Most Efficient Way To Maintain A Waxed Bike Chain!
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- čas přidán 14. 06. 2024
- This video answers one of our most-asked questions! How do I maintain my bike's waxed chain? So you've moved over from using chain lube and now waxed chains are giving you a headache, worry no more! Ollie is here to show you how simple and easy looking after a waxed chain can be.
00:00 Intro
00:24 How to tell your chain needs maintenance
01:00 The options
04:10 Cleaning the chain
05:56 Applying drip-on wax
07:00 Running the chain
08:18 Ollie’s top tip
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After lubing on each pins and rollers I would run 2 fingers( kind of like pinching the chain) while back pedalling a couple of revolutions just to make sure the wax lube penetrates deeper into the rollers.
with drip on wax i seem to be getting more surface rust. even tho i wipe down chain after rides. whats the easiesy way to avoid this. or is just a case of deep clean each time and rewax after rain
Yes, you missed a trick. At 5:39 when you said to wipe the chain with a microfiber rag--top and bottom-- you wiped the outside surface of the chain twice, NOT the outside and then the inside surface of the chain where it makes contact with the cassette and the rings. C'mon, Ollie, we expect so much more from you ;-)
I thought it was better to apply the drip lube on the bottom, not the top of the chain?
Applying the lube on the side where the rollers meet the chainring makes more sense.
It must be even more effective, to warm the chain after the 2x dripwax has dried.
When you clean the chain with microfiber cloth (5:33) from the bottom and from the top, you're cleaning exactly the same side. What am I missing?
Just grab the chain 😂 I don't know why he did like that
He drips the wax on that side, so maybe that's why.
The cross chaining tip is mega and not heard that before.
Lots of tips at Silca Velo channel.
A test I've seen on some Russian channel about whether the chain needs to be rewaxed: drum on it with your fingers, and if you hear the rollers rattling like a string of beads, it;s time. If they're muted, there's still enough wax. It is a pretty conservative test in my experience, but better than "just listen to your chain, you'll know".
I've been using Silca Hot wax treatments with Silca drip wax between Hot Wax treatments for a long time. Works great. But one thing I do that wasn't mentioned here is after applying the drip-on wax I run a heat gun (or blow drier) over the chain. This does A GREAT job of melting the wax that has dried on the outside surface of the chain (where it is not helping much at all) and allows it to penetrate into the pins and rollers. It leaves the chain much tidier on the outside (no big flakes of wax sitting on the outside of the chain) and better gets the wax where it's needed. Anyway, most everyone has a blow drier and this step takes no more than a couple minutes. I think it's well worth the time. 👍
Have you tried hearing the chain and then drip wax or should it be wax first then heat. I like this idea
@@SingaporeUntold Hi! I understand your question completely and it's a good one. I always apply the drip wax to no cooler than a room temperature chain, but don't preheat the chain. Applying heat AFTER applying the drip wax gives me great control over the melting of the drip wax so I can apply just enough heat to liquify the wax and have it flow into the pins and rollers. I am guessing that heating the chain BEFORE applying the drip wax would not give me that level of control. The wax might not penetrate as well because it might not liquify enough. Or it might get too "runny" and drip to the floor. I'm also guessing that heating the chain sufficiently before applying the drip-on wax would take quite a bit more time than just heating the wax after applying the drip-on wax. BUT, you've piqued my curiosity and I might try it the next time I apply drip wax. 👍
@@MrLuigi-oi7gm I’ll try your way next time. Thanks for sharing.
@@SingaporeUntold I hope it meets your expectations. 🤞👍
@@MrLuigi-oi7gm yup tried it. I’m actually using a food torch at a very low setting until it melts the wax and sucks into the rollers. It does indeed work and i tell you, it’s penetrating better than the original viscosity of the drip wax in my case ceramicspeed. I tested it and it seemed to suck it about 2 drops, any more and it’ll drop out of the rollers.
So what I am doing is one drop penetration with low heat for the whole chain then one drop normal for the whole chain and spin the crank to get some wax on the cog teeth. Or maybe i should do that in the reverse. Do the spin around first then do the penetration. Hmm.
