How to Extend the Life of your Hot Wax Chain Treatment
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- We've had several questions on 'how to extend' the life of the hot wax chain treatment. In this video, Josh talks about his recommendation for maintenance and what the entire process looks like using the complete SILCA lubricant line. These products were designed to work together and provide the fastest and quietest chain while extending the life of all the drivetrain components.
Products mentioned in this video:
Secret Chain Blend:
silca.cc/collections/chain-lu...
Super Secret Chain Coating:
silca.cc/collections/chain-lu...
Microfiber Towels:
silca.cc/products/pro-microfi...
An Alternative to MF Towels: SILCA Gear Wipes silca.cc/collections/clean/pr...
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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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Zero Friction Cycling got me looking at waxing again and his data led me to Silca. If your video's had been available 30 years ago, I would have never been overwhelmed with the "secret, black magic voodoo secrets" of waxing chains. Excellent job of making this all understandable.
I started using the hot wax last year and I'm hooked. I don't even care about the marginal gains, it's just *clean*. Tried topping up with the drip wax a couple times but it made the chain a bit sludge-y so I stopped using it. But, I neglected to wipe the chain... I rarely ride outdoors anymore and figured it wasn't necessary. Will give it another shot after wiping the chain down first.
Same experience. Won't go back to standard lube for road.
Wipe on a warm day and immediately after the ride when wax is soft. Comes off very nicely leaving very clean and shiny chain behind.
Great stuff, Josh! Love the company!👏👏👏
This is the exact video I needed! I bought a chain and boy oh boy is it quiet! But I didn’t know how to maintain it, so this video was really helpful. Thanks!
Yup, I've been riding for 34 years and this is the best system I've used to date on my MTB's. Clean drive trains and awesome shifting. Thanks Silca
I learn something new every time, thank you!
I was waxing my chains 20 years ago and I stopped for some reason. I started waxing again with your wax and I am pleased with the results. The chain is so clean and quiet. My wife loves it on here bike too. I tried your aero socks with good results too. Thank You for the great products. I like your videos that get into the engineering behind the products you make.
Thanks Josh, great tips!
i was super keen to try this because i usually get my chain hot waxed at my local bike shop (who use your product) every 400/500ish kms now i can extend the life of my hot wax at home and save the hot wax for my periodic services. (also saves shop time because they're always super busy)
I LOVE this system! I have two bikes, a road bike and a gravel bike. I waxed both chains after buying the wax and a cheapo slow cooker to try it out. I did a gravel ride and the bike got caked in dirt, mud and gravel probably. I washed the bike with just bike cleaner all over and you can touch the chain without ANY dirt, grease and gunk going on your hand. The chain was a little squeaky so I just applied some drip wax as per in the video and it’s all good and clean again. Fantastic stuff. More people should do it.
Just bought the pre wax chain! I hope it works well with less cleaning
That was great. Thanks!
I've been using the Super Secret on a used chain that I did a so-so cleaning on and the results were amazing. As of today, I'm running a Silca Secret pre-Waxed race chain...Amazing difference! I'll keep using the Super Secret Lube between waxings. These products are great! And yes, I bought a pack of their microfiber towels as well. Very high quality.
Thanks Steve!
Can't believe I've waited until now to adopt hot waxing my bike chains. Just thinking of all the lost watts and hours spent cleaning greasy chains over 35 years of cycling. Face palm.
51 years here and just switched. (And drive trains have always been a focus and concern of mine.)
And I watched Dave wax his chains in "Breaking Away," so I can't even claim ignorance!!!
Better late than never I guess.
Just installed the diamond polished waxed chain. It is crazy fast and super quiet. Cant get over how clean it stays. No more black chain ring teeth tattoos on right calf muscle. Micro fiber after each ride. Cant wait to see how long this chain lasts. Great product.
Thanks for the kind words Fred and so happy to hear your results! - Josh
i waxed a few chains with in january with the hot wax blend and i've been topping it off as you've described, and i'm wondering whether i'll get to my other chains lol
That's amazing, I just started using Silca hot melt on a 380km used chain (Shimano 12s) after opening the Silca Velo Shop in Europe last month, July 22, and the results right now are like a new dimension in cleanliness , softness and ¿durability? (too early for this)
Since my beginnings in MTB about 12 years ago with more than 40, I have been an obsessive enthusiast of cleanliness and efficiency in the transmission, more out of common sense than anything else.
I have also been an aggressive cyclist with chains and cassette and have always sought to improve maintenance to minimize this effect.
I'm not very present on digital channels, and you can see that my only video on the channel is about applying liquid wax 10 years ago, I mean, this is a topic that has worried me for a long time
I am following the cleaning and application instructions strictly, and although it is not excessively complex, I understand that this system is not for all users.
Now with a little more than 1000km (first 380 without Silca) and a re-waxing over 300km, the chain meter still does not even fit 0.075, so far better than ever before
We will wait to check with a new chain and see the evolution, but the impressions are optimal
So great to hear!! Thanks
I travel around Florida shearing sheep every spring, and I keep my bike in the bed of the truck under a camper cover. I’ll report back as to whether I have any issues because of storing the bike in such a hot location. Definitely bringing some emulsion with me in case it’s an issue
I wish you made some cooker to melt the wax like say Cyclowax. I'm keen on getting the Silca wax solution once I find a slow cooker.
I've been totally converted to this systems approach - Silca hot wax every 1000km (ride gravel so not 1000miles as it's dirtier) and every 500km on my enduro MTB + drip lube every 100km or so for gravel or every 50km or so on the MTB. Chain, cassette and chainring cleans off with a kettle and boiling water. Love it.
After a gravel or mtn ride do you just let your chain go until the next drip lube application, or do you wipe it down between rides at all?
