I share my thoughts on running a waxed chain with some hints and tips
Пікірлер: 157
@ashleyhouse9690 Жыл бұрын
Use two chains. Much quicker to switch to a newly waxed chain and then re-wax the used one at leisure ready for the next switch. Makes the whole process less of a faff.
@captain1664 Жыл бұрын
Agreed, but I'll raise you by one. I wax three chains all on the same day. This just makes the process far more efficient than just using the one chain. I'm running mine for about 500km each, and using the drip on super secret wax if it has been very wet etc. I may be being overly cautious but my motivation is largely to slow down chainset wear.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Have you got to the point that you've needed to replace a chain yet? How long did it last
@WRXJIM Жыл бұрын
Definitely at least 2 chains so if you do a wet/dirty ride you dont feel the pressure of re waxing prior to next ride.
@WRXJIM Жыл бұрын
@@SpinAnGrin Im over 10kms on my 1X Gravel bike and close to 15k km on my mountain bike. Chains (2 SLX 12spd and 1x XTR 12s for both Gravel and MTB . 2x Ultegra 11spd chains for Road Bike. close so 3000km on Road bike combined) all barely showing any wear on the chain tool. I have changed the chainring on my MTB about 2000km ago though. Soft Alloy and it started to get a bit "rumbly" I was using Absolute Black Graphene Wax, but now make my own with PTFE and Graphene powder added to the Paraffin. I generally swap chains avery 100km on gravel and MTB, unless it has been wet and muddy and Ill do it right after the bike wash. Road bike maybe 300km. They all get a fresh chain prior to an event though. Ill spend an hour re waxing them all when needed, or to hide from doing the dishes/vacuuming. I just throw the chain straight on the bike all "stiff" and pedal easy for a couple of minutes with minimal gear shifts.
@captain1664 Жыл бұрын
@@SpinAnGrin no where near yet. I'm on my third rotation and there is currently no measurable wear on any of the three. But in a years time I will be in a better position to see how low the wear is.
@paulschulman8131 Жыл бұрын
Hi there. 3yr wax chain user. A few things to note: 1) i’d be careful with the pan over open heat. The wax can flash over, your best bet is to have the pan in another pan with water. Less direct heat on the wax the safer. 2) if you’re having clumps between the pins then that means you’re letting the wax cool too much and clumping happens. You want it still runny a bit and as you take it out that way you won’t get those large clumps in the middle.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Ah, I didn't realise that was the issue!! I'll try that on the next batch, thankyou
@dudeonbike800 Жыл бұрын
I'm just about to switch to immersion. Only took 40 years! Anyway, it occurs to me that instead of letting a BUNCH of wax congeal all over the finished chain (and then flake off all over the place), it occurs to me that using a heat gun would be a great way to allow the extra to run off as the chain hangs to drip. It seems totally wasteful to let so much adhere and stick to the chain, knowing it needs to be cracked off prior to or just after installation. Wondering if you've tried this. Or anyone else? (And yes, I realize it would be important to not over-heat it. No use submerging a chain in wax, only to over-heat it and have it all run off.)
@paulschulman8131 Жыл бұрын
@@dudeonbike800 it’s easier to just remove the chain before the pot gets too cold. I’ve never done this and don’t need to as I remove the chain while the pot is still warm and no skin layer is formed. Also length of time in the pot can affect clumping too, no more than 30min immersion. A heat gun would be excessive and may also create a problem if not done correctly, again wax is still flammable.
@brandonhoffman4712Ай бұрын
I use a heat gun, but not the type you think. I use an infrared thermometer gun to sense the heat of the wax when I pull the chain. I do a 5 minute immersion under heat, then remove from heat until i get the wax to 160f (about 7 minutes) for a total soak of about 12 minutes. In my experience the chain only needs 10 minutes to soak, after the bubbles stop you are good. I use a 3-qt instant pot (my rice cooker). I set it to saute setting on low. It heats up in 5 minutes and holds about the temp about 230f. Now i just need to buy a new 3-qt stainless pot. The 3-qt is the perfect size for hanging the chain like in the videos. Im still playing with temps, I started @150f. It leaves too much wax in the chain. I havent done 160 yet, I tested 170 early on and it felt like too much wax leaked out. So i think 160 might be a good spot, maybe 155? Im using the secret chain wax from silca.
@sven2793 Жыл бұрын
I have experience with Silca Hot Melt and Molten Speed Wax. They’re not the same but equally good. I do feel that MSW stays slippery for slightly longer though. I’m running multiple chains for each of my bikes which means there’s always a fresh chain ready without having to go through the waxing exercise first. There’s something satisfying about waxing multiple chains all in one go. Using slow cookers. Not using drip wax in between treatments. Rewaxing after
@barriobarranco Жыл бұрын
I'm a newbie to this- some good advice! (I bought gold quick links because they were cheaper but will come in handy with the silver chain too)
@sven2793 Жыл бұрын
@@barriobarranco I kind of discovered this by accident when I purchased chains with different finishes. They came with silver quick links regardless. With a chain rotation setup it can make sense to run different makes and/or color chains on different bikes to avoid getting them mixed up. For my race bike I actually rotate between silver gold and black chains which makes it easy to keep track of them. My other bikes run a different brand. It’s not necessary and might even sound complicated but it’s actually helpful. By the way, nobody ever comments on the mismatching quick links. A gold chain gets you a shocking amount of comments though:-)
@barriobarranco Жыл бұрын
@@sven2793I have a Dura Ace chain and 2 KMC X11 soaking in petrol- so the shimano lot stays together, and if I use one gold link and one original silver on the KMC's then I just need a way of marking one chain to go with the gold link for example. A bit of string through the link when it comes off the bike would do...
