If you want to do the chain clean once in a while with oiled chains you might find this helpful: I store my used fluids in extra containers. After some time the particles fall to the bottom and leave a mostly clean fluid. When I do another chain unlubing I carefully fill most of the clean fluid into the container with the chain. After taking the chain out of the degreaser I let wipe it and let it dry for a minute before rinsing it. In the end I might have to add one more alcohol clean. Like that I can reuse especially the more expensive and "unfriendly to the environment" fluids. Btw. please recycle these fluids instead of pouring the into the drain.
Petrol - 300ml + chain in 1st container - Shake/leave sit for up to 4-8 hours Degreaser - 300ml + chain in 2nd container - Shake/leave sit ~30 minutes Rinse with Water Denatured EtOH/Methylated Spirits - 300ml + chain in 3rd container - shake/leave sit ~30 minutes * Dump and refill with 300ml EtOH in 3rd container for second treatment or until liquid is clear
I'm a year and a half into prepping my mtb chain as Oz directs herein. THIS TECHNIQUE ROCKS! And it produces quantifiable results in shifting, chain life, and cleanliness of the drivetrain. I used to spend a considerable amount of time trying to get my chain and drivetrain clean and well lubed for shifting performance. Oz's technique does take some time and preparation, but I now batch prep 2 chains for each family member's bike, and simply swap out the chains with freshly cleaned/waxed ones as needed; and then I can clean and re-wax at my leisure. In the end, I'm saving time by using this technique rather than using the lubes of old. I love how clean my drivetrain stays--that's a great benefit of this technique. But my favorite part is the longevity of great shifting. I ride about 50 miles/week on trails that are often dry and dusty in the Colorado Front Range. I get good shifting for at least 4x longer than I did pre-waxing. I'm still using my initial batch of 1 lb. of wax w/ 50 grams of teflon (PTFE) and have probably done initial waxing and re-waxing about 15 times. It's almost time for a new batch of wax/teflon. Oh yeah, I picked up a used slow cooker on craigslist for $10. I couldn't find PTFE in 1.6 micron size in the US, but the 3 micron size is doing the trick; but I don't doubt that smaller size PTFE is better. Thank you Oz! This is one of the most satisfying changes I've made that produces great results with bike maintenance. I raise my glass to you brother!
I use wax one my Road bikes for years now. Works perfectly fine. This winter I started to go gravel instead of indoor training. Here's the problem: in temperatures around 0 Deg Celsius and below the wax became brittle and just falls off the chains. After 20 km off-road mud is the only "lubricant" being left and shifting becomes f***d. After going back to synthetic oil the problem is solved. My result: summer bike=wax, winter bike=oil
found the same up here in scotland mate. winter/gravel bike is oil and my summer/road bike which only really sees dry miles wax. perfect solution for me
Thanks for the heads up, I never considered at or below 0 deg C to be a potential problem. But it appears there may be ways to make it work better, such as putting the chain on the bike indoors while the chain is still warm from the pot, and then pedal through all the gears to work the wax in. Found some interesting info here: bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/65738/how-does-paraffin-chain-wax-perform-in-winter-conditions-snow-road-salt-20
Wax does better than oils because it’s a solid lubricant so it doesn’t mix with dirt and it can reduce friction better than most oils. Waxes sold for hot waxed chains do become brittle when cold. Much like using different viscosity oil in your car engine for different seasons, cold weather cycling requires a change in the wax used. I’m going to create a blend of chain wax and bees wax to lower the usable temperature.
For a period of my early working life I repaired avionic equipment where the workshop had a glass faced vacuum chamber . The ultimate relube is to put your clean chain into your lubricant of choice , agitate beaker to remove majority of air and then evacuate the environment to equivalent 40 thousand feet or so. Many many bubbles leave the links of the chain and oil/hot wax fills the void. It was very satisfying to watch knowing how thorough a job was being done. I question how much wax , even when hot ,truely gets to the actual wearing parts as shown in this video but its the best method I can do these days. This video does a great job showing how to get the wax to stick to where it gets access but surface tension would inhibit a lot into the small spaces that matter as I witnessed years ago! Missing from this video are the pressure ratings of waxes compared to oils. This doesn’t detract from the virtues of wax contained in this vid though.
From my lab days - the best way to get rid of the dirty petrol (gasoline) and methylated spirits (alcohol) is to let it evaporate in the sunshine. Wipe away the dry residue and dispose of that properly. I use one of those simple black pans sold for oil changes. It sounds like a strange method, but industry is allowed to let evaporate thousands of gallons of chemicals on a weekly basis. Evaporation much better than pouring it on the ground or down a drain. Thanks for this great cleaning technique.
Rodri Mora since it’s the first wash, I don’t think it would make much difference in the end. Gasoline will evaporate easier. Whatever is easiest for you. Diesel is close to kerosene and heating oil #2 in USA.
I've been doing a slight variant on this method for several years that's quicker and simpler, plus my own little twist. I use these same little plastic containers, pour in some mineral spirits, and swish the chain around. I have a rare earth magnet taped to the outside bottom of the container. The rare earth magnet will attract the microscopic steel wear particles to the bottom of the container and hold them there. I'll shake the chain in the mineral spirits and let it soak for a little bit, then pull it out after it's settled a little (and the wear particles are bunched up at the bottom of the container by the magnet), then put them in another container with cleaner mineral spirits and give it a rinse. Then it's just hung up to dry, reinstalled onto the bike, re-lubed, and off I go. It's possible that a third rinse in brand-new mineral spirits would achieve an even more thorough cleansing, but it's really unnecessary. With the rare earth magnet trapping the overwhelming majority of any metal wear particles in the first bucket, and another rare earth magnet trapping any wear particles that were still present in the second rinsing bucket, this chain is as clean and free of wear particles as it reasonably needs to be. If you try this with the rare earth magnet, you'll be shocked at how much stuff is stuck to it, and after only a few hundred miles of riding. The amount of worn steel particles pulled out of a really good-looking and relatively new chain that's been ridden is probably far greater than most folks would predict. Getting that material out of the chain is the primary benefit of this method of cleaning, because removing wear particles from the insides of the chain where the links contact each other is going to reduce the rate of wear.
Don't mineral spirits leave an oily, petroleum based, film? I do the same as you, but I follow on with dish soap and water, to get rid of the mineral spirits and then denatured alcohol to "dry" the water out of the chain. I'll add that mineral spirits, like you mentioned, are probably safer than using petrol... In the US people are highly discouraged from using petrol for anything except running engines because of how flammable it is.
Methylated spirits, not mineral spirits! That's stove fuel alcohol here in the US. Aside from the final cleaning, it'll get (dissolve) ALL the water from between the plates.
I have watched this video a few times and it finally hit me why it seems familiar: you shake the jars like John Cleese rings a bell in the Monty Python interview skit. I thank you for the wax instruction, and for the reminder!
Thanks for the great video. I am a long time fan of waxing and Santa brought me an ultrasonic cleaner last year. FYI, methylated spirit is more commonly known as denatured alcohol in the USA and perhaps in other locales. Since the rinse water is miscible in alcohol it also provides the benefit of removing any hidden water before waxing.
@@ElonMuckX Rubbing alcohol is generally a blend of isopropyl alcohol and other chemicals that enhance its appeal when used for massaging. I suspect it could substitute for denatured in this application but since it likely contains small amount of fragrant oils, it might not provide as squeaky clean a result as denatured alcohol although I doubt you or I could notice the difference. Denatured is not pure alcohol either. It is primarily ethanol (the alcohol in spirits such as whiskey) but it contain other substances to discourage and prevent folks from drinking it.
I just did the 3rd step, using rubbing alcohol. Had to do it twice, made it clean. Used White Lightning for my chain lube, till we get the new wax recipe.
Steve, whenever you post it brightens my day and I always end up with a smile! You've taught me more about bike care and maintenance as well as tips and tricks than anyone else! Keep it up mate! Much love!
