15,000km on ONE Chain!? // Bike Chain Waxing Success!
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- 15,000km from one chain... on a gravel bike!? I would not have believed anyone if they told me I'd get this many kms from a single chain, especially on a gravel bike. After doing the calculations it turns out it is possible with a regular maintenance schedule and using wax, not oil. And even with 15,000kms on the chain, Pedro's Chain Checker wear tool shows no signs of wear!
Links:
Silca Super Secret Drip Wax (Amazon US): amzn.to/3qDtlGZ
Silca Hot Melt (Amazon US): amzn.to/3stU9ty
InstaPot that I use for Hot Melt (Amazon US): amzn.to/3E4jr4c
Pedro's Chain Checker Plus II (Amazon US): amzn.to/3OHLNGp
Video Links:
Silca "Layering Up" Video (Drip Application): • Layering Up...Tips for...
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Video Index:
0:00 Intro
0:30 SRAM Eagle XX1 Chain / 1x Drivetrain
0:55 Super Secret Drip - Early Experience
1:21 My Conversation with Josh from Silca
1:44 Switching to Hot Melt Waxing
2:01 Old vs New Chain Tests
4:47 My Chain Waxing Experience / Notes
7:58 Chain Waxing is a Cult :)
8:18 Wrap Up
Disclosure: The Amazon links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. 👌🏼
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#Cycling #ChainWaxing #BicycleMaintenance 
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Shane, loved your 15,000k wax video. Spot on same experiences. One trick I've been doing for over a decade now, is waxing multiple chains for the same bike (4 mtb, 3 for gravel, etc.) You'll always have one ready to go. I wax all the used ones when I pop the last one on, and I easily get multiple seasons out of my drive trains.
Outstanding video review shane, I am gathering this test went better than that other product i remember you trialling some years ago!!! But what a great wrap up of what waxed life is like. The only part i would still contend with is re wax not suitable for wet - my strong belief is still there is no easier way to reset contamination post wet ride than simply re waxing a chain. Wet riding (especially offroad wet riding) brings a lot of contamination in, and the job to flush that out if running drip lube / wet lube - its a faff to solvent clean a chain (and more cost) vs a re wax. Correct one cannot leave a waxed chain post wet ride for a day or it will start to oxidise, all one has to do when get home though is just pop the chain into pot and turn pot on.
From zfc perspective the harsher the conditions one tends to ride in, the ever more suitable waxed life is. Ie those riding offroad gain so much more benefit / wear reduction vs those riding on road where there is much less contamination - the solid wax and flush clean each re wax really make the biggest difference the higher the exposure to abrasive contamination. Wet riding has water bring a lot of contamination deep into the chain, and it will be there on the next rides in the sun unless one removes it. So for non waxers to try to maintain a low friction, low wear chain - it is absolutely a lot more work and cost to do so vs just re waxing.
So all one has to do is take into account you cant leave it post wet rides - thats it - the actual performance during wet ride and post re wax after wet ride will still be unmatched vs non waxed life.
Thinking about switching to bike chain waxing for my gravel and road bike. My only concern is about wet conditions on a multi day bikepacking trip. How do you prevent the chain from rusting? Or is it not a problem if the bike is just left overnight and you ride straight on the next morning?
@@MrJackie8oy Hey! if its looking like it may be wet, pack some ufo drip, silca ss drip or tru tension tungsten all weather. Add a coating at end of each day. they are wax compatible so you can just re wax then when back home from trip, and the coating at end of each day will protect during trip.
@@MrJackie8oyI've run waxed for a couple of years now, mostly off road/gravel riding in the UK so quite wet. I generally dry the chain at the end of the day with a clean-ish rag, and add a dot of wax based lube (I like Smoove, but there are others like Squirt) to each roller and try and keep the bike somewhere dry overnight. That's easier said than done while bikepacking, I've used my raincoat as a tarp to cover the drivetrain before!
I tried waxing once. Didn't like it. Stuck to shaving ever since.
😂😂😂
It's not 1998 anymore, Laser is the way 😂
😅
Waxing makes you aero faster. I think shaving still leaves stubble
@@vitalbikechains Good thinking! Marginal gains, eh?
I’d just like to say the cycling world is better with you and that hot waxing chains is a game changer
I had been hesitant as I don't have a place to store the factory degrease solvents but when Silca came up with their Chain Stripper product (1oz per new chain), I went for it. A simple 10 minutes process, see their RUclips instructions.
I'm not looking back due to the amazing clean riding experience of a waxed chain. I don't know how many times I'd been wiping my bike down and ended up bumping the back of my hand against the drivetrain only to get a blackish greasy smudge. Now with waxing I can use a single baby wipe with no gloves to get that new bike look, in mere minutes. Like others I ended up with a second chain which is used in waxed ready rotation. I use a Connex tool less link to add to the ease of maintenance without worrying about reusing master links.
