Stop Wasting Your CHAIN LUBE! Know the BEST Way to Apply It!
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- čas přidán 10. 04. 2024
- Uncover the updated truth about drip chain lube application (Oil or Wax) with SILCA's latest deep dive! Join Josh as he debunks old myths (even from himself) and introduces the groundbreaking BEST METHOD for applying drip chain lube, ensuring your drivetrain gets the ultimate care and you only use the right amount of lubricant needed, saving you money!
In this video:
• Correcting Past Misinformation: Revisit the COVID-era April 2020 SILCA Super Secret CHAIN COATING product launch video - with the old white bottles and discover why that application advice might have steered you wrong. Time for us to share the update for how to BEST apply a drip lube.
• Real-Time Scientific Demonstration: Experience the magic of capillary action through a digital microscope, showing you how the lube is “pumped” through a chain as you pedal.
• Optimal Application Technique: Josh walks you through the precise methods to apply drip wax effectively, maximizing your chain's performance and durability.
• Expert Guidance for Modern Chains: Learn how to tackle the challenges posed by today's advanced hydrophobic chain coatings.
• Quiet Ride Secrets: Achieve those whisper-quiet rides with tips that extend beyond essential maintenance.
This isn’t just another maintenance tutorial; it’s a scientific revelation that could change your thinking about chain wax lubrication. Perfect for cyclists of all levels who want to keep their bikes at peak performance.
Products Mentioned:
• Super Secret Drip Wax Chain Coating:
silca.cc/collections/chain-lu...
• Synergetic Oil-Based Drip Lube:
silca.cc/collections/chain-lu...
• Synerg-E E-bike Drip Lube:
silca.cc/collections/chain-lu...
• MAPEI VW VAN T-shirt:
silca.cc/collections/shirts/p...
See the independent testing data found at Zero Friction Cycling:
zerofrictioncycling.com.au
If you find this video helpful, please give it a thumbs up, leave a comment with your thoughts or questions, and share it with friends on the group ride! Subscribe to SILCA Velo’s channel for more insights and tips on bike maintenance.
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▬▬▬▬ ABOUT SILCA ▬▬▬▬
Founded in Milan in 1917 and now based in Indianapolis, SILCA is renowned for its passion for cycling. Led by cycling industry leader, Josh Poertner, the brand has expanded from the iconic SuperPista pump to a full range of high-end cycling tools and gear, collaborating with UCI World Tour teams to enhance cycling performance. SILCA combines tradition with innovation, inspiring cyclists to enjoy both riding and maintenance.
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Created by SILCA
© SILCA
#SILCA #ChainLubeScience #DripWaxApplication #CyclingTips #JoshSILCA #BikeMaintenance #HydrophobicCoating #CyclingInnovation - Sport
Tl;Dr: shift to big-big, backpedal, apply one drop wax lube to each roller right before it engages a cassette tooth. Then shift through the gears once or twice before letting the chain sit to dry. Ideally 12-24 hours. Watch the other 14:50 if you want to know "why" in addition to the "how".
Josh's teachers gave the rest of his peers a minimum page count for all writing assignments. For Josh they had to give a maximum page count.
I love it
Wow I always thought it was a 4 hour cure!
As a teacher with an impulse to overexplain and overshare, I empathize with him haha. Thanks for the TLDR
When do you wipe the chain down before or after drying?
Omfg...
After every ride i dismantle every link of my chain, slow cook, individually lube, reassemble and in 6 weeks time ready for my next bike ride.
Cool ! How many rides do you end up going on in a year ? Mmmm lesee . . . 52 weeks in a year divided by 6 . . . roughly 8.6 rides a year that is IF you don't have winter conditions to contend with that will kill a ride or two . . . ideal to get in shape for the next Tour de France, right? LOL Kudos on the irony ! You could always switch over to roller blading . . .only EIGHT or so wheels to dismantle on those beauties :-) Cheers!
@@davidbee8178 my post rain chain maintenance procedure is so long it’s winter again by the time the chain is ready for its next outing.
@@JRd941 LOL . . . good one . . . hey you gotta look on the bright side right? - Gives you time to recuperate from your last ride and to load up on carbs for your next one :-)
@@JRd941 I follow the same procedure and run 52 chains, rotating them through the maintenance steps. This makes sure I have the lowest friction physically possible for my once a week uber extreme 30 mile Sunday group ride at avg 15mph.
@@emc3065 Why stop there? How about a different chain for each ride for an entire year? lf you ride every other day, you'll only need 158 chains, which could easily last for many years without any measurable wear. They could probably design a special contaminant free track in the courtyard of the nuthouse where you'll be living to further decrease friction due particle induced chain wear. l plan to discuss this genius idea with my psychiatrist during our next session.
