So Velo just did a test of lubes and the winner was... paraffin wax! I've long been aware that a few eccentric and OCD cyclists would engage in elaborate chain prep rituals involving hot wax, but I always figured it would be too much of a PITA. But now that I'm getting, ahem, a bit older, and I train harder to go slower, I start looking for free speed in whatever nooks and crannies I can find -- such as drivetrain efficiency. The velo test found a 3 watt difference between various lubes under ideal conditions, and a 6 watt difference under dirty conditions.
I know there is regular discussion of marginal exotica such as ceramic bearings, but drivetrain efficiency isn't a very sexy topic even though I've long felt that the difference in efficiency can be substantial between a really nice running drivetrain and a dirty, poorly maintained one.
The velo article really talks up the wax, despite the fact that the best conventional lube, Rock n Roll Gold, was only 1/4 watt slower. There's also some pretty mixed feedback on wax on the interwebs, there are people saying they only get 50-100 miles out of a wax job rather than the 650 miles mentioned in the article. I think very few of us would be willing to do all the work of using wax to gain only 1/4 watt. It seems the real potential for gaining watts is under less than ideal conditions; wax was about 2.5 watts better than Gold when tested under dirty conditions, and over 4 watts faster than some other lubes.
On the one hand, it seems like a no brainer to at least do some simple things to maximize drivetrain efficiency, such as using a faster lube, and if you have a choice between purchasing a chain that's more efficient right out of the box and one that's less efficient, why not buy the faster chain (see the paid reports at friction facts for more details)? On the other hand, if waxing can give me an extra edge, why not? Is it really worth the hassle?
So who's going to be boiling crock pots of wax in search of those last few watts, and who thinks it's a crock of crap?
I know there is regular discussion of marginal exotica such as ceramic bearings, but drivetrain efficiency isn't a very sexy topic even though I've long felt that the difference in efficiency can be substantial between a really nice running drivetrain and a dirty, poorly maintained one.
The velo article really talks up the wax, despite the fact that the best conventional lube, Rock n Roll Gold, was only 1/4 watt slower. There's also some pretty mixed feedback on wax on the interwebs, there are people saying they only get 50-100 miles out of a wax job rather than the 650 miles mentioned in the article. I think very few of us would be willing to do all the work of using wax to gain only 1/4 watt. It seems the real potential for gaining watts is under less than ideal conditions; wax was about 2.5 watts better than Gold when tested under dirty conditions, and over 4 watts faster than some other lubes.
On the one hand, it seems like a no brainer to at least do some simple things to maximize drivetrain efficiency, such as using a faster lube, and if you have a choice between purchasing a chain that's more efficient right out of the box and one that's less efficient, why not buy the faster chain (see the paid reports at friction facts for more details)? On the other hand, if waxing can give me an extra edge, why not? Is it really worth the hassle?
So who's going to be boiling crock pots of wax in search of those last few watts, and who thinks it's a crock of crap?