Just another waxing convert here.
Nice video, Mate! 👏👏👏 I've been using a Silca Hot Wax every 1000km with Silca Super Secret Drip Wax every 300 km protocol for the past 7000 km on my recent chain. No measurable wear. 🙌 I go on cycling vacations at least twice a year. These are on oceanside locations. I never ride on the sand, out anything close to that. 😱 But very fine sand is in the air even quite a distance from the ocean. (100's of meters) Previously, when using wet or dry lubes, fine sand would stick to, and contaminate, my chain. I have hypothesized that the reason for this is that a bike moving through the air picks up a static charge and this charge attracts the very fine sand particles to the sticky chain, even with "dry" lubes. Since changing to wax this problem has disappeared. The sand doesn't stick to the waxed chain and any debris on the chain is easily brushed off the chain at the end of my rides with a ordinary paint brush. Anyway, just one man's experience.
This is among the more helpful reviews of chain waxing I've found - and probably the most relevant in practical terms🔧
Hi Shane, I've always waxed my chain and love its cleanliness. I'm so glad I did so straight away. Even my local bike store where I get my bike regularly serviced has remarked on the lack of wear of my drivetrain.
Many people I ride with have also converted and wouldn't switch back to oil based chain lubes. It really isn't that difficult or problematic and I think its benefits far outweigh any perceived negatives.
Glad you & the rest of the Lama herd have had a positive experience also.
Just the pure cleanliness of the waxed setup is the killer for me. Whenever I'm changing wheels or putting a dropped chain back without getting mess all over my hands is a win. Yeah, it's a bit of a faff every now and then, but not the end of the world. I did find I had to clean some buildup out of my cassette once (it was causing shifting issues), just something to watch if you don't wipe the chain as well as you should!
Yeah, I needed a little toothpick work around the 11 tooth a few weeks ago. That and some streaks of rainy days reducing time between waxes is my only complaint in 4 years!
100% agree. I switched to waxing for the same reason of no mess. I see any watts saved and extra longevity as a bonus. The only thing I would recommend that wasn't mentioned by Shane was when you are prepping your chain, go ahead do a 2nd or 3rd. Then when 1000K or what ever interval you re-hot wax, just swap the chain out - a Whipperman Connex link makes it very easy and trivial. Then you don't have to wait the 20-30 minutes (minimum) for the hot wax to have your bike rideable again. Just put the new chain on and off you go - pretty nice if you for some reason you forgot to re-wax or apply the liquid wax the night before your big ride - not that I have EVER done that... ;) You can re-wax the chain you pulled off when it's convenient.
I agree. I ride a white bike and the idea of oily fingerprints and degreaser splattered all over the chainstays is a nightmare
Agree, have no use for degreaser anymore
Been waxing for a few years. I enjoy the process but it does take extra time. Mostly I enjoy the cleanliness of the drivetrain, extended time between cleanings and of course long chain life.
It does take time. I rewax when doing other maintenance, or when doing a Rouvy ride. That time doesn't get in the way then.
I also enjoy the process. I don’t agree it’s necessarily more work though, the initial set up takes longer but if you’re maintaining an oiled chain properly and degreasing it, then I find doing a decent job is harder and messier
As someone who always wanted to have his chain perfectly clean when using oil, moving to wax has saved a ton of time given that as long as I am rewaxing frequently enough, I will never have to clean my chain again.
its about time someone said that I agree totally other then heating the wax it takes me all of a minute to take chain off two minutes to give chain a thorough wipe down 10 minutes in wax max 5 minutes to cool and break links and 2 more to put chain on compare that to even dripping oil and properly and then wiping off within a couple minutes of one another but some many advantages with wax no comparison thanks for point that out @@dh7314
I am a full wax convert as of this summer (Silca products of course). For me the formula of 1) Hot Melt, 2) a wipe-off after each ride typically with a gear wipe, then 3) a top-off with drip wax after 200+ km, and then 4) a full Hot Melt rewax somewhere typically above 1000km. Works perfectly, it really is not a burden (work) once you have the system setup. As this is my first season on a full wax setup I cannot testify to the chain longevity, however, I am already beyond the point on my current chain where I would have needed to replace. Thanks for the review/update!!
What chains do you use, and how often do you replace connection links, if ever?
When I returned to cycling 3 years ago I came across information about hot dip chain waxing and decided to give it a go. I was never good at keeping my chains oiled or cleaning them completely.
I have not regretted hot dip waxing my bike chain. I has been easy and keeping the gears and cassette clean and ready for a ride.