@JohnGarlandTrialLawyer Жыл бұрын
I have been running Silca Hot Melt on my bikes and son’s bike for a couple years now. I suggest simplifying your re-wax process. If you do that you will re-wax more often which will give you the best experience / results. Normally I just wipe the chain down with a microfiber and isopropyl alcohol and then pop it in the wax pot. The wax is so good at keeping the contamination out of the inside of my chain that I am still on my first bag of wax and subjectively I can’t perceive any performance or longevity difference from when the wax was brand new. I only use the boiling water method after fully mud soaked MTB rides. The wipe down only method is so quick and easy I never hesitate to re-wax which means I do it more often. Also buy a cheap crockpot which also makes it easier. You don’t have to monitor the pot at all like you do on the stove. You just turn it on, drop in the chain, walk away, come back and it’s ready. Regardless of how you do it - enjoy! Bikes are fun!
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
That sounds like a good process. I was under the impression you had to remove all the old wax but I guess the cooking process takes care of that right?
@JohnGarlandTrialLawyer Жыл бұрын
@@SpinAnGrin when you put it in the pot of melted wax, the old and new wax mix together. You do bring a little contamination into the wax pot. However, because the wax is so good at keeping the contamination on the outside, and you wipe down the outside, it does not bring in much contamination.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
That's good to know, thanks
@r.d.vaughan4541 Жыл бұрын
I'm also a recent convert. The only thing I can add is that the Silca Stripper product has made removing factory grease on a new chain a breeze. It allows you to clean a new chain per 1 Oz of Stripper, which considering the added longevity of a waxed chain means the products cost is actually a bargain. I also don't have room to store other volatile chemicals traditionally used to do the initial factory grease stripping. To keep to the exact 1 Oz of Silca Stripper per chain I use the following technic. I put a new chain flat into a Ziplock freezer bag, measure out 1Oz of stripper and pour it into the bag. Lay the sealed bag in a ultrasonic cleaner making sure the chain is flat and covered by the stripper liquid, then poured hot water over the bag. Then turned on the ultrasonic cleaner for the Silca recommended time. Then by the warm water wash off in a jar as seen on Silca's how-to KZfaq videos. All around this ended up being a cleaner more contained and accurate method of stripping a chain. I'm now running a two chain waxing rotation so am under no pressure to clean (with boiling water) a waxed chain being able to pick a convenient when to apply a new immersion. As for your comments on all the wax between links, I've experienced that but only if I removed the chain when the wax had cooled too much before removal. If you let it cool just to the point where you see a ring start to form on the surface edge of the pot, then remove the chain, more of the excess will drip back into the pot while not reducing the amount of wax that penetrated the links. For anyone on the fence, this is the way to go as the cleanliness must be experienced to be believed. Simple tasks like wiping down your bike, no longer requires gloves even if your hand bumps into the group set. It simply doesn't matter.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Interesting, it does sound like rotating a couple of chains is the best way to go. Thanks for the tips on when to remove it, I think you hit the nail on the head about that causing my issue. I left it in there so it didn't all run off the chain as soon as I took it out.
@dawn_rider3 ай бұрын
@@SpinAnGrin For a cleaner experience pull the chain out of the wax at about 90°C. Please see kzfaq.info/get/bejne/kKuWnJV5tMzVoIE.html . You may lose maybe 5 miles of treatment lifespan at most as most of the wax has been squeezed out of the chain innards by then anyway. Why Silca say otherwise I do not know , apart from you empty your wax pot faster ?!
@brandonhoffman4712Ай бұрын
Silca pulls pretty clean @ 76C/170f. Thats about the pouring temp for a paraffin wax candle. 90C/200f is more of a melting temp for paraffin wax. If the chain is heat soaked to this temp, the wax will stay fluid a bit longer. I can confirm 65C/150f is too low, this is when the ring is forming on the pot. I dont use or endorse silca's cleaner. I dont want more cleaning ingredients. I use an orange based degreaser i buy by the gallon, or a purple degreaser meant for degreasing mechanical parts i buy by the gallon. Both options i buy @ home depot, made by ecolab, but they are ubiquitous and found by other brands. After the degreasing I rinse with a hose, then a little acetone or 99% isopropyl. I also buy isopropyl by the gallon, I get 99% iso cheaper than 91% @ CVS or Walgreens.
@cronosamv2 Жыл бұрын
Hi There, great video and like the fact that finally people are opening up their eye to wax instead of regular lubes. Started using wax for preety much the same reasons, and mostly because I kept spending hours cleaning my chain and at the end I could still hear a crunchy sound between the links of gunk i could never reach. Been waxing my chain for more than 3 years now, and I can get about 800+ Kms out of one wax and about 8000+ km out of one chain(depends on use, MTB chain lasts less). I do it on all my bikes. There are 3 things which I'd like to advise from experience: 1. Removing the chain from the liquid wax will cause the wax to vacate the links, leaving empty areas which is the reason you're getting low mileage. Remove the chain ONLY when there is a film of dry semi-solid wax at the top of the pan(not solid please). The wax will come out looking snotty but thats fine as long as it's solid enough not to flow out of the links. You will notice a massive performance change. Once the chain is out you can put on gardening gloves and remove the extra snotty wax covering the outside of the chain. it's hot but won't be hot enough to burn your hands( I do it barehand but don't endorse it). 2. And while the wax is still not fully set, use a pick that fits into the chain spaces and remove the unnecessary wax so you don't have to fight it when assembled on the bike and watever flakes come out later will not cause issues. 3. For re-waxing just place the chain in alcohol to remove surface dust an throw it back in the pot. If you experienced rain and mud then use a bit of water and degreser before the alcohol.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Timing removing it from then wax is definitely something I'm working on. I can see how much time and effort it would save
@BrianRPatersonАй бұрын
I reckon a different coloured quick link is a good thing -- makes it easier to spot when you want to take the chain off. I'm the same with valve caps -- I have some red ones that really stand out. Every little bit helps.