But yes less waste as it goes where it needs to. Actually not just less waste, I think technically should perform same as the crock pot right
I’ve been using the drip on wax since Silca first started selling it and asked Silca directly how best to clean the chain if I was removing it from the bike to clean. They responded that I should just put it in very hot water, shake it and rinse it off. I see others commenting here that they do this as well. When I clean it this way I then pour 99+% isopropyl alcohol in the container, pour it out and repeat which allows the chain to dry very quickly.
Even though I'm newly retired, I don't have the patience to put a drop on each link. If I have to wait 12-24 hours for it to dry, I might as well place the chain with boiling water (finally get to use the side burner on my BBQ) then re-immerse/let dry and re-install.
I did my first 50k this week on my road bike with a waxed chain (new chain and cassette). I'm sold. Buttery smooth and completely silent. Going to wax my MTB chain this week.
5:35 did Ollie just do the same side of the chain twice?
Yeah! c'mon Mr PhD. Surely you just need to wrap the cloth around the chain
Yup, the bottom of the bottom is the top of the top …
Finally!! This was something I was always wondering about. Am I doing it right, etc.? Bravo, GCN.
Once you've learned the process, it's just as easy to re-imerse the chain in hot wax and it works better. And no, you dont need to elaborately re-clean the chain each time. The drip version has to be applied very carefully and requires a 24 hr dry period.
This was my q, so you just wipe down and drop in?
@@Miles_and_MotionsThat's it. Use one drop on each link, making sure it goes into the roller.. It can be a bit messy, so put a towel on your chain stay. But don't ride until the next day. Wax is not like other lubes.
@@Miles_and_Motions You can use hot water to flush out old wax if need be.
It's good to use the drip version though if you are bike packing or on holiday and don't have access to hot waxing equipment.
@@jellyfishsalad5926 Definitely, especially if there is any chance of extended rainy weather.
I always pre-heat my drip on wax in a Sous Vide hot water bath at 160F. This causes it to reach the tiniest regions of the rollers and contact points! It causes it to freely flow into every nook & crany! IT WORKS!!
Thank you Dr O and crew...I did the drip on method yesterday , and I'll ride tomorrow and see how it goes . We are getting flooded right now , time to man the boats and bail ...our town is below sea level , and surrounded by rivers
Why would you apply it to the top outside of the chain? Seems better to apply it to the bottom inside long run so that the wax is pushed into the chain when rotating instead of being flung outward off the chain.
Love the mudguards!!
Josh, would be proud of you! I also use Silca moist wipes, and wipe off the chain b4 putting the wax lube on
"you can do it for both the bottom of the chain and the top of the chain"
yeah, but when you wipe the bottom at the bottom and the top at the top, it's both the same (outside) side
you never wiped the inside ;)
I wanted to say that too, you were first :)
Yup!
Before re-applying hot melt wax I like to put the chain in boiling water, close the lid and shake it hard for a few seconds. Removes a lot of dirt and keeps your hot wax clean.
Oooo great hack! Super cool to hear people have their own methods 🙌
One more step is to shake in alcohol to push out the water for fast drying
I just pour over a kettle of hot water with the chain off the bike, the dirt will have minimal ingress into the chain so you're melting the coating and dirt mix off in no time at all
ultrasonic cleaner with a heating function 🤩 heats the water to 80 °C while cleaning.
Dry road use -> straight to hot wax (ZFC)
Um, Ollie, you showed us how to wipe the bottom of the chain, then the top. Thing is, you were wiping the OUTSIDE both times. Wouldn't it be better to think of it in terms of wiping the outside and the inside?
For the price of drip on it's easier to buy multiple chains and only do a full immersion wax every few weeks/months depending on how much you ride and the number of chains.
Run 2, or even 3 chains is the best way. So you even out cassette wear, and you've always got a spare ready to go.
Once you get the knack, it only takes a few minutes to swap a chain.
Yeah, the longest part is waiting for the wax to melt, so way more efficient to run 2-3 chains in rotation and rewax them together as a batch.
That, and you'll be more motivated to switch them instead of waiting until the last minute to rewax.
@@benp439 Absolutely!