I ride mtb & gravel too and just switched over to wax. Trying to figure out the best system for those rides as I don’t ride road.
And do you clean your bike with a wipe down between applications? Or how do you keep the rest of the bike clean while not messing up the wax on the chain?
@@RyanRivs42
What's worked for me:
- Dry/mostly paved and short/dusty rides: Nothing.
- Long dusty dirt rides or if the chain is running dry-ish: No bike wash, spray some isopropyl on a rag and run the chain through for a few turns, wipe the jockey wheels and chainring and relube roughly one drop per link (takes about 1min total work).
- Longer muddy rides: same as above, but I just hose the bike down/wash as per normal. If it was super muddy then I'll pour boiling water over the chain as it leaves the chainring while pedalling. Once the chain in dry, I'll do two drops per link (as per Silca's recommendation).
For MTB (vs. say Gravel) I just shorten the intervals.
A tiny bit of work each time post-medium/long rides has saved me a lot of wear on components and zero chemicals needed to clean the drivetrain/no need to do loads of scrubbing anymore!
Hey thanks! Great info, I appreciate it.
@@RyanRivs42 No worries. One thing to note is Silca's relube process is ace - put your chain in the 2nd easiest gear (while in biggest chainring if running 2x), lube from the top (where the chain touches the cassette) and backpedal a handful of times. Then shift up and down the cassette to leave a little lube on each cog of your cassette (makes it very quiet, bit of wax on the cassette reduces friction/dirt).
I think that moving the chain in the hot wax blend to get the airbubbles out of the inner chain doesn't work perfect. Therefore i take the ultrasonic-cleaner that ive used prior to clean the chain again. Ultrasonic-clearners with heating function usually work up to 80°C and while that isnt enough to melt all of the wax in the bag quickly it still is enough to prevent that molten wax to get hard again (to keep it molten). For that 75-80°C is enough... so that temperature is alright for the final phase when you are close to take out the chain.
So i melt on the wax in the bag in just close to boiling water and insert the chain in that and shake it a bit. Than i prepare the ultrasonic-cleaner with inserting hot temp-checked water from a water quick-cooker (as it takes very long on its own with the ultrasonic-cleaner). Then i take the wax-bag with the chain and put it inside the ultrasonic-cleaner with around 80°C hot water and let it operate for a few minutes. Here is what i can tell: MORE airbubbles leaving the chains.... so me shaking it in the hotwax like you suggest IS NOT ENOUGH. Ulktrasonic does lot better! YOu just shaking /agitating it by hand in the hot wax IS NOT PERFECT
Also I believe that the tungsten-disulfide particle sink to the bottom of the bag and that ultrasonic-movement is an easy way to make them rise up through the solution while the chain is in there for a better result. Usually you should stir/swish that up, so the ulrasonic-heating-cleaner is quite more usefull that a special heating pot, that i think is totally useless. Sry Silca, that wasnt a good hint, where you told me that good pot is worth it but the ultrasonic is not... its other way around.
Hi Josh. Thank you for that great video. I m a big fan of chain waxing and use your wax. My question: when I wipe off the chain with my microfibre cloth, can a spray some Muc off Bio degreaser on the cloth to further clean it (without rinsing it of with water afterwards). Then the dirt comes off nicely. I m just not sure if the drop on wax from Silca is then holding on the chain as it should? Thanks for your answer. Alain
Invested in the Silca chain waxing system and it works great. My drivetrain has never run so quiet.
One problem is the little screw end on the hanging chain came off. Fortunately I found it and soldered it back on. That seems to be holding it very well but it is a weak link in the system.
That’s exactly what I have been doing except I have been using silca wipes. I’ve been rotating three sets of chains (recumbent so almost three a piece) for over 14,000 miles and none of them fail the chain checker yet! I have had to replace some “stretched” master links.
Love the products. Using them for about a year or so now. Just had a 'waxing' party to introduce chain prep and waxing to a bunch of members of our club. Question: to wipe the chain before dripping the liquid wax, can I use old cotton material? Why micro fiber? Thanks.
Microfiber is much better as getting into the nooks and crannies of the chain and also it does not shed any fibers when doing so. Most high end cotton towels won't shed too much material, but they will not remove as much dust. Cheap cotton towels and paper towels both can leave considerable material behind on the chain, and you do not want the drip wax to carry these contaminants into the chain.
Great catch at 5:50! 👍
Any tips for cleaning the microfiber cloth? What's the best way to get the wax off that doesn't get it in your washing machine and on your other laundry?
Mineral spirits then wash it. Most shops use a separate washing machine for rags.
I am sure you have covered this in other videos so I apologize for asking: I have a Campy 12spd chain which is peened and don't have the press tool or new pins to remove the chain to hot wax dip it. Any recommendations for first time cleaning / prepping the chain then maintaining it with out having to remove the chain?
For in between drip wax, can you wipe chain down with dry microfibre towel or does it need some gegreaser on. Thanks again for all the tips
Hey Josh can I microwave the wax pellets or will that somehow break down some of the additives rendering the wax not as efficient? I know not to put that bag it comes with in the microwave it will catch on fire label is has some sort of metal in it I'm referring to dumping the pellets in a microwavable bowl?
What is the pressure to use when wiping the grim off the chain, I don’t want to wipe the wax off the chain. Should the microfiber cloth be wet with something to clean off the grim without removing of the wax?
Is it possible to combine the super secret drip wax with other brands of hot wax? I just purchased a cyclowax starterkit, however only having to take the chain off once every 1000 miles sounds great.
Hi Josh helpful. Think in one of your earlier videos you had a routine of using your gear wipes after a ride and then re lubing, which is a different pattern or this video. Gear wipes or microfiber cloth for the post ride wipe down?
Continue to use what works best for you, we always like to give alternative methods that are effective. Here at SILCA we use both, depending on the ride.