I have 3 Melitta coffee filter cones that I run the solvents through when I'm done. The really fine particles will clog the filters occasionally so you may have to use 2 or 3 filters. I'm still using your original wax recipe, I made a large batch that will last me another couple of years.
I do a similar thing but I have a couple of extra stages. I like to start with aircraft grade Kerosine (preferably military) and then after the mentholated spirits I’ll finish the chain off in a bath of Cesium 137 solution. Instead of shaking the chain in plastic pots I have the winding mechanism from a cement truck upended on a concrete plinth in my garden, I power it from an old six litre Chevrolet V8 and I spin the mixtures up to 28,000 RPM, the point at which violent dew-point evaporation occurs.... then I just dry them on the radiator.
@@JayWye52 just seen this reply and I’m re-visiting my 4 year old sarcastic comment. The funny thing is I tried this method 4 years ago and I’ve been using it ever since. Once you go wax, you never go back.
Thank you so much for all your videos. They're some of the most informative and helpful episodes anywhere. I especially love the "chain" videos and am now a waxing convert. I look forward to all future productions.
Yo! Fist bump from a fellow convert to waxing! Just now at the 2 year mark. My chain wear has dropped off a cliff. Chainrings and cassettes are still like new. Super quiet and no more chainring tattoos on group rides.
Thank you for the thorough video!! Watched on a Tuesday. Started my new chain cleaning and waxing routine by Friday. This is gold!! I love it!!!
4 года назад+55
It's all nice and good, a waxed chain must last really long and be very efficient, but i always feel that all this work and chemicals and tools kinda match the costs of buying a new chain more frequently. Those hours i spend with religiously cleaning and lubing my chain, i could be working on something else and earning more money than i would save with waxing. Sure, i still keep my chain as clean as possible, but life is too short to worry so much about it. It would be nice to have an actual calculation on the costs and savings though, certainly an interesting topic.
I buying a new chain still requires cleaning the cogs and chain rings. Waxed chain solves this too. Further the chemical wash is only required once, during first time.
Not sure if it's available in Australia, but here in Poland we commonly use low-aromatic extraction naphtha. Very potent degreaser, guaranteed to remove all grease, oils, dirt and grime. Leaves the chain extremely dry.
One thing to add - after each stage, or at least the last one, better to clean dry your chain with cloth but not to left it to dry by itself - that way spirits evaporated from the surface will not left those oily residue dissolved in spirit. Molecular mass of spirits is much less than oil in the chain and this oil will be left in chain after methanol evaporated. Yes, most part of it dissolved in spirit volume and stay in a jar with rest of the liquid but we are talking about Ultimate cleaning ;)
Okay, this is a great video on chains and lubrication strategies, the best. The chain wear portion made the best sense, and I thought the use of several solvents and serial dilution techniques were outstanding! Thanks!
Howdy, A note on my experience with the ultimate clean and PTFE waxing: Having almost destroyed my BB30 bottom bracket from dirty waste from on-bike degreasing getting into the bracket, I was determined to switch over to clean “off bike” waxing. I bought a new KMC X10SL chain for my Felt Z85 training road bike and followed your instructions to the letter to clean the chain of its original heavy lube: gasoline, degreaser, 190 proof grain alcohol ( methylated spirits without the poison component). I then waxed/PTFEd the chain. I sensed the chain to be a little faster than when wet lubed, but not quite as quiet or smooth shifting. Still, I love the non greasy aspect. After 200 miles I went to rewax. I cleaned the outer chain with boiling water, but then inadvertently dislodged the outer plate of the last link so that the roller fell out. When picking it up I noticed that there was still a lot of original grease from the factory lube on this inner chain part. The 3 step cleaning process had not penetrated completely to the inner roller. I replaced the roller and rewaxed, but I am convinced I could have a cleaner, smoother shifting experience if my chain was truly sterile before waxing. I’m not really sure how to achieve my goal. If you have any thoughts, let me know. As always, I’m grateful for your fascinating and useful guides for tinkering cyclist. Best wishes, Keith
I used to wax my chain years ago with just plain paraffin. I never really cleaned my chain properly though (at least nothing like this) and didn't re-wax as often as Oz recommends so I am sure that I was not getting the same lubrication or longevity benefits. I ordered some PTFE powder and looking forward to trying this method. I miss being able to take my rear wheel off without ending up a greasy mess. That's the nicest benefit, especially on the road. Thanks for posting this!
I've been doing paraffin for about 5 years now, usually rewaxing every 300 miles or so. Having a perpetually clean bike and chain is awesome. Like you though, I haven't cleaned the chains as well as I should have. Prior to my next waxing though I will be doing it properly. Then I'll wax in my new batch of PTFE'd paraffin and see how it works.
Really appreciate your videos. I degreased my chain in white gas (every 2000km), and in-between with the blue washing saloon tool ;) you presented. What can I say? Rode 4000km on it (in all weather conditions), and there is practically no chain wear. Apart from striving to achieve the best (legit reason IMHO), I don't exactly see the point to do anything else -- I'm happy to get a new chain every 6000km or so.
Hello, so a year ago, after watching this video I decided to give it a try. I really cleaned the chain as much as I could, however I didn't clean the freewheel. It worked nice for one or two dips into wax. Unfortunately later it became so dirty that I had to repeat the whole procedure again, and inspecting the chain I saw I still couldn't remove all the dirt from the outer surface of bearings. Also on one occasion, washing in soap has left stains on chain because petrolin didn't fully cleaned it. I really hoped I will not need to clean the chain again, so I figure that waxing is better when you have new chain and new freewheel. As with the current situation I am returning to good old machine oil.
Thanks for sharing your experience. By machine oil you mean the sewing machine oil? If yes, then how long does it provide lubrication? Is it recommended for wet conditions?
Ultrasonic cleaner works great with degreaser. What you need to do is get a glass jar just big enough for the chain. Put degreaser in it. Use the minimum amount needed so you don't waste. Put the jar in water in the ultrasonic cleaner. Most of the ultrasonic action transfers into the jar. So then you can change the degreaser several times. If you use anything flammable, be extremely careful. The ultrasonic can get it hot and start a fire. If you ride a lot, I think it would be convenient to keep 3 chains on hand so you can clean 2 at once and always have one ready to go.
Thank you, Paul. I bought ultrasonic cleaner just for chain cleaning, and imagining in glass with degreeser will do. I will do exactly that way you did and i wonder and hope the theory will do.😅
You know, some of us in the northern hemisphere are riding in winter weather now, and would really like to start using a new wax formulation... We don’t even need a video, just a list of ingredients and their proportions... ;) I’m ready to buy some MSW, but I’m holding out for the marginal gains and because I like to DIY. You’re killing us with this slow tease! I guess I’ll keep reapplying Slick for now.
I use a cylindrical Decor Tellfresh container to rinse my bicycle chains & some components . Glass jars when used for this purpose can unexpectedly shatter . Boston degreaser from Bunnings is what I use or Workshop degreaser from Supercheap Auto .
I don't have my own house to do the gasoline (petrol) soak but I do work at a car dealership so the first thing I did was rinse my chain in the solvent pan. Next I sprayed it with a can of brake cleaner then did a few soaks (lots of shaky-shaky-shakies) in degreaser. After that I did a few soaks (lots of shaky-shaky-shakies) with denatured alcohol followed by soak in solvent. After that I did a vat wash and flushed that out with another can of brake cleaner. It came out really clean and I did the wax bath and it works really well now! When I run out of my plain candles I'm gonna buy some scented candles.
