Originally Posted by
base2
But you are not "good to go in one minute" if you are actually cleaning your chain inside where it matters. Waxing does both the clean and the lube with out the repeating the cleaning procedure every single time like that of a robust oil regimen requires to "do it right."
Oil is faster because you are skipping the most important step: The clean.
In my experience, oil-lubed chain that I don't clean on the inside (just wipe with a cloth and re-lube) lasts just as long as a wax-lubed chain. Even in dry weather with a lot of dust and sand. That came as a surprise.
I think that's because wax is not as good a lubricant (doesn't flow back when sheard off a point) - while oil has the extra grit grinding paste. They seem to even out in terms of chain durability.
I don't bother to remove chains and wash them thoroughly. Especially the modern bicycle no-bushing chains, where lube easily gets out and dirt easily gets in between the rollers and pins.
For those who prioritize having a clean drivetrain for the sake of having a clean drivetrain (nothing wrong with that preference), you have a point, wax may save some time (at least the liquid drip-type one, I'm not convinced about the one you must "cook").
In terms of drivetrain durability and performance, I haven't noticed much of a difference (muddy and very dusty rides require a wash either way, while on paved roads, dirt doesn't build up too quickly even with oil-lubed chains).
Having said that, I'm still using wax for my gravel bike (though I am considering to switch back to oil for that bike as well). It's used for weekend rides that are not longer than 200 km per day, and I don't bother to carry any lube in case of a heavy rain, so I can just wipe and re-lube the chain when I'm home and leave it over night to cure (the "drip wax").
But, for my commuter bike, which is my main & practically only means of transport, that's impractical (it's not really practical, at least for me, even for the gravel bike, but that's less "critical" so to speak).
Fair points for wax to note:
- The stains from a waxed chain are easier to wash from clothes compared to oiled-chain stains.
- Winter salty road, and rain cycling - both oil and wax get washed out and neither will save the chain from rust of the "salty" slush winter roads. I haven't been able to notice or measure much difference between wax and oil in such riding conditions, to my surprise (I was expecting wax to perform very poorly). Oil just seems to hide the rust until you clean the chain thoroughly enough to inspect it (very thick oil does seem to resist water washout better, but it builds too much dirt, too quickly, so it's pointless IMO).
I also wish to note that there's nothing wrong with prioritizing a clean drivetrain. I'm just not convinced it saves any time (I'd also argue that it costs more).
Relja