So excited to up my game. I have heard about ultrasonic chain cleaning too. The US units usually heat to 80°C. Is that advisable/necessary when waxing over a cheap slow cooker? Any incremental gains by cleaning/waxing a chain in an US bath? Thanks again.
Ultrasonic waxing really does help with mixing of the additives in the wax and also in driving out any air in the chain so that wax can displace it. You can get the same effect by agitating the chain for a minute or two once it's in the wax and hot, but the ultrasonic just makes it faster and easier. All of the DK Sonic units we recommend heat to 90C even though they say 80C in the description on Amazon. Either way, it's plenty hot to melt the wax to get the job done.
Hello Josh
If I had to choose the minimum to use wax, would chain stripper and super secret bundle be enough?
Thanks for the tuto videos
Thanks
Sounds great and I'm excited to try it. How is the wax affected when washing the bike post ride? Talking bike shampoo here (e.g. Peaty's LoamFoam or Muc-Off's pink bike cleaner), as opposed to a degreaser.
Same question here , I live in Florida ride mtb and every ride LOTS of sweat / salt so I usually lightly rinse with hose bike/ chain then use compressed air to dry bike and chain , will this be ok with waxed chain ?
Thanks !!
Doesn't seem to affect the wax but unlike an oiled chain the chain is more likely to rust after it has been ridden and wax is scraped off in some locations.
The easiest was to stop this is either wax before cleaning or re-wax right after cleaning.
im using a sous vide to heat my water for melting the wax.. what temp should i set it to?
New to hot waxing and i love it! absolutly worth the 20-30min.
What methods do you guys use to get off as much excess wax off a freshly waxed and cooled down chain? Maybe even wipe off chain when still warm?
I pulled it around a tube, helped alot but there are still quite big pieces on the side of the links. I wondered if there are some ways i don't know about to reduce the amount of waxflakes on my bike on the first ride. Still worth it ;)
Thanks Khalil and great to hear! If you pull the chain at a slightly higher temperature it will reduce the excess on the outside, you can also wipe the outside before it's fully cooled, but honestly, the wax on the outside helps keep it quiet and will eventually flake off as you ride anyway so I generally just leave it on the chain.
@@SILCAVelo I had this question too. When I mentioned I went “waxed” to my cyclist friends I also let them know it’s pretty stiff after and lot’s of “flakes”. I wasn’t sure if I was doing something wrong even after rewatching your videos a few times. So Thanks for the question and answer on this. My advise would be to add or explain this if you haven’t already.
I’m about 800 miles into a new chain using the Super Secret drip wax, which I fully immersed it in bottle, and so far so good! I wipe down and reapply it once a week about 150 miles or so. Super quiet and it’s a beautiful thing to look down and see a clean drive train.
My only question so far is when it comes to washing my bike. Do i have to remove the chain before spraying my bike down with bikewash or will it be okay to just spray everything and make sure to completely rinse with water and let it dry then top off again? Thanks!
I have that same question. Detergents should remove some wax but I ride in dirty conditions so ?????
The key here is to only use a high quality no-residue soap and then rinse with lots of water, we're actually working on a product for this currently as so many soaps require hot water to rinse cleanly and of course that's not what comes from the garden hose! So yes, soap and water is a decent option. Also check out the SILCA bio-degreaser (silca.cc/products/bio-degreaser), it is formulated in such a way that it does not attack wax and also leaves no residue. Do not use any chemical 'drivetrain cleaners'.. most all of them contain solvents that will capillary down into the wax and break it down from the inside out.
Be sure to let the chain dry fully before re-waxing with SuperSecret.
@@SILCAVelo ooohhh more new products, nice! Still need to try the new tubeless sealant, and now a new cleaner will be a great addition for the full experience. Love all your products! Thanks!
How would this system work (or would it) for long-distance travel, like a cross-country trip, where hot-waxing every 1k miles isn’t feasible?
There are contaminating particles aggregates after multiple hot waxes. How does this contamination usually affects the chain's performance? At what point do you have to completely refresh wax? Thank you.
When you regularly wipe surface dirt off before waxing, we see the level of contaminant be so low it is hard to measure. It will have a hard time getting back in the chain but an extra precaution can be to use boiling water to melt the wax off the chain.
You say that before applying the chain again, it is enough to pass a microfiber cloth. Would it be better to give it a hot watter bath and then dry it completely before dipping it back into the wax?
Hi. Another question that goes a little beyond the scope of the current video. Is there any role for a low power, power wash of the chain after A muddy ride or during the initial chain clean?
I never recommend power washing, standard hose pressure is more than enough to clean as well as potentially do damage. If you are in a CX or similar situation using a bucket and portable washer or the like, then just be sure to use the lowest power setting.
marginal gains for Ultra distance MTB races...thoughts on this set up?
Desperately trying to get a glimpse of the bike in the background, is it a Massi ?
What do I need to do if I wax and then it picks up some residual chain lubricant from a cassette on a trainer that I share ?
Nice video as usual :)
What about wiping the chain with Silca Gear Wipes ?
I have been doing it with the wipes since Silca started making wax, I thought that was the recommended way until this video ?
Also, I switched to Campy and they want the chain pinned (not to be removed until replacement).
So I Silca hot wax and then use Silca SS drip wax only after that .
I remove my wheel when applying in my stand and after application I run the chain through my hand while torquing it a bit side to side in lieu of cross chasing on the cassette.
Any thoughts on my technique or advice ?
Thanks Josh !
We will use both. Microfiber towels are great for daily wipe downs of surface dirt. Gear wipes are perfect for the little bit dirtier rides and longer rides.
SRAM 12 speed quick link is compatible with Campagnolo 12 speed chain (it looks wider on the outside, but on the inside they are almost exact dimensions).
