I used Silca hot wax for my race bike and Super secret chain lube as refill. However, I find that to be too good/expensive for my other bikes ranging from singlespeed, cargo bike, CX and my kids bike. What is a good less expensive waxed based lube option?
I tried Squirt and find it too thick. The Effetto Mariposa flowerpower was better (and got good reviews from zerofriction) but doesn’t get sold in Norway anymore.
I’ve used Squirt on my mountain bikes for years (same as you - Silca hotwax the road bike but don’t want the hassle on MTB) and have never really had any issues. What do you mean when you say ‘too thick’? I’ve found I need to be religious about shaking the bottle heaps before each use or it can be a bit goopy, but other than that?
Unless I’m racing I use Muc-Off Dry Lube. Then for race day I ultrasonic clean the chain and put on melt-on wax.
I don’t know exactly what’s in Muc-Off Dry. It says “wax-based” and not a ton more information. It’s low cost, applies easy, works just fine, and comes off just fine in ultrasonic cleaning. No idea how efficient it is.
As per zero friction cycling, it’s very very bad, unless they have another one that hasn’t been tested
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Looking at what zero friction cycling has tested, smoove looks like it’ll be your best bet if you want something cheaper than super secret drip. I seem to recall Dave roam from the escape collective likes it, for whatever that’s worth.
I switched from Squirt to BananaSlip All Weather Tungsten Chain Lube…despite the name it’s a wax. Less viscous than Squirt and works for me!
Zerofrictioncycling has a 34 page PDF to tell you more!
As per zero friction cycling, it’s very very bad, unless they have another one that hasn’t been tested
I don’t think it was one of the ones tested. And I don’t care that much about what ZFC tests…longevity. I lube chains every 5 hours or so of riding time. I never try to maximize lube life. Just habit. Who on earth tries to run 1000s of kms between lube applications?
Edit: But I retract myself slightly…even given my rapid application frequency I do acknowledge that really poor performing lubes in terms of longevity might not be good in other ways. Even though they didn’t test the particular Muc-Off variety I have, I might reconsider after I burn through my supply.
Edit edit: I don’t really “get” ZFC “cost to run” chart. For cost to run 10,000km. Assuming my Muc Off performs the same as the other crappy Muc Off it says I should have burned through 5 chains, 5 cassettes, and nearly one set of rings.
I’ve got more than 10K and am still on my first chain (use a wear checker every couple months), haven’t bought a cassette (though I use two wheelsets so split wear between race and training cassette), and no noticeable ring wear. I’ve never, with any lube, gone through 5 chains in just 10km. I find that chart odd.
Paraffin.
Paraffin.
If he finds Squirt too thick, I’m guessing pure paraffin would also be too thick.
Paraffin.
If he finds Squirt too thick, I’m guessing pure paraffin would also be too thick.
Molten paraffin is way less viscous than Squirt.
Gonna guess OP isn’t looking to hot dip his kid’s bike chain
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Gonna guess OP isn’t looking to hot dip his kid’s bike chain
It’s so freaking cheap and easy with plain paraffin if you’re already setup for doing it that I can’t imagine why not.
Paraffin.
If he finds Squirt too thick, I’m guessing pure paraffin would also be too thick.
Molten paraffin is way less viscous than Squirt.
I was being facetious…while not explicitly stated I took the OP to be looking for an easy-to-apply wax that doesn’t require either removing the chain from the bike or melting wax.
Gonna guess OP isn’t looking to hot dip his kid’s bike chain
It’s so freaking cheap and easy with plain paraffin if you’re already setup for doing it that I can’t imagine why not.
Easy? Not relative to drip lubing. Drip lubing takes maybe 20 seconds including wipe down.
Hot lubing you need to get the wax heated up. Take the chain off the bike, often requiring a quick link tool. Dip the chain, stir it around for a while so it all gets worked deep into each link. Hold it up for a bit to let the excess drip off. Lay out the chain to cool a bit. Wipe excess caked wax. Thread the chain back through the RD, etc, and get the quick link back on. Let’s call it 10 minutes at the fastest? Not hard. But given I do a weekly drivetrain clean-wiping and re-lubing on the 3-4 bikes I ride over the course of the week, I’ve long since gone to drip except for A races.
I’ve used Squirt, but honestly I find that it’s like halfway between a regular lube and a pure wax treatment for clealiness. With squirt applied onto a waxed chain, it picks up dirt and grit a lot faster, def not as fast as a regular lubed chain, but enough that you’ll get a mild chain tattoo if you touch it. Not sure how it is for speed, but I like a super clean chain so I prefer the paraffin dip any only use Squirt if I absolutely have to.
I used to apply Squirt just before rides, and my chain was dirty mess. Applying it after rides so it can fully dry before taking it out on the road made a huge difference.
I used to apply Squirt just before rides, and my chain was dirty mess. Applying it after rides so it can fully dry before taking it out on the road made a huge difference.
Ah I may have been doing it wrong this whole time then! Will try your way, preappy way in advance and see if there’s no mess anymore. (If I’m planning this far ahead I’d likely just dip wax anyway, but will give this a try!)
If the chain feels like it needs lube then at the end of the ride I:
Took me a while to realize not to apply squirt before rides, because that’s how I’d applied traditional wet lubes for years.
Maybe it’s more complicated than I think, and I’m doing more damage than good, but I just wax my own chains. I watched a few videos on Youtube about it, bought a used, cheap, small crock pot at the local thrift store and a couple blocks of wax from Amazon.
In fact, I re-waxed two of my chains today. Simple as turning on the crock pot and letting the wax melt. Pop the quick link and remove the chain, wipe it down first and plop it into the hot wax. I tend to let it set in the wax for an hour or two while I do some other cleaning. Then just hang it to dry and cool for 10-15 minutes, run it over a steel rod to free up the wax and put it all back together.
So far, including the wax and crock pot, I’m into this for less than $20, and I have used it at least a half dozen times. It’s really a simple process, so why pay some outfit for a bottled product when you can do it at home?
Dipping the chain in molten wax is the best way to fully coat the rollers (I use a $10 Target crockpot and some Gulf wax…formulations like Molten Speed Wax have additives that make them marginally better, but much costlier).
The drip-on wax lubes (ex. Squirt, Silca Super Secret, etc.) are great for “top ups” between full waxings since you don’t have to remove the chain. You’re paying for convenience.
As long as your waxing routine works for you, stick with it. Redipping a chain is the gold standard. I’d recommend looking at two items though: putting a PVC pipe over the steel rod so you’re not rubbing metal-on-metal when breaking in the chain, and make sure you replace the quick links at the recommended intervals (they are only rated for a limited number of cycles).