Been waxing my chains for years, I keep 3 chains on rotation, absolutely zero drive train wear on any bike, and I ultra race so do the miles.
The cleanliness of the whole system is brilliant, even during a British winter.
Like many others, I decided to give waxing a try because I was sick of the mess - lube on calves, getting it on my hands with every bit of maintenance, etc. To be honest, my expectations were high, and somehow they got exceeded. It's cleaner, quieter, lasts longer, less time consuming to maintain, and cheaper. Really no drawbacks at all - at least in my use case.
The longest part of the hot melt process is waiting for the wax to melt. I run 2 chains in rotation, when the 1st gets noisy, I swap in the 2nd (YBN quick links), and only when the 2nd gets noisy do I rewax both.
So far I have 25,000 km over 2 chains, and still not approaching the wear limits.
do you re-use the chain links?
@@stefanvansteenberge Yes, you can get up to 6 re-uses from a YBN quick link.
great idea!
I do the same thing. It’s the only way to go
I have not come across an engineering reason why quicklinks need to be replaced. I have used chains for 12000 km plus on the original quicklink with no issues, waxing every 300 km. If you want to speed up waxing then go commando with a pot on a stove but this is highly highly dangerous and not recommended.
Been using Squirt lube for the past 5 years or so. Currently at over 15000km on my chain and still going, got to love it. Everyone impressed on how my drive chain looks clean. "Here you go, you've licked your cassette again"😜
Good video has always 👌
Problem with it is takes so few Km before you clean and reapply.
Super video. Thanks for taking time to put it together.
What I like about a waxed chain is how smooth and quiet it runs.
I’ve been hot waxing my chains for a decade, well before the current resurgence of interest in waxing. A couple of pointers: For top-ups, Squirt is way cheaper than Silca’s stuff. Apply a tiny amount to a chain that’s been prewet with WD40 and wipe off excess thoroughly. Motorcycle chain wax sprays are also cheap and excellent for top-ups.
My only counterpoint would be wet riding. Because wax does not coat a chain like a wet lube does, waxed chains are a little more susceptible to surface rust, which is more aesthetic than anything else and will abrade off with riding and some maintenance. Not a cause for concern at all for the crowd that’s into this channel :)
Nothing will prevent dust/grit/grime from eventually wearing down the rollers, the lifetime will depend on the quality of the hard wax base and the kind of riding conditions you typically encounter. Riding in Ontario winters, I can get about 5k out of a chain, max, which is still 2x - 3x longer than an oiled chain under the same conditions.
Could you explain why you pre wet with WD40 prior to drip waxing… seems counter intuitive to me TBH. Thanks 🙏
Amazing video! I still remember watching your original video from the build. It’s crazy how when you look after a drivetrain and don’t have debris that gets caught in between the teeth and rollers how I really doesn’t allow for much wear. Cheaper in the long run.
I really rate that droop test too!
Great video as always!
Hi Lama, great video and this format feels really nice with you in the shop. I've been waxing for 2 years and I would not go back, the cleanliness alone is worth it, and the additonnal faff around a crockpot is as much saved scrubbing a dirty chain breathing degreaser fumes. One excellent resource to look into for wax choices and testing is zero friction cycling, channel hosted by one of your fellow countrymen, could be worth having a chat with him on camera!
Probably the most convincing waxing video I've ever seen. Might have to finally give it a try or might wait until my next chain replacement.
Good summary, thanks Shane! I’m several years into hot waxing the chains for all my bikes (mtb, road, gravel, indoor) and have experienced identical results. For all of my use cases, the positives massively outweigh the downsides (time, short lasting in the wet and mess for indoor). Been mixing my own using paraffin and ptfe, but might go down the super secret route next and see how it compares.
I'm 20000km on my road bike and 15k like you on my gravel bike. Never changed anything yet. Waxing for life.
I’m a waxing convert after watching a RUclips video from another Oz cyclist. 3 years on 3 bikes and approx 15000 miles / 23000km and no new chains, cassettes or chainrings required. Well actually a few new chains as decided to get a spare for each bike - they all need different length chains - gravel bike, endurance road (34 cassette and long cage) and aero road ( short cage mech). By having a spare chain for each it enables re-waxing in batches so saving time. I regularly do 3 chains in one pot. Top stuff.! Keep the good content coming from down under 😊
Been riding waxed chains since early in the yr Shane ( April approx ) Reason l went this route were 2fold . Your video 1st that l watched 15 /18 months ago approximately. 2nd reason was l upgraded my SL5 to Ultegra Di2 12 Speed Groupset & also my new SL7 S-WORKS Dura Ace 12speed Di2 an early 65th birthday present 2 myself . Have my set up similar 2 urs . Xcellent. The only difference is l am running 2 chains 4 each bike . Much faster change over . One On , One Off . So hats off 2U 4 ur sprooking 4 a better approach 2 a cleaner drive chain. Xcellent
Funny, I didn't want to remove my chain and do a hot wax treatment every 2-3 rides so, at the beginning of the season, I decided on a hybrid method and schedule, which is exactly the same as yours... glad to see it works so well...