How Well does the hot was stay inside the chain after a wash ( just soap and water) should it be hot waxed after or just reapply drip wax? Currently just using your drip wax, but thinking of combining it like in this video, but I wash maybe once a week so if the how wax doesn’t stay after wash won’t make much sense
Hot wax is pretty impervious to water, so as long as you aren't solvent soaking the chain or using any harsh chemicals on it, you will be fine to rinse it really good and just reapply drip wax.
Started this a few years ago but hot wax every 500 to 600 miles my gravel bike and mtb chains. My gravel chains are lasting 3500 or so miles.
what about cleaning it with Ultimate Brake + Drivetrain Cleaner before applying super secret? I've been hot waxing my chains every time it was required but sometimes it is just too much - especially if you use several bikes and the weather is not very good.
Yes, you can clean your bike with Ultimate Brake/Drivetrain, rinse well and then go straight to SuperSecret as a top-off coat to hot wax. Our whole goal here is to make things both easier and longer lasting.. the bulk of this project was spent trying to develop a cleaner for brakes and drivetrain that would be safe for waxed chains and I think you will find that we've succeeded!
After a dusty/dirty ride would you use a brush and soap/water on the chain and then apply the wax lube, or would you want to reapply the hot wax? Love your product and vids- Thank you!
You can simply wipe the chain down with a microfiber towel or gear wipe, then reapply super secret. A hot wax bath wouldn't be a bad approach either but not required.
@@SILCAVelo after 1000 miles do you need to strip old wax off, if so how? or just drop dirty chain back in the hot wax bag?
@SILCA velo won’t this just wipe any dust off the outside faces of links/plates, and parts of the rollers? I appreciate that the amount of dust that may be on the inner faces of the plates and links might be minimal, but over time will still end up in the hot wax bath after several future immense?
Hi Josh,
And what about if I clean my chain with medium temperature water before reapply the super secret chain lube?
Thanks a lot!
That's better than nothing, the key is really to remove all the surface dirt/dust, but if you want to deep clean it, you need boiling water.
can you explain more what you mean by running the chain through your fingers after adding the wax lube following a ride? What is the benefit of running through your fingers? thx
The fingers help spread the lube across more of the roller to plate gap which just helps accelerate the wicking of the lube into the chain. You don't have to do it, but it will ensure more lube gets inside rather than just on the outer surfaces.
Question - what's the process if you ride in bad weather? Do you have to strip and redo a hot wax? Or can you do a wipe and top off?
Classic it depends! If you have some rain, dry the chain off and reapply. If you are coating it in mud from a cross race or something, a good cleaning sure wouldn't hurt.
How does the application procedure differ when you have been riding in the rain? Maybe another video if there isn’t one already?
You want to wipe the chain with microfiber cloth to remove external debris before waxing after rain riding. The wax will wick into the chain when applied and you don't want it to carry external dirt into the inside. Any residual water in the chain will be displaced by the drip wax on application.
I started using the super secret drip wax and was pleasantly surprised, so I went total wax crazy and bought new chains for all bikes and used the super secret chain wax hot melt. And I am astonished about the results. Super quiet, super shifting and fantastic cleanlyness.
Even after I wash the bike with a bikewash, the chain performs flawlessly.
PS: Do you replinish with drip after each wash of the bike. Mtb and Gravel bikes have to be washed after nearly every ride, especially during autum, winter and spring?
Always great to hear from another wax convert! Yes you do want to top up after a wash so you don't get rust on the chain from water sitting too long.
@Silca You say that you wash your microfiber towel hundreds of times. For non-shop folks, do you have any suggestions on cleaning the towels, since washing them with normal clothes or cycling kits would likely get wax on the other clothes and/or the washer?
We wash all of our towels together on hot using a fragrance free mild detergent like Tide Free and Gentle. Do not wash them with anything else, they will grab and hold cotton lint and other fibrous lints from the other items. Dry on warm or line dry, do not dry on hot.
@SILCAVelo I love the hot wax but I have some questions around the liquid drip wax. I'm in a hot and humid climate 35 C 80-85% RH and using the drip wax as a top up between rides often causes "gunk" buildup vs not using the top up wax and just rewaxing (flaking wax) every 300km or so. What am I doing wrong? I do leave it to dry 24hrs before riding.
Be sure to use our cross-chain application method described in the waxed chain maintenance video, and also be sure to wipe the chain with micro-fiber towel both before and after applying the SuperSecret over the hot wax, the amount of SuperSecret needed to 'top-off' is quite small as there will already be so much wax inside the chain, so the rest is just excess on the outside which should be wiped off.
Wax and water can't be mixed. There has to be a emulsifier or a surfactant (soap, detergent) to get a milk like product. This will affect the hot wax too and make it less resitant specially in wet conditions and cleaning and attract dust and dirt. So how do you get the chain clean after the 1.000 km with all the wax and emulsifier inside?
I think I will try dry lube as it is easy to clean. Wet lube is most likely silicon based and thus hard(er) to clean I think. Wax is not easy to clean and get out of the chain too and I dont want to spend more time cleaning than riding. Hot waxing seems to be a good solution the first 1.000 km but than i don't know.
Question; which options are more correct when cleaning an oily bikechain, gets best results, Steps to get it total clean 1: gasoline/benzin/diesel/ignition fluid/lamp oil/better alternatives? 2: Degreaser, which one is best, many options? 3: Acetone/isopropyl alcohol/methylated spirits/others? And then its totally clean; ready to be vaxed.