You sound like you've got the waxed chain game down! 🙌
@@gcntech I learned from The Master!
If your drip on wax is kind of thick, you could try to heat the (closed) bottle by put it in a buket with hot tap watter. That may helps to get it more liquid and it's therefore easier to apply. Try it out...
Oooo interesting! Is this something that you've done in the past? 👀
@@gcntech this is what I do with Smoove wax lube -- run it under hot water for 30 seconds before I apply, shake well, and apply. Seems to penetrate better than when I didn't heat it up
I bet Ollie don't as "we are sponsored by silica so can't run out"
Stay at home and not use a waxed chain? I really tried liking waxed chain, but it would always wear off after a weekend ride. I usually ride 200k in a weekend and it was back to re-waxing. I'm not even a serious rider, it really wasn't worth the hassle. Maybe it's good for race day, but for everything else, regular lubing last longer and it's just as good.
hear hear !
A couple of hours drying time is enough, I've used drip wax exclusively on my commute bike and fatbike for a couple of years and waiting longer doesn't seem to make a difference.
The evidence is that with liquid lubes, it might sound like it's lasting longer, but it's not. In terms of wear protection, hot wax is tops, then drip wax, then oils.
SAE non detergent mineral oil is proven to be the most effective lubricant for minimising friction & wear in chains. Not a debate, hundreds of years of industrial research backs this fact up.
As with others already commented... The top tip is two (or more) chains. Have one ready to go. Then re wax whenever. As it takes 4-6 weeks of riding (MTB in the wet as well) between changes I can get some time to get it done. Other tip is to always dry the chain when putting it away or you may see some surface rust. Have some drip on. Have never used it...
Imagine not lubricating your chain with oil and it literally rusts in front of you then thinking, wax is the best lube for bike chains, smh.
I don’t have a wax melting pot.
To get best results with drip wax, I hair dry evaporate and permeate it in, doubling it if needed.
This is easier done with chain off the bike.
With hair drier you literally see the solvent evap and wax liquify and enter the rollers in seconds.
The silca hot wax comes in a "boilable" bag. So you don't need anything extra. If you're already removing the chain I'd say go with that.
I was a sceptic of waxing until I saw Shane Miller's vid where he got 15000km with no wear. So jumped in. It's a revelation, chains last endlessly and no gunk on drive chain. Worth the investment I'd say.
The complete lack of sticky oil all over the bike is a nice bonus.
It's bullshit, chain wear is completely random.
Edit: Currently using wet lube, never used wax
Wait what, you mean that wax does not gather dust and other garbage over time ? Driving in a city here and the chain get really dirty really fast like full of dark sticky thing after one exit and that also goes to my pants when I touch the chain with my right leg : (
Doesnt have a garden so washing with water pipe is not possible and its really in need of big cleaning rn 😢
@@Poof57 The myths from big wax get stranger every year.
@@___Bebo___ In case it was misunderstood I wasnt doing sarcasm here, im currently using wet lube, never used wax, and my chain health is crap
Oz cycling. Showed how to make top up wax
Yeah, he is the master.
I use a drip on wax and always apply it on the inside of the chain on the lower run rather than on the top. This is so that centrifugal force draws the lube through the chain as it rotates.
👀
Same here. The inside is the most important part of the chain; the rollers in particular.
watch silcas video on why they recommend applying it ontop
I just use drip wax but annoyingly sometimes I forget to re-wax it after riding in the rain so end up with a squeaking chain the day after. I really should make a sign as a reminder lol
Does your dehumidifier accelerate the evaporation?
In the video when you clean the top and bottom of the chain with the microfiber cloth you are cleaning the outside only?
I bought drip on wax a few weeks ago, still have to clean my wet-lubed oilly chain (riding indoors at the moment, so have to get it outside to properly clean it). Quite excited as I actually never ride in rainy weather, so the wax will be way easier and way cleaner than oils.
I waited too long and stretched my chain out on my road bike. The gauge read .75% but I knew it was time looking at the cassette. I ordered a new chain and cassette. I also ordered the Silca hot wax pot and drying rack. It was back ordered at first but in the same week I ended up with my parts, wax and strip chip for the factory grease. First ride on the new chain this week. I did 50k and it was amazing. Smooth as butter and absolutely now chain noise at all. Shifts felt crisper and more accurate as well.