@jasoncoonan728 Жыл бұрын
Great video I rate waxing chains, When you start waxing , put the chain in the pot without threading onto the wire, when its ready after 5minutes hook it out close to the middle with some wire, let the chain drip wax back into your wax pot, this saves wasting wax. On cleaning the chain before re-waxing don't worry too much about it, a quick wipe with a cloth or wash with water is all that's required. I run two chains and wax them together. The chain is good to go as soon as you can handle it so breaking the wax can be done reasonably shortly after you wax. I use a Slow cooker by far the most time consuming part is getting the wax to melt. My experience only, hope it helps, once you wax you'll never go back.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Thanks mate, definitely sounds about time for me to get at least a second chain
@kovie91623 ай бұрын
Just started waxing a bit over a month ago and since I've only been riding indoors I haven't put that many miles on it. Around 250 now and the chain started making this squeaky sound recently. Not sure if it's the wax wearing down or something else as I've been doing some work on the drivetrain. I used MSW on two new chains that I thoroughly degreased using the mineral oil and alcohol method, one a KMC and the other a YBN. I started out with the KMC and when I hit 300 miles on it I'll switch to the YBN and see if it's any smoother. But overall I like having a waxed chain. Smooth, fairly quiet and clean drivetrain, pretty easy to apply, and hopefully much more life out of my chain, cassette and chainrings. I just replaced a cassette and chainring and don't want to do it again for a long time.
@Tex735 Жыл бұрын
I run the same Silca wax on mine. I do the whole clean it down to bare metal once every 1000 miles or so. I DO top up with their drip wax twice a week. I run the chain through a damp microfiber and then top it up on Friday after a weeks worth of indoor riding on the trainer before my long outdoor rides on the weekends. Then I run it through a damp microfiber and top up with drip Sunday evening after the outdoor rides and let it dry overnight so it's ready to go for the next week of indoor trainer riding. Seems to be working really well for me.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
1000 miles sounds like the perfect amount of I can get it to work like that. I might have to look into the drip wax then
@wazzup1057 күн бұрын
I use plain old candle wax and I heat it up in a "double boiler" (aux bain Marie) which at least makes sure it won't get over 100c. After a few rides I top it up with squirt lube. I find the stripping of the factory grease the most arduous and annoying part. Still worth it though, So quiet. So clean (oh yeah and longevity) Also I don't plan to really clean my chain every time. Maybe every couple of months?. I just melt the wax, and drop the chain back in there once a month for a while. I reckon there's not much contamination to get rid of.
@ShawnIsBatman Жыл бұрын
I have become a wax convert this cycling season. Previously I was a ProGold user for many years and was definitely an 'over-luber', resulted in consistently dirty components. I moved to Silca Synergetic and became more conscious of cleaning and using the appropriate amount of lube. Now I am a Silca Hot Wax convert and will never go back. I do use the Silca Super Secret drip lube in-between full wax treatments. I have yet to determine the best formula for a full re-wax vs. the drip lube top-off. Unlike you, I do not do any cleaning to a chain before a re-wax other than a wipe-down with a gear cloth (which I also consistently use between rides to remove surface contaminants). My next step will likely be having a second chain prepared and ready and then will likely establish a more regular cadence of a top-off treatment vs. swapping for a freshly waxed chain. Thank you for your continued thoughtful content and for sharing your honest experiences! It is absolutely refreshing to find content where there is not an agenda or sales motivation behind what is being presented!
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Appreciate that buddy
@neilbathe77526 ай бұрын
Planning to switch to Silca from the "home made" paraffin wax & PTFE powder I started with a good few years ago. I use a specific wax heater (intended for hands and feet apparently) which takes an age to heat up (like a slow cooker) - but I have about 2 litres of wax in the pot. The only problem I have found is that with some Shimano chains they have hollow pins, which do fill up with wax. Never had an issue with wax blobs between the plates though. What has worked for me is having multiple bikes running wax chains (for simplicity), so when I "do" a wax I can do multiple bikes at one time. I get about 15k kms per chain at the moment, but ride in very benign conditions, which helps, but still better than using standard chain lubes.
@ELMSTREETDK3 ай бұрын
I wax with the cheapest candles from Ikea. Works fine. Cleaning for rewaxing is easy, just poor hot / boiling water over the chain to solve the old way, and take out any dirt. Then you rewax. Any dirt left will go to the bottom in the wax, and if you use the cheap candle wax then it´s cheap to exchange all the wax. Rewax after wet rides to prolong your chains life.
@brandonhoffman4712Ай бұрын
Ive been running a waxed chain for a little while myself. My drivetrain is soo smooth now! Shifts are fast and clean, except 1 gear thats always been troublesome since i got the bike (used). The bike is a 2104 trek remedy 7, the old system was mucoff dry lube. I got sick of constant cleaning of my drivetrain with degreasers. I got sick of feeling my chain feeling smooth and clean for 1-2 rides, then just looking @ the muck that accumulated. At this point I dont even think mucoff should sell chain lube because its mucon not mucoff. The waxed chain lasts me longer without cleaning. I can touch the chain and its just wax and some grit that all brushes off my hands, making in feild service a dream! It also keeps lubes from getting to the back brake during cleaning. The only downside I would say is adjusting your rear derailleur. The chain doesnt really make those ticking noises very loud, so you have to really listen and use the force a little bit. I use the super secret chain wax. I was going to create my own blend, but theres no savings really.
@mreese876419 күн бұрын
Ticking: your derailleur hanger might need adjustment
@andrewmcalister3462 Жыл бұрын
I use 2 chains in rotation with wax. If 1 chain is getting noisy, I just swap it out for the other. When both are “used”, I will rewaxing both at the same time. I rewax at about 300-400 km and have 12,000 km on both my chains, and they are still below the wear limit. The reduction in drivetrain wear is amazing - with the price of chains and cassettes, that’s were you get $$$ savings.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Similar distance to myself then. I think I need another chain based on people's advice
@zawkalay Жыл бұрын
One fixie and one gravel, both waxed with good old white paraffin wax only because I don't have access to fancy things. Re-waxing every 200K wether if it's squeaky or not. Tracking those with simple dst1, dst2 cateye mileages. Generally for wet tropical area where I lived in, with rainy season here, I re-wax immediately if the chain soaked completely by the time I got home which would protect rust. If not too much, I just wipe and dry out the chain. A personal preference is not giving to much force on drivetrain, which would push out simple wax like mine faster.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Redoing after wet rides sounds a bit annoying but finding the balance I guess is key
@zawkalay Жыл бұрын
@@SpinAnGrin I guess you could blow the water out with compress air. Wax with additives should protect rust more from what I read online.