My experience with the Silca hot wax and drip wax seems to be different from what I have been hearing. I have never been able to get more than 120 miles of out of the hot-wax-treated-chains (11-speed Ultegra and 12-speed Dura-Ace) before the drivetrain gets noisy enough for me to consider lubing them. What could be the reason for this? I followed the exact instructions on using the Chain Blend:
- Thoroughly removed the factory grease off the new chain (soaking and agitating it in multiple jars of OMS, and then agitating it in a couple of jars of acetone)
- Put the new chain in a crockpot (low setting) with melted Chain Blend
- Agitated the chain every so often to remove any air bubbles that may have been trapped in the rollers
- Slowly pulled the chain out when the Chain Blend had cooled down to the point where it's solidifying
Interestingly, i have been getting much better mileage out of the drip wax - it's called Super Secret Chain Coating now - than the Chain Blend. Is the recommendation to still to remove the chain at about the 1000-mile mark, use hot water to clean the chain, and then repeat the Chain Blend treatment? Or should I just continue using the Chain Coating until it's time to replace the chain?
I’ve just started on my side so I can’t say how much better waxing will be but I think you also need to make your chain sterile (with isopropyl alcohol) to really remove the residue of acetone and make the wax stick to the chain…
@@dominicotis-aubut2724 Acetone is a solvent so if there’s residue when dried, that’s just what was dissolved in it.
The chain noise you are describing is due to the drivetrain being so clean and dry.. with hot melt, you end up with wax only inside the chain and a little bit outside of it. As the wax on the outside breaks away during use, you will start hearing the metal rollers tapping on the cassette cogs. This is not the same as a dry chain, the chain is still perfectly lubed, but the system gets noisier. Using SuperSecret drip as a top off will not only restore the wax inside the chain, but will also re-coat the outside of the chain, and if you shift through the gears when doing it will now leave a dry wax film on the cassette as well making everything very, very quiet.. so yes, SuperSecret drip, for this reason, is more quiet than just hot melt as you get the external wax coating on both of the noise making components.
I would definitely pull the chain every 1000miles as no matter how careful you are, dirt will get into the chain. It all depends on where you are and what conditions you are riding in as to how important this is, but you will definitely get the most life from 'resetting' the chain every 1000mi or so.
@@SILCAVelo Thanks for responding! If drivetrain noise - not to the point of squeaking yet - is not a good indicator of when a chain should be re-lubed, should I just lube the chain based on a fixed interval regardless of the drivetrain noise?
Question for Josh, or anyone else in the know:
After that first ride or two where ~10% of the wax is pushed out of the gaps in the chain, would running the drivetrain while pointing a heat gun at the chain melt the wax enough for capillary action to bring some of that wax back into the gaps in the chain? I would potentially bring crud into the gaps, so of course cleaning with a microfibre would be the first step
So the ~10% is a combination of wax being compressed and pushed out, so heat really won't help you here.. we also don't recommend heat gun use in this application as the transition temperature range of the wax from solid to liquid is quite small at just a 3-5 degrees F, so you are far more likely to either do nothing or do too much with the heat gun, and yes, you also risk carrying more dirt into the chain if it were to go liquid.
you can do it by inductive heater:czcams.com/video/ORA6xFPTZXU/video.html
When I wax the chain & first put it on, a lot of bits of wax come off. Is that normal? Is it a risk to anything like freehub, jockey wheels on an electronic derailleur, etc.? Also, I am using SILCA hot-melt wax and SILCA drip-wax in between as recommended. Should I avoid using Synergetic? I use it on a Wahoo KICKR so just curious.
The shedding of wax is normal and completely harmless. Many SuperSecret users will actually apply a little extra and then run through the cassette a few times to get a thin film coating of the wax on the cogs, this makes things extra quiet! Definitely recommend a towel under the trainer to catch the wax flakes. Synergetic is not compatible with the wax lubes, so you can certainly use it by itself and will have good results, but don't mix them.
You lubrificate the extérior of the chain ?
Hi
Can the chain stripper be used for preparing the chain for both the hot melt wax and the dripper wax?
Yes
Are the Silca gear wipes and alternative to the microfiber cloth wipe down? Or used in conjunction. I remember you recommending them in a previous video.
Either or both. We all use both ... it really depends on the post ride clean up. Microfiber towel for those dry daily wipe downs and gear wipes after the longer rides.
Thanks, I usually put on at least several 35 mile rides a week, so I grabbed the gear wipes also, tried them today and they work great with the hot wax, super secret lube system. That was biggest barrier to me trying it was the lack of longevity of wax vs liquid chain lube as I often go on 400 mile plus tours.
@SILCAVelo On your website you say to add 2 SS drops in the maintenance of the chain between immersive wax. How do you add the 2 drops? 1 drop and backwards and then put 1 drop back when the chain link appears again or put 2 drops right the first time?
Either of those options will work, if you are doing 2 drops at the same time, try to get one on each side of the link, OR do one revolution biased to one side and another revolution biased on the other side.
I'm using Beoshield's T-9 because it's the best lube on the market.
T-9 was a real game changer 25 years ago when it first came to market, but look at independent lab data from Friction Facts or others and you'll see that it's not even close to the current state of the art lubricants. SILCA hot melt and Super Secret have half the friction and 4-5x the chain life which also not containing any toxic PFAS chemicals or dangerous solvents.. of which T-9 contains 95% solvent!
@@SILCAVelo Every wax lube I've ever used cakes up on the jockey wheels and chainset teeth and chain then flakes off leaving trails of wax wherever my bike sits. Very time consuming to apply melted wax systems. My drivetrain spins like a top almost by using T-9 with the Dura-Ace RD and Chris King BB, where I never noticed it do that with parafin wax. I get the results I want in about one minute at a reasonable price. And finally, I have no problem replacing a chain when my chain check tool gets to that first mark. New chains shift better than ones with lots of miles on them. I'm sure there are lots of people that like your system but I'm not one of them. I like to keep things simple.
I put a bit of acetone on my microfiber cloth when cleaning chain, is that a bad practice?