What I do after a wet salty winter ride, is to just shake the chain in hot water. This flushes out all old wax, together with all the dirt picked up from the road. After that the chain is all metally like after the first time degreasing and ready for a rewax. It's one step more, but easy to do and worth it i think. And it's faster than waiting for a drip on to dry.
I thought it was better to apply the drip lube on the bottom, not the top of the chain?
Applying the lube on the side where the rollers meet the chainring makes more sense.
Spent some time wondering if I need expensive wax lube like Silca's. And indeed is noticeably easier to apply and less nosiy compared to squirt.
In this case, you do get what you paid for.
#AskGCNTech: I'd like to know if there is any benefit if to using ultrasonic bath when applying hot wax. Am I driving the wax in? Is it worth the effortt?
Wow! What a relief!! I was worried about GCN not issuing the 26th video (just in 2023) on waxing/lubing your chain...
Don't know if anyone pointed this out already but, the bottom of the chain is the same side of the chain as the top of the chain, as you showed. You should've gone from the bottom to the top of the same section of the chain. I'm pretty sure you will agree when you realize it!
I am still running on oil-based stuff, but as soon as I have finished my remaining stock, I am gonna try waxing (chain, not legs 😁). 1 question: How do I remove all the wax, if i want to change back?
Is there aero chain wax?
One addition to you video. New chains must be cleaned you will be surprised how many shinny particles you get with your expensive chain. This parts mixed with oil or wax are very bad for the drive train. Get out factory oil and manufacture residue before wax chain for first time.
Ollie's coif is sponsored and maintained by Silca.
I just mix warm/hot beeswax and naphtha then let naphtha evaporate from chain, sometimes i add lanoline to the mix for better corrosion protection but just a little bit because if u add too much wax will become sticky.
Hello, how many times can you use a quick link, or every time you clean the chain and put a new one in? Thanks and regards
Berm Peak have a good video where Seth explains how to know when a quick link is wearing out.
Brilliant. Big to big good to know. Been waxing my chains for years and love the results! Thanks, Ollie!
No worries! Hopefully this video helps you with your waxing needs going forward 🙌
@@gcntech why not small to small? That way there is more movement between links and better spreading of the wax I would say
what about washing the chain with waterbased bike cleaner first?
For full hot wax treatment, boiling hot water will clean the chain beforehand, in a tin or old pot .. leave it in for a few minutes, rinse and Wipe the resistant bits with microfibre cloth then wax bath. No need for extra chemicals to play around with.
I have seen a video on CZcams where a "Waxed Chain expert" stated that the chain wax can be made soluble using IPA. Then use this a a drip on solution. Any comments? Has any body tried it?
The drip on Silca Super Secret Wax tends to produce a chain which gets dirty.
A hot dip waxed chain tends to remain cleaner. And it keeps your cassette cleaner as well.
I don’t get how people don’t understand this… hotwax everytime.. get 2 or 3 chains if it’s too inconvenient to do 1 at a time. Jesus.
Your cassette will get some gummy wax on it. I remove the wheel, spray the cassette with isopropyl alcohol and scrub with a brush, then rinse with water. Isopropyl alcohol sprayed on a cloth will also help with the gummy wax stuck on the outside of the chain.
Does a device exist that has less than a third of a watt margin of error that can measure wattage loss? Especially for the bike industry? I think this is all getting a bit nuts.
If using drip on wax, how often should I degrease the chain, every time my bike gets a good clean?
i am using smoove wax lub but it is still collecting very thick grease/dirty. is there something im missing? cause i find no solution anywhere
i did strip the chain's lub cleanly... left me scratching my head....
anyone got this problem?
I love having a hot dipped chain on my roadbike, but i live in the South of France and typically never ride on wet roads. Id need ALOT of convincing to hot wax my mtb chain though.
Apparently, as good as waxing is for riding in the dry, it is an abolute game changer for wet and muddy conditions. Zero Friction cycling have a few very good videos on it.