@apa1 Жыл бұрын
Careful using a saucepan and open flames, the wax is flammable.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Oh, didn't know that!
@MessieAs Жыл бұрын
My curiosity towards chain waxing has grown quite a bit. Thanks for hinting at using a new chain for this!
@ssenssel Жыл бұрын
Same here. The selling point for me is the no dirt thing. Specially on my commuter bike. Getting dirt grease on a pant leg is no fun.
@rexringschott Жыл бұрын
Waxed chains are great. Just be aware that riding in the wet will cause faster loss of wax lubricant in the pins. So you need to redo earlier. I recommend reading the FAQs and waxing guidelines over at Zerofriction cycling. That info is gold.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Thanks, I didn't know there was content specific to that on this. I'll have a good read
@andrewmcalister3462 Жыл бұрын
@@SpinAnGrinyeah, Adam at ZFC is THE world authority on this stuff. Although not the most concise.
@papalegba67963 ай бұрын
The guy who has no qualifications, whose results have never been independently verified or repeated, who calls everyone questioning his methods a flat earther conspiracy theorist? Oh yeah, he's a real big "authority"... On being nuts 😂
@jasonbowker602 Жыл бұрын
I've got some questions and comments. 1) Did you clean the new chain before waxing it? New chains come coated with oil/grease from the manufacturer. I've used and ultrasonic cleaner on a chain that came directly from the package and the amount of junk that came off was simply amazing. Not just grease, but plenty of solid particulates, which was very unexpected on my part. 2) Did you check for proper wax temp before soaking your chain? I don't know if Silca has a recommended lower wax temperature, but MSpeedwax recommends a minimum 200 F (93 C). There's also a max temp you need to be aware of, but if you use a slow cooker to heat your wax up on the low setting, the temperature is above 200 F, but not too high. 3) Waxing your chain with the wax at a slightly higher temp as noted above, and then hanging your chain vertically right away allows excess was to run off. This approach eliminates a majority of the issue you discussed about knocking the wax out from between the links. 4) My experience with waxing has been that the first mile or two see a bit more noise as whatever wax is built up in between the links is knocked out, then it gets quite. When I start hearing more chain noise, I know it's time to rewax. I've got a YBN chain and a new cassette that I put on my bike almost 7800 miles ago. The doesn't show much wear at all compared to when it was new when I use my chain checker, and my cassette is in great shape too.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Ye, I remove the manufacturer grease with a ultrasonic cleaner before I start the process. I sometimes give this a couple of rounds to ensure it's all out. I check the temp of the wax as it's melting to ensure it doesn't get too hot. The last couple of times I've now done it, based on advice from comments I've removed the chain earlier than before. That's stopped the large amount of residual wax built up which is great. I'm now waiting on the drip wax that I can apply between full baths to hopefully extend the time between full waxes
@okosakaroklenni Жыл бұрын
Pull out the chains while its still hot, like 60+ degrees Celsius, and wipe it as soon the chain is out of the wax. It stays inside (the chain still gets stiff when cooled), but the outside will have only a thin invisible layer. It makes the whole process less of a hassle.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Oh really? It doesn't come out from the links? I'll give it a try next time
@okosakaroklenni Жыл бұрын
@@SpinAnGrin I thout it would too, but the chain stayed rigid after cooling down. Yesterday I vould finally try it, and was silent, everything felt smooth, and after the ride I still saw a lot of small flakes on the chain and on the drivetrain.
@dilvastak7351 Жыл бұрын
It is absolutely not worth doing like this - paraffin vapors are flammable. So either a water bath or an electric stove If you do not use liquid paraffin lubricants, namely, to boil the chain, then you can not remove the native lubricant - it will dissolve during the first cooking Use 3+ chains to reduce processing frequency. The main thing is to keep track of the wear of the chains so that they are comparable - less worn out is used for 300-400 km, more worn out for 200 To remove the old dirty wax, it is better to throw the chain into boiling water and let it all boil for about 10 minutes and then cool down - the sand will be at the bottom and the wax will harden at the top, the chain will be in the middle...
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Thanks mate, I'll try the removal technique soon
@stevemullin1195 Жыл бұрын
I run my bike with the same wax. I also use their Drip wax. I use the Park tools chain cleaner with IPA to clean my chain to get the dirt off the chains surface then let it dry before putting on the Drip wax. I've waited until I get 300 miles on the chain before doing a boiling water cleaning then fresh waxing.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Thats a good distance between waxes. Trying to find the happy medium still
@GrahamB29 Жыл бұрын
You might want to look at oz cycle. He advocates a bare-bones waxing regime using parafin candles and ptfe powder. The advantage is that you don’t really need to be anal about cleaning the chains after the first time, since the wax is cheap. It will get dirty, then you throw it out. Also, letting the chain ”set” overnight is just making your life difficult. Once you can hold the chain in gloved hands, bend it and you’re good to go.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Oh really, I thought you had to leave it overnight? I'll give it a try with only leaving it a few hours maybe and see how I go
@apa1 Жыл бұрын
PTFE is horrible for the environment, negating one great reason to use waxing, especially silca are mindful of the environment.
@dudeonbike800 Жыл бұрын
@@apa1 agree, but who said PTFE was a requirement? You can use other dry lubricants such as tungsten disulfide or molybdenum disulfide, both which are excellent, non- or less toxic options.
@apa1 Жыл бұрын
@@dudeonbike800 I was replying to a comment that suggested using PTFE 🤷♀️
@dawn_rider3 ай бұрын
@@SpinAnGrin You only need to worry about wax drip lubes setting overnight ( sometimes not even that long ) , NOT the wax in immersive waxed chains. I'm sure you know by now so this comments mostly for other people. The Silca drip wax like many others uses water as a carrier for micro blobs of wax and that needs time to evaporate. All the Ozcycle DIY drip lubes use organic solvents , most of which have a cancer risk. The top commercial wax drip lubes have a much higher percentage of wax which more easily gets inside the chain. The DIY solvent based lubes can be paste like and have penetration issues. I doubt your wife would thank you if you used those indoors. The commercial water based ones like Silca Super Secret obviously have no such issues.