Great review and analysis, I have a new chain running the Silca wax and bought the cheapest slow cooker from KMart for the re-application process. A pair of pliers and a metal coat-hanger makes for a cheap chain hanger so don't bother with the 'chain swizzler' or whatever they sell for $30.
I have seen some tiny spots of corrosion appearing in some grooves of the cassette, thanks for the tip on adding the drip wax after the wet rides, it's a step I have been missing!
As for the riding experience I have absolutely loved switching to a waxed chain, i enjoy the quietness of a freshly waxed chain, and as others have pointed out it's fantastic to not get filthy hands in the event of a dropped chain.
Amazing! I am on my first waxed chain. Glad to see that I am making the right choice.
I'm a wax convert like you Shane. Run all my bikes (road, gravel and MTB) on waxed chains and have done so for the past few years. The resulting lack of wear, cleanliness, quiet function and smoothness far outweigh the slightly more labour intensive maintenance schedule.
Side chain droop test🤔 , genius Shane!
Interesting video
I ran three chains waxed across Australia last year, switching them out every couple days and then hot waxing them on rest days, never skipped a beat. I love the cleanliness of the setup, and the idea that it'll save on long term maintenance (less cassette changes etc)
Never going back to lube on the chain. I'm sold on waxing chains. Smooth, quiet, MUCH better shifting. Plus, Plus! With the new Silca wax melting pot, the Strip chip. It could not be easier. I dunk all my chains at the same time. Every 200K. which is once a month. Easy as.
Less grease and swapping wheelsets feels so understated from other channels, something I've been doing for awhile now and wondering why my different wheelsets keep working together, thanks for comfirming. Rainy UK will rust a chain quickly so need to be mindful of that though.
Oh yes! I love my waxed chains :). Same experience as you had with the noise, but things seem to be all good now.
Best thing I have ever done, my reason for waxing is exactly the same as yours. So much cleaner & much less maintenance & replacing of drivetrain parts. I often wish we knew of & did this back in our racing days regardless of the marginal gains!!!
I rotate between 2 & 3 chains depending on the bike. So I always have a prepped chain ready to go. Worse thing is the amount of different types of drivetrains I have these days (10, 11 & 12 spd's across both Shim & SRAM)...
Been chain waxing for a few years now. Like the cleanliness of the chain etc, no more oily hands when changing wheels, fixing flats etc. and also for the extended life of components. Longest part of my process is melting the wax but I wouldn’t go back now I’m hooked on waxed chains.
I live in Southern California where riding in the wet is not common, so I feel a single waxing lasts longer than the British based RUclipsrs recommend. My KMC x11sl is going two years strong, casette and chainset are as good as new, and shifts are perfect.
Excellent test
I used Squirt in 2022 and Smoove in 2023. Both work great and I re-apply when I go over 200 miles. This way the chains never make a noise. When I do my annual maintenance, I just throw the chain away and the wear is less than .5% on a park chain checker. The cassette and chainring have very little to no wear. A very cheap way to make the rest of the drivetrain last for a very long time. Squirt and Smoove are so easy to use I don't see why I would go to hot wax. We used to hot wax in the 70's and 80's and it was time consuming.
Squirt wax can really last for 200 miles? I normally need to reapply Squirt wax every 100 to 200 km which is 60 to 120 miles, did I do anything incorrectly?
Both with Squirt and Smoove I find that they start to make sound after 200 miles. I keep track of my mileage since a re-lube and apply after I cross 200 miles or after a bike wash. I ride 80% gravel but I never ride in the rain. That may help my mileage.
Great Video & amazing results, I ran my last SRAM Red on my road bike for almost 10K miles with 0.5% wear, still shifted great and I was running hand dipped wax at about 200-300 mile intervals. I run the same setup on my gravel that you are running (Red/Eagle mullet) and while I'm
You should also mention for those of us in muddy wet climates a second waxed chain ready to go will save so much time and effort and eliminates some of the inconvenience.
Quickly swap the chain and dunk the dirty one in boiling water, dry, get around to waxing it when you have the time then that one is ready for a post ride swap.
People ride in MUD!? What? Can I interest you in a smart trainer for those days? 😉
You just drop the old one in boiling water to clean it?
@@gplamano interest in trainers. I need to be outside what ever the weather
@@pjgalligan Our just pour boiling water on it straight from the kettle. It'll melt the old wax and wash away most of the contamination. Then just dunk it in your wax pot, swish it around and hang to dry! Done.