The Big-Big trick is a question I had had for a while.
#askgcntech Probably not, but do you have any feedback on waxed chains in the cold? Like...well into negative digits?
This morning I added a freshly waxed chain. The bike sat outside in 0 degrees C or 32 degrees F for an hour before I rode it. Until I rode for a few blocks it was stiff and shifted terribly and struggled when I back pedaled. After a little riding it seemed to work perfectly.
What's the best method to clean off all the wax build up on the cassette and jockey wheels ?
Boiling water melts it all off in seconds. Just try and avoid the bearings. I pour it in such a way that it touches only the teeth before dripping off onto the pavement outside
Screwdriver for the pully wheels. Isopropyl alcohol dissolves wax. For those that wax, it replaces degreaser.
Not using wax....
Wax chain out off bike. And wipe it clean before instalation= no mess, no dust on chain, everything clean
I need info on that nice mudguards
They look like the Raceblade Pro (or Pro XL) by SKS. I have some and love them since they're so easy to put on and remove.
I'm convinced: chain waxing is the way to go. Every video I've watched (many) on the subject uses some kind of electric pot like an instant pot to melt the wax. Can I simply use a pan on the stove, you know, in the old fashioned way? Thanks!
You should avoid that, it will be most likely to hot and the wax will evaporate which you don't want. (Wax smokes are highly flammables)
Nope bad idea
You can use a sous vide bag inside a pot of boiling water though
5:18 how do you wash your micro fiber cloth. My wife will murder me if I used the washing machine
Can you prolong life of the wax once applied properly "indefinitely" by cleaning the surface with microcloth and refreshing it with drops of liquid wax?
I'd think so yes, just depends on how often you drip wax.
@@andreaschristensen7546 I can do it every day if it means this takes care of my chain and I dont have to go through various stages of cleaning 😁
@@MichalBrat would never be necessary unless you're riding in extreme conditions. I "refilled" drip lube on hot wax after 6-800km. If you ride a lot in the wet I'd maybe do it after 2-300km, but yeah.
@@andreaschristensen7546 thanks for your advice!
cool!
It's all gone a bit Jean Micheal Jarre in the audio department. Very nice.
When using the cloth to remove road dust before drip waxing, a little spritz of isopropyl aclcohol on the cloth helps get the job done even better in my view.
*drip wax after every ride then change to a second waxed chain after 500km or so (clean dry conditions only). Then hot melt both together. saves time, keeps rides silky smooth. I actually look forward to the hot melt process!
you're immersion hot waxing a chain every 500km and drip waxing after every ride? Completely unnecessary, it's either/or. A hot immersion wax will last 500 km in dry conditions. Drip waxing is meant to replace hot waxing for those that don't want to do it.
Just not true. They (Silca wax items) are totally designed to compliment each other but can be used separately in isolation too. @@liamgaul * & my rides are typically 50-100km each so a drip wax top up is welcomed by the chain I think
Yes, they are designed to complement each other. But an immersion wax lasts about 500km so you don't need to apply any drip wax if you are immersion waxing your chains every 500km. After the immersion wax has run out (approx 400-500km) you could then switch to drip wax, but it sounds like you're then switching to a fresh immersion-waxed chain and adding drip wax straight away before it's run out, unless I've misunderstood. What's even the point in immersion waxing if you're applying drip wax every 50-100km? People have been immersion waxing their chains every 400-500km without drip wax top ups for years.
Wait until you guys discover mineral oil with high pressure stabilizers. Can ignore your chain for 2000km and it's quieter than wax.
@@___Bebo___ how does it last so long? Surely it attracts dirt though and requires cleaning your chain?
I love using drip wax, primarily because it keeps my pants clean from any oil stains. It's not great for rainy Copenhagen wheather though, because when it rains for days and days, you have no chance to rewax it and the wax wears off fast.
What I am struggling the most with though are temperatures below zero. Whenever it starts to freeze the wax seams to wear down at an enormous rate. And getting it to dry is almost impossible.
What wax are you using?
The normal Squirt chain lube.
