They say that, “if you do a full degrease of the chain”. So the first time when switching to wax.
I’ve stripped/waxed many new and used chains and have never done that and never will. After getting the chain clean (which is the same process new or used) I go through my normal waxing procedure of letting the chain soak in the hot wax for maybe 30-60 seconds then vigorously swish it around for another 30-60 seconds using my coat hanger swishing tool. Seems to work great for me.
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Silca YouTube video - Chain Maintenance Part 1 Supplement: Gatorade Bottle Method
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How long after you take the chain out of the wax to cool should you wait before installing. Until it gets down to room temperature, or is it recommended to wait at least X number of hours?
You only need to wait until it’s cool. Probably 15 or 20 minutes.
If you’re cycling through a number of chains, it is worth running the waxed chain over some wood by hand to relieve the stiffness. I use a panel on my garage door. It makes a bit of noise, but makes the chain easier to refit. Here in England a chain is cool enough to touch after just 3 to 5 minutes after waxing.
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It’s almost time to get the road bike out again, and I’m wondering how seriously I need to clean the chain.
I hang the bike from the rafters in my garage, which isn’t fully sealed from the elements - dust and the occasional leaf can get in. I use drip wax, and the chain looks clean and dry, but imagine it will have accumulated some dust judging by the frame.
Do I need a full strip down, or just a wipe and re-lube? Most important is to minimise contamination, but would of course like to preserve my quick links.
Likely this question was answered somewhere, but my research didn’t prove successful. Could you please help me answer the following:
- I have a used cassette, what should I clean this with mineral spirits or degreaser? I was planning on bathing the cassette in a degreaser.
- I do not have an ultrasonic cleaner and do not plan on buying one. How do I substitute this?
- How long can I ride a waxed chain on the trainer?
Thanks for your help.
Ride on,
Elvis
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loosely zip tie the cassette so you don’t lose the sprocket and spacer sequence. Then clean it using degreaser and a brush. Wash it out with water. Let it dry or come in with the denatured alcohol afterwards.
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other people won’t like this but you can substitute with stronger degreaser. unleaded petrol is an excellent degreaser.
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IF you can get all the factory grease and all the other grease off your chain so your wax can actually adhere to your chain then you can theoretically run the waxed chain for quite a while since it is not being exposed to the elements. I can pull out 500-700km on my chain for example before i feel the need to rewax.
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Thanks!! Just cleaned the cassette. Perfectly clean!!!
I just tried stripping the chain using mineral spirits (see pic of brand used). I rinsed and cleaned the chains using the process outlined by Jonathan. Unfortunately, the mineral spirits are not clear so I cannot tell when the chain is stripped of the OEM oil. How can I tell the chains are free of OEM oil?
Thanks
@redlude97, thanks for your response. The mineral spirits are milky in color and did not change too much. I rinsed in alcohol afterwards and that definitely removed what was remaining of the OEM’s coating.
Usually when you run the chain through a rag/towel it will remain looking clean when the chain is clean. If the chain is still dirty you will usually get some kind of greasy mess on the rag.
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zerofriction recommends a couple rounds of turpentine to clean off the factory grease
spirits is used afterwards to remove any film from the turpentine
Thanks for all the answers. Used mineral spirits and finished off with denatured alcohol. After whipping down with the towel it was completely dry.
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For anyone who needs the geographical translation:
Turpentine (turps) is white/mineral spirits.
Methylated sprits (meths) is denatured alcohol.
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Mineral spirits ant turpentine are not the same thing. Mineral spin are petroleum derived, while turpentine is processed pine sap.
-Tim
Bit confusing, but he means white spirit (mineral turps (AU), as mentioned in the linked wikipedia for White spirit.
From ZFC chain prep guide:
Q) What should I use?
A) In Australia - Mineral turps and methylated spirits – cheap, clean, very
low toxicity, no hydrogen embrittlement.
In a related side note, I was impressed how effective White spirit was at stripping factory grease off a new chain even with relatively little shaking about.
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I’m on the fence about whether or not to take the plunge. Read through nearly all of this topic, but still have some questions.
- Why do you wax? Seems like the two main benefits are cleanliness (no oily black chains) and drivetrain lifespan… chains and other parts last longer. Likely some small efficiency gains as well.
- Cleanliness seems a bit relative - no oily chain, but wax flakes gathering at base of trainer? Right?
- Is drivetrain maintenance time invested similar? Sounds like more work less often.
- Best conditions for a waxed drivetrain? Seems like dry conditions work better than wet… and cleaner is better than dirty/dusty. Wet + dirt + wax = fail(?)
- After initial prep, do you retreat the chain ever, or just rinse with boiled water and re-wax? I am assuming you have not introduced an oil-based drip lube at any time (e.g. as emergency fix during an event)
- If starting with a prepped chain (e.g. MSW or Silca), would you need anything other than wax and cooker (and tools)?
- I assume the cassette, pulleys, and chainrings need to be thoroughly degreased prior to installing waxed chain to prevent contamination, right?
- Any ease-of-use comparison between options? Are some less drippy? Less flaky?
Thanks!
Jump in, I can’t see myself going back
You nailed most of everything, a clean drive train is also faster (I can’t remember the specific watts but wax is also known to be fast with less friction compared to many oils, you can google that pretty easily)
- You do get wax flakes next to the trainer - easy to broom or vacuum. I have a dedicated indoor bike that I wax its chain twice a year, very low maintenance.
- More frequent, less effort, every few weeks I de-wax (boiling water) and throw it back in the wax pot
- Yes dry - not great for dusty or wet and muddy
- No oil based lube ever (wax based liquids if you need)
- Nope
- Yes de-grease the cassette and pulleys for best results
- I have not partially liked the dip waxes (I used Squirt)- will use in a pinch if haven’t waxed when I should have, but I don’t particularly like the outcome
Waxing is fast (fast chain/ not the waxing process), clean, and easy. Buy a used crock pot from a thrift store and some wax. Gulf wax (canning wax) is cheap and works well.