As a high school kid in the 70s I waxed my chain ….at that point in my cycling adventures it took too much time
I started doing it again a couple years ago and have experienced what you described in terms of wear.
This past July I rode Ragbrai with a properly prepped and crockpot waxed chain , twice in the week I dripped squirt on it the nightBefore the next days effort it ran silently for the whole 500 miles and continues to Considering durability and the environment I don’t think I’ll ever oil a chain again
I've been waxing chains for a short while now, but not long enough to see the wear benefits yet. The ease of maintenence after the initial clean of factory grease and the lack of leg tattoos from a greasy chain has been the biggest benefit so far, I'm also using Silca hot wax + super secret for top ups, mainly on mine and my wife's gravel bikes. The chains don't pick up dirt and the ease of dropping a chain in the slow cooker for a total refresh is a revelation compared the faff of cleaning a wet lubed chain. I'm never going back to wet lubes, even our folding commuter bikes are waxed now. I run two chains in rotation, so if i need a fresh chain at short notice, or am on holiday with the bikes, I can pop a fresh chain on in seconds and rewax when convenient.
I just started waxing my bike chains. The prep is a little time consuming, but not that hard to do. I love how clean my cassette and chain stays. I reapply the liquid wax product that I use after each bike cleaning. Let the bike sit over night and I'm ready to go. I still use a silicon lube on my smart trainer.
Thanks for the insight. I’ve just switched to waxing and am happy with the results so far - I’m riding SRAM AXS on one bike, which was noisy on the old lube; the only downside is SRAMs single-use flat top quick link and no signs of anyone producing a reusable link that I’m aware of. I’ve waxed two chains so changeover will be painless, rewaxing at leisure. I’ve also switched my bike with a Shimano set up to waxed chains
Honesty I reused my flattop link for at least 5 wax dipps, and as long as you make sure the links fully engage, there's no problem. I did happen to bend one, but it happened to be the new one I just put on. I didn't check that it engaged on both sides and learned my lesson.
I'm about to put a new dura ace groupset on the bike and with the advent of Silca's chain stripper negating the need for the whole hassle of cleaning the chain, I've decided to take advantage of a brand new drive train and move to waxing, so it's good to see your experience was a resounding success!
I must say however that I previously used Silca's Synergetic oil and it too elongated the life on my chain massively, got about 10,000 odd miles out of it.
Been doing it on and off for ages but with ho hum success until I realised the real prep technique. Riding an ebike the original Shimano chain lasted 1100k's with regular cleaning and oil lubing. Switched over to full wax using Molten Speed Wax and my chains have lasted more than 6000k's and still going. I don't measure distance for re waxing but do so diligently after bad weather or dusty dirt roads. I've also been following Adam at ZeroFrictionCycling and Josh from Silca for better understanding.
So far I'm sold.
Thanks!
The way that wax keeps the drivetrain clean is AMAZING.
I started earlier this year using the cyclowax kit. A bit expensive but the time it saves me cleaning the bike and how fast I can wax the chain and get back to cycling was worth it. For me going to waxing was more about reducing the time it takes to clean a bike.
Very impressive. I've converted to waxing as well. I'd keep track of your mileage so as to have a good idea when to re-wax, helps if you use more than one bike (spreadsheet?). I second the indoor trainer area getting messy, after two rides on a freshly waxed chain I still get flakes! At least it's easy to vacuum or get a towel underneath.
The inner side wear is probably due to the chain rubbing against the sprockets during shifting, side droop to do with the chainline.
Hoping to get many miles from mine now!
Thanks for the video..
good to hear how waxing works in your situation - bit more marginal with our rainy weather in the UK but I'm also happy with hot waxing my chain - perhaps not as much life as you but very good.
CN-HG701 with Silca Hot Melt lasted 7600 km over six months. I only swapped it out for new as I lost my nerve before a long ride and wanted to be sure. Sure it's a bit of faff but so smooth, quiet and clean 👍
When the Silca wax eventually runs out Rex Black Diamond is on the list to try. Supposedly much better in wet weather according to ZFC.
Definitely agree on cleanliness and wear aspects though I use (arguably slightly faster though more wear-prone) Shimano chains I too get around 8k before I see any wear.
A couple practices from my experience have helped negate the supposed downsides many attribute to waxing:
- I keep at least two chains in rotation so I never have to be without.
- I don't worry about trainer mess from the wax or use towels, etc. Vacuuming does a perfect job after my mat gets flecked with wax. Besides, I need to vacuum my cave regularly anyway just to keep dirt, dust and pet hair in check.
- After a bike wash I use the air compressor to blow the drivetrain and bike dry.
