This might appeal to the friction weenies here…
https://youtu.be/HHr9znwpwmQ
cribs: 10:1 paraffin:PTFE powder
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Or you could just skip the PTFE, and have one cheap ingredient. Available for $3/lb many places.
Or you could just skip the PTFE, and have one cheap ingredient. Available for $3/lb many places.
Straight wax is what I currently do. Works excellently (I found candles run much smoother than candle making pellets from the craft shop), super clean, chain seems to be lasting ages. Just interested that someone who has done more km than me and tested a bunch of products is sharing a simple and cheap recipe.
I have been waxing my chain with Gulf wax for 3 seasons now. I have literally not cleaned my drive train since I started waxing. To this day, you can run your hands down my chain, cassette ect… and not get a mark.
I rotate 2 chains. I can change a chain in less than a minute now
I have been waxing my chain with Gulf wax for 3 seasons now. I have literally not cleaned my drive train since I started waxing. To this day, you can run your hands down my chain, cassette ect… and not get a mark.
I rotate 2 chains. I can change a chain in less than a minute now
Similar story here, super clean. I just go with molten speed wax. Yes more expensive than gulf wax, but a $20 bag easily lasts me over a year, so no big deal.
Help me understand how it keeps your drive train so clean…does your cassette still not get dirty?
Help me understand how it keeps your drive train so clean…does your cassette still not get dirty?
The wax does not attract dirt like oil based lubes do. You can literally run the chain through your hand, no residue.
The down side - typically only good for roughly 200 miles or so. So good to have a couple chains in rotation. Worth it for the cleanliness IMHO. And it just so happens that it typically tests as the fastest type of lube.
Same story here. I started it for the reported friction benefits. I keep doing it for the cleanliness aspect.
It’s hard to express how nice it is to not have to be concerned with chain-black when changing wheels, replacing chains, dropping a chain, etc. Need to touch the chain? Just grab it—no hand washing/wiping on clothes after required. At worst you get a little dirty wax on your fingers that brushes off.
Help me understand how it keeps your drive train so clean…does your cassette still not get dirty?
For whatever reason, it just repels all dirt and grime. This includes your cassette, pulleys and cranks. No more calf tattoos
Same story here. I started it for the reported friction benefits. I keep doing it for the cleanliness aspect.
It’s hard to express how nice it is to not have to be concerned with chain-black when changing wheels, replacing chains, dropping a chain, etc. Need to touch the chain? Just grab it—no hand washing/wiping on clothes after required. At worst you get a little dirty wax on your fingers that brushes off.
I cannot find one drawback to waxing chains
The drawback is the time required. I personally enjoy it, I like working on my bikes and the minimal effort involved is nothing to me.
But I also know a lot of people who literally don’t know how to do the most basic adjustments on their bike, never clean their bike, and if I were to try to show them how to remove and wax their chains, they’d probably be in a daze with some drool dripping from their mouth…
The drawback is the time required. I personally enjoy it, I like working on my bikes and the minimal effort involved is nothing to me.
But I also know a lot of people who literally don’t know how to do the most basic adjustments on their bike, never clean their bike, and if I were to try to show them how to remove and wax their chains, they’d probably be in a daze with some drool dripping from their mouth…
I get the same response from people I run into. I guess it just sounds like a lot of work but it is the opposite. I can remove a chain, dip it in molten wax, let it soak while I put the freshly waxed chain on my bike and hang the soaking chain to dry in 3 minutes.
Help me understand how it keeps your drive train so clean…does your cassette still not get dirty?
The wax does not attract dirt like oil based lubes do. You can literally run the chain through your hand, no residue.
The down side - typically only good for roughly 200 miles or so. So good to have a couple chains in rotation. Worth it for the cleanliness IMHO. And it just so happens that it typically tests as the fastest type of lube.
As long as I’m not riding in the wet, I get 2-3 weeks out of waxed chain before it starts to squeak. That’s 5-700 miles. Dura-Ace chains seem to last forever between waxing, KMC not so much.
The initial cleaning is the time consuming part. Plus I never really know what to do with the old mineral spirits that I used to clean the chain. I have a few containers full of dirty mineral spirits in my garage.
Re-waxing is simple.
My biggest turnoff came at DK after going through some water. My chain got super loud, and so did my friend‘s chain that was also waxed. He had molton speed. I used Gulf.
NFS lube seems to be a much better option for wet conditions. Plus it lasts a long time between applications, and there was publication that showed it led to really long life of a chain. Lately that’s what I’ve been using, but I might go back to wax again because it’s cleaner, and just have an old backup chain hanging around with NFS that I can put on for wet races.
The down side - typically only good for roughly 200 miles or so.
I get much better longevity and quiet since I started heating the wax to a higher temperature, ~250F or so. I’ve gone 500 miles with no problem, but usually rewax much sooner because it’s easy. I’ve also found that the Shimano chains seem the best.