I tried for the first couple of years with my latest bike (I have only owned and ridden a single bike at a time)... to keep it clean and shiny all the time, immaculate. I obsessed over the chain to the point of cleaning it during rides. This is all while averaging over 7K miles a year, 20 to 120 mile rides year around. That means for me, living in the Pacific Northwest, 4 to 6 months of riding in the rain and on muddy wet surfaces. I have a Rohloff Speedhub mounted on a full-suspension touring bike coupled to a BBSHD mid-drive and it's amazing. It's broken me to ever owning another bike without a Rohloff. The mid-drive and the Speedhub are made for each other, they go together like lamb and tuna fish. @ The 1st year I rode I changed the chain 8 times... whenever it got to 0.5% wear as tested with a Park tool. After another 25K miles and 4 years riding I now wipe the chain clean daily and swap my chains every 6 months. Drop the chain, flip or replace the Rohloff gear, mount a new chain, and ride. Always having a straight chain line makes it amazingly easy to maintain. 11 Jul 19 - 71 miles w/front panniers & trailer on less than 15Ah... 1/2 the pack's capacity. www.relive.cc/view/g37290970278 photos.app.goo.gl/RD1NrDPCZQuHpWja9 For anyone that thinks they can really clean the chain on the bike, follow this guy's instructions then pull the chain and drop it in some type of solvent and see how filthy it still is.
This guy’s instructions include soaking the chain in three different solvents until it’s perfectly clean, so… yeah it’s clean. It’s good that gearboxes work for you, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Cool dog BTW
Lol I guess having to go to the shop and pick up a chain, remove the chain and replace it is worth the time? Different perspectives I guess 😂 I would sooner take care of something rather than live a disposable lifestyle. Not to mention people who study chains say the chain doesn’t even reach maximum efficiency until you ride it for a while. Without proper lubrication, you would blow straight past that “sweet spot“ in chain stretch with low friction and go straight to higher friction stretched chain.
No kidding. I do a similar thing with mineral spirits and denatured alcohol, but I do all my washing in jars and collect the liquid in jugs for proper disposal.
most denatured alcohol IS ethanol,made undrinkable by adding smelly toxins. OTOH,rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol,NOT drinkable,and it's sold in different concentrations. "rubbing" alcohol is usually 70% alk and 30% WATER,so it won't dry the chain as desired. ~90% isopropyl is available at most stores. for chain cleaning,you want 90% or better isopropyl.
It is winter in Germany right now. So we are freezing and trying to keep our legs strong on spinning bikes in the gym.Time to change worn out parts and clean the drivetrain. I am going to try waxing the chain of my MTB. Thank you for a great vid from the other side of the world - i still think you guys are driving on the "wrong" side. I am confident that your method of waxing also works on the "right" side.
As a former firefighter I found this video quite scary. He takes the top off the petrol container and leaves it sat on the bench. Petrol gives off a highly flammable vapour which is lighter than air which will be streaming out of the open top of the can. The can is also close to electric sockets an obvious source of ignition for the highly flammable petrol vapour. 😱😱
Always good to combine polar and non-polar solvent cleaning stages. They remove different types of contaminants. For ultra-cleaning my lab uses a combo of heptane and acetone stages. Sometimes incorporating ultrasound and boiling. But any combo of hydrocarbon and alcohol (or similar) is a good place to start.
Hi there, I've seen a bunch of different methods after getting in to the subject and I wonder:. Would only using acetone in sufficient repeats work before waxing?
@Bultish Yes acetone will clean your chain but may take longer soaks to disolve the factory grease. As long as you get all grease out of the links then your ready for the wax.
@@stevenleffanue sweet thanks for the info! By sheer luck it seems my ultrasonic cleaner i ordered got cancelled. Im going Oz style 3 containers and homemade wax, finally get a use for those candles lying in the cubbard 🤘🤘 you rock
Excellent. Would loved to have seen you wearing those safety glasses hanging on the board, but I'm funny like that. Cheers, and a stunning collection of bikes at the beginning.
Hey there quick question... so once the mineral spirits step is done.... do you 1) rinse the chain again with water??? And 2) if not a rinse, so u just set it up to hang and dry for how long mineral spirits seem to dry faster than water so like 15 to 30 mins and from there apply a lube ??? Thx Danny
Once the mineral spirits is clear when shaken,your chain us clean. Chain dries in about 10 mins...any left in the chain will be replaced with wax and evaporate
Super, its been interesting following the gradual progression! :) ! DON'T FORGET ! to clean your cassette and crank-set when switching from liquid to wax!!! ;) or you did all that work for nothing
This is indeed one of the better quality TDF machines and TOP matching in the TDF period -- Colnago teamed up with Campagnolo, what a great team! P.S., I'd like to see lighter weight 19mm conti tubulars on there at 175psi, just saying!
OK, Oz, I'm all in- getting ready to wax a brand new chain as I convert from a Compact to Semi- Compact gear set. Had to review your cleaning process to get the chain ready for when my chain rings arrive. Maybe this summer (winter for us Yanks) I'll make a batch of the liquid- been lazy and using store bought wax drip after my initial wax bath. Thanks for the video.
I use petrol for cleaning the chain and the cassette and sprocket (MTB), then pressure wash it, dry it with a cloth, put some PFTE spray on it, done. Takes me 15 minutes. If something is worn out, I just replace it. If it rains, the PFTE doesn't stick well. So in the wet/mud, I use motorcycle off-road lube.
I use biodegradable degreaser after every ride (it's a few minutes work) and relube after washing the degreaser off with a garden hose and letting the chain air-dry. Then apply lube, turn the pedals for a while to work the lube into the chain, and use a cloth to wipe the outside. Oh, and yes, you apply the lube on the inside of the chain, so the centrigual forces at the chain wheel and cassette/derailleur will help working the lube well into the links and rollers. If this ozzy's theory would be accurate, my final wipe cloth would be discolored by 'grinding grime'. But you've guessed it: no discoloration other than a fine beige of some remaining lube. You think that's because the 'grinding grime' is still inside the links and rollers, now locked up by the lube? Suppose you're right, I'm fine with that. My chains last around 10,000 kilometers or more (depending on how much elevation ridden, I guess). This whole waxing craze and chemical waste galore baffles me.
@@sandythemonk Whichever is around. I remember one coastal ride on a long hot day when my chain eventually developed a squeak and I couldn't think of anything better than borrow some frying oil from a fish restaurant. That worked too. There's not always a need to act as if you're about to attack the world hour record...
@@sandythemonk Not that I recommend the frying oil for regular use 🙂 but you get the drift. Yes, I do degrease a new chain before the first ride with it, but only after mounting it because I find that easier to do (I use the Parktool CM5, but I guess a similar device from another brand may operate as well as that one). Perhaps it is not necessary, as the folklore about differences between protective grease applied by the factory and chain lube may be as much an exaggeration as the entire wax craze is.
Bikini wax , for bike chains 😱.Well thats news to me .Learn something new every day .Well i think I'll save a lot of steps and start off with a new chain .But you didn't mention how to wax the chain .Great video .Thanks for sharing yiur expertise ..
I will occasionally clean my chain with petrol - maybe every 1500km. Every ride I use GT85 which is a ptfe lubricant - it is very thin so needs applying every 100km or so. Remove excess with kitchen roll or a rag. The GT85 contains an organic solvent so perfectly compatible with the petrol and so there is little need to wash off all of the petrol before applying it. Any petrol will effectively get washed off/diluted sufficiently in the GT85 application. Yes it will attract some dirt, but minimal amounts. Not at 0.75 chainwear after 6000km with the kmc x11 chain.
No, don’t flush it… put it in a container, and when full take it to a garbage dump as most have areas to drop off oils and petrols safely (or pour it on say a gravel path or similar - great weed killer and most of it evaporates fairly quickly)
@@rickmackenzie8488 ACK ! NEVER pour petrol,oil or solvents on the ground,it gets into the ground water and a little bit contaminates a LOT of water. Best to burn it off,if you don't have access to a recycling center.
I use a heated ultrasonic cleaner with kerosene. Heat it up to about 50c and let it run for about 30 minutes. Does a great job. Then when I apply wax, I have a small electric crock pot that has melted wax and let chain set in the melted wax a couple hours.
