WARNING! Another Chain Lubrication Thread!
 

Just to weigh in on the waxing vs oiling debate - a lot of people use liquid wax because they say that the reason hot wax is melted is to get it in liquid form so it can reach all metal surfaces of the chain.

I think that's false, I think the real advantage is that it can reach those areas and, unlike anything liquid, can stay there for a long time, not attract dust and not ruin your clothes.

I just waxed my chain after a week of wet riding and it's DEAD silent now!!!

Probably won't be after a week of wet riding though ;)

I use Squirt since late May. I like it. Chain stays clean, silent and I only apply it once a week or after riding in the rain (which only happened last Sunday and I've logged about 1000 km since I started using Squirt).

WEND is making colored chain wax now. Presumably to lure in... children? I have no idea.

I've been hot waxing my chains for over a year now. Never going back to any other kind of lube. The friends/relatives that bring their bikes to clean/tune will never know how expensive the wet lube going on their chain was. Muc-Off for everyone that isn't me! Wheeeee!

Waxed chains work best with Compass tires.

I'm new to the wax/oil debate, but I love the idea of wax! Never thought of that before.

what are types of wax/brands People are using?

I can only speak for me, but I'm using plain candle-making paraffin from the Hobby Lobby. I bought a 10lb slab of it with a coupon, it should last... a good while. Waxing the chains for three bikes for a year used barely over a pound.

I am presuming you didn't buy a chain that came with Squirt already on it(you can buy such Squirt-KMC chains), so what did you do to clean up your chain so that you could then lube it with Squirt?

I use squirt after an initial hot wax prep.

Seems to work ok.

Too much trouble. I use Chain-L. I like it a lot. You can get it on Amazon.

+1. I waxed for decades but once I discovered Chain-L never looked back.

I TOTALLY GET and respect the "too much trouble" objection and wouldn't think to argue the point....

... To me, however, I like the amount of time it takes to put the bike up on the stand and pull of the chain, clean it, dry it, heat up the wax, reinstall.... it's a very Zen exercise and goes well with drinking beer on a Saturday afternoon.

You don't have nine bikes yet.

"yet"

When I started commuting, I didn't want to have to relube after every ride, so I chose a heavier chain lube.

Unfortunately, that resulted in grease on work pants, so while the chain stayed lubed, I still had to clean it at least once a week.

So I came across a small crock pot at a thrift store, with a block of Gulf Wax on the same shelf, bought it, along with some OMS (odorless mineral spirits), stripped the old chain, waxed it, and...

...I am a convert.

Smooth, quiet chain, stays clean. Rewax once a month, about 200-400 miles (depending on the month). I don't have a spare chain, but I will probably get one, so I can just swap it out faster.

The chain stays clean and quiet, my pants stay clean, and the sprockets/gears never gunk up.

The initial cleaning took a while, but after that, I don't mind the time, as I like to putter with my bikes one day a month, and it's just part of that time.

I like the 'Zen' comments above, but though I strive for that, sometimes it's frustrating. Like when I drop a bearing (grrrr).

I ride through winter here in Ontario and I use WPL Chain boost lubricant.

Since I can't post a URL, you can Google it if you are interested.

It cleans up easily when I do my winter maintenance every few days when the weather is particularly slushy. The use of it results in a very quiet drive train with none of the smell or pollution of other lubricants I've tried.

+ 1000

Do you have a quick link for your chain? I have noticed this makes the process much easier.

I also only have S/S bikes so I think taking the chain off is not as big of a deal as with derailleur bikes.

is there actually any proof that wax actually lubricates anything??
From what I have heard it first dont stay put as oils and greases does.
I has zero high pressure resistance (like what happens inside the chain).
It has zero beneficial solid particles like teflon or molybden inside.
so whats all the fuzz about?

If wax isn't a lubricant, then that is it's strength. I wholly believe that wet lubes actively contribute to accelerating drivetrain wear-- after all, a wet drill bit cuts faster than a dry one.

I get 4,000+ miles out of 10 and 11 speed chains, and never have to degrease anything. With a waxed drivetrain, there is no maintenance other than refreshing the wax. The rest of the components are maintenance-free.

So I would say the fuzz is about wax being the cleanest and quietest chain treatment there is. It being super inexpensive is just a bonus.

I think there are lab studies out there that have shown waxed chains to require fewer watts to turn than oiled ones so I think it's safe to say the lubricating properties of paraffin are not in question.

That said, lot's of guys prefer oil which is great, it's a free country and you can spend as much money as you wish ruining as many articles of clothing as you wish!

Gulf wax in a Little Dipper crock pot. Less trouble than oiling from a bottle. Cleaner too. I can handle the chains with bare hands, just wipe off the shmutz with any scrap of paper -- it's like graphite dust, not grimy.

I've recently added Boeshield T-9 to refresh the waxed chain. It works, is clean, but more trouble. I'll save the Boeshield for cables and other stuff. The wax works fine. The Boeshield refreshed my older cables and housings that were sticking from using Park CL-1. The Park is only a chain lube. As it dries it gets gummy, which resists water and lasts longer. But it's unsuitable for other purposes.

I swap between two identical waxed chains about once a month. Fire up the crock pot every two months to dip both. Not much trouble.

I just spray mine with teflon spray every 2-4 weeks or so. wipe off. done. 2 minutes.