The initial cleaning is the time consuming part.
Leaving the chain in a jar of mineral spirits for a day and shaking it once in awhile, then doing the same in alcohol, isn’t that time consuming… 
I haven’t notice a problem with rain at all, but haven’t tried water-crossings.
Plus I never really know what to do with the old mineral spirits that I used to clean the chain.
It helps to have a car hobby. I dump the used mineral spirits into my parts washer. :o}
Help me understand how it keeps your drive train so clean…does your cassette still not get dirty?
The wax does not attract dirt like oil based lubes do. You can literally run the chain through your hand, no residue.
The down side - typically only good for roughly 200 miles or so. So good to have a couple chains in rotation. Worth it for the cleanliness IMHO. And it just so happens that it typically tests as the fastest type of lube.
As long as I’m not riding in the wet, I get 2-3 weeks out of waxed chain before it starts to squeak. That’s 5-700 miles. Dura-Ace chains seem to last forever between waxing, KMC not so much.
Since I have been waxing my chains, the biggest surprise is how it does in the wet weather. I long believed that a short spin in the rain would destroy the wax on a chain and render it loud and friction filled but I have found just the opposite. I often find that I can get another ride or two out of a chain after having done a two hour ride in the rain with no increase in noise or friction that I can detect, at least. I am using MSW that I usually heat up to 220F in the slow cooker.
It works, it’s clean and it’s so very easy. I also find that without oil flying off the chain on to the back end of the bike that cleanup is a much quicker thing. A two minute wash with soap and water is all it takes to get everything looking tidy again. My bike simply doesn’t get that dirty any more.
Wow, he still makes a simple process hard.
At least now he is not telling everybody to put some liquid paraffin in there.
Best way by far is to use a small deep fryer, comes with a basket to put the chain in, no messing around with wire, lets the chain drip out by sittng the basket up on it’s hook and has a lid that keps the wax smell in and hot wax away from people.
Also facilitates putting another chain in afterwards without the danger of splashing wax on oneself because you just put it in the basket and lower it in gently.
He states don’t go over 85 deg C, no reason just says so, more than likely because Jason at friction facts used 82 deg C, but the only reason he used that temperature is because that is as high as his untrasonic cleaners would go.
I and others have found that best results are obtained around 150 deg C.
DONT use candles, they have additives to prevent the wax from sticking to molds, this not only makes the wax feel sticky, but also means it does not adhere to the chain properly.
Use pure paraffin, good wax looks bluish white, is very hard and does not feel sticky and is almost translucent to look at near the corners of a block.
Throw the chain in on top of the cold wax and turn it on, go adjust your brakes or watch TV, come back when the wax is fully melted, turn off the pot, lift the basket and let it drain, get an old towel and tip the chain out onto it and wipe off any wax from the outside of the chain, give it a good swoshing around to remove as much as possible.
As soon as it is cool enough to handle, put it on the bike and spin the pedals.
Done.
I have taken a chain over 1000km and yet to hear it squeak but generally rewax after 400km or so to keep it in the eerily quiet zone.
This is the fryer I use.
Wow, he still makes a simple process hard.
At least now he is not telling everybody to put some liquid paraffin in there.
Best way by far is to use a small deep fryer, comes with a basket to put the chain in, no messing around with wire, lets the chain drip out by sittng the basket up on it’s hook and has a lid that keps the wax smell in and hot wax away from people.
Also facilitates putting another chain in afterwards without the danger of splashing wax on oneself because you just put it in the basket and lower it in gently.
He states don’t go over 85 deg C, no reason just says so, more than likely because Jason at friction facts used 82 deg C, but the only reason he used that temperature is because that is as high as his untrasonic cleaners would go.
I and others have found that best results are obtained around 150 deg C.
DONT use candles, they have additives to prevent the wax from sticking to molds, this not only makes the wax feel sticky, but also means it does not adhere to the chain properly.
Use pure paraffin, good wax looks bluish white, is very hard and does not feel sticky and is almost translucent to look at near the corners of a block.
Throw the chain in on top of the cold wax and turn it on, go adjust your brakes or watch TV, come back when the wax is fully melted, turn off the pot, lift the basket and let it drain, get an old towel and tip the chain out onto it and wipe off any wax from the outside of the chain, give it a good swoshing around to remove as much as possible.
As soon as it is cool enough to handle, put it on the bike and spin the pedals.
Done.
I have taken a chain over 1000km and yet to hear it squeak but generally rewax after 400km or so to keep it in the eerily quiet zone.
This is the fryer I use.
A couple side questions, if people don’t mind:
Does anyone ever do chain rings and cassette? Or basically is that too much wax in nooks/small areas etc?
Out of the box new chains, are you guys cleaning those as well?
Thanks,
Maurice