Awesome video Steve but I have the hardest time figuring out what exactly a degreaser is. Please don't laugh, hardware stores over here don't have a shelf labelled degreaser, just cleaners called after their main substance.. what's in it? Anything could be a degreaser.
In California I would be arrested for using those chemicals!! :) Great way to clean a chain!! Although, I think he has way too much time on his hands!!
Your goverment treats you like children, your goverment is just people who are full of themselves. Congratulations on being part of the biggest abusive relationship
I love your videos... I believe that the last ingredient is "Methylated Spirits" (from Methyl Alcohol). In the US they call it "Denatured Alcohol". Thanks
My method: 1.soak n shake chain in diesel 2.soak n shake in degreaser 3.brush remaining grease and grine 4.dip chain in denatured alcohol 5.wax/oil chain
Used this new cleaning protocol and then waxed with the existing protocol. Went on a 130k ride and then did your finger test on the chain as shown at the start of this video, sorry Steve, my finger came off a wee bit dirty. Saying that, it was no where near as dirty as using the commercial chain lubes. Looking forward to the updated waxing post cleaning protocol. Keep up the good work, enjoy all of your video’s.
Oz man, Thank you so much for the chain cleaning method! F#%^K all the negative comments. They DON'T get it. Keep on doing what you do! I really appreciate it.
An independent lab in America found that waxed chains can last 20 times longer. Okay, a lab is not a harsh environment (unless they actually do simulate outside conditions). I'm going through a chain every 10 to 12 weeks, so if I got 6 months to year I would be happy. BTW, I've used squirt twice now, and the chain goes rusty in the wet. Apparently, the inside of the chain is okay, but I'm going to try BananaSlip this time.
I just finished cleaning and waxing my bike chain for the first time using this video and your other how to wax bike chain. And I think I have cancer now from breathing in all the fumes between gasoline(petrol), degreaser, and denatured alcohol (mentholated spirit). Along with a waxed counter. But all jokes aside, I hope this works. I'm tired of having to degrease my chain every now and then because I commute with my bike everyday.
@@stevenleffanue you know, i tried to keep the lid on but the fumes kept expanding and popping. the lid off like popcorn. As soon as I close it, the lid starts to balloon and the BOOM! It pops off.
@@stevenleffanue I think I did something wrong, I followed all the steps, petrol, degreaser, spirits, paraffin wax 500g with ptfe 50g. Let it soak for 15 mins. Took it out, didn't wipe it bc I'm going to be riding in harsh conditions. Flexed all three links once it hardens. Rode it for 15-20 mins to allow the wax to fully set. Didn't commute with it until the next day. But now after a day of riding in damp weather, I can see visible specks of rust on it. It's not big but I can still see it here and there. And when I rub my finger on it there would be dirt on it unlike when you did in the beginning of this video when it was pearly.
If you want to do the chain clean once in a while with oiled chains you might find this helpful: I store my used fluids in extra containers. After some time the particles fall to the bottom and leave a mostly clean fluid. When I do another chain unlubing I carefully fill most of the clean fluid into the container with the chain. After taking the chain out of the degreaser I let wipe it and let it dry for a minute before rinsing it. In the end I might have to add one more alcohol clean. Like that I can reuse especially the more expensive and "unfriendly to the environment" fluids.
Btw. please recycle these fluids instead of pouring the into the drain.
10:40 for the directions to clean
saved me from a 16 minute video
Thank you
Thank you!
Petrol - 300ml + chain in 1st container - Shake/leave sit for up to 4-8 hours
Degreaser - 300ml + chain in 2nd container - Shake/leave sit ~30 minutes
Rinse with Water
Denatured EtOH/Methylated Spirits - 300ml + chain in 3rd container - shake/leave sit ~30 minutes
* Dump and refill with 300ml EtOH in 3rd container for second treatment or until liquid is clear
I'm a year and a half into prepping my mtb chain as Oz directs herein. THIS TECHNIQUE ROCKS! And it produces quantifiable results in shifting, chain life, and cleanliness of the drivetrain. I used to spend a considerable amount of time trying to get my chain and drivetrain clean and well lubed for shifting performance. Oz's technique does take some time and preparation, but I now batch prep 2 chains for each family member's bike, and simply swap out the chains with freshly cleaned/waxed ones as needed; and then I can clean and re-wax at my leisure. In the end, I'm saving time by using this technique rather than using the lubes of old.
I love how clean my drivetrain stays--that's a great benefit of this technique. But my favorite part is the longevity of great shifting. I ride about 50 miles/week on trails that are often dry and dusty in the Colorado Front Range. I get good shifting for at least 4x longer than I did pre-waxing. I'm still using my initial batch of 1 lb. of wax w/ 50 grams of teflon (PTFE) and have probably done initial waxing and re-waxing about 15 times. It's almost time for a new batch of wax/teflon. Oh yeah, I picked up a used slow cooker on craigslist for $10. I couldn't find PTFE in 1.6 micron size in the US, but the 3 micron size is doing the trick; but I don't doubt that smaller size PTFE is better.
Thank you Oz! This is one of the most satisfying changes I've made that produces great results with bike maintenance. I raise my glass to you brother!
Great to hear how its working for you , cheers 🚲😎
This is perhaps the best explanation of chain cleaning and reason to use a dry lubricant that I have ever seen. Just excellent work!
I use wax one my Road bikes for years now. Works perfectly fine. This winter I started to go gravel instead of indoor training. Here's the problem: in temperatures around 0 Deg Celsius and below the wax became brittle and just falls off the chains. After 20 km off-road mud is the only "lubricant" being left and shifting becomes f***d. After going back to synthetic oil the problem is solved. My result: summer bike=wax, winter bike=oil
found the same up here in scotland mate. winter/gravel bike is oil and my summer/road bike which only really sees dry miles wax. perfect solution for me
Thanks for the heads up, I never considered at or below 0 deg C to be a potential problem. But it appears there may be ways to make it work better, such as putting the chain on the bike indoors while the chain is still warm from the pot, and then pedal through all the gears to work the wax in. Found some interesting info here:
bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/65738/how-does-paraffin-chain-wax-perform-in-winter-conditions-snow-road-salt-20
Thankyou people of experience 👍 This is my suspicion of wax lubricants.
Wax does better than oils because it’s a solid lubricant so it doesn’t mix with dirt and it can reduce friction better than most oils. Waxes sold for hot waxed chains do become brittle when cold. Much like using different viscosity oil in your car engine for different seasons, cold weather cycling requires a change in the wax used. I’m going to create a blend of chain wax and bees wax to lower the usable temperature.
Same issue with rain, or puddles, forget about wax, or clean and rewax after every ride.
Also sprockets will start to rust.
For a period of my early working life I repaired avionic equipment where the workshop had a glass faced vacuum chamber . The ultimate relube is to put your clean chain into your lubricant of choice , agitate beaker to remove majority of air and then evacuate the environment to equivalent 40 thousand feet or so. Many many bubbles leave the links of the chain and oil/hot wax fills the void. It was very satisfying to watch knowing how thorough a job was being done.
I question how much wax , even when hot ,truely gets to the actual wearing parts as shown in this video but its the best method I can do these days. This video does a great job showing how to get the wax to stick to where it gets access but surface tension would inhibit a lot into the small spaces that matter as I witnessed years ago!
Missing from this video are the pressure ratings of waxes compared to oils. This doesn’t detract from the virtues of wax contained in this vid though.
From my lab days - the best way to get rid of the dirty petrol (gasoline) and methylated spirits (alcohol) is to let it evaporate in the sunshine. Wipe away the dry residue and dispose of that properly. I use one of those simple black pans sold for oil changes. It sounds like a strange method, but industry is allowed to let evaporate thousands of gallons of chemicals on a weekly basis. Evaporation much better than pouring it on the ground or down a drain. Thanks for this great cleaning technique.
is gasoline or diesel better?
