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-   -   Finish Line Ceramic Wax Lube (https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/596215-finish-line-ceramic-wax-lube.html)

Myqul 10-21-09 02:39 AM

Finish Line Ceramic Wax Lube
 
I've been using finish line dry lube during the summer and am now going to switch to finish line ceramic wax lube. Can i just put the ceramic on top of the dry or do i first need to degrease and clean off all the dry before i apply the first application of ceramic and start to use it?

Panthers007 10-21-09 03:41 AM

Clean the chain first. The idea is to deposit the wax (paraffin) on the metal of the chain - which would be a problem if the wax had to fight for this position with the old oil. Once it's on there, more wax can be applied directly - though it's a good idea to clean your chain periodically.

Spartacus4006 10-23-09 11:38 AM

Yes and no...
 
I work for Finish Line. Thanks for using our lubes! If you’ve been riding all summer, it’s probably time to clean you chain anyway. Speed Degreaser will melt away all the nasty stuff that destroys chains and gears. We have a video at our website that shows you how to do it. Go to www.finishlineusa.com.

If you’re feeling a little lazy, then technically you could apply Ceramic Lube on top of Dry Lube. What you don’t want to do is apply a wax lube over an oil-based lube or vice versa. Hope that helped! Let me know if you have any more questions.

froze 10-24-09 08:44 AM


Originally Posted by Spartacus4006 (Post 9912102)
I work for Finish Line. Thanks for using our lubes! If you’ve been riding all summer, it’s probably time to clean you chain anyway. Speed Degreaser will melt away all the nasty stuff that destroys chains and gears. We have a video at our website that shows you how to do it. Go to www.finishlineusa.com.

If you’re feeling a little lazy, then technically you could apply Ceramic Lube on top of Dry Lube. What you don’t want to do is apply a wax lube over an oil-based lube or vice versa. Hope that helped! Let me know if you have any more questions.

I'm so glad you responded!!! It's rare when someone who works for a particular industry is on a forum like this.

I've too been using your products for a very long time, especially the Dry Teflon (and the Degreaser, cleaning machine and wash) which (all) worked very well. Recently I bought the Ceramic Wax (Pro Road) against my better judgement because I've had very poor performance (durability and chain wear) from White Lightening (which I know that FinishLine now owns) and Pedros Ice Lube. But I was thinking that with nano-sized platelets of ceramic boron nitride and micron particles of fluoropolymer (the container mentions) that this stuff would be way better then WL or Pedros, but is it better then those? and is it better then the Dry Teflon? Or just the same just a bunch of fancy words? In other words is your Ceramic Wax product just relabled WL?

This product is being used on a new chain so cleaning the chain is not an issue.

DMF 10-24-09 03:35 PM


Originally Posted by Spartacus4006 (Post 9912102)
Speed Degreaser will melt away all the nasty stuff that destroys chains and gears.

It melts silicon dioxide? Wow!



;)

Welcome.

Spartacus4006 10-28-09 03:01 PM

Finish Line Ceramic Wax VS. White Lightning Clean Ride
 
Sorry for the delay getting back to you! I wasn’t too busy--just wanted to get the answer right! I started to give you a simple response. But your question was really technical. So, I went to the development team that really understands the science behind each product. Here’s what they gave me:

First, thanks for trying our new Ceramic WAX chain lube.

Now, to answer your questions:

Is it better than our Teflon DRY Lube..? That really depends on your riding conditions and personal preferences…. If you’re riding in really dirty conditions and/or you demand the cleanest possible drive train to avoid chain tattoos and abrasive wear, then Ceramic Wax is probably the ‘right’ choice for you. It may not give you the same lubrication interval as Teflon Dry, and it may or may not provide the same wet weather performance, but it will keep your drive train clean and free of abrasive contaminants.

Is Ceramic WAX just relabeled White Lightning Clean Ride? No, it is not. White Lightning Clean Ride uses a patented self-cleaning technology, whereby the wax structure sheds off when dirt attaches itself to the wax film. Finish Line Ceramic Wax utilizes a patented Fluoro-ceramic technology wherein the fluoro molecule and ceramic boron nitride molecule are coupled together and then ‘treated’ to make them attract and adhere to metal surfaces.

OK, let me tell you about the Fluoro-ceramic technology that defines Finish Line’s Ceramic Wax lube. The technology of using nano-sized platelets of boron nitride is well established in a number of high end lubricants. The boron nitride provides unparallel extreme pressure protection, and its extremely low coefficient of friction approximates that of the Fluoropolymer PTFE- polytetrafluoroethylene, aka Teflon®. Additionally BN is solid lubricant (not oil based), as such its structure is a naturally dry and clean (snow-white) platelet.

Several years ago, Finish Line began working with a chemical researcher named Howard Leendertsen. Howard had been experimenting with PTFE and BN. Howard found that by combining and irradiating these two exceptional friction modifying solid lubricants there was a synergistic effect that was so significant that he applied for and was granted patent protection. The end result of Finish Line’s collaboration with Howard is Finish Line Ceramic Wax Lube, Finish Line Ceramic Wet Lube and Finish Line Ceramic Grease.