@66mikkim Жыл бұрын
A waxed chain is great, as long as it´s dry. I get around 600-700Km outta one chain. When/if you ride in wet conditions a lot (like the last 3 weeks here) that wax is gone after a around 150km-200km and the chain will start to squeak. Regarding the Stans/Sealant...How can it corrode the nippels if you have tubeless rim tape in your rim? If it´s air tight, it most definitely is leak proof for a liquid like the sealant.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Ye, not sure on the corrosion but a few people have said it. Beyond my pay grade to understand how it could do that
@66mikkim Жыл бұрын
@@SpinAnGrin if there is no contact, there can't be any corrosion. The only way the they could corrode is if the Rim tape is not air tight, and sealant can get too the nipples, in that case you would have a leaking rim..
@dudeonbike800 Жыл бұрын
Sealant and/or carbon rims corrode nipples via galvanic reaction, so no contact is needed between sealant and nipple. Look it up.
@66mikkim Жыл бұрын
@@dudeonbike800 in order for a galvanic reaction to occur there has too be a electrolyte (liquid) for that reaction too happen...so there has too be contact with the sealant, or any other Liquid.....
@dudeonbike800 Жыл бұрын
So there I was today doing it AGAIN! After three hours of wonderful, yet VERY dry and dusty Sierra single track, I addressed my dry and very unhappy chain. Wipe, wipe, wipe. Get those pulley wheels. Get that chainring. Clean off those cogs. Apply lube. Wipe off. Apply lube again. Wipe off. Repeat for friend's bike. Will I EVER GET THE CLUE to switch to immersion waxing?????? I have ALL the supplies just WAITING in the home home shop...
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
It took me longer than it should have to finally take the plunge and I'm glad I did.
@skibmbp Жыл бұрын
My best advice is to have 3 or 4 chains and do a batch at the start of the year. I do apply drip to extend and put new waxed chains on before a race or event. 4 chains lasts my road bike for the season.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
I know I need to buy more chains, but I also have a habit of chopping and changing my setup on a regular basis. I would hate to buy that many, then up the size of the front ring and need to start all over again.
@mobilemiall Жыл бұрын
Maybe I let the wax cool too long, but when I first mount the chain it throws a lot of wax particles. Really shows up on my white and yellow bikes...and on the floor.... Beside that, I like it. My big questions are: How do you know it's time to quit using the wax; and how do you prolong its usefulness?
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Ye, that's what happened to me. The more I've done it, the better I am at removing it so the whole thing isn't completely coated. I normally remove and get a few drops come off but that's about it. I'm using the drip wax/lube between full rewaxes and it kinda helps but I haven't done it for long enough to know for certain if it does help
@robert_starling Жыл бұрын
Love my Super Secret waxed chain. I’ve only had to reapply once and I used a Park Tool CM-5 chain cleaner filled with Super Secret lube. Easy peasy and about 1/4 the time of doing the drip per link method.
@PostmanStudio2 ай бұрын
I want to switch to wax, but I would like to know how people clean their casette, derailleur and crankset like you dont really want to disassemble them… any product that dissolve the wax?
@e_n1984 Жыл бұрын
Nice I found your video, I just waxed my chain today for first time ever with the same wax . I bought a wax warmer that uses for hair removal it’s cheap and doesn’t burn the wax after all the lubricants I used and the degrees and cleaning and the dirt and grime buildup I think wax is better
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Good luck, I'm glad I've made the switch so far
@brandonhoffman4712Ай бұрын
Ive heard waxes can stretch as far as 500 miles or 800km. Came straight off the amazon listing for "hot tub chain wax". Im still new to biking and to waxing. Havent made it to a rewax yet.
@dawn_riderАй бұрын
To be totally safe would limit it to around 300km in dry clean conditions. There tends to be a tipping point where the wear rate increases rapidly. Pop over to zerofrictioncycling and read his documents ! I've been waxing since 2020.
@brandonhoffman4712Ай бұрын
@@dawn_rider 300km sounds too often to me. It about 3x as often as ive seen recomended by manufacturers. I went on zerofriction but found 0 testing of the same chain ridden on the same wax for different lengths of time. I did see various breakdowns and charts that did not corelate to the information I was looking for. I would love to see it if its out there. If you know where the info is could you point me to it? What im seeing is its okay to run your wax to 800km If it gets wet clean and dry the chain. (Using running water/air, not towels) If the chain gets grumbly before 800km, its time to clean and rewax. But im not looking for 0 friction, just better than where I came from. The 1st chain I waxed was in 2001 on my kawasaki, using maxima chain wax. I dont think theyve changed the logo on the cans. Funny, its parafin too! If you wanted a spray wax. I should have stated im new to waxing bike chains. Also, wax holds up just fine in the wet/grimy conditions. (On motorcycles) it is good to not let the muck dry in the chain. Technically you should be fine not drying the chain, it shouldnt corrode. Drying wont really prevent rust, it will expedite it. Any bare metal that can rust will develop surface rust after drying from a water bath. Wax is technically a solvent that coats the metal and bonds to it like a penetrating lubricant would. Only sufficient force or chemical processes can remove the wax enough to form rust. The main reason a lubricant outperforms wax in this area is lube is still fluid and can resaturate anywhere its been removed in normal use. The wax must be reheated to become fluid before it can resaturate areas it was removed from. Removing enough wax for rust to form would take quite a bit of wear. This is the most common complaint ive seen from those riding in dirty/wet enviornments. These are the ones saying just rewax when it gets grumbly. Luckily I live in a desert, called California. We use all the water on the palm trees to live that holywood lifestyle! So im on the upper end of wax life on a bike chain. Im doing all this to a mountainbike that was given to me. (2014 trek remedy 7) im using 2 new kmc 10spd chains. If i keep this bike its getting a drivetrain overhaul before too long. I hate 3x front derailleurs and am so glad humanity moved forth. After I get a gravel bike dialed in im going to circle my attention back to the mtb. But for now I need a bike ready for me to put down more miles on. The last road bike I used was a schwinn varsity I collected in 2010. It was so much fun to ride, im looking to get back that direction. Do you have any recommendations on a good gravel bike? Ive been eyeing a Specialized Crux, Pinarello Grevil f3, or a Trek domain. I would love to consider similar options in the $2,500ish range for a new bike. I dont love the domain's max tire size, crux feels expensive for aluminum, pinarello im stuck on a shimano 600 drivetrain. All would need some upgrades to get where I want them.