Rodri Mora since it’s the first wash, I don’t think it would make much difference in the end. Gasoline will evaporate easier. Whatever is easiest for you. Diesel is close to kerosene and heating oil #2 in USA.
I've been doing a slight variant on this method for several years that's quicker and simpler, plus my own little twist. I use these same little plastic containers, pour in some mineral spirits, and swish the chain around. I have a rare earth magnet taped to the outside bottom of the container. The rare earth magnet will attract the microscopic steel wear particles to the bottom of the container and hold them there. I'll shake the chain in the mineral spirits and let it soak for a little bit, then pull it out after it's settled a little (and the wear particles are bunched up at the bottom of the container by the magnet), then put them in another container with cleaner mineral spirits and give it a rinse. Then it's just hung up to dry, reinstalled onto the bike, re-lubed, and off I go. It's possible that a third rinse in brand-new mineral spirits would achieve an even more thorough cleansing, but it's really unnecessary. With the rare earth magnet trapping the overwhelming majority of any metal wear particles in the first bucket, and another rare earth magnet trapping any wear particles that were still present in the second rinsing bucket, this chain is as clean and free of wear particles as it reasonably needs to be.
If you try this with the rare earth magnet, you'll be shocked at how much stuff is stuck to it, and after only a few hundred miles of riding. The amount of worn steel particles pulled out of a really good-looking and relatively new chain that's been ridden is probably far greater than most folks would predict. Getting that material out of the chain is the primary benefit of this method of cleaning, because removing wear particles from the insides of the chain where the links contact each other is going to reduce the rate of wear.
Don't mineral spirits leave an oily, petroleum based, film?
I do the same as you, but I follow on with dish soap and water, to get rid of the mineral spirits and then denatured alcohol to "dry" the water out of the chain.
I'll add that mineral spirits, like you mentioned, are probably safer than using petrol... In the US people are highly discouraged from using petrol for anything except running engines because of how flammable it is.
Methylated spirits, not mineral spirits! That's stove fuel alcohol here in the US. Aside from the final cleaning, it'll get (dissolve) ALL the water from between the plates.
Can you tell me where you got these containers? They look ideal for this but I can't locate them using normal searches. Thanks!
@@matthewlocker4961 old peanut butter jars or that sort of thing works well.
Consider a neodymium magnet. 13X more powerful than standard.
Chains going to be clean, wife's going to be dirty about everything that belongs in the kitchen is now in the shed. 😂
I have roughly followed your wax method for a year on commuter.This vid encouraged me to do better clean first. Thanks Steve.
I have watched this video a few times and it finally hit me why it seems familiar: you shake the jars like John Cleese rings a bell in the Monty Python interview skit.
I thank you for the wax instruction, and for the reminder!
LOL thank you for solving it for me
This was incredible. Well explained, clean and simple editing, and insanely useful. Thank you for a great video!!
I do the same, even with my biodegradable degreaser.
Thanks for the great video. I am a long time fan of waxing and Santa brought me an ultrasonic cleaner last year. FYI, methylated spirit is more commonly known as denatured alcohol in the USA and perhaps in other locales. Since the rinse water is miscible in alcohol it also provides the benefit of removing any hidden water before waxing.
Metho or denatured alcohol is good for water contamination in petrol tank.
Is rubbing alcohol the same thing too?
@@ElonMuckX Rubbing alcohol is generally a blend of isopropyl alcohol and other chemicals that enhance its appeal when used for massaging. I suspect it could substitute for denatured in this application but since it likely contains small amount of fragrant oils, it might not provide as squeaky clean a result as denatured alcohol although I doubt you or I could notice the difference. Denatured is not pure alcohol either. It is primarily ethanol (the alcohol in spirits such as whiskey) but it contain other substances to discourage and prevent folks from drinking it.
I just did the 3rd step, using rubbing alcohol. Had to do it twice, made it clean. Used White Lightning for my chain lube, till we get the new wax recipe.
I got black carbon bike so, my chain matches
I purchased my carbon bike from a builder in Sydney that swore by having his chain oily thick gunky black.
Lol, thanks mate good laughter here
LMAO
Get brown chain for mountain bike
More seriously this is for Australia, California, or summer time...
Just forget about wax for rainy climates or very cold weather.
Steve, whenever you post it brightens my day and I always end up with a smile! You've taught me more about bike care and maintenance as well as tips and tricks than anyone else! Keep it up mate! Much love!
THANK YOU ! ! ! Never have I seen such a detailed view and break down of why waxing IS by far the way to go . . Cheers from Montreal,, mate!
I have 3 Melitta coffee filter cones that I run the solvents through when I'm done. The really fine particles will clog the filters occasionally so you may have to use 2 or 3 filters.
I'm still using your original wax recipe, I made a large batch that will last me another couple of years.
I was wondering what he was calling "wax". I have to find the wax video, I guess.
@@OWK000 ruclips.net/video/HHr9znwpwmQ/видео.html&ab_channel=ozcycle
Once you've filtered the solvents, do you keep them in the same containers for the next time you do the deep chain cleaning?
I do a similar thing but I have a couple of extra stages. I like to start with aircraft grade Kerosine (preferably military) and then after the mentholated spirits I’ll finish the chain off in a bath of Cesium 137 solution. Instead of shaking the chain in plastic pots I have the winding mechanism from a cement truck upended on a concrete plinth in my garden, I power it from an old six litre Chevrolet V8 and I spin the mixtures up to 28,000 RPM, the point at which violent dew-point evaporation occurs.... then I just dry them on the radiator.
:D perfect i will try your method
I think I'll try your method Jack, sounds a little easier than the one shown 🤔
and your chain positively GLOWS when you're done !! 🙂
Leaves a nice warm feeling,too.
@@JayWye52 just seen this reply and I’m re-visiting my 4 year old sarcastic comment. The funny thing is I tried this method 4 years ago and I’ve been using it ever since. Once you go wax, you never go back.
Thank you so much for all your videos. They're some of the most informative and helpful episodes anywhere. I especially love the "chain" videos and am now a waxing convert. I look forward to all future productions.
Yo! Fist bump from a fellow convert to waxing! Just now at the 2 year mark. My chain wear has dropped off a cliff. Chainrings and cassettes are still like new. Super quiet and no more chainring tattoos on group rides.
Thank you for the thorough video!! Watched on a Tuesday. Started my new chain cleaning and waxing routine by Friday. This is gold!! I love it!!!
It's all nice and good, a waxed chain must last really long and be very efficient, but i always feel that all this work and chemicals and tools kinda match the costs of buying a new chain more frequently. Those hours i spend with religiously cleaning and lubing my chain, i could be working on something else and earning more money than i would save with waxing.
Sure, i still keep my chain as clean as possible, but life is too short to worry so much about it. It would be nice to have an actual calculation on the costs and savings though, certainly an interesting topic.
Exactly!
Watch his ultimate chain wax video. It’s only the initial clean that takes some time. Relaxing after is quite easy actually
I buying a new chain still requires cleaning the cogs and chain rings. Waxed chain solves this too. Further the chemical wash is only required once, during first time.
The parts the chain runs over also wear out slower with a good waxed and clean chain
@@wawanbalik You need to clean those regularly anyways, you goof.
Not sure if it's available in Australia, but here in Poland we commonly use low-aromatic extraction naphtha. Very potent degreaser, guaranteed to remove all grease, oils, dirt and grime.
Leaves the chain extremely dry.
How it's called in polish?
@@user-pb6nm6yb6e benzyna ekstrakcyjna
@@wtfiswiththosehandles thanks
Is this chemical sold in hardware shops? If yes, then any idea if it is sold in Germany or Austria too?
One thing to add - after each stage, or at least the last one, better to clean dry your chain with cloth but not to left it to dry by itself - that way spirits evaporated from the surface will not left those oily residue dissolved in spirit. Molecular mass of spirits is much less than oil in the chain and this oil will be left in chain after methanol evaporated. Yes, most part of it dissolved in spirit volume and stay in a jar with rest of the liquid but we are talking about Ultimate cleaning ;)
Skip to 10:37 otherwise you will quit watching this vid.
