, is spotless inside. Stainless is not required, but it does look nice... My carbon bike is the worst riding bike I own, and one of the worst I;ve ever owned in 55years of riding and racing, only a cheap 7005 Aluminium bike was ever worse.
Squirt wax emulsion is 👌🏻 drive train lasts longer due to less $hit attaching to your chain .
The shit is attaching only to the parts which are not in any contacts and is therefore irrelevant. It's a pure placebo effect to think that it makes any difference.
I live in Hawaii in a wind tunnel of corrosive salty dust.. titanium still overrated?
Jimmy is right. Just got a bike from Rob. Stainless is about £1000. Pickle must have got mates rates.
What steel bikes do you Own ? I am thinking of getting a Fairlight Strael 3.0
Immersive / Molten Wax worked fine for me for almost 2y, >95% off-road, on both MTB & Gravel, for mine and my small family's bikes. Say w/e you want, The only way to work "faster" with regular lube is to not clean the chain at all, and just keep adding lube ontop of the old oily mud...
Thus I clearly don't get the "who has time for this" argument: this very day, I took off my "chain to be waxxed", i turned the dedicated $12 slow cooker on @ low, went for a ride just under 1:30h, came back to find the wax @ 85oC or so, dropped the chain in and steered it a bit, took a shower, came down to pull the chain out and hang it to cool. I could do 2-3 chains one after the other within the same session if I was working around the kitchen etc. I re-wax my chain 4-5 rides or 60mi/100km. I have two chains for my "babied" bikes and I rotate them, one being always "waxxed-to-go". This - AFAIK - will give me the most run for my $ for the combination of chain(s)+cassette. Some rotate 3x chains.
The chain is stupid clean, definitely lasts longer in the loose over the same dry debri that would grind it when using dry lubes, is clean to handle, clean to accidentally touch your clothes, etc, and more resilient if you were to be involved in limited creek crossings etc.
How does waxing the chain make your bike dirty? I don't think you know how to do it. It takes a few minutes and bike and chain, my legs and hands are clean. And it is cheap.
0:30 Ollie Bridgewood PhD disliked this video 😂
Youngs Modulas is the word you were looking for. Its the ability of the frame to deflect and return to its formed shape.
per weight of course.
Waxed chain brigade out in force here 😂
Yep because when you have first hand experience and somebody says some complete bullshit you feel compelled to call it out lol.
People have curious hobbies.
Chain waxing overrated lmao. Your average person won't care about 3 watts. They will however be happy with there chain lasting around 4 times longer than an oiled chain. 12,000 plus km out of this chain so far & absolutely no mess or gunked up bike & gears. Sorry Jimmy but you don't know what your talking about 😂
I've been planning to go to hot wax simply because I'm %$%ing sick of the greasy mess regular lubes create. I don't give a snot about putative wattage gains, I just don't want to deal with the @%*%#ing mess anymore. Wax seems like a no-brainer to me. What am I apparently missing? 😕
Leg shaving is for wobblers
The best riding bike is the best fitting bike-custom
Use Dumonde tech chain lube and correctly (it’s not petroleum or wax, it’s a polymer)
🔨
Pet peeve - all metal bikes are alloy bikes. Stop calling aluminum bikes alloy. Steel is an alloy. Ti bikes are usually include 3% aluminium and 2.5% vanadium. Most aluminum bikes are 6061 Aluminium alloy.
Totally agree waxed chains are overrated. I live in the pacific northwest of the US. Tried waxing a chain. It did not even last 50 miles in the rain. Useless in this type of climate.
More dirty with wax? I feel he said that just to get me to comment. I had a chain drop on my wax chain the other day, popped it on and went to wipe my hand before touching bar tape and my hand was perfectly clean, would not be the case with a lube like muck off…
I've not shaved my legs for 4 years haha. And my Dad's Roberts, he's had since I first started riding!! Steel is strong. Also if it's cold enough for leg warmers, wear tights. 😅😅
titanium might be overrated, but comparing it with aluminum is a stretch.
Cleaning your chain with those sonic devices is silly.
You guys missed the mark on wax by a mile... that shit is so clean compared to oil in dry and dusty conditions. Guy says it gunks up your bike... lmfao oil gunks up your bike and wax stays clean.
I’ve got a Tommasini Mach Ti (which I bought from Nick btw) and it’s nicer to ride than my stainless steel bike, and cost the same, so perhaps some of your argument is lost there.
you sure youre not waxing your chain with candles? Proper chain wax is the cleanest lube system out there.
Steel bikes, of almost any quality, are at least recyclable. The ride quality is nice. They're cheap. You can repair them yourself.
A man's bicycle is made of cast iron, and has a chain made of hemp, which is lubricated by sperm whale oil.