- After a wet ride, before adding more Squirt (it's better than SSCL ime - certainly cheaper!) I rinse the bike and use my air compressor to blow out the water.
- On long, wet rides I will carry some extra Squirt and do a good cleaning when I get home. After several hours wet riding on a chain I will swap on the reserve chain and re-wax the "old" one.
Love my vaxed chain, so quiet and clean.
Waxer here, I have 29,000km on an indoor trainer bike with Shimano 105 running gear. One chain, still no measurable wear, MSSpeedwax every 3,000km and Tru tension tungsten All Weather wax lube every 300km . As Lama says, need a drop sheet after the hot wax but no issues otherwise
18 months in and waxing seems like such a time and cost saver. I bought 2 pre-waxed chains coz I was too lazy to do the turps and meths routine. I use re-usable YBN quick link in a contrasting colour to make it easier to find. It takes 3 or 4 minutes to take the old chain off, fit the freshly waxed one and toss the old one in the croc pot and turn it on. A few hours or days later I come back and give the chain a good swish around in the melted wax the hang it up over the croc pot to cool. It takes as long to apply drip wax as it does to do a swap and hot wax so I only use drip when away from home. There is virtually no other drivetrain cleaning needed, even after a dusty gravel ride.
Loving the new format. Mix in a bit of bike nerd build stuff to augment the trainer/head unit reviews ❤
Cheers! Hopefully more outdoor videos soon too as the weather picks up... and the magpies start up for the season. 🚲🦅
@@gplama I’m hoping the magpies are done and dusted for this season 😜
Silca user here too Shame. The initial clean is the toughest part, after that it's great. A wipe down and it's clean. Even on a gravel bike that's been in dirt and mud. I probably should improve my ongoing maintenance a little more, but I think it's great.
Thank you mentioning the drying part after a rainy day. Thats a dealbreaker for me.
Do you measure wear at the quick link? The quick link wears a lot faster than normal links for me and putting in a new quick link doesn't seem to help. I'm now experimenting with replacing the rollers where the quick link joins.
That's really impressive results. I only went as far as using drip wax, it's really nice that the chain isn't covered in gunk after just one dry after-work ride. But yeah, it 's true... somewhere between 50 and 100k, the chain clearly gets noisier and you need to reapply the product (also to be considered on a 200k+ epic or multi-day tours) , but you can usually get away with 2-3 applications before the chain asks for cleaning, so it is still way more convenient than oil.
I moved to waxing the chains on my road bike around 6 months ago and i'm totally converted, have now also moved to waxing on the MTBs. I find it's only a bit of a faff when it's a new chain, reapplication is quick and easy compared to using oils, the problem I have is that I only use 'submersive' waxing so find i'm removing the chain often, the issue with that is how many times can you re-use the quick link. Currently i re-use the link about 5 or 6 times and I find that i'm going through them really quickly, that's the down side for me.
cheers Shane, really good interesting video.
Very nice video. I have the same results with a KMC chain. Around 15000 km with the same chain and no measurable wear. I am keeping it on the bike! I have used only the Silca drip wax so fat.
I tried the silca super secret for 8 months on my Shimano equipped 12 speed mtb. that time involved a lot wet ground and puddles. Sadly despite repeated applications my chain ended up with lots of super fine grit in it that would not shed. There was awful grinding noises no matter how well I cleaned and re-waxed the chain. I eventually completely stripped the cassette and chainring of all the waxy gunk and grit which seemed to be embedded in the metal and went back to oil based lube with a new chain. I really wanted it to work and am a bit disappointed. I'm glad it worked for you and reinforces the legendary reputation of SRAM high end chain life
Doing an occasional full immersion/hot melt rewaxing might've flushed that grit out and completely reset the wax in the chain. Adam over at Zero Friction Cycling has a lot of info about this.
Perhaps you were a good candidate for the two-pot method.
I tried waxing my chains around 6 years ago, before Silca came out with their SuperSecret Drip Wax. Having to remove the chain and redo the hot wax procedure every 150-200 miles was just a bit too much work. Now that I can first hot wax the chain and then use the drip wax to top it off, I've decided to give it another go. Oh, and I am now retired so I do have a bit of extra time on my hands as well!
kind of few years ago, based on oz cycle brother videos I switched on all bikes to wax and I have never regretted - probably the most important for me part is: clean everything and possibility of easy swap of the wheels between bikes
This is my first waxing session, after several annoying oily years.
I am quite happy right now with the little effort which is needed to clean your bike. Anyhow I also have the issue that it gets noisy after like 100km.