Youve converted me to a silca wax man just purely from the fact you educate. So over being "marketed" to. Explain it to me so I can make an informed decision! Thank you Josh.
Only Josh could put 15 minutes to 'how to apply chain lube' and prove to you it was worth it. 😄
Nailed it! 🤣 💯
Interesting video. However, in our shop, we have demostrated that with the chain in the smallest chainring/smallest cog that application of lubricant drop by drop to the lower chain (between chainring and pulley wheel) once around and then working then pedaling the chain backward about 20 times allowed for excellent penetration. We did this by coloring the lubricant yellow, applying, working the chain backward and finally wiping off the excess. We then disassembled the chain and found excellent penetration around pins and bushings. We looked at several dry lubricant such as Finish Line Dry and few more as well as several wet lubricants. We did not look at Silca lubricant or wax lubricants. I think the method of coloring the lubricant and disassembly of the chain gives good proof of penetration and you may want to consider this technique in addition to your observations before recommending your method as the best for all chain lubricants.
We have also shown that placing chain lubricant - at the cassette - can result in contaimination onto the cassette cogs and derailleur and would caution viewers that contaimination of rotors and brake pads can occur if one is not extremely careful.
These are just our observations for what it's worth.
Pretty much what I've done for decades now though I don't bother with what cog or chainring the chain is actually in-contact with. Capillary attraction (with oil at least) is an amazing thing. If you drip the lube into the area of the side plate/roller interface it finds its way into the chain amazingly well after "backpedaling" few times before you wipe off any excess by running the chain through a clean rag. This isn't "rocket surgery" IMHO.
@@larryt.atcycleitalia5786 Totally agree. Thanks larryt.
Thank you.
What was your control or method of comparison?
Yes to Science! Yes to Josh!
I have been a professional mechanic for almost 40 years, learned something new today. Thanks!
It's really cool and helpful to actually _see_ how it works. That close up of the lube getting pulled in via capillary action and then pumped through was great! Also nice that the super secret is white, that really helps show it happen. Thanks for recording this video (and making the lube ;P) 🙌🏾
Josh, you are one of the really good guys in cycling! I always enjoy your content, and it is always very well thought out, thank you Sir excellent video!
Thank You. Scientific explanation with illustrations. That's what I like. No corporate BS.
Awesome video Josh we have started selling your product in your shop and absolutely loving it , I’ve also been sending a lot of our customers to your channel to get educated! Thanks and keep them coming
Josh, this video is clear evidence why you (and Silca) are the best, no doubt
That's where I always applied lube for decades and when I switched to wax, I switched to the bottom because of your video. I love that you did the work though and corrected your information. Back to the place I've always done it. BTW, love the secret/super secret combination.
Fascinating to see the lube drawn up into the links BEFORE you even started moving it! Now I gotta go lube my chain again - with Super Secret of course!
Very nice, Josh! A solid contribution of useful, practical knowledge for routine bike maintenance. Loved it! So few cyclists understand what's going on w/chains. This really adds a nice refinement to the knowledge base. Keep on, bro! Also, appreciate your humility regarding the past advice and why it was given. Admitting a mistake is a great credibility builder. Keep on with that, too!
Great video, beautifully articulated, and like all the best ideas it seems so obvious afterwards ! Thanks Josh
I have been lubing chain like this for a long time. I am happy Josh proved me right.
Same
EXCELLENT EXPLANATION OF GREAT VALUE TO ALL ENTHUSIASTS! This is the best and most plausible explanation I have ever seen. All the best, Rob in Switzerland
That was masterful. Simple, yet genius. A *Big Thanks* to you Josh!
I've never done that before! On my former teams I followed the advice of our mechanics by applying a single drop on top of each pin-roller interface all the way round, then ran entire the gears through top to bottom on inner and outer chainrings 2-3 times (just to create that super-light initial coating), but never at that precise location you've so cleverly demonstrated :-)
Brilliant. Well done. Love these functional details, very helpful!
Great video and informative. I always lubed my chain from the top and not the bottom, and I never realized that it is more efficient lube the chain right before it enters/ touches the cassette.
been riding for 30+ years as an adult and have tried everything and every method and I just learned something new, great video.
I love nerding out on drive train stuff and this got me excited. Now off to the garage to apply some Super Secret to the top of my chain as Josh detailed. Thanks again for the best info on the internet. Oh and your Gravel Pro mini pump is the very BEST by far of the 7 mini pumps I own.
My one and only chain lube and has now completely changed how I reapply. Thank you SO much! Have shared everywhere!
Thanks for sharing, it seems like I am learning something from you guys on every video you make . A thank you from Denmark.