Thank you, I almost stopped at a minute in thinking it was just a dude fingering random bike chains...
Holly cow.. a 4 minute video turned into a 16 video..
thanks for doing gods work...
I'll be sure to keep my eye out for creeps running around touching people's bikes. It's not your place, guy.
This guy explains everything so well
Actual information on his method for chain cleaning starts at 10:30
Okay, this is a great video on chains and lubrication strategies, the best. The chain wear portion made the best sense, and I thought the use of several solvents and serial dilution techniques were outstanding! Thanks!
Howdy,
A note on my experience with the ultimate clean and PTFE waxing: Having almost destroyed my BB30 bottom bracket from dirty waste from on-bike degreasing getting into the bracket, I was determined to switch over to clean “off bike” waxing. I bought a new KMC X10SL chain for my Felt Z85 training road bike and followed your instructions to the letter to clean the chain of its original heavy lube: gasoline, degreaser, 190 proof grain alcohol ( methylated spirits without the poison component). I then waxed/PTFEd the chain. I sensed the chain to be a little faster than when wet lubed, but not quite as quiet or smooth shifting. Still, I love the non greasy aspect. After 200 miles I went to rewax. I cleaned the outer chain with boiling water, but then inadvertently dislodged the outer plate of the last link so that the roller fell out. When picking it up I noticed that there was still a lot of original grease from the factory lube on this inner chain part. The 3 step cleaning process had not penetrated completely to the inner roller. I replaced the roller and rewaxed, but I am convinced I could have a cleaner, smoother shifting experience if my chain was truly sterile before waxing. I’m not really sure how to achieve my goal. If you have any thoughts, let me know.
As always, I’m grateful for your fascinating and useful guides for tinkering cyclist. Best wishes,
Keith
Thanx for that experience Keith it highlights how getting the chain clean initially is a thorough process.
I used to wax my chain years ago with just plain paraffin. I never really cleaned my chain properly though (at least nothing like this) and didn't re-wax as often as Oz recommends so I am sure that I was not getting the same lubrication or longevity benefits. I ordered some PTFE powder and looking forward to trying this method. I miss being able to take my rear wheel off without ending up a greasy mess. That's the nicest benefit, especially on the road. Thanks for posting this!
I've been doing paraffin for about 5 years now, usually rewaxing every 300 miles or so. Having a perpetually clean bike and chain is awesome. Like you though, I haven't cleaned the chains as well as I should have. Prior to my next waxing though I will be doing it properly. Then I'll wax in my new batch of PTFE'd paraffin and see how it works.
Started waxing my chain as watched your other videos and love it .. Keep up the good work .
OK, so my chain's been chilling in degreaser for the past 3 weeks waiting for the new wax recipe...
😂😂😂
I thought I had a clean chain once. Then I put it in the ultrasonic cleaner at work. Black stuff flowed out. Amazing.
Really appreciate your videos. I degreased my chain in white gas (every 2000km), and in-between with the blue washing saloon tool ;) you presented. What can I say? Rode 4000km on it (in all weather conditions), and there is practically no chain wear. Apart from striving to achieve the best (legit reason IMHO), I don't exactly see the point to do anything else -- I'm happy to get a new chain every 6000km or so.
back to boiling in paraphine, just like we did in old USSR and some still do
It really works well.
the petro-chemical industry thanks you. Informative video and that Canyon looks lovely with the matched details.
One of the best accidental videos I stumbled upon! Thank you so much for your advices, much appreciated! Greetings from Romania!
Hy from Romania did u get what is menthileted spirit?
@@denisdan2610 Alcool tehnic
@@emilelsan ms
@@emilelsan folositi această metoda de ungere sau nu?
@@denisdan2610 da, ungere cu ceara
Hello,
so a year ago, after watching this video I decided to give it a try. I really cleaned the chain as much as I could, however I didn't clean the freewheel. It worked nice for one or two dips into wax. Unfortunately later it became so dirty that I had to repeat the whole procedure again, and inspecting the chain I saw I still couldn't remove all the dirt from the outer surface of bearings. Also on one occasion, washing in soap has left stains on chain because petrolin didn't fully cleaned it.
I really hoped I will not need to clean the chain again, so I figure that waxing is better when you have new chain and new freewheel. As with the current situation I am returning to good old machine oil.
Thanks for sharing your experience. By machine oil you mean the sewing machine oil? If yes, then how long does it provide lubrication? Is it recommended for wet conditions?
@@sandythemonk I don't know, I just lubricated it, and forgot about it..
Though I don't ride as often now, and especially not in wet conditions.
Ultrasonic cleaner works great with degreaser. What you need to do is get a glass jar just big enough for the chain. Put degreaser in it. Use the minimum amount needed so you don't waste. Put the jar in water in the ultrasonic cleaner. Most of the ultrasonic action transfers into the jar. So then you can change the degreaser several times. If you use anything flammable, be extremely careful. The ultrasonic can get it hot and start a fire.
If you ride a lot, I think it would be convenient to keep 3 chains on hand so you can clean 2 at once and always have one ready to go.
Thank you, Paul. I bought ultrasonic cleaner just for chain cleaning, and imagining in glass with degreeser will do. I will do exactly that way you did and i wonder and hope the theory will do.😅
You know, some of us in the northern hemisphere are riding in winter weather now, and would really like to start using a new wax formulation... We don’t even need a video, just a list of ingredients and their proportions... ;) I’m ready to buy some MSW, but I’m holding out for the marginal gains and because I like to DIY. You’re killing us with this slow tease! I guess I’ll keep reapplying Slick for now.
Can't let out the formula just yet Bart,I'm waiting for some final test results but it's all look good and on track. Itl be worth the wait.
Just use pure Paraffin in the meantime it works great
I use a cylindrical Decor Tellfresh container to rinse my bicycle chains & some components . Glass jars when used for this purpose can unexpectedly shatter . Boston degreaser from Bunnings is what I use or Workshop degreaser from Supercheap Auto .
This guy certainly got a strange fetisch feeling peoples chains up.
I’m sure people are going to love cleaning that dirty oil from their nice clean patio tiles!
5
Exactly. What a goose!
@@rohanfrost515 such a goose!
I absolutely love his videos, but wiping black grease on the concrete was a little less than stellar.
There are many videos on how to clean patio tiles.
I don't have my own house to do the gasoline (petrol) soak but I do work at a car dealership so the first thing I did was rinse my chain in the solvent pan. Next I sprayed it with a can of brake cleaner then did a few soaks (lots of shaky-shaky-shakies) in degreaser. After that I did a few soaks (lots of shaky-shaky-shakies) with denatured alcohol followed by soak in solvent. After that I did a vat wash and flushed that out with another can of brake cleaner.
It came out really clean and I did the wax bath and it works really well now!
When I run out of my plain candles I'm gonna buy some scented candles.
I tried for the first couple of years with my latest bike (I have only owned and ridden a single bike at a time)... to keep it clean and shiny all the time, immaculate. I obsessed over the chain to the point of cleaning it during rides. This is all while averaging over 7K miles a year, 20 to 120 mile rides year around. That means for me, living in the Pacific Northwest, 4 to 6 months of riding in the rain and on muddy wet surfaces. I have a Rohloff Speedhub mounted on a full-suspension touring bike coupled to a BBSHD mid-drive and it's amazing. It's broken me to ever owning another bike without a Rohloff. The mid-drive and the Speedhub are made for each other, they go together like lamb and tuna fish. @ The 1st year I rode I changed the chain 8 times... whenever it got to 0.5% wear as tested with a Park tool. After another 25K miles and 4 years riding I now wipe the chain clean daily and swap my chains every 6 months. Drop the chain, flip or replace the Rohloff gear, mount a new chain, and ride. Always having a straight chain line makes it amazingly easy to maintain.
