Originally Posted by
Andrew_G
I tried White Lightning (wax lube) when it first came out. I hated it; it made the chain run stiff and slow, IMHO. I then went back to oil-based lubricants:
Phil Wood's Tenacious Oil, Triflow (teflon), Boeshield, etc.
With oil-based lubricants, I don't have to endure the misery of trying to scrub off accumulated wax. Here in smoggy and drought-dry Southern California, I now clean my chain using Park CB-4 "Bio" chain cleaner, applied by using a Finish Line chain scrubber box with the chain still on the bike. After two scrub cycles, I follow up by removing the chain and giving it a quick acetone rinse in a stainless steel can. Since I use a Wipperman chain with a slip-fit master link, the quick rinse is an easy task. After a 15 minute hang-dry on an outdoor hook, the chain is ready for reinstallation and lubrication.
As a long term solvent wax user (White Lightning and other related products), I’ve never had to “scrub off accumulated wax”. People who are new to the material are overusing it because they want a drivetrain that “sounds” like an oiled one…i.e. dead silent. The chain isn’t squeaking but it is noisier. That solvent waxed chains aren’t as quiet as oiled chains which is something that the user just has to accept. The chains last as long so there isn’t really a problem with the (slightly) increased noise.
That said, I’ve used solvent wax for 25+ years and the major advantage is that I don’t have to clean my drivetrain….ever! Chains are stripped of the factory wax before they go on the bike because I’ve found the drivetrain to stay cleaner that way. Wax lubricant is put on the chain every 600 to 700 miles, just like oil lubricants. But the chain stays on the bike for about 3500 miles and
never needs cleaning. No weekly chain cleaning. No weekly tear downs of the bike to remove oily crud. No chainring tattoos on my legs. No oily mess if I have to put the bike in a car. And no oily hands (clothing, pets, wife, kids, etc.) if I happen to brush up against the chain. My bicycle maintenance duties are so little that I have to volunteer at a co-op to work on bikes