Acetone will flash off the chain quickly but there is typically no need to use it in daily wipe downs
does the drip wax completely dries out? I wax my chain (rotating 3) every 300 kms, stays quiet,dry and clean!... Looks like the drip wax is more to save time.
Yes, the drip wax is just a simpler version of the hot wax that saves time.. but it does also allow you to extend your hot wax intervals.
If you have cleaned and hot waxed a chain already, do you need to ultra clean it again with petrol and chain cleaner and stuff, before you re-apply it every 1000 miles, or do you just wipe it with a towel to get rid of the dust and then wax it straight?
No need to deep clean after you remove the factory grease. I just wipe and apply SS Drip or use Brake/Drivetrain cleaner and then apply SS Drip. Then every 1000 miles, I throw the chain in boiling water to remove all the wax and dirt before hot waxing it again.
My first time waxing I plan to use the stovetop method by melting the wax in the bag that’s sitting in the water. Am I able to re-melt the wax for a 2nd go? Or do I need a new bag every time I want to wax?
You should be able to wax around 40 chains with one bag of wax. I'd say most people use the bag 3-4 times to see if they like waxing (and inevitably they do) and then move into a crock pot or instant pot as it's just a bit easier than using the bag long term. Good luck!
When you redo the hot wax procedure every 1000miles, do you go through the full process and fully clean the chain or do you drop the waxed chain in the hot wax before removing all the old wax?
We generally recommend boiling the chain in water for a few minutes to remove all the old wax and dirt, then dry it by blowing with compressed air and straight into your wax. Run it at 100C to boil off any water residue, then lower to 75C and pull the chain when the temp hits 75.
May I request a video on how you clean the chain before hot-waxing for a chain that has already been waxed? You have a couple on new or oily chains. How about an old waxed chain that has no oil on it?
You can clean it in solvent, but honestly the easiest and best way is to drop it in boiling water.. I have a sleeve for the instant pot for water and one for wax.. the boiling water is 99% as effective as a chemical bath with none of the cost or environmental consequences.
@@SILCAVelo thanks for that advice. How about a steamer? Seems like a good way to remove outside debris. But would drive some of those contaminants into the rollers? Overkill?
@@SILCAVelo Wait...you use an Instant Pot for waxing? I just bought a 3L instant pot for cooking and bought an extra "sleeve". What setting should I use on the Instant Pot for melting and applying the wax? Thanks!
Josh- Post full hot melt on Silica stripped new SRAM Force chain on my Gravel 1x . rode 25 miles ( clean road ride) post first hot melt with SS, micro fibered the chain, and went to add (layer) the SS drip as you instruct, and I cross chained and tried putting the drop on the top near cassette (still in the cross chain section) but couldn't get the drop to infuse down and inside the the roller tried massaging in with fingers...not much luck. I back pedaled and ran the cassette as well as pedaling through my fingers , it pretty much just smeared on the outside and in the side plate middle. Do you think I need more Mileage on , prior to drip SS? Thanks
You likely need more mileage prior to the drip.. you'll get a feel for it in time, but yes, if the drop of SuperSecret doesn't penetrate into the chain, it just means that there's already plenty of wax in there. I add SuperSecret over hot melt after 200-300km depending on the severity of the riding.
The silence is replaced by the sound of the industry 9, or Chris king hubs spinning 😊
Which bottle do you recommend for the coating? I found a retailer in my country supplying 120ml 240ml or 350ml. of course the bulk buying is cheaper but while I ride a lot, not huge amounts, is there a shelf life after opening the bottle or can I just get the 350ml and use it for years?
I'd get the 240ml if you are also hot waxing, it's easier to handle when lubricating the chain and will last a few years even if you are putting in a lot of kms.
@@SILCAVelo Thank you so much! I am really looking forward to preparing chains with hot wax for the first time and then the ride experience of it :)
Rag Company for quality microfibers! I use them for my car and bike paints' maintenance.
We use and sell the ones from Buff: silca.cc/products/pro-microfiber-towel-grey
They've proven in our testing to be the best at not leaving any fibers behind and can be washed thousands of times without breaking down.
Rag Company Makes crazy good microfibers. A dream silca collaboration. Look them up. They are the silca of microfibers
Thanks Chris we will check them out! We love and sell the Pro series towels from Buff: silca.cc/products/pro-microfiber-towel-grey they won our internal test a few years back, so we''ll add Rac Company to our testing list.
Because my trails always have water crossings and sometimes mud on them, I use the Silca Super Secret Hot Wax and do a boiling water rinse after every ride and then a re-wax like Adam at Zero Friction Cycling suggests for those conditions. It's absolutely simple and takes very little time. That keeps my drivetrain mint and my wax clean. Love these products.
Yeah, you have too much time in your hands. Life's too short to be boling chains every time you ride.
@@The_One-Eyed_Undertaker Then you don't have to do it. But I'll continue to do what makes me happy and try to help others that want to do the same.
@CatManDo, I do the same for muddy cross or MTB races. I don't care if I'm doing more waxings than I should, I just can't deal with all that mud and water getting onto/into things.
I’ve been re waxing every 150-200 miles but yes when it gets wet it’s best to boil water flush. I will try topping up with the drip next time instead of re waxing every 150-200
@@CatManDoSocial It's not happiness that you feel, it's OCD.
Apologize if you've been over this before, but here in the Northeast we get a LOT of rain. Any tips for how to care for the Hotwaxed chain after it gets wet?
Hey Wayne. Josh really knows his stuff and his own products better than anyone, so I would definitely wait for his answer. But he also turned me on to Adam at Zero Friction Cycling and those videos been a masterclass in drivetrain care. I do what he recommends for someone who hot melt waxes and rides in the wet. He did a 102 minute episode on Immerse Waxing FAQ's. Here's a link to where he starts talking about how to treat your chain before rewaxing and grouped a bunch of questions together about wet riding. The whole thing is worth your time in my opinion but this should get you the answer you're looking for. czcams.com/video/nLRhZiH0yK0/video.html. Good luck.