We've been using this technique on our road bikes and tandems for about a year. We're about to depart for France with our tandem to do a 1200km ride. It will have freshly hot waxed chains that we will top off every other day with Super Secret. If things get really wet and nasty for more than a day or couple of days, we'll switch to Synergetic oil lube for the remainder of the ride, then clean everything off when we return and re-wax. So far, our experience has been that for tandems (which eat drive chains), this waxing approach is ideal.
Thanks GPLama! I find running multiple chains removes some of the faff.
Reapply every
- 1000km hot melt wax
- 200-300km drip wax
My experience matches yours. Hot silca wax with top off of the drip lube. Brilliant.
just recently opted to Wax and using Silca, couldn’t be more happier. I got tired of kept washing my bike every after 2-3 long 3hr each ride and the grimes, they don’t get easier to remove. The cleanliness, the smooth & silent drive train and plus noticeable speed I gain. Best decision to do if you are OC on cleanliness of your bike and for $$ saving too!
Hot wax forever! I've been running hot waxed chains on all my bikes for a little over three years and I'm never switching back to oil-based lubricants. I live in Scandinavia and commute 50 miles to and from work pretty much every weekday. Reduction in chain, casette and c-ring wear is close to what you've experienced. I run a "tandem" chain set-up with all my bikes (road, gravel, MTB, Winther-road) meaning that I always have a spare chain prepared (waxed) to swap with on rainy days when I get home. I find that waxing also reduces time spent on cleaning and maintaining simply from the fact that oil has not been flung, or washed off the chain. I agree with you that there's a learning curve but once dialled in, I find that it's quicker and cleaner to wax.
I have waxed all of the chains in my fleet, but then tried Silca’s other oil based lubricant (Synergetic). It’s messier but if you wipe down at the end of a ride it’s ok. I have found it does not need to be applied as frequently as wax. The tech in it is the same as their wax ingredient so builds up over time. My experience with it off road was not as good so the mountain bikes are all waxed, but the road bikes gets either.
My road and gravel bike chains are waxed with hot dipped Molten Speedwax. In three years I haven’t had any significant wear on my chains either. My indoor trainer bike however, I switched over to Silca Synergetic oil-based lube. It’s a lot smoother and quieter for longer (like 5-6 months) and while there’s sometimes a bit of oil on the mat, which for my setup is easy to clean up, there’s no wax bits flung all over the place.
I’ve just gone over the 15k mark on my shimano ultegra chain. Mixture of indoor and outdoor riding using tru tension all weather lube (wax based). Smells nice as well 😊
Not surprised Shane. I’ve 8:37 done 45.000Kms on 3 hot waxed chains since 2015. I rotate the chains between my road and trainer bikes with one spare. Reapply Zero Friction hot wax every 300km. One set of chainrings and cassette in that time. Good idea to topup with drip wax between hot dips
That’s incredible life for your chains with Zero friction hot wax! Is the 300km recommend re-wax for a hot dip in zero friction? Seems very frequent to have to do that every week or so? How often are you changing your quick link? Just that process of opening and closing the quick that often would be creating a weak point in the system if reusing the quick link a lot of times.
That’s incredible life for your chains with Zero friction hot wax! Is the 300km recommend re-wax for a hot dip in zero friction? Seems very frequent to have to do that every week or so? How often are you changing your quick link? Just that process of opening and closing the quick that often would be creating a weak point in the system if reusing the quick link a lot of times.
Use a Wipperman Connex link which just slides, doesn't lock in and lasts for ever and works tool-free. @@shred3005
@@shred3005 I rewax more often then recommended by Zero Friction. I'm a fussy civil engineer and its not a big deal. I also like Lama's idea of drip wax between hot dips when chain starts to sound noisy. I don't ride in the rain by choice. I've reused the existing quick links that came with the 3 prewaxed chains and only replace one if the side plates reengage the pins too easily (that's my sign of wear). I've probably replaced the quick link on each chain once or twice in that time.I don't put out big power (600W max)
Great video thank you.
I’ve gone wax, cheap 1L slow cooker from Woolworths and paraffin wax, simply take the chain off every 300- 600km and put it back in the hot paraffin wax.
10/11speed chains wear slowly but the 12sp isn’t wearing anywhere near 11 speed
I literally have a freshly waxed chain hanging in my basement now that I'm going to install and ride over this evening. I'm really excited, I totally destroyed a chain and cassette once with bad lubrication techniques.
Hi Shane, I purchased a new road bike in May 2020 with Red Axs etap and have rotated chains every week (approx 300km) after waxing and have around 13500km per chain and 27000km on cassette and chain ring and everything still works like new.... Just boil water and soak chain to remove old wax, clean in petrol for 30min then water based degreaser, wash in water to remove degreaser then metho to remove water, dry in sun and back in the pot for 30min and Presto..... and new chain and silky smooth quiet changing.....