@neildmoss Жыл бұрын
Is the wax a "one chain, one time" product, or can you let it cool down in the pan, go solid, keep somewhere cool and then melt and treat another chain some time later?
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Yep, rinse and repeat as such. So it stays in that pan and I just melt again each time 👍
@d7jab Жыл бұрын
Just starting my journey down this route. Going down the homemade wax route...bag of wax and bag of PTFE in a crockpot - Just waiting for the weather to get warmer and a drier here in the UK. #rocking-the-uggs
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Curious to know how the home made batch holds up against the wet of the good of UK roads
@d7jab Жыл бұрын
@@SpinAnGrinWill keep you posted
@trepidati0n533 Жыл бұрын
In your garage, mount an old large chain ring to the wall but allow it to spin, then you can break all your links VERY quickly.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Clever
@barriobarranco Жыл бұрын
I'm currently degreasing 3 brand new chains and giving this a go for my road bike (105 spec) that I use only when dry. I used to use pro gold ProLink but only got 2000km out of a (genuine) Dura Ace chain despite regular degreasing every 400km, wiping after every use and re-applying. That's clearly not good enough.... I've got too many bikes (mainly old ones, not bragging the're all "mediocre") to do this on them all and being in the Scottish Highlands there's still a place for conventional lubes in the winter.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Multiple chains is definitely the way to go as long as you don't change your gearing setup that's for sure
@lolandypanda Жыл бұрын
I'm using a regular wax for decorative candles, which I bought from local Leroy Merlin, for a fraction of "bike specific wax", maybe 4-5 euros or so...
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Does it last?.
@neutronpcxt372 Жыл бұрын
@@SpinAnGrin It actually lasts longer than refined paraffin wax. The issue is that it increases chain degradation rate, which is what we want to avoid in the first place.
@peterahlstedt20435 ай бұрын
Hopefully a Campagnolo Ekar chain will last more than 1200 km with hot wax instead of using best quality chain oil
@AlistairLattimore Жыл бұрын
I understand the wax chain is great in general for a dry climate, but not so great for a wet climate. Have you had an experience with a wet climate, such as somewhere like Seattle or London where it is generally wet across the winter/spring months and if so what is the maintenance like?
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
I've ridden in the rain here in Melbourne and it's been fine. Also on wet gravel and it's not fallen off. The wax appears to block the rubbish getting into the Chain, it also easily cleans off with a wipe I've found
@zoid88 Жыл бұрын
Looking at Zero Friction testing, nothing is really good in the wet. Wax will stop stuff getting inside but might not hold on as long, wet lube might stick longer but all the crap gets in the chain. I'm going to try wax once my new chain arrives, the time it takes seems to be similar to cleaning my current drive train. If you're riding all the time in the rain, and don't care about the wear of the components then I'd say wet lube would be better. If you have time/space and want your components to last longer, then wax is the best option you just need to rewax or top it up.
@matscedervall779 Жыл бұрын
I have 4 chains for my MTB which I ride when wet. 2 for road when it is dry. Important to wipe an dry the chain after wet otherwise it rusts more easily than oiled chains. I switch to one with new wax when it becomes a bit loud
@002rbanyai Жыл бұрын
I bought 6 chains for my 3 bikes, so I have to re-waxing after the last ones are on. 😊
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Sounds like this is the best solution
@edvanderveen59733 ай бұрын
Waxing takes a lot less time then cleaning the crap off a whole drivetrain.
@paultushingham6816 Жыл бұрын
I am looking into wax for my Gravel and Road bike, but at the moment, I'm using Morgan Blue Lube with no problems... Wondering how Gravel riding in Oz differs from the crappie climate of the UK?? Does waxing work here??? Also, obviously, you just let the wax go cold and then heat it up again??? You don't throw it away???
@rexringschott Жыл бұрын
You re-use the same wax bath many times until it gets too contaminated. Clean of the muck on the chain before re-waxing and the wax bath lasts longer.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Ye, I just leave it in the saucepan and reheat for next time. Gravel here is very more gravelly vs muddy I would say. I don't miss the UK mud
@ml118611 ай бұрын
Just run 2 chains, so you always have 1 ready to be swapped and then during the 2 weeks you just find time to throw it in the pot and hang to dry
@SpinAnGrin10 ай бұрын
I've started to use the drip wax between full waxes and this has really increased the time between full waxes. Highly recommend
@christerlundgren3805 Жыл бұрын
Buy paraffin, graphitpowder and melt it together. One batch would last to a couple of thousand chains 😅😅
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
From what I've read, a few people are going the DIY route with this stuff now
@jimbrittain402 Жыл бұрын
This is going to be long. I've been using wax on my chain for years. My club had old members who had melted the wax in double-boilers, and some had horror stories of fires (one burned up his whole kitchen); that's why I use a crock pot. I use two chains and have one on the bike and one in the bag; when I change the chain, I have a new one to put on, and I can clean the other at my leisure. You don't want to do my chain-cleaning procedure; it involves a soak in mineral spirits (white spirits) and then two baths in an ultrasonic cleaner (and I do it every time I swap out the chain, not just initially). I change the chain (that is, swap out the chain on the bike for the newly-waxed one) about every 500 miles (not km); with that, I got 5000 miles each out of the two chains I was initially using before they were at .75% wear (that's 10,000 miles total for the two of 'em, and I use cheap-ass chains). I use plain old paraffin: no special brand, no additives, no nothing: I started with Gulf Wax, and then found paraffin for candles for cheap at a craft store. When I pull the chain out of the wax, I let it cool, then run it over a dowel (about 1 1/2 inch, say, 3-4cm) back-and-forth several times to break off the extra wax; I've never had a problem with the chain jumping off the cogs or chainrings. The quick links that come with the chains are supposed to be one-use only; I use the Wippermann Connex link, which is rated for repeated use (and they ARE some beefy customers... but they aren't pretty, and they are directional; put 'em on right!). If the chain seems mucky when I get home, I might wipe it, but I might not, and I haven't had rusty chains. I like that the system is clean and quiet... and I like that it takes some attention.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Thanks Jim, I'm still practicing with which method is more fun for myself. I have the space for my setup but getting it dialled in is the trick. The biggest consensus appears to be using multiple chains on rotation. Hopefully without burning down the kitchen!