@@CatManDoSocial Awesome! Thanks so much!
@@CatManDoSocial thanks too,totally agree....great job from both, Yosh and Adam ...after 25 hours watching Yosh's 'n Adam 's YT channel you can leave all your former knowledge behind, but you'll get an new and much better one for IT...:-))
If it is just a little rain, wipe down and apply super secret. If you have a multiple hour road ride in the rain, wiping the chain down and hot waxing will help drive all the water out of the chain. If you get the drivetrain covered in sloppy mud and drive that mud into the chain, a full cleaning might be necessary but we are talking hour long muddy cross race here.
Hi Josh, I have been using your Synergetic wet lube and I am seriously thinking on switching to your wax system. I do have a question, you mentioned on this video that you are seeing chains lasting 20K miles. Do you have any numbers on the actual cassettes and chain rings? It seems that my last cassette only lasted 5K miles, that's why I want to change to wax, if I am going to get more miles out of the cassettes and chainrings. Thanks!
So Synergetic reduces cassette wear in one way by reducing chain wear, but wax reduces cassette wear in two ways. First, the chain wear is lower even than Synergetic especially in dirty/dusty conditions, but it also keeps the cassette dry so that it cannot pick up dirt on the teeth (in fact the wax forms a thin/hard coating on the cassette) and this significantly reduces grinding wear on the teeth as the chain rollers engage/disengage each tooth. So yes, with consistent waxing we see customers put 20,000km on a single drivetrain including cassette and rings.
@@SILCAVelo Thanks for the info. So as far as data, no real numbers?
So I asked ZFC the same question:
If a microfiber towel is a good idea to wipe dust off the exterior of the chain, then wouldn't compressed air be recommended to remove the dust on the inside of the chain prior to drip wax application?
Prepping my used and formerly wet lubed chains showed me just exactly how much crap ends up on the insides of the plates too! (Much, much more in the case of wet lubes, but still!)
Adam at ZFC Replied on one of his videos. He basically says yes:
"Thanks so much for the feedback dudeonabike, and it sounds like welcome to waxed life - it really is a grand ol time :) Regarding compressor - there is no detriment for immersive waxing - any dust that is penetrated past outside and so wont wipe off, that will be going into the wax pot on re wax, or if re lubing with a wax lube, the wax lube will drag it down further into chain anyway. So if you do manage to blow it out, yeehaa - if you dont, you havent made anything worse - so the only caveat would be to ensure do the wipe first so you are not blowing external dust in .
Other than that, is most cases the difference i expect will be very minimal as i would expect that dust that has penetrated past side of roller etc will be pressed into the wax coating, and so it wont blow out, it will just go into the wax pot on re wax. But again there will be no harm in trying in case you do get a little bit out that hasnt."
I was to buy a ultrasonic pot with a heater, what size pot would be optimal to wax 1 or 2 chains at a time?
3L or larger will work for 2+ chains
the one I just bought goes to 175 F, is that hot enough ?????@@SILCAVelo
I am confused as wax is not water soluable how is it used as a carrier?
Hi, Josh. My name's Krasimir, I'm from Bulgaria. I've been using your product for a few months now. I'm a little bit confused. Are you telling me now, with this video, that my hot melt treatment won't be enough to keep my chain lubed 100% for at least 333 km ? I have also bought the bottle but I'd rather not use it, 'cause the hot bath is easy enough, and I thought a hot melt treatment was sufficient to keep my chain lubed 100% for at least 1/3 of 1000 km. (I never ride in dirty/wet/dusty conditions)
No, 333km per hot melt application still holds.. this is just a method where you use the drip wax over top of the hot wax every few hundred km and then only re-do the hot wax every 1000km or so.. Both work, and doing hot wax every 333km is slightly better, but not everybody has the space or equipment to hot wax that frequently. Hope that clears it up!
So after a hot wax and maybe a few applications of SSS drip lube - are you guys cleaning after a muddy ride using boiling water. With dish soap in there or not?
Is anyone doing this with MoltenSpeedWax with added Silca Super Secret drip-lube?
MSW melts off great with the hot water. I’m just wondering about removing the contaminated Silca Super Secret drip-lube. It would be pretty wasteful on solvents if I had to use multiple solvent baths with each re wax after a muddy ride.
Thanks
No dish soap.. many of them leave residue that can prohibit the attachment of wax to the chain. Just use boiling water, and you can go straight into the wax from there as the water will boil off and will not contaminate the wax.
Perfect. Thanks. That’s a great help for dry weather protocol.
Watching the video and noting your point about (dry weather) contaminants getting carried in by the process of topping off with drip. I’m wondering how well the cloth can clean the inner surfaces of chain plates etc. And if it’s perhaps worth considering an on bike water rinse (no soap) to get rid of grit?
I’m guessing that after a splashy MTB ride (which inevitably places SOME contamination onto the chain) you’d still recommend removal, boiling water rise and re- wax after EVERY dirt ride even if it’s not real muddy - just a few puddles.
I’m thinking the amount of soil etc deposited into the downtube is a good clue to how much dirt the chain has been subjected to. The chain’s clean appearance could mislead in this scenario.
I’m on 12 speed SRAM with X01 chains.
I’ve been using MSW but I have a pack of your melt on wax arriving today to compliment the Super Secret drip I already have.
Currently I’m removing / boiling water rinse / re wax if seeing any significant muck on the downtube. That’s my queue.
I’d like to have a muddy protocol that avoids the need for non water rinsable wet lube top offs.