11 Jul 19 - 71 miles w/front panniers & trailer on less than 15Ah... 1/2 the pack's capacity.
www.relive.cc/view/g37290970278
photos.app.goo.gl/RD1NrDPCZQuHpWja9
For anyone that thinks they can really clean the chain on the bike, follow this guy's instructions then pull the chain and drop it in some type of solvent and see how filthy it still is.
This guy’s instructions include soaking the chain in three different solvents until it’s perfectly clean, so… yeah it’s clean.
It’s good that gearboxes work for you, but it doesn’t work for everyone.
Cool dog BTW
LOL. I love how everything on RUclips is always "the ultimate!"
LOL. It is 'The Ultimate' until another ultimate shows up! Then it starts all over again.
So much work. I think I'll just buy a new chain after every ride.
This is not so much work but so much time
Lol I guess having to go to the shop and pick up a chain, remove the chain and replace it is worth the time? Different perspectives I guess 😂 I would sooner take care of something rather than live a disposable lifestyle. Not to mention people who study chains say the chain doesn’t even reach maximum efficiency until you ride it for a while. Without proper lubrication, you would blow straight past that “sweet spot“ in chain stretch with low friction and go straight to higher friction stretched chain.
Send your used chains to me!
😂
This is excellent. Thank you, I understand now why my chain gets so dirty so quickly, and also how to remedy it.
Lovely job mate. You cope very well with being so overwhelmingly right on this
Have 6 other riders here been testing it for quite a while now.
I am biased. To mess around with all these chemicals. Hope you don't put them in the sink afterwards
13:25.
No kidding. I do a similar thing with mineral spirits and denatured alcohol, but I do all my washing in jars and collect the liquid in jugs for proper disposal.
"....And down to the public water plant we go.", say the carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons!.
Nahh, they just tip them on someone's clean floor
Just drink after woulds
For you in the States who don't know what is mentholated spirits, it's rubbing alcohol w/ethanol
It goes by Denatured alcohol here, sold in hardware stores etc.
Can we use Jack Daniel instead?
Can think of something better to do with Jacks 😁
most denatured alcohol IS ethanol,made undrinkable by adding smelly toxins. OTOH,rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol,NOT drinkable,and it's sold in different concentrations. "rubbing" alcohol is usually 70% alk and 30% WATER,so it won't dry the chain as desired. ~90% isopropyl is available at most stores. for chain cleaning,you want 90% or better isopropyl.
It is winter in Germany right now. So we are freezing and trying to keep our legs strong on spinning bikes in the gym.Time to change worn out parts and clean the drivetrain. I am going to try waxing the chain of my MTB. Thank you for a great vid from the other side of the world - i still think you guys are driving on the "wrong" side. I am confident that your method of waxing also works on the "right" side.
This dude is a real scientist, very interesting content
The petrol creates alot of gas fumes so much that the lid exploded off. Word of warning for everyone attempting.
Is there a good alternative to the petrol?
No
There's no new wax coming, he's just pulling your "CHAIN"! LOL Great Videos, thanks 4 sharing!
As a former firefighter I found this video quite scary. He takes the top off the petrol container and leaves it sat on the bench. Petrol gives off a highly flammable vapour which is lighter than air which will be streaming out of the open top of the can. The can is also close to electric sockets an obvious source of ignition for the highly flammable petrol vapour. 😱😱
Thanks, I came to say that about this worrying behaviour but you've done it already.
Brilliant in plain simple stepped out practicality. Thanks heaps so pleased I'm a locked in subscriber
Always good to combine polar and non-polar solvent cleaning stages. They remove different types of contaminants. For ultra-cleaning my lab uses a combo of heptane and acetone stages. Sometimes incorporating ultrasound and boiling. But any combo of hydrocarbon and alcohol (or similar) is a good place to start.
Hi there, I've seen a bunch of different methods after getting in to the subject and I wonder:.
Would only using acetone in sufficient repeats work before waxing?
@Bultish Yes acetone will clean your chain but may take longer soaks to disolve the factory grease. As long as you get all grease out of the links then your ready for the wax.
@@stevenleffanue sweet thanks for the info! By sheer luck it seems my ultrasonic cleaner i ordered got cancelled. Im going Oz style 3 containers and homemade wax, finally get a use for those candles lying in the cubbard 🤘🤘 you rock
Simple Green is a non toxic, biodegradable degreaser that does a great job, as a soak or brush down.
Yet another great video. Constantly raining here in UK so will shortly be using this method to clean my chain.. Thanks
Excellent. Would loved to have seen you wearing those safety glasses hanging on the board, but I'm funny like that. Cheers, and a stunning collection of bikes at the beginning.
I want the new wax video, and I WANT IT NOW!!! ;)
i even turned on notifications for this reason...
Hey there quick question... so once the mineral spirits step is done.... do you 1) rinse the chain again with water??? And 2) if not a rinse, so u just set it up to hang and dry for how long mineral spirits seem to dry faster than water so like 15 to 30 mins and from there apply a lube ??? Thx Danny
Hilarious......
@@dannyr333 no need to wash the chain after mineral spirits,, just hang it up for a few minutes
Once the mineral spirits is clear when shaken,your chain us clean. Chain dries in about 10 mins...any left in the chain will be replaced with wax and evaporate
Waxed chains are great in Australia where it rains one day a year, not so much in muddy Flanders 😁
I live in South Wales, rains most days, wax is perfect for shrugging off road dirt.
i usually take about 15min to wash my bike. this process is a full day just for the chain :) but thanks! very good :)
You know what? I'm going to switch to wax. Thanks for the clear and detailed instructions!
Just so we're on the same page. Grease is what is in most bearings. NLGI 2 or the like. Don't oil them.
What bearing are you referring to? In the chain?
Smears grease on the nice clean sidewalk.
Yes do this
The best tool ever invented, the humble peace of wire.
This guy knows what he's talking about! Thanks!!
What's the difference between petrol, degreaser, meth... what... why 3?
Thanks again ....
Super, its been interesting following the gradual progression! :)
! DON'T FORGET ! to clean your cassette and crank-set when switching from liquid to wax!!! ;) or you did all that work for nothing
So Steve, is cleaning in this way the secret to the performance you got with wax in your previous video or have you also improved the wax recipe?
He mentions a new wax formula, if I remember correctly he is thinking by the end of 2019.
I'm subbed to 75+ channels. But this is the first channel I've turned notifications on for. Really want to see that new wax recipe
This is indeed one of the better quality TDF machines and TOP matching in the TDF period -- Colnago teamed up with Campagnolo, what a great team! P.S., I'd like to see lighter weight 19mm conti tubulars on there at 175psi, just saying!
So you go around and finger… bicycle chains? Don't get caught mate. Shrinks definitely won't believe you run a RUclips channel on that.
Nitril or vinyl gloves btw. Don't use latex.
Why is that?
@@ntfntd0 Latex is not as resistant as the other two, for example to oil. A layman wouldn't know.
@@EditioCastigata my hands where full of petrol when I used latex the first time xD
Nitrile is resistant to most solvents. vinyl or latex,not so much.
I've been cleaning bike components with diesel for years it seems quite effective!
Is it true that it serves as a lube as well?
@@aldrel04 It's a degreaser not a lube. Removes lubricant.
Any other safer alternative to diesel?
OK, Oz, I'm all in- getting ready to wax a brand new chain as I convert from a Compact to Semi- Compact gear set. Had to review your cleaning process to get the chain ready for when my chain rings arrive. Maybe this summer (winter for us Yanks) I'll make a batch of the liquid- been lazy and using store bought wax drip after my initial wax bath. Thanks for the video.
Methylated spirits also known as denatured alcohol.
Is it the same as Isopropyl alcohol?
@@Quimerateck No, it’s not the same as IPA. Methylated sprits is also a lot cheaper to buy.
Use a towel, don't wipe your finger on the floor! Education!