@marccarter1350 Жыл бұрын
I cheat, use the White lighting clean ride. Its semi wax. Re do it ever 300km. Works great. I do not winter ride on my best bike, so not sure about the wet!
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
I'll have a Google for that stuff to check it out
@sand9577 Жыл бұрын
My complaint with wax is that it's pushed out of the links when shifting gears, whenever the chain is "bent" in cross chaining or shifting and you get less and less wax inside the links and pins of the chain. Wax might work if the pins stayed aligned during all the operation. I just don't think wax works for the tribology system of a bike chain. Industrial chains run on dirtier, with way higher loads and 24/7, with "regular" lube, run clean and quiet for months at a time. I'm just looking for industrial chain lubes, cheaper, way more effective.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Makes sense 🤔
@dudeonbike800 Жыл бұрын
Or you could pursue some decent studies of bicycle chain efficiency and understand that friction loss and durability gains for waxed MULTI-GEAR bikes are significantly improved over liquid lubes. Pretty objective results have been obtained and confirmed. With industrial chains, are they dousing them with dirt & grime as they work? Doubt it. Most machines are self-lubricating, so you constantly have fresh lubrication flowing into the links. And if they do see a lot of grit, they utilized "sealed-link" chains that keep out a LOT of grit. The dirt that your bike chain is bathed in immediately attaches to any oil lubricant on the chain. It's like flypaper. Within minutes of riding a dusty trail, my chain's covered. And I'm using dry lube and I ALWAYS wipe off the excess after my cleaning & lubing. Chain's dirty in no time. And I always lube right after my rides, so my bike has sat overnight to allow the lube to totally dry. Like today, for example! That grit then mixes with the lube and forms an abrasive paste that works its way into the chain link rollers and pins. It's the perfect abrasive paste to wear down metal! Your chain is basically suffering abrasive paste wear for the ENTIRE ride. Sure, it's not as bad with road riding, but there are LOTS of happy road riders using wax. I met a guy on a 2-week tour who's chain was immaculate. The cleanest drive train of the group of 20. He loved immersion waxing and his spotless bike was proof. Industrial and motorcycle applications have addressed chain wear problems with simple size and sealing techniques that are not applicable to thin bicycle chains that are designed to also be lightweight. With a machine or motorcycle, you just beef up the chain until you get the durability you want. Add a bigger motor and everything's fine. The bicycle chain and other componentry do not enjoy this option. (Someone in on a topic about upside down forks didn't understand why bikes didn't just use bigger, stronger, less flexible hubs, so I replied that a motorcycle front hub weighs more than my bike's two wheels. Bikes can't tolerate over-built stuff like motorized stuff can.)
@sand9577 Жыл бұрын
@@dudeonbike800 I really do not know what you do for a living but I don't think you want to die on that hill. I've designed chain driven conveyor belts for mining and food industry and have had my hand at industrial lubrication. A quarry is magnitudes worse than any bicycle riding you can do and the chains are not one to one comparison, but same principles apply. Granted, I'm not a lubrication expert, the guys working with us are. Wax has no lubrication properties, as soon as it's compressed it's pushed out of the links as all of us have seen the flakes on our frames. If anything wax is a carrier medium for the actual lubricating stuff that sticks to the chain pins. There are no dedicated "lubrication engineers" for bicycle chains. All big lube brands get their lubes from actual lubricant manufacturers, they get whatever sounds fanciest and charge a premium to the MAMILS. I'll stick to industrial lubrication, they have dealt with all sort of lubrication challenges when it comes to chains and snide at the overprice stuff that's sold to cyclists.
@dudeonbike800 Жыл бұрын
@@sand9577 I've heard the "wax is not a lubricant" argument for decades at this point. Many engineers simply LOVE to make this argument. True lubricant or not, it's irrelevant. But the results are pretty clear that wax with solid additives work very well for providing longer life, smoother operation and excellent durability in bicycle applications compared to pretty much all of the "boutique" lubricants out there. Try as they might, they cannot get away from the "abrasive paste" issue that destroys chains with ease. But if you wanna stick to an endless routine of lubing, cleaning and/or degreasing, lubing and wiping, be my guest. I've been going through this futile routine far too long.
@papalegba67963 ай бұрын
@@dudeonbike800 do you even read what you post? 🤔😂
@archieman123 Жыл бұрын
Using 5 chains across 3 bikes only have to rewax once every 2 months 🤘
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
Sounds like I'm buying more chains then.
@archieman123 Жыл бұрын
@@SpinAnGrin Been really impressed with YBN chains, super hard wearing and only 1w slower than a dura ace chain 👍
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
I've heard good things also but I run SRAM AXS. Pretty sure I need to run the flat top chains only
@zedtony8110 Жыл бұрын
I rotate 5 chains as well. I rewax when I have 3 or 4 chains to do so I can do it when I have free time.
@Paul_seekingthetruth4U Жыл бұрын
Buy two chains and do both, then you can only do it every month and a half.