@@SILCAVelo I've been using dawn dish soap to wash my bike and the chain is hot wax and fully cleaned per your video. I haven't noticed any issue using the dawn dish soap and apply the super secret drip wax once the chain is dry. Maybe it would work better if I used used something different to wash the bike. What do you use to wash the bike then in place of Dawn dish soap? I don't wash the chain while washing the bike for fear of removing some of the wax. But the soapy water will always get on chain some. No way to prevent that. Looking for direction on what to use to wash the bike moving forward. Thanks. Love and use your products and have learned a ton watching a number of your videos.
So theoretically for me this means I can hot wax every year to every 2 years and just clean after every ride and drop every few months 😂
Any issues with this? Does it even matter if I'm only putting on about 500 miles a year?
How many times can I use the hot wax bag product? Just once? Or can I reuse it?
Should get around 40 waxings per bag.
Thanks for your answer. Once I've used it for the first time,, do I simply close the bag put on a shelf and leave it. Can I just reheat it next time I need it?@@SILCAVelo
After 1000 miles, what is the procedure to re-apply the hot wax? Deep cleaning?
Yes, I'd just boil it every 1000km in water and then start over with hot wax. You can actually get away with a lot more if your conditions are more clean/dry..
I’ve started using super secret lube, but am finding the chain sounds very dry after only 40-50 miles. I’m cleaning the chain on the bike before taking it off to bathe it in degreaser. After that I bathe it in isopropyl alcohol before letting it dry, and then put it in the pot of lube and shaking it for 2 mins. Even after letting the wax dry before riding, it still runs dry and gets noisy after less than 100 miles. Any idea what I’m doing wrong? Thanks in advance.
As I understand it you should thoroughly degrease just the once before first applying wax (drip or molten). Subsequent cleaning needs only either a wipe down or a hot water flush to remove the contaminated wax. Then relube.
Thanks, and I should have pointed out that I’m not fully degreasing the chain after such a short interval, but even after wiping the chain with a microfibre cloth and topping up the lube, it still runs dry really after one short ride.
Isopropyl is not very strong, so you may be leaving some residual degreaser inside the chain. You really need to use acetone or denatured alcohol (which is typically 95+% alcohol compared to 10% for isopropyl) to ensure the inside of the chain is fully stripped and dry.
After that, I recommend 'layering up' for your first few rides.. which is to use SuperSecret on the first 2-3 consecutive rides to fully fill in the gaps of the chain and account for the evaporation of the carrier. Also note, wax makes for a far quieter chain, but external wax on the chain flakes off and leaves the metal rollers directly in contact with the cassette and chainrings, so you can hear the metal on metal tapping of the drivetrain which is not the chain running dry or needing lube, but rather just an annoyance. To eliminate this sound I apply SupeSecret at the top of the cassette and then run the drivetrain through all the gears to get a thin film coating on all the cogs as well as the chain.
@@SILCAVelo thanks for taking the time to reply - it’s much appreciated. I hadn’t realised the difference between isopropyl and denatured alcohol and acetone in terms of their potency, so will definitely get hold of some to see if that removes any residual degreaser. 👍
@@SILCAVelo also, thanks for the tip about running the chain across the cassette after topping up with SSCL. I saw the video recommending applying the lube with the chain on the bottom end of the cassette to enable it to penetrate the links, but didn’t know about shifting the chain across the cassette to provide a coating of wax on the cassette itself. 👍
It's hard to get your hot wax here in Belgium :( edit: for a reasonable price 😛
Does it contain PTFE (Teflon)?
no we are PTFE free
I've seen waxed chains get really gunky with wax. My guess is that too much is being applied. Anybody know the answer, this just too much wax being left on?
Two primary causes of this. 1. Using too much. Many drip waxes want to drop off the chain when initially applied so it's tempting to apply a lot to get a good coating. This can be solved with proper application method shown here: czcams.com/video/Vot15ro-fcE/video.htmlsi=Ru3sPXxs19huNzeF one drop per roller by this method and then wipe the chain after lubricating to remove excess and let it dry overnight.
2. Many drip wax lubes like Squirt and Smoove contain residual paraffin oils which helps them adhere to the metal, but keeps them from penetrating fully and remains sticky in use such that it will hold dirt and dust that lands on it. In time that external gunk builds up around pulley wheels and between cogs. The application method in the video followed by a wipe will help with these lubes, but best to go to a dryer wax drip like SILCA or Ceramicspeed.
Hi!
How many chains can i wax with 500g of silca wax blend?
Around 40-50 depending on your setup. Toward the end of the bag you will not have quite enough to fully cover the chain, but you can then just add more wax.
@@SILCAVelo Thank you.
The only thing I dislike in this video is the stripes on the seat tube and hand pump don't like up. Otherwise, Silca's chain waxing products are outstanding.
would not chain rust if in wax is water, or you just say it is water but it is wax solvent(hexane)
Couldn't you magnetize the chain so the graphite components of the wax get inside of the chain and stays there longer??
The friction modifier in our products is nano sized Tungsten Disulfide (WS2), it is non magnetic, but if it were, this would be an interesting thing to try!
The ultrasonic method as referenced in one of Josh’s other videos is an ideal way to ensure the wax beds into the chain as deeply/thoroughly as possible.
There is no way the solid wax and the water carried wax are the same. Wax is lipophilic, water is polar. Unless you are adding pendent groups onto the wax or surfactants i cant see how you can keep the wax in suspension in water.
Not sure how to answer this one other than: No, yes, yes, maybe, and maybe.. can't give too much away but this is actually quite hard.. which is why we were the first in ~15 years of similar products to figure this out from a penetration perspective. My one hint is that here in Indiana we have a massive dairy equipment industry and the equipment providers for that industry were absolutely critical in helping us determine the techniques and methods neccessary to make this work as well as it has.