Waxing Chain Just Trend or usefull?
09-07-23, 10:43 AM
#51
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this is fun.
09-07-23, 10:49 AM
#52
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Yeah, Frank Berto was writing about waxing chains in his 1988 book on upgrading your bike. But he wasn't a sissy about it, using double boilers or crock pots.
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09-07-23, 01:46 PM
#54
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Here's the process:
I get it... add light amount of lube, wait a minute, wipe off excess. This describes the exact chain lubrication process that I've been using for 30 years, but you're skipping the part where I also clean the chain and cassette with solvents (either by removing and soaking, or scrubbing them on the bike) every few weeks.
Wet lube attracts dirt. If all you're doing is adding more wet lube (even assuming a proper amount and wiping off the excess), it's dirty from the start. Look at the rag you use to wipe off the excess from your "clean" chain. It's dirty. A wet lubed chain will continue to attract more dirt as you ride, and it'll stick to the cassette, chain ring and pully gears as well. Adding more lube doesn't clean any of that off, so you'll eventually need to clean it. How often depends on how diligent you are about wiping off the excess (and wiping down your chain after every ride), but if you repeat this process of re-lubing and wiping over and over without cleaning it'll eventually become a problem. Pretending that there is some magical process that avoids this is silly.
100% agree.
I get it... add light amount of lube, wait a minute, wipe off excess. This describes the exact chain lubrication process that I've been using for 30 years, but you're skipping the part where I also clean the chain and cassette with solvents (either by removing and soaking, or scrubbing them on the bike) every few weeks.
Wet lube attracts dirt. If all you're doing is adding more wet lube (even assuming a proper amount and wiping off the excess), it's dirty from the start. Look at the rag you use to wipe off the excess from your "clean" chain. It's dirty. A wet lubed chain will continue to attract more dirt as you ride, and it'll stick to the cassette, chain ring and pully gears as well. Adding more lube doesn't clean any of that off, so you'll eventually need to clean it. How often depends on how diligent you are about wiping off the excess (and wiping down your chain after every ride), but if you repeat this process of re-lubing and wiping over and over without cleaning it'll eventually become a problem. Pretending that there is some magical process that avoids this is silly.
100% agree.
I can also run my rag on the wax chain and it will come away with little bits of dirt, I'm using the silca secret blend so maybe others don't have that. I wouldn't call the wax tacky or sticky but dirt can definitely slightly stick to it.
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09-08-23, 04:07 AM
#55
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Yeah I can imagine. I started using wax based lubes in the early 2000s and mostly continued to do so. I certainly prefer wax on my mtb drivetrains, but I’m 50/50 about it on road bikes. I don’t bother with hot wax (except on my skis!). I just use drip wax on my chains - Silca SS is good.
09-08-23, 04:11 AM
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I quite like the “self-cleaning” action of wax. It kind of works the opposite to wet lube. That’s why I much prefer wax on my mtb drivetrains.
09-08-23, 04:23 AM
#57
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Next year my disc brake road bikes will be with waxed chains and ... and, drumroll... luddites prepare for head explosion... tubeless tires.
Superiore brakes, superior lube and superior tires for the win!!
Superiore brakes, superior lube and superior tires for the win!!
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09-08-23, 09:30 AM
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Those are really the only two very safe ways of heating wax for idiotic sissies like me.
09-08-23, 09:43 AM
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Now, having watched half a dozen videos of various waxing methods and materials, I see there's no consensus on HOW one approaches chain care. Also, careful selection of search terms involving wax, otherwise the videos are VERY off-topic. New to me was the whole degreasing process first, and how much metal debris comes off of a factory-new chain. Am surprised they do not do more about that at the factory.
Will add that as a fellow olde I've seen the cost of chains go from eight to eighty dollars and am more motivated than previously to keep them tip-top, not to mention avoiding the wearing chain grinding precious metal from chainrings and cogs. A quiet drivetrain and any efficiency gains of course would be welcome. Plus clean.
It seems wax is a front-loaded process WRT time and cost, with less fuss on the back end. Maybe a winter project.
ETA: "Some of the characters in your post are not allowed." Now there's an interesting message. Which one of you is the character?
09-08-23, 09:44 AM
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09-08-23, 09:54 AM
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Suffice to say there is no clear agreement on the subject. In my opinion waxing your chain is fine, if you're into that sort of thing.
Welcome to the forum and there really is a lot of good information here, despite what jaded old Freds like me might say.
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09-08-23, 09:57 AM
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09-08-23, 07:41 PM
#66
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I'll quit waxing my chains when the neighbor ladies quit bringing me their half used candles. Smells good going down the road though. That makes it worth it in itself. Maybe they just like seeing me in my riding shorts. Hey, at 75 my ego will take what it can get 
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09-08-23, 08:29 PM
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Just finished immersion waxing of the chain on my aluminum-frame touring cruiser. No scrubbing as the wax doesn't accumulate dirt - just pull, dunk, lift, cool, and reinstall. But I also scrubbed down two usable chains salvaged from doomed bikes, and those will probably get conventional lube as their fates will likely take them elsewhere.
09-08-23, 11:51 PM
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After the initial cleaning, each subsequent wax is pretty quick. The time-limiting factor is how quickly your slow cooker or crockpot can melt the wax! Mine seems to take ages.
Once you get a routine down, it's actually pretty quick and straightforward. I now wax 3-4 chains at once.
09-09-23, 02:34 AM
#69
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Lubing a bicycle chain shouldn't involve stoves, crockpots and double boilers.
09-09-23, 06:33 AM
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09-09-23, 07:12 AM
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09-09-23, 07:27 AM
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09-09-23, 07:29 AM
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09-09-23, 07:38 AM
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