I started to fit in on the road scene…but my wife thinks smooth legs are sexy so why would I stop.
in era of lance all the competitors were on dope before the others where the same Merckx de vlaminck and so on
Are you really that naive to believe that pro cyclist are not taking drugs now. Better drugs and better at hiding it. There are way to get around biological passport.
Yea, there's no way the peloton is going as fast as it nowadays on marginal gains. It is the drugs and it always has been.
I have time to wax chains, and my chain and myself stay much cleaner.
Also, how hairy must your legs be if your bibs move because of it? 😂 I have hairy legs and my bibs don't ride up at all.
Wait, I don't shave my legs, no WONDER I have time to wax my chains. 😁
Saying LA brought in doping is not naive isn't borderline stupid. LA was a victim of his era, like so many others
Elitism is a big reason I'm a cyclist. Unfortunately I'm not an elite cyclist.
i love to wax my chains, its all the goodness for zero to non effort
Algorithm serves this up "ok lets see what this is... 20 seconds in, "ok these guys are not smart"😂😂😂
Overrated: cycling socks, what for? Why pull them up to the North pole?
Yeah Jimmy doesn’t know what he’s talking about on waxing. It’s a bit of faffing that may or may not be worth it but it’s the cleanest / longest wearing solution out there. And even if you don’t molten wax, the very best drip wax products (Silca or UFO) are nearly as good. Any of them stay remarkably clean. He literally doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
As someone with legs so hairy that it looks like I have seaweed draping my calves whenever I'm at the pool, all the things Francis pointed out about bib shorts and leg warmers are just not true. Sorry mate, Jimmi is right, you're doing something wrong.
If Armstrong had been Italian he’d still be 7 times winner.
Steel bikes are a big yes👌🏻
Waxing cannot be beaten 👌🏻
Ti bike frames more trouble than they’re worth ☹️. Love these podcasts 👍
jeez, it does NOT make your bike dirty. it keeps the chain clean... research it a bit.
Most underrated: EPO
Clean your oily messy chain after every ride? Who has time for that? No thanks, I’ll keep on using hot wax.
What about just keeping it dirty? It's really easy to let things be.
@@rosomak8244 A dirty messy chain will wear pretty quickly. And it will wear out the rest of the drivetrain in the process. With hot wax I don’t even need to clean it cuz it doesn’t really get dirty. Plus it doesn’t even remotely wear as fast. For me that’s a no brainer.
I gotta disagree on the chain waxing. So clean. Nothing clogs up. It's not that much effort once you have done it once. Lasts ages
Wax your legs, shave your chain. No wait?
Gonna disagree with you on waxing. I run 2 chains in rotation, so only have to immersion wax half as often. So far I have 12,000 km on each chain, and still below 0.5 wear. Cassette is still schmick, and the chainring will be immortal.
Don’t forget the cost savings from reduced wear. Using a waxed chain can reduce wear by a factor of 2 to 3. A Dura Ace cassette costs €250! Do the math.
I wax my chain and its much cleaner than ordinary lube. Loks like the guy in black hat does not know what he is talking about here
Shaved legs are the single most important thing you can do for aerodynamics after your position--Specialized has done the wind tunnel tests to prove it. But I agree that it's elitist, so you shouldn't ever care if anyone else does it.
Yeah... Specialized are the same guys who claim year after year that their bike is more aero 5%. When do they finally get it right?
First Video I have seen from you guys. SUBSCRIBED,
The lads on a wax fishing trip....
Wax keeps your drivetrain clean. And you can use it to wax your leg hair
Just think about the cyclists who may have taken drugs but never got caught it is not just lance Armstrong
Where do you weigh in on Fairlight Cycles steel bikes?
I have never seen another company release a 110 page technical document, on a single model no less, for customers to study before choosing to purchase.
Sorry boys. Apparently, waxing is amazing, and I'd rather set myself on fire than own a steel bike... It is shit. :)
It's scientifically proven by GCN that shaved legs give you extra 15w, that's 5 times more than chain wax and it costs you a razor 😂
You can forget the razor and hot wax your legs too.
@@croninnicholas9063
Yup. Works better than shaving
GCN and science in the same sentence… ? 😅
Lance was a frigging awesome cyclist. So what if he was mean.
😂 Chain Wax is the only cycling marketing BS I agree with but you've been swayed by performance as usual. More benefits not performance related. Make my own so always clean and real easy to do. Anything commercial out of a bottle is messy as hell
Wax Fan Boys have been triggered 😅
Don't agree on the wax thing at all. I think you should look in to it more. It's great stuff! Even the drip on one.
Waxed chains have less grunge.
Wtf???! Are you guys drunk or what lmao 😂
Titanium bike and wax chains? Lmao go to sleep boys
I think that with this wax diss you just do it for the engagement just like those 2 idiots in Australia who from time to time say stupid things just to make some controvertion
They sound clueless about the wax benefits