I'd try with hot wax and have spare chains. I have 3 chains for that and one EPT chain especially for winter due to the amount of salt used. So far so good, I've done 2k km now on waxed and put on my last waxed chain two weeks ago. When that gets noisy I'll rewax all three.
@@lakotamm yeah I had this problem with squirt when I started with wax when I lived in Copenhagen! It has penetration issues because it's so thick. I also found so much of it gunked up on the outside and the chain needed a very good wipe down. Zerofrictioncycling has done testing that shows it simply doesn't get into the rollers of the chain unless it's heated and it will have very dramatic wear rates if applied normally. If it's heated first then it will penetrate better and then you get very good wear rates. Your chain needs to be warm too though or the wax cools as soon as it's applied and doesn't penetrate as well. They do have a cold weather specific lube I think. I would honestly just switch to one of the other drip wax lubes on zerofrictioncycling that doesnt have penetration issues.
Is rub on wax (wend) the same as drop on essentially after you put some of the "activator" type stuff on top and rub it in?
no it's a complete gimmick and doesn't work. You need wax/lubricant inside your chain. There's no way for a solid wax to get inside through tiny gaps
Have you seen the product? You rub it on quite thoroughly and then apply some of their cleaner, which chemically melts and seals it. I've used the product for years, I just wondered if there was a good way to "quickly" top it up, versus a full strip and apply.@@liamgaul
@@adamsteineke4661 Is it Wend wax? There's no way that penetrates well enough. The wear rate data for it are shocking: zerofrictioncycling.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lubricant-detail-review-Wend-Wax.pdf
Why are you applying the wax to the top of the chain? Surely you should be applying it to the bottom so it soaks into the rollers (i.e. apply to the side of the chain which is in contact with the chain ring and cassette)
I have used pure candle wax. Very water proof. And last longer.
At 5:35 Ollie tries to wipe the top and bottom of the chain, but because he switches from the chain under the crank and cassette to the chain above those, he's actually wiping the same side of the chain, not the top then the bottom!
5:36. '..you can clean the bottom of the chain and the top..." OB proceeds to clean the same side of the chain as the "bottom" has now become the "top". Perhaps inner and outer might be more accurate than top and bottom.
At the cleaning part, when cleaned the cain from "top" and "bottom", you just cleaned it from the same side 😀
So when you want to immersive wax the second time, do you have to degrease and strip the chain clean again?
Where did the grease come from?
I stopped waxing my Mountain Bike because every ride it will come back completely dirty and ended up washing off everything and relubbing with normal oil compounds... is there a way to keep it going after a dirty muddy ride? I didn't get it from the video, thought it was being shared... So what should we do... washoff and use the drip off wax?
Clean with boiling water and throw back into hotwax. Use zero friction cycling to decide what wax performs best in your environment. Always hotwax. Liquid immersive works fine if you’re running in dry clean conditions, but it dissipates quickly in the rain.
Top tip for biggie-biggie for opening the chain!
Im still on the fence about waxing my chain, but this video has helped me understand it a bit more. one step closer.....
Bit of a faff first time. But if you do 2 or 3 chains at once, it will require less effort.
Don't do it, use Chain L lube instead. Your chains will all rust with wax, it's inferior to mineral oil. Bottle of Chain L will last 5-10 years of heavy riding, is 10 dollars and is much quieter and smoother than wax.
@6:41... "over" lubing the chain, I'm guilty of that... I didn't realize it was bad though
#AskGCNTech Is it sensible to use compressed air or an air compressor to blow water from hard-to-reach spots on the bike to keep them clean? i.e. drivetrain, hubs, headset, bottom bracket etc? Or will that just push the water into the seals and have the opposite effect?
You can use air to blow water out of the rollers on your chain if you clean your chain. Dunno about the others.
FWIW, I have a Ryobi shop air blower that I use to get water out of difficult spots (vacuum cleaner works well too). So far, pretty good results. My observation (take as you will) is that getting rid of most of the water will likely out weigh any affects of getting some water into crevices
Yes, after rainy ride, I use me compressor to blow the cassette dry, and the chain. WORKS GREAT,
Is a waxed chain good or bad for a commuter bike road in all conditions?