Word!
That's the polite way of phrasing it - what a grub!
@@daveyJ213 Word on the word.
So he’s going to use his sweat towel-the same one with which he wipes his race-to wipe the dirty chains ?
I use petrol for cleaning the chain and the cassette and sprocket (MTB), then pressure wash it, dry it with a cloth, put some PFTE spray on it, done. Takes me 15 minutes. If something is worn out, I just replace it. If it rains, the PFTE doesn't stick well. So in the wet/mud, I use motorcycle off-road lube.
I'm out of breath with ALL this info - - puff puff - - I'm still with ya
"Pearl... whatever" lol
I use biodegradable degreaser after every ride (it's a few minutes work) and relube after washing the degreaser off with a garden hose and letting the chain air-dry. Then apply lube, turn the pedals for a while to work the lube into the chain, and use a cloth to wipe the outside. Oh, and yes, you apply the lube on the inside of the chain, so the centrigual forces at the chain wheel and cassette/derailleur will help working the lube well into the links and rollers.
If this ozzy's theory would be accurate, my final wipe cloth would be discolored by 'grinding grime'. But you've guessed it: no discoloration other than a fine beige of some remaining lube. You think that's because the 'grinding grime' is still inside the links and rollers, now locked up by the lube? Suppose you're right, I'm fine with that. My chains last around 10,000 kilometers or more (depending on how much elevation ridden, I guess). This whole waxing craze and chemical waste galore baffles me.
@@chris1275cc I'm happy that you're happy, as long as you don't teach physics to my grandchildren.or come and help me with my gardening.
What lube do you use?
@@sandythemonk Whichever is around. I remember one coastal ride on a long hot day when my chain eventually developed a squeak and I couldn't think of anything better than borrow some frying oil from a fish restaurant. That worked too. There's not always a need to act as if you're about to attack the world hour record...
@@GerardvanReekum full marks for the frying oil. Do you also degrease a new chain before mounting it on your bike? I am about get one this week.
@@sandythemonk Not that I recommend the frying oil for regular use 🙂 but you get the drift. Yes, I do degrease a new chain before the first ride with it, but only after mounting it because I find that easier to do (I use the Parktool CM5, but I guess a similar device from another brand may operate as well as that one). Perhaps it is not necessary, as the folklore about differences between protective grease applied by the factory and chain lube may be as much an exaggeration as the entire wax craze is.
Bikini wax , for bike chains 😱.Well thats news to me .Learn something new every day .Well i think I'll save a lot of steps and start off with a new chain .But you didn't mention how to wax the chain .Great video .Thanks for sharing yiur expertise ..
I have another video about how to make and apply the wax:
ruclips.net/video/HHr9znwpwmQ/видео.html
@@stevenleffanue Im sure when I call the local bike shops they'll be clueless when I ask them about this technique .
I will occasionally clean my chain with petrol - maybe every 1500km. Every ride I use GT85 which is a ptfe lubricant - it is very thin so needs applying every 100km or so. Remove excess with kitchen roll or a rag. The GT85 contains an organic solvent so perfectly compatible with the petrol and so there is little need to wash off all of the petrol before applying it. Any petrol will effectively get washed off/diluted sufficiently in the GT85 application. Yes it will attract some dirt, but minimal amounts. Not at 0.75 chainwear after 6000km with the kmc x11 chain.
My bike party's, so no metholated spirits.........it get Ketel One Vodka!!!
Has anyone asked: What do we do with the used petrol, degreaser & spirits? Is there an environmentally safe option for discarding these?
Flush that shit
No, don’t flush it… put it in a container, and when full take it to a garbage dump as most have areas to drop off oils and petrols safely (or pour it on say a gravel path or similar - great weed killer and most of it evaporates fairly quickly)
@@rickmackenzie8488 ACK ! NEVER pour petrol,oil or solvents on the ground,it gets into the ground water and a little bit contaminates a LOT of water.
Best to burn it off,if you don't have access to a recycling center.
I use a heated ultrasonic cleaner with kerosene. Heat it up to about 50c and let it run for about 30 minutes. Does a great job. Then when I apply wax, I have a small electric crock pot that has melted wax and let chain set in the melted wax a couple hours.
Wow! Now I know how to deep clean my chain. Thanks for posting.
Awesome video Steve but I have the hardest time figuring out what exactly a degreaser is. Please don't laugh, hardware stores over here don't have a shelf labelled degreaser, just cleaners called after their main substance.. what's in it? Anything could be a degreaser.
In California I would be arrested for using those chemicals!! :) Great way to clean a chain!! Although, I think he has way too much time on his hands!!
Your goverment treats you like children, your goverment is just people who are full of themselves. Congratulations on being part of the biggest abusive relationship
@@dac518 we protect our water. Please sit down now.
@@VictorYepello Florida has better water, and cocaine. So
@@VictorYepello imagine thinking other states dont protect their water sources?
I love your videos... I believe that the last ingredient is "Methylated Spirits" (from Methyl Alcohol). In the US they call it "Denatured Alcohol". Thanks
Is that different from Mineral spirits? Also when he say petrol does it mean Diesel or gasoline? sorry I am new to the process
Would also want to know. Is petrol a diesel, or is it gasoline? Or is it kerosene?
Gasoline
You should have become teacher. Anyway love your content❤ greetings from Germany
The oil company is looking for you.
My method:
1.soak n shake chain in diesel
2.soak n shake in degreaser
3.brush remaining grease and grine
4.dip chain in denatured alcohol
5.wax/oil chain
Used this new cleaning protocol and then waxed with the existing protocol. Went on a 130k ride and then did your finger test on the chain as shown at the start of this video, sorry Steve, my finger came off a wee bit dirty. Saying that, it was no where near as dirty as using the commercial chain lubes. Looking forward to the updated waxing post cleaning protocol. Keep up the good work, enjoy all of your video’s.
Whilst hot from the wax bath,wipe chain with a clean rag to remove excess wax
Oz man, Thank you so much for the chain cleaning method! F#%^K all the negative comments. They DON'T get it. Keep on doing what you do! I really appreciate it.
Made a right mess of the floor tiles wiping the dirty wax oil on it. Would it not have been a good idea to have a cloth for your dirt to be wiped on?
It's not as bad as oiling your chain.
so this is why i have a belt drive, soap and water. done.
An independent lab in America found that waxed chains can last 20 times longer. Okay, a lab is not a harsh environment (unless they actually do simulate outside conditions). I'm going through a chain every 10 to 12 weeks, so if I got 6 months to year I would be happy. BTW, I've used squirt twice now, and the chain goes rusty in the wet. Apparently, the inside of the chain is okay, but I'm going to try BananaSlip this time.
Thanks for mentioning about Squirt since I was planning on buying it. Would you recommend going for it?
I just finished cleaning and waxing my bike chain for the first time using this video and your other how to wax bike chain. And I think I have cancer now from breathing in all the fumes between gasoline(petrol), degreaser, and denatured alcohol (mentholated spirit). Along with a waxed counter. But all jokes aside, I hope this works. I'm tired of having to degrease my chain every now and then because I commute with my bike everyday.
Keep the lid on the petrol container especially
@@stevenleffanue you know, i tried to keep the lid on but the fumes kept expanding and popping. the lid off like popcorn. As soon as I close it, the lid starts to balloon and the BOOM! It pops off.
@@stevenleffanue I think I did something wrong, I followed all the steps, petrol, degreaser, spirits, paraffin wax 500g with ptfe 50g. Let it soak for 15 mins. Took it out, didn't wipe it bc I'm going to be riding in harsh conditions. Flexed all three links once it hardens. Rode it for 15-20 mins to allow the wax to fully set. Didn't commute with it until the next day.
But now after a day of riding in damp weather, I can see visible specks of rust on it. It's not big but I can still see it here and there. And when I rub my finger on it there would be dirt on it unlike when you did in the beginning of this video when it was pearly.