I'm running the same setup - silca immersion every 3 to 4 drip wax application on my SRAM AXS flatop chain. Love the cleanliness and longevity.
The only bit I dislike is the need for new powerlock link whenever the chain is taken off for immersion.
Well... that's only an official "serving suggestion". I reused the same link each time. 🤫
I’m an all in chain waxer, as you stated 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 from getting into the hot wax in the insta-pot, that could make it’s way into the chain and cause wear.
2. Breaking the chain and cleaning out the links after waxing is tedious and hard on the hands, 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 (11 & 12) that could lift the chain off the cog and cause the chain to slip, so take a dental tool and clean out the wax periodically.
Other than those issues I will continue to hot wax my chains. It does make it easier if you have two chains to alternate so your bike is not out of commission.
rock n roll gold for this guy
I did the Basajaun, 800km of gravel, with a waxed chain using the Effetto Mariposa Flowerpower. I thought I'd need to reapply mid-race but didn't. It didn't rain but we did go through some muddy areas. At the end of the race, no noise and a smooth chain. Everything was dirty except my chain.
I had also tried the Silca wax but wasn't as patient as you and gave up on it quickly as it was too loud (and crazy expensive).
I recently started hot waxing and now a believer it works.
I've been waxing for a couple of years. Upsides: Quiet, long component life. Downside: People looking at my chain and saying it needs to be oiled, and in one case, just proactively doing it for me as a favor. Umm, thanks?
My method: Clean chain with xylene, then degreaser, then isopropyl or denatured alcohol, then hot dip. Dip is paraffin with PTFE powder. For reapplications between dips I use paraffin wax dissolved in xylene. Just fill a squirt bottle 2/3 with xylene and add a few shavings of wax. Wait a couple of hours. If they dissolve add a couple more shavings. If they dissolve add a little more. Go to the point of a little wax remaining undissolved. Then add a little more xylene and be happy.
Hey Shane.. great vid. It’s my first year waxing and began using super secret half way though to eliminate noise after initial ride after hot melt. I struggled with the SS drip application and was dejected at the amount that would end up on the floor $$$. I found a video showing to add the drip wax into a Park Tools chain scrubber (new one) and add the leftover into a jar with lid for next use. Urecka🎉. Not only do I not loose the drip but the application is better and lasts longer….
I also use the hot wax from Silca for my KMC chain and I have exactly the same experience. Absolutely now wear after 12k of gravel riding. Ok, it’s some work to do to wax the chain, but it’s done in 10 minutes when you used to the process.
Love the wax. No greasy tattoos or messy hands. I’m waxing six bikes. Total game changer
I swear it's the Eagle chains man, they're incredible - I'm still running the same chain on my 2016 X01 trail bike that was on it when I bought it and it still hasn't hit the 0.5 stretch marker.
I have a separate chain for each chainring size I own, and I haven't had to replace any. I still get a lot of noise from the Molten speed wax, but it's not too severe.
I started waxing the chain about 18 months ago, using the el cheapo home made wax mix from Oz cycles as proof of concept. I have 2 chains on my road bike, both have logged 7 000km each with no measurable wear with my cheaper chain checker. I also did my touring bike chain that showed approximately 25% wear within 1000km of use using wet lube, it has now logged 6 000km with no additional signs of wear. When my el cheapo wax runs out I've got some silca to replace it. I re wax about every 300km. For the longer rides and touring I top up the Squirt lube. All in all it works very well for me.
I use it on my commuter bike, even in rainy seasons.
Prolonging the life of the drivetrain is a nice side effect but, for me, having a clean chain is the main benefit of chain waxing.
You just got to take care after riding in the wet. Normally I just wipe the chain dry and place it into the “to wax” bin and install a backup waxed chain. When the backup chain needs rewaxing I put them both into the hot wax.
Ive been using the cyclowax kit and im still on the included wipperman chain. I'm up to 10,500 km with the wear at 0.25 according to my birzman tool. I run it in all weathers and on turbo and find ive saved so much time. Cleaning literally takes minuites and no nasty degreasers either.
Its the UP shifts that wear the anodization off and puts wear on the side links in your droop test, most all the load on a chain is from forcing it UP the cassette with more side load applied then down shifting.
6000km on my ultegra chain so far with no discernible wear using the silica drip lube. I'm a fan
We were discussing the other day with people who even do 15,000km a year - they hardly need to change the chain, have dropped chains or chain marked frames
I use Squirt on my road and gravel bikes. I did over 10k km on my Campagnolo equipped road bike in all condition, I do less on my gravel bike mainly because of the rain that make the dirt stick to everything. Great video!
How often u need to reapply Squirt wax on chains? Km or hours?