It's bad, what you want is mineral oil with high pressure stabilizers. Chain L is a great brand. My main bike I ride 150 miles a week, I haven't cleaned or oiled the chain in 2 months it is buttery smooth.
Is it worth using drip on wax exclusively or is it meant to be used in conjunction with melt on?
Still worth it according to Josh P. But it doesn't penetrate as well. So to get close to the performance of melt on, you should apply and let cure. Then repeat.
@@beams2002 Thanks, I’m currently using rock and roll gold and reapply every 100 miles, plan to try Silca drip on wax the same way
@@adamweb If you liked using Rock and Roll gold try using Chain L instead of wax. Chain L lasts 1000 miles and is much smoother and quieter than wax.
Cold water, without detergent won't take too much wax off the chain, but will rinse out dirt and mud.
I noticed you applied the drip on wax on the outer surface of the chain. I'd usually apply lube on the inner surface, which is best practice for drip on wax or does it not matter?
Pretty sure the one I bought says explicitly to put it on the inner surface. That's how I did it anyways.
No difference, the rollers roll when it contacts against the cassette and chainring, that means after pedalling for a bit, the so called 'outer' side will become the 'inner' side. And, besides, I don't want the wax to touch the cassette before it really gets into the rollers. So, either way works and I find myself more comfortable with just dripping on the outer side as I don't need to clean the cassette that much after the application.
Maybe in Arizona....
Doesn't matter, but it's best to do it on the top if cross-chaining like Ollie does here.
@@philadams9254 Not best but easier.
I tried wax before Zero Friction existed . Experimental at first around 2001 .
Can I just toss a chain back into my pot after using drip wax? Or do I have to go through the degreasing process again?
Still a good idea to deep clean and degrease the chain every so often, like twice a year or so
What I'm puzzled about is how many kilometres I can ride between applications. I only ride in the rain if I get caught out, so it's normally dry roads riding. But I saw another of your articles about chain waxing and you were talking about re doing it after about two hundred kilometres. That seems to me a shorter period than with conventional lube. Or have I got something wrong here?
Re wax every 350 to 400 miles. If you get stuck in a heavy soaking rain re wax immediately after you finish riding. If you get caught in lite rain you can let it go to 350 /400 miles or until you get caught in the rain again. Which ever comes first. I don’t bother with the drip wax. Drip wax is good to take if you’re on a trip and have no access to hot wax.
Wax is a waste of time, you got the message.
I have a rain bike and I don’t use wax
when I driplube, it always seems to just fall off the chain in a pool underneath. Such a mess
I use wax on my commuting bike and I have noticed a rust on external links, any advice on how to prevent?
I dab-dry with paper towels when I park it.
Use mineral oil with high pressure stabilizers like Chain L lube. Wax is a roadie myth. Alternatively use a black teflon coated chain.
I've used wax on 3000km of road/gravel in summer and winter plus on my mtb@@___Bebo___
what's the brand of drip-on wax he's using?
Silca
Unfortunately waxed drivetrain doesn't work in winter where roads are salted
Why not?
It takes less than the length of this video to pop off my chain and re-wax. Hotwax provides far better penetration and winter protection. Don’t worry about Shimano quicklinks, they can be re-used 100’s of times.
Can confirm, i reuse my shimano quicklinks for a whole chainlife. On the roadbike its way over 10k km!
@@dakalla 🫡 yes. it goes without saying.. it’s a good idea to do a quick visual inspection for signs of cracking, and avoid any unnecessary bending during your install that will knock down the fatigue life. Otherwise, just send it folks and save your $$. 175 lb rider / 1500 watt sprint and have never had a failure. (DA 11 / 12 speed)*
Lots of recommendations to take the chain off to clean it or hot wax it but nobody mentions the cost of a quick link every time or are you all re-using them? They are not cheap!
I've had no issues reusing them a few times. Reuse them until they don't make that click you feel when you reattach and snap them back locked.
lol, this is the most hilarious part of chain waxing. One rough shift and that bent bushing broken quick link is busting in half and going right into your spokes. My suggestion is to get a Wipperman stainless steel master link. These are reusable unlike KMC/Shimano.