I was genuinely excited to see that capillary action as you bent the chain back and forth. :D
Thanks for the close-up video. A convincing demonstration.
Thanks for doing the work so I didn’t have to hurt my brain thinking about this, will try it that way.
Thank you for clearing this up as I have always hated the excess lube that would fling off the chain and all over me and the bike.
fantastic video! thanks josh! my life is changed forever! i too watched your 2020 video early in 2024 when i applied super secret for the first time
saw this tip on a gcn video a few weeks ago. loved the demo!
Aces.
Fantastic thought process.
Love that you give credit to other companies.
I’m sold.
Silca in the basket! 👌
Away to buy some!
You’ve changed the way I will lube my chain in the future! Thanks!
Good to know
I actually go from the top on the back sprocket and to the front sprocket, I do let it sit for 24 hours which is perfect since I switch up walking and riding to work.
Love the chain demo.
Josh, this is SO COOL!
Appreciate the Insight !
Love that Josh. Awesome mate. ❤
Used this strategy couple of years now..... didn't know about the capillary action thought.
One day on my 12 speed ebike when putting the chain back after washing and cycling through gears I found that I could "see" the pin when the chain was leaving the biggest cog and i thought to myself - "I think this is the best place to put a drop of lubricant". So I did and I've been very happy with the performance...
Sheldon Brown tells you why. See the article on chains on his web site. I should think that would have been an easy find; it's probably the source of the wisdom for a lot of mechanics.
Such a great demo with the drop of lubricant on he PostIt note under the microscope, showing the capillary action.
Great video Josh
Great video and information. Thank you.
Brilliant Thanks Josh and Silca.
Great video, Silca for life!
I saw you talk about this in another video and I've been doing the dripping in the spot you said here, but I still get some droppage on the ground, not a whole lot and I definitely shake it well, but yah, some droppage just seems unavoidable. Perhaps the tip of the bottle is too wide and too much comes out?
Another great video from Silca! As a cyclist & vintage vanner id love to order that t-shirt!!
One of many talents Josh the magician :)
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Brilliant! No more drop cloth under the bike when I lube and regrets from all that wasted lube. And one more reason to buy Silca.
I definitely need to try this. Been using about a year on my road and gravel bike with great results but an application on my mtb as a supplement of being hot waxed only last about 15 miles before getting loud.
I swear this is how I apply it since my first time without anyone showing me how to do it actually thinking exactly about what you have explained although not as in-depth.
I was actually pushing the chain with the finger a bit to bend it whilst as I spin the cranks backwards and slowly pump
Awesome video! Thank you!
Since I switched to chain wax, I applied it on the bottom side of the chain (where the front derailleur is, this I did so already with oil-based chain lube when I started cycling over 30 years ago), hold a several times folded good quality kitchen cloth (it does not dissolve in a washing machine when by accident left in a pocket) below it, and then put the wax very generous on the chain, and then I twist the chain and also bend it a little bit. After about 40 links, the kitchen cloth itself as absorbed a certain amount of wax, so I can also wrap it around the chain and can create a kind of "wax bath". When all links are waxed, I do a second run,wrap the chain on the length of about 10 links and squeeze the cloth a little bit. When the drivetrain gets noisy, I know its time to rewax (after about 200km/125mi).
I've started recently to lightly tap on my pedals frequently when applying my lube. When chain engages and disengages a few times it helps with caplilary action to get lube insode rollers
Love your Content!!!!!!
Always used that spot but just from observation how much ended up on the ground…..and you can use a spoke to stabilise your hand
9:30 woah
Really good video!
Oh, sound effects. Sweet 👌
a full video from start to finish would be great
Wow, 🙌🏻, Josh, thanks, those details 👌
You bet!
Great video!
I'll try it next time if i remember. might need some of those post it notes to remind me.
Thanks for changing my life
Thanks for the video Josh. Interesting stuff. Im just about to do my first ride on Silca SS, layered x 3 as previously suggested. After 300km or thereabouts, when it needs relubed, I guess one drip per roller x1 is plenty? Cheers
Thank you, I have been doing this for years.
Thanks for this !!!
Impressive, thanks Josh
Very useful video :)! thanks
YES ! Josh, Tried your new way to lube chains and I like it. Just plain Wow ! Thanks so much . KB
No marketing bs here, just a guy talking about his awesome product ❤
Back on the synergetic. Wax is great but I've noticed a fewer rusty patches on the outer plates.
I freeze my wax based lube, perfect drop with ease. Melts in perfectly, just shake and freeze works for me. All The Best!
Very informative, J...TY...my Q for U...how do i keep my rear der pulleys from collecting gunk??
Great video - thanks! How many kms per re-application for best low friction performance loss and low chain wear? Questions may have been asked before. Assuming SILCA full chain waxing treatment to start Thank you.