@uncleants9 ай бұрын
I've been waxing my chains a while now. A couple of comments, some I'm sure already made. 1) dont heat your wax directly in a pan. a genuine fire hazard. Crockpot is one answer. Myself I use a smallish alu camping pot I had in my camping gear, the kind with a detachable handle, which is sat on a trivet in a larger pot of boiling water on the stove. The wax won't get hotter than around 90C so wont burn or degrade or reach its flash point. 2) use two or more chains. wax them together. Makes life a lot easier. Once its routine, waxing two or three chains once a month or two takes half an hour max and is a lot less time consuming than cleaning a greasy, nasty drivetrain. 3) Not all chains are equal when it comes to waxing, nor is expensive necessarily the best. Fancy chains often have fancy coatings which wax doesn't necessarily like. For example the wax on my shimano 601 (105) chain definitely lasts longer than it does in my 701 (Ultegra) chain. 4) I use my bike to ride to work every day. Its a short distance, just a couple of miles. I live in England and rainy days are inevitable, sometimes rainy days on end. Not really a problem with the chain you waxed yesterday, but if its maybe 50 miles in it could be if you aren't a little mindful after even a short wet ride. By then there will be no wax on the outside of rollers and much of the insides of the plates. Just leave it wet and next day you could find surface rust, especially where the chain sat on the sprockets or chain ring. Not the end of the world but not ideal either. Spin as much off as you can, get the chain dry with a cloth and what I do is give it a quick flush with IPA from a small squirty bottle. IPA leaves wax intact, flushes water out and evaporates fast. Its also cheap and non hazardous. 5) if it makes my chain and drive train last longer or save some watts, that's a bonus. For me the best reason is the cleanliness and the time saved not cleaning nasty black crap off everything. Good luck.
@lakaumbucha Жыл бұрын
I just drip the hot wax onto my chain to save time. Too much wax is better than no wax.
@dperreno Жыл бұрын
Don't use a pan on the stove, it is VERY dangerous. My son was heating some wax in a pan on the stove when he was about 12 years old (to pour in a mold to make candles) and it caught on fire and burned him pretty badly. We had an electric stove, but a gas stove is even more dangerous. I will strongly recommend that you find a cheap crockpot (go to a resale shop if you have to, I was able to buy a small one new for only 10 USD). Either use a double boiler or use a crockpot or waxpot. I also recommend using a meat thermometer so that you know how hot it is - don't let it get above 160F (70C). It solidifies at around 130F (55C). The wax that you are feeling on the exterior links of the chain is doing nothing. The wax that matters is what has penetrated down into the pins and bushings. So the fact that you can feel wax on the chain with your fingers doesn't mean that there is still sufficient lubrication where it counts. Just get the Silca drip wax and use it every week or two. You don't even have to re-do the hot wax treatment ever if you use the drip wax.
@DR_1_14 ай бұрын
Gas stoves are much easier to modulate... provided you keep an eye on what's cooking, of course. Electric is a total PITA compared to gas when it comes to heating, cooking, etc!
@dperreno4 ай бұрын
@@DR_1_1 The problem with doing this on a gas stove is that as the wax melts, some of it vaporizes and the gas flame can then ignite it.
@DR_1_14 ай бұрын
@Douglas Perrenoud with gas the wax won't vaporize more than on an electric stove, you can set very low heat with gas, often lower than on electric, because it's a manual switch you can set it to any power you want, eg 1/100th, while on electric you have only
@dperreno4 ай бұрын
@@DR_1_1 With electric you don't have an open flame, that is my point, which you seem to have missed.
@dperreno4 ай бұрын
@@DR_1_1 Also, I stick by my main point, don't melt wax on a stove, any stove. It is dangerous. I have first-hand experience with this as I stated in my initial comment. Having your son hauled off to the hospital is an experience that I don't wish upon any parent. Look, if you want to risk it, go right ahead, I'm not stopping you. But I'm also not backing down from my assertion that it is dangerous.
@jamesmoros1274 Жыл бұрын
Tried it and went back to lube, No rust, smoother to shift and lasts longer, especially in the wet, yes wax is easy to clean off and that’s it😂 as to wat savings and being faster 😂 snake oil might be the same. Cheers from Oz 🇦🇺
@glennmorgan8691 Жыл бұрын
As others have said checkout Adam at zero friction cycle he's the guru of drivetrain wear and also Josh from silca has some great vids too!!! I melt the silca hot melt in the sous bag in my us cleaner,when the wax has completely melted with the chain in the bag I cycle the us(ultra sonic cleaner)cleaner for 10 mins which helps drive the tungsten disulfied deep into the rollers according to Josh at silca.I hot melt wax the chain when new and again every 1k kms but top up with the silca ss drip every 100 kms,my drive train is always silent and lasts a very long time.
@SpinAnGrin Жыл бұрын
On a wet gravel group ride today, I had the only quiet chain 🙌
@user-xp7me9zw6o Жыл бұрын
Can’t be bothered with that whole process. I just use muckoff ceramic lube(green label). It rinses off with the hose very easily, then a quick drying, put the new lube on and way I go. No need to take the chain off and on top of it, your whole drivetrain gets cleaned. Good luck with your waxing. 😉
@cypriano8763 Жыл бұрын
F waxed chains, I ain't taking off my chain until I change it. I like riding not faffing round with marginal gainz
@dudeonbike800 Жыл бұрын
SRAM: "THANK YOU!"
@dudeonbike800 Жыл бұрын
A half hour into my 3 hour dusty mountain bike ride today, my chain was hurting. Same old same old. I've tried almost every lube under the sun for the last 30 years. They all do the same: form an abrasive paste that wears out metal. I'm just about to finally make the jump to immersion waxing. SO SICK OF THE REPEATED CHAIN CARE! Also: Waxing a chain does not require regular chain removal. Just the initial set up. THEN you can apply wet wax for the next several "re-waxings" until you get to the point where immersion is most effective. Do three chains at once and you won't be doing this more than maybe once a year.
@cypriano8763 Жыл бұрын
@@dudeonbike800 just use wet lube ant mive on with your life. Who cares if it's a bit dirtier
@cypriano8763 Жыл бұрын
@@dudeonbike800 anyhow,have don't many all day mrb and gravel rides, my buddy Mike tried rhe chain wax and regretted it dearly,, it don't last son, wet lube, try it, it works!
@neutronpcxt372 Жыл бұрын
@@cypriano8763 The problem is that most wet lubes are not very good, and a large amount of them are absolute garbage. There's a reason the only wet lube I use for my all year commuter ebike is Silca Synergetic.