It's contradictory to say that "overlubing" with drip wax will give you lesser performance and at the same time promoting dip wax, which must be the most "overlubing" you can do.
And as I've said before: You do want some wax on the side of the chain. I rode 20 km on a 2x drip waxed chain and then heated after a sligt drissle had stopped. I put the bike inside the house at 24 C but the next day I had lots of rust patches on the chain.
Silca say Smoove has a small oil component, so I might go back to that and accept a bit of dirt instead of rust.
It's actually the liquid component that's the problem. In the case of oils, overlubing attracts particles and the grinding paste wears on parts. Excess solid wax isn't a problem bc it sheds and any remaining wax doesn't mix with particles to cause wear.
Wax doesn't protect or lube the chain very well, the one thing it does well is keep dirt off the chain, but this is pretty irrelevant because you can just clamp your bike in a work stand and hit the chain with your chain brush for 30 seconds and its clean.
I've been exclusively using drip wax and my chain still becomes black and dirty when you touch it. Is this normal?
I think it is, I get the same results, I bought the kit a couple of months ago and did the chain on bike method.
I check my chain once a week usually the night before I start my work week.
Hehe, the thing is that they added something to the drip that makes it black in itself. I get black fingers by touching my Silca drip lubed chain and after applying and drying, the chain sheds black sticky "dandruff" on my chainstay and floor, , so not easy to wipe off.
Swear by this. The brand shown is good but you can make your own for way cheaper too. The liquid top up is good for a quick thing once every 100-200km, leave it at least overnight and you're good to go! Full wet hot melt wax every 500km or so.
If it's dirty beforehand, can just rinse it with water, spray bottle or hose doesn't really matter.
P. T. Barnum must have been thinking of cyclists. Anyone who pays $40-50 for wax are suckers. For 4 years I've used Gulf Canning Wax diluted with a little bit of lamp oil (super refined kerosene) to hot wax my chains. The lamp oil is to lower the melting point of the canning wax. I target a 120F melting temperature of the mixture in summer and 100F in winter. I have 2 chains so I swap on a cleaned chain and clean the other at my leisure. I have been using the same wax mixture for the 4 years because I thoroughly clean the chains before waxing. And that process is painless and environmentally friendly as I use ZEP citrus cleaner with a final rinse in 95% ethanol. I put the chain, ZEP and hot water in a bottle, shake it a couple of times, let it sit for a few hours while doing other stuff. Rinse and repeat with a second, clean solution. After the ZEP, a quick soak in the ethanol and then 15 minutes in the canning wax/kero. I get 225-275 miles of silent running depending on the surface I ride.
I've had the same bottle of Chain L lube for 5 years and it's quieter than any wax and lasts 1000 miles. Wax users are suckers in general or have too much free time.
ugh, so now I have to maintain it too?! yuh mates
I hope we can keep Adam at Zero Friction at ease.
Just sold me on continuing with traditional chain lube with regular degreasing/cleaning/maintenance. Interesting to know, though!
I used to use oil based lubes....never again!!
If you're going to dunk the chain in molten wax, you don't need to clean it first. There won't be a huge amount of dirt anyway, and if you swish the chain around in the wax, the dirt falls to the bottom of the pot. It's no more difficult than using drip wax.
If the chain needs attention between waxings, I use a thick liquid solution of the chain wax in paraffin (kerosene) -- 15% or so, put some on a cloth, run the chain through it and leave to dry. Removes surface dirt and leaves a film of wax which stops rusting.
Wax being washed out by the rain doesn't seem to be a problem for me, and I don't think Ollie is correct in saying that wax is water soluble.
I think Ollie was saying that the drip wax is wax particles suspended in a water solution, not that the wax itself is soluble (like sugar).
It’s so easy to hot wax my chain I do mine every 100 miles or so and wax is not water soluble
Microfibres are becoming a serious environmental problem - is there an alternative we can use (and that you can buy in bulk off Amazon) (or somewhere else that doesn't avoid paying taxes)?
I cut up an old towel
I find it hard to believe wax is water soluble. Maybe it's in suspension but in solution?
It is ezyer to have 2 chains all ways have 1 ready to go