Really helpful. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
I love these videos and how much y’all stand by your products. 🤙🏻🤙🏻
Thank you!
Thank you so much for validating how I have applied chain lube over the last three decades! I learned this from my Dad at Parker Bikes in the late 1980s. This really does answer the question "Why".
Josh makes it really hard to argue with using his products. I can say, this wax does last the longest, has the least sound, and has helped all my chains last so long. I just checked a chain with a digital gauge after 2000km, and I couldn't even get my gauge to read 0.01. I have replaced cogs sizes, replaced chainring sizes, or crashed my bikes before replacing my chain. I had one with about 8000k on it and I had 0.16 wear, so around 25% use, as I generally switch around 0.6.
That was excellent......
Thanks Josh for this video. I have an e-bike that I cannot back pedal. Do I then apply prior to the derailleur? What do you recommend?
Now that is very usefull info.
Loved the description of the chain coating “hates water loves oil”…..I thought it was more descriptive of the customer base I deal with …..filthy bikes and chains like a sump tray.
What I like about this - he spoke of other wax lubes. Didn't bash them, referred to them as high end.
Great video! But what about single speed or internal gear? I am using Synerg-E on my Bullitt Cargo bike and care about my drive train
So simple, remove the chain and clean and dip it, having a second chain ready and dipped makes the chore of ‘on bike’ chain maintenance a breeze, plus you get to clean up and lube the removed chain at your convenience
Thanks Josh, I like the way you think. What if you aimed a hairdryer on low setting aimed up at the chain as it exists the pulley cage to help the lube stay on the chain?
I have not had a chain driven bike for years now. Belt and Pinion gear set is the only way to go.
Can this technique be used to supplement a chain that has been waxed and not stripped?
Hi Josh. Thanks for these great videos. Do you apply 1 drip per link or apply as you spin the chain for say 2 revolutions of the chain?
@13:09 1 drop per link👍
Great information. What do you think about using an applicator tip like the Ryder Luberetta on the bottle?
Those sorts of things can help with drip accuracy, but do nothing to help with penetration of the lube.
Very interesting video, and very cool to actually see the capillary/pumping effect. You mention that this way of lubrication will give 100 kilometers of pristine silence. Do you have any experience of how well the lubricant performs in a long distance gravel events of 200, 400, 600 kilometers with sand and water getting in the chain. How would you recommend re-lubing in such an event as application and a drying time of 8-24 hours isn’t optimal:-)
Hi josh i have a question, since the cross chaining is key why dont we put the chain in the small chainring in the back and front where the cross chaining is even better?
That was great!
How long and at what rpm should i back pedal after applications?
Thx👍
Should we wax e-bike chains for the longevity of the components? What would be the re-wax interval, assuming using melted wax with topping up via drip wax?
Why do we apply lube to the top of the lower chain span? Argumentum ad antiquitatem...because we've always done it that way.
I worked in a bike shop for many years and we always did it that way. Nobody even thought to question the technique. However, a vital piece of doing it right was to cycle through all movements of the drivetrain for a bit while the lube was still wet to ensure full penetration before allowing for dry time and removing any excess. We would also hold a shop towel beneath the application area to keep the floor clean. But drip through always seemed preferable to accumulating excess in the cogset, which is a bit more difficult to clean.
Love it, thanks. 15 minute video on chain waxing... Would have expected you to actually do it at the end. 🤷
I used to lube my chain at the bottom for years as recommended by almost all videos in YT, but then I bought a MTB with a NorrowWide chainring... Since all the lube was getting caught on the chainring due to the tight fit between chain and ring I realised that this technique wasn't making any sense.
So I started lubing the chain from the top, and oh surprise I could see how the lube would penetrate all pins and go through them to start appearing on the other side of the chain when going round the casette and pulleys.
By the time the lubed part of the chain reaches the chainring, the lube has already made its way through the pins and plates and only a little amount gets caught on the ring.
Also since you need to back pedal the logical space at the top to place the bottle of lube, is near the cassette so that you don't hit it with the crank arm every time it goes around.
So now I lube all my bikes like this (including road) regardless of NW chainring.
In my case I discovered this through logic but science proved me right ;)
I have two questions.
1. I put on a nitrile glove and massage the excess lube into the rollers. Good idea or not?
2. There is still quite a bit of excess wax on the exterior of the chain so once the chain is dried, I sometimes hit it very quickly with a heat gun. I can see the wax turn from solid to liquid and it appears to soak into the rollers. Is this helping or hurting?
ever try warming up the SS drip, in a hot water bath prior to applying ...seems to help it seek the inner portion rather than bubble up and roll over the (roller) and sit between the plates like it does when its 55*F