I’m using silca for road and squirt for MTB
Laugh all you want… for the last 14 months I have used nothing but Gulf Wax. I don’t ‘add’ anything to it. Boil the chain, dry it off, toss it into the Gulf Wax. It’s white in color, but ‘clear’ when on the chain so the drive-train continues to look like jewelry.
It’s about $3.00 from the grocery store and runs amazingly clean. Zero grit/dirt, and lasts about 250 miles. Buttery smooth pedal feel. Is it the fastest? I don’t know. Neither am I.
Seriously. I’m not just trying to punk y’all. Try it once. The most you’ll lose is about $3.00.
That’s what we used in the '80s. That was before the chain wax people found out about marketing.
Yup. A buddy of mine used to use straight paraffin on his Bianchi. It was probably about 1983. His parents had him on that stunning celeste-color rocket ship, and I was on a 75# (or so it felt) Nishiki .
I just had a chain break on a new 10 speed ultegra chain I waxed, after only ~120km. The outer plate on one of the links got bend (nowhere near the missing link). I only noticed some chain skipping for a few seconds and then my chain dropped after downshifting my front gear. I didn’t put a lot of power on the chain.
Can someone confirm this has nothing to do with hot waxing and is probably just a case of bad luck? I have almost no wear on my casette, though chainset is almost worn i think.
I am new to cycling and this never happened to me before. Slow cooker temperatures don’t impair chain integrity right?
No, although after nearly boiling my wax yesterday I’d suggest not using ‘high’ and waiting a bit longer for it to melt!
Sounds like the chain got damaged from a shift, I’ve broken a chain by mis-timing a front shift in the past.
The other thing that can damage chains (that you haven’t mentioned doing so may not be an issue) is soaking them for a long time in caustic cleaners.
That’s a good question….was it soaked in simple green for awhile ?
Joe
I’ve waxed exclusively for more than 3 years, always using low on the crockpot. Never broken a chain like that. As others have mentioned, the cleaner you used might be the issue. What did you use? Some caustic degreasers are (anecdotally) known to cause issues if you soak them too long.
I’ve always used Mineral Spirits (even recycled mineral spirits) and had no issues. ZFC has recently updated the Zen master’s guide… I just took a brand new YBN chain out of the box, full prep and into the wax in about 30 minutes. Makes the whole process even easier.
Quoting myself here, I’d appreciate some feedback to calibrate my expectations. Chain still seems too dirty to me - had degreased chain and cleaned drivetrain again (mineral spirits, denatured alcohol).
Is that a typical result for the drip-on Super Secret/True Tungsten type lube? Would hot melt wax make any difference, or is it likely to be an issue with my drivetrain preparation?
After ~200km of dry road riding, running chain through my hand or towel (with some pressure, admittedly):
Boiling water bath products gunk:
Super-Secret-immersed chain, not ridden yet: Spotless.
Did you start with a new chain? If not, it’s quite difficult to get it to the clean state that a new chain can achieve. When you cleaned it in mineral spirits, I assume you had the chain off the bike, did you do successive baths in progressively cleaner spirits? Did you do a final bath in alcohol and did that final alcohol bath remain clear?
Originally it was a brand new chain, yes, 3 spirits + 2 alcohol baths, clear.
After first ride, seemed too dirty, so I repeated the whole procedure. After another 200k I took the above photos. Result identical both times, I just didn’t take pictures after the initial ride.
The second result is what I am used to with immersion waxing IME. It’s always clean to the touch, even after riding. I might get a little bit of waxy residue on my hand if I have to touch my chain but it brushes right off.
Part of the reason I started immersion waxing was so when my kids touched my bike (as they inevitably do) it’s not automatic bath time.
@Jack_Russell_Racing especially thanks for the Gulf Wax pic posted up the string!
I am going to definitely consider it. Although you are right it’s probably all I need as I am not fast, but if I end up going to the 2 pot method - it would make a ton of sense to me for this to be in pot 1. It’s so cheap Pot 2 never needs to become pot 1. Could simply throw them both out when due.
BTW - did you all hear on one of the more recent podcasts @Jonathan has completely backpedaled on waxing . . . interesting.
I’m similar, in that waxing isn’t all its cracked up to be. My take as follows.
-
Winner is wax: keeps the chain clean. No black chain oil marks on hands, clothes, car surfaces, etc.
-
Winner is drip wax: quick and easy to apply. I brush the chain free of any accumulated dust and wipe with a rag. Then apply drip wax. Takes minutes.
-
Winner is wax: easy to clean the bikes. Makes cleaning bikes a single step process with water for everything, vs a 2-step process when using oil based lubes - 1 step to clean the drivetrain, another step to clean the bike.
-
Winner is oil: lasts longer. IME, wax lube does not last long when riding at high chain angles - meaning chain in big cassette cog. The sliding motion of the plates on the pins scrapes the wax away from where it needs to be and the chain gets noisy. I’ve noticed this on MTB and gravel bikes. I live in Colorado, so I spend a lot of time riding hills. When I shift into middle cassette, the chain quietness down. This cause is speculation on my part - but the results are clear, wax does not last long, especially on my MTB Eagle drivetrain if I spend a lot of time in 42 and 50 cogs.
Example: I’ve ridden Leadville 2x with oil based lubes, and did not need to relube mid ride. Last year I rode Aspen 50 on a freshly waxed chain and needed to relube mid ride. -
Tie: drivetrain longevity. I keep my chains clean whether using wax or oil, and I think a dirty contaminated chain is the biggest driver of chain and drivetrain wear. Since I am diligent about keeping a clean drivetrain, I haven’t noticed a difference.
-
No opinion: watts saved. I can’t measure this.
All in, I’ve switched to Squirt drip lube, as immersive wax is too time consuming given how frequently I’d need to do it (1-2x per week).
I relube after every ride, and apply the Squirt liberally. Sometimes on a long ride, I relube mid ride with Squirt.
Silca drip lube is too thin a consistency, and does not last as long as an application of Squirt. Although with a brand new chain, I’d probably use Silca for the first few weeks, as it penetrates the pins/links better than Squirt.
@DaveWh nice review! I have to admit out of all reasons, my main reason is probably keeping things clean. I am a chronic over-luber
Am I reading this correctly that you base your experience and summary on drip-waxing versus oil lubes, and not hot-waxing?
Waxing newbie Q - Why would a waxed chain be getting black? It’s not oily like a lubed chain, but it’s kind of black and gunky… not just dust. I started with a pre-waxed chain and a completely clean drivetrain (removed cassette and cleaned cog by cog along with pulley/jockey wheels and chainrings). Should I just rinse with boiling water and wax or something else?
That’s what it does. Drop it back in the wax!