If I think about it I wipe my chains down with naphtha on rag since it cuts through wax well but I usually just rewax them without any prep. Some guys clean them in boiling water or an ultra-sonic cleaner.
If you are running an 11 spd. (or less) drivetrain you can use the Connex Link and reuse it for almost unlimited times although I’m sure they wear out eventually. They haven’t released a 12 spd yet but are suppose to at some point. Plus, you can remove/install it in seconds without tools. I use them on my road bike exclusively.
On my mtb I’ve reused the 12 spd Shimano links at least 4 times. You can feel when they start to get easier to remove/install at which point I retire them. I’m not endorsing this though since it is not recommended, it’s just what I do. After that I’ve been using the YBN links which are suppose to be reusable 5 times. Hopefully, Connex will release the 12 spd Connex Link soon so I can use them on mtb too.
I’ve reused the SRAM road 12 spd links many times. As with the SRAM 11 spd link, the only issue I’ve seen is the snap you get when seating the link diminishes over time. When it gets too mushy feeling, I replace the link.
I’ve had three chains and links in rotation since Sept ‘20, and I just replaced a link a month or so ago. I don’t track which link goes with which chain, so have no idea the use distribution across the links. It’s probably reasonably even, but…?
Two years? What about ride time or distance?That could be anything from 100 miles to 20,000 miles. I assume you’ve alternated them so so half the use time? Still look good, what is the current wear?
If I can get away with 3 - 4 chains a year I’d be happy.
so i largely follow what silca recommends, which is wiping down the chain with a microfiber before reapplying any lube (either the super secret drip or hot melt). The wax does a pretty great job of shedding any dirt or grime while you’re pedaling along so any contamination doesn’t really penetrate down into the chain compared to an oil based lube, and wiping it down with a microfiber wipes off the majority of the contaminants on the outside.
fwiw i’m using SRAM and Shimano 11 speed chains with the reusable YBN quicklinks and each quicklink can be used 5 times before it’s shot. So between the drip lube to extend the life of the hot melt and the reusable nature of the YBN links, you get quite a bit of life out of each quicklink.
I’m not super precious about everything though. I’ll reapply the super secret drip like 3-5 times before redoing a hot melt so I’m not fouling the hot melt wax all that often. This wax stuff is so much better than any oil based drip lube that as long as you’re not running a dry chain and reapplying often enough, you’re going to have a chain that lasts insanely long and runs incredibly efficient.
zero friction cycling was showing some insane chain life benefits to waxing fwiw. I can’t remember the numbers off hand, but i think some chains were showing like 40-50k kilometers before hitting the wear limit.
Still learning so bear with me…it seems that wet rides/water will shorten the lifespan of the wax. How to people keep the rest of their bikes clean? I’d like to to wash/hose down my bike a few times per month and don’t want to prematurely wear the wax. Should I remove the waxed chain for a good bike wash?
tbh i think having a waxed chain makes washing your bike even faster because you don’t have to do the whole elaborate full degrease then remove the film the degreaser leaves and then wash/dry/relube the chain dance. you can just wash your bike normally, treat your chain like the rest of your bike, and then if you’re feeling a little lazy (like me!) you can just reapply some wax based drip lube and be up and running again
In one of the Silca videos they say that the reason they recommend a rewax after a rainy ride is because the combination of water and friction causes the wax coating to oxidize. It’s not just the fact that it’s getting wet. So I think some stray water from washing the bike isn’t something to worry about.
how do you know if the quick link isn’t worth reusing again? i was rotating between 2 different quick links since i had sold a bike and forgot which one was which.
i will note that i have been using them only on the trainer and not for outdoor rides.
Does anyone know where to find a professionally pre waxed chain in Europe for Shimano DA 12s? I can’t find any shop that offer such a service…
I did it for the 2 Sram chains I have in rotation at the moment, but as I’m switching to Shimano I’d prefer to buy it (preferably ultrasonic cleaned)…
CERAMICSPEED doesn’t offer a XTR/DA treated chain nor does wattshop…
Any ideas?
Thanks
I’m thinking about starting down the wax rabbit hole. To get started obviously need to purchase a chain, wax and crockpot. How important is cleaning the front and rear chainrings? Do I need to remove them and soak them in mineral spirits or is degreasing a few times sufficient?
I used the same mineral spirits then acetone approach but with brushes/rags/pipe-cleaners for the cassette, jockey wheels, and chain rings. I did take the back wheel off to get to the cassette easier, but didn’t remove the crankset (which is pretty easy, just wasn’t necessary) or jockey wheels. I don’t know how important, but after seeing how clean the chain was, I figured the small incremental time to clean the rest was worth it.
@tadaka I would say if it’s on the trainer it doesn’t matter use them indefinitely.
Your post however got me thinking. I guess I might look how I am riding. My B road bike that I generally just ride steady, I think I will use some of this links to go for 5 uses. However for my main road bike where I will be going as hard as possible on sprints, I think I will change every time.
I have a new 105 cassette, or an Ultegra cassette with ~2000 miles. Since I’m starting with a new waxed chain, should I start with a fresh cassette? Cleaning the Ultegra cassette will be a pain. Do I need to degrease a new cassette?
There are so many wax options. Can I just use Gulf food safe paraffin wax if my concern is a clean drivetrain, not necessarily eeking out every last marginal gain/watt with the fancier stuff?
I would use the new one if you don’t want to degrease the old one. Thou if you take off the old one, it doesn’t take more than a few minutes to clean with some simple green or purple power degreaser and a scrubber, also get those jockey wheels. If you don’t clean them you will find your wax on your chain gets a dirty black/grey greasy look to it. The effort you put in now, will make not having to clean them in the future, they stay pretty clean going forward.
Used Gulf wax for a couple years - works great. Trying Molten Speed Wax currently out of curiosity. Gulf wax is cheap and can be found relatively easily.