Originally Posted by
Tourist in MSN
In 2014 when I rode Pacific Coast, my riding partner started with a waxed chain that he waxed at home with paraffin wax. It was quite noisy after several hundred miles. We did 863 miles (Astoria to San Francisco), but I remember his chain as being very noisy several hundred miles before the end. That was over a decade ago, I can't say when it really started getting noticeably noisy.
Given Gauvins experience cited above with a quiet chain at 500 km, that suggests that the type of wax used could make a big difference. Gauvin's quiet chain differs quite a bit from my friend's experience with paraffin.
I am sticking with a conventional wax based lube that I add to my chain when it gets noisy. I pack much heavier than Gauvins on a bike tour, but I would not carry a spare chain on a tour. That comment surprised me. I carry a spare quick link or two, plus a couple extra chain links, that is all.
Today's wax formulations utilize supplemental lubricants that improve performance over plain paraffin. Molydenum and Tungsten disulfide powders are inert, non-toxic dry lubrication additives that perform well. I made my own lifetime supply of wax for $40 combining the three, bought in bulk. Will meet my needs for the family bike (20+) stable for the rest of my life.
I switched to immersion last year (June 2024) and before I embarked on a two-week tandem trip. I brought along drip wax, but decided to abstain from any chain maintenance during the 400 mile trip. Only if the two chains got REALLY bad would I utilize the drip wax. Never used it. The trip entailed two days rain riding. I did wipe the chains off at our destination to prevent/reduce rust. The chains were louder after the rain, but nowhere near needing my attention. (I've always been a stickler for smooth, efficient drive trains, so I'd be one of the first to break down and service the chains.)
Didn't do a thing the whole trip. And this is with two riders putting power through the main chain. Worked wonderfully.
And on my mountain bike, I'm able to get 13+ rides in dry, dusty, gritty conditions without TOUCHING my drive train. I've even stopped wiping dust off the exterior of my chain, cogs, pulleys & chain ring, which seems to prolong wax's performance. Doing ZERO maintenance for 13 rides? Unheard of with traditional lubes. Many rides for me require mid-ride attention for rides over two hours. Wax? Nope.
A true revelation. I've known about immersion wax for 40 years and only tried it last year. This old dog DID learn a new trick!