H. Star

I have a 3 month old bike that has light rust on the sides of the chain between the links. I have been very good about washing the bike after each ride, using a cloth to dry the chain, and using plenty of Ice Wax. Two questions, what is the best way to clean off the rust, and why is it forming?

thx

BikerRyan

It is probably forming because you are using ice wax, which kinda blows, sorry. I would recommend using an oil based lube after washing to cure the rusting problem.

-Ryan

danr

You could be washing it too much, and not drying the chain off enough. It is possible that the Ice Wax is not displacing all of the water, resulting in rust.

I try to keep my chains away from water as much as possible. When it is time for a clean, I usually use a degreaser which I thoroughly wipe off. I then apply the lube.

As far as the rest of the bike, I usually use a damp rag. However, I have a road bike. If you are washing it that much, I assume you have a mountain bike. If that were the case, I would try to avoid directly spraying drivetrain parts with water. You'll still get water on the drivetrain, but you'll still have all that lube there that should displace the water. After that, dry it off as well as you can and relube. If you directly spray the drivetrain with the water, you'll wash away a good amount of that lube.

To add, I recently began using Rock n Roll lube. It claims that it cleans and lubes at the same time. After a month of using it, it has definitely been keeping my drivetrain free of build-up.

Inoplanetyanin

WD40 was primaryly designed by the military (one of the theories) to replace water. It works very well for that purpose till this day.
IMO, you could use wd40 byitself to take care of the chain, because it can clean up really well, especially if used with spraying nozzle under pressure. After it dryes up, relube the chain.
For me, presonally, Cross country wet lube works the best.