For Ceramic Wax, the use of the nano-sized (less than 1 micron) ceramic platelets and low molecular weight PTFE polymers allow the wax lubricant to last longer and run more smoothly than traditional wax lubricants. The irradiated solids are attracted to metal so that after a couple of applications, the BN platelets will fully wet-out on the frictional surfaces of the metal. Similarly the soft pliable PTFE polymers fill in the asperities of the metal. In combination, these solid lubricants protect the frictional surface and substantially enhance the performance of the wax film.

And there it is.., I hope our fancy words now make a little more sense.

Please be assured that Finish Line is committed to perfecting ceramic technology in both oil and wax-based cycling lubricants. In that this ceramic technology is new and evolving, we are eagerly awaiting feedback from the field, so please do not hesitate to send it in.

Here’s wishing you many smooth and fast rides,

The team at Finish Line


Hope that helped!

Spartacus

froze 10-28-09 08:58 PM


Originally Posted by Spartacus4006 (Post 9942817)
And there it is.., I hope our fancy words now make a little more sense.

Thanks for the reply, and yes it helped but as you said above: "our fancy words"! Putting down to laymens terms, which one will help a chain to last longer in normal everyday conditons and all things being equal-Teflon Dry or Ceramic Wax? I also believe you said that I'm going to have to reply the Ceramic Wax more often-probably after every ride is that about par for the course like other wax lubes?

Also the mumbo jumbo about extreme pressure protection from the Ceramic Wax, ehh just how much extreme pressure does a bike chain endure? Not very much if any! So why is that important? Am I missing something here?

If your combining teflon with ceramic then why not add ceramic to your Teflon Dry product and thus have a fewer confusing product line and call it a day?

Again thanks for your replies.

curb hash 05-11-10 09:51 PM

I have been putting up with the frequent reapplication/overnight dry routine of White Lightning Clean Ride because it has kept my bike's drivetrain almost perfectly clean and much longer lasting through road shoulder filth and sand. I doubted the hype of the "ceramic boron nitride" bonding itself to my drivetrain and providing lubrication even after the wax has been displaced or flaked off. After removing and cleaning my chain then applying the FL Ceramic Wax chain lube I took my bike on a route with many steep hills that would have had my chain chirping with the White Lightning.

The chain was still quiet, I didn't feel that noticeable increase in drag near the end of my ride and the drivetrain was nice and grit/sludge free as opposed to some of the cleanest lubes I had tried like Rock n Roll or Prolink (I still use the Rock 'n Roll for my beater in the winter/rain). This Ceramic Wax has a significantly longer application interval and the same drivetrain cleanliness- I just ordered a quart from Amazon.

DMF 06-01-10 05:12 PM


Originally Posted by Spartacus4006 (Post 9942817)
Howard found that by combining and irradiating these two exceptional friction modifying solid lubricants there was a synergistic effect that was so significant that he applied for and was granted patent protection.

Not to make a judgement on the product (and thanks for the details and comparisons), but be careful of suggesting the all-too-common fallacy that a grant of patent suggests a level of quality or a significantly different result from other products. All the grant means is that the product or method of making it is different (and presumably new). For example, I could patent a method of making adhesive tape. The resulting tape might not be as good as existing tapes. (Presumably there is a reason I wanted the patent - it's probably cheaper to make - so financial incentive tends to mean that a patent corresponds to a step forward technologically. But it ain't necessarily so, or not so in the way one might expect.)

feather51 11-14-11 12:52 PM

Is Finsish Line Ceramic Wax Lube junk?
 
I've been struggling with Finish Line Ceramic Wax Lube for the past month. It appears not to work at all, as my chain (Campag 11speed) starts squeaking after about 20 miles. I've tried cleaning with degreaser and reapplying 4 times now. The last time, I degreased the chain 3 times, each time rinsing thoroughly, using a Barbieri chain cleaner for both scrubbing and rinsing, then letting the chain dry, then applying the wax lube, letting that dry with the chain unhooked from the drive train (so it wasn't under tension), then reapplying, as instructions on bottle say. Still it started squeaking, after all that, after about 30 miles this time. I'd taken the bottle with me on that ride, so applied more at the side of the road, which stopped the noise but only for another 20 miles! Have I got a duff bottle? Or am I doing something wrong (highly unlikely, I've tried everything)? It can't be that the product is total junk, it wouldn't still be around if it didn't work for everyone as it hasn't for me.

neurocop 11-14-11 05:36 PM


Originally Posted by feather51 (Post 13491826)
I've been struggling with Finish Line Ceramic Wax Lube for the past month. It appears not to work at all, as my chain (Campag 11speed) starts squeaking after about 20 miles. I've tried cleaning with degreaser and reapplying 4 times now. The last time, I degreased the chain 3 times, each time rinsing thoroughly, using a Barbieri chain cleaner for both scrubbing and rinsing, then letting the chain dry, then applying the wax lube, letting that dry with the chain unhooked from the drive train (so it wasn't under tension), then reapplying, as instructions on bottle say. Still it started squeaking, after all that, after about 30 miles this time. I'd taken the bottle with me on that ride, so applied more at the side of the road, which stopped the noise but only for another 20 miles! Have I got a duff bottle? Or am I doing something wrong (highly unlikely, I've tried everything)? It can't be that the product is total junk, it wouldn't still be around if it didn't work for everyone as it hasn't for me.

Try cleaning your chain again (to get off all the crud and wax-based stuff you've been using), dry it thoroughly with anhydrous ethanol, and apply ProLink. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.


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