mschwett 

please no lube politics here!

i switched to drip wax (UFO drip V2) a while back and have been enjoying a somewhat cleaner chain without much hassle… but it seems to me like an application doesn’t last that long. the advertising says 35 coatings per bottle, which just about lines up, so i don’t think i’m using way too little. it also says 300km per application, but i feel like my drivetrain gets noisier and “grittier” for lack of a better word after about 150km, if not a bit less.

i wipe the chain with a rag after every ride, and the rag gets black where it contacts the chain. reapply drip wax every 150km or so.

any other current or former users of drip wax care to comment on how long it lasted? ride conditions are generally dry, some mist and fog and damp roads, all paved, no salt.

jaxgtr

I've used Squirt for a couple of years and it generally lasted about 300 miles 485km for me. Less if I got caught in the rain or something. There were occasions that I was not as diligent in the application technique and I might be 200 miles. In the last 7 or 8 months, I moved to hot wax, then drip in between as it needs it, and then I only have to hot wax every 1k miles give or take a few miles. I have been really happy with that scenario. My wife just this week, bought me some Super Secret Chain hot wax and lube as an anniversary gift. I never used their stuff, but I did my first chain in the hot on Thursday and took a ride today and the chain was pretty quiet. Not more than the wax I was using, but will see how their wax lube works in a few hundred miles.

Racing Dan

Squirt, in the dry about 100-200 km before it feels dry and noisy. Doesnt work at all in wet and salty winter. Washes off and lets the chain rust in no time. Ill revert to Squirt in the spring but for now im back on trusty engine oil.

znomit

Synthetic or dino? What specification? What grade?

znomit

I use finish line ceramic wax. I'll always relube midway through a 600k ride, usually in the middle of a 400, and probably on a wet 300k.
So yeah, 300km is about right.

bampilot06

Muc of dry. I usually get about 240 km.

When I use wax in a croc pot I only get about the same. Not debating here, just what has happened to me.

Racing Dan

Generic brand 20w50 mineral oil. In my experience engine oil protects the chain very well from rusting in the wet and salty season, unlike Squirt was that lets the chain go rusty in a day or two. Been using engine oil for ages, but have come to like the cleanliness of wax in the spring and summer. I've tried other bike specific oils, but couldn't perceive any benefit over engine oil other than convenient packaging (that can be recycled with engine oil in it). No sure if there is anything to gain by moving to name brand, synthetic oil other than feeling good about getting "the best stuff" :-)

DaveSSS 

I use a home made liquid wax lube. It's paraffin, with 20-30% heavy gear lube by weight, dissolved in 4-6 parts naphtha/camp stove fuel. I relube weekly, which is around 150 miles in the summer. Here in Northern Colorado, it's so dry that it would be tough to find wet conditions. The downside to this lube is it has to be warmed in hot water to turn it from a mush to a water-like viscosity. The chain has to warm too, or it will not remain liquid long enough to penetrate. I use a heat gun with a shield that's often used for thawing pipes to warm the chain. It's probably too much trouble for most users, but even Squirt can need warming and a warm chain to penetrate. I usually take a chain off for cleaning about every 600 miles.

Lombard

200 miles is the most I ever got out of any wax lubes. The worst is White Lightning which lasts 100 miles at best, usually less.

I new use an oil based homebrew of 50% motor oil and 50% mineral spirits. I re-lube every 500 miles. I could get more miles per lube, but 500 is an easy round number to keep track of.

terrymorse 

I'm using Effetto Mariposa Flower Power Wax, reapplying every 3 weeks, or when the drive train becomes noisy. Figure about 400 miles or so.

Zero Friction Cycling lubricant test results estimates one application should last about 650 km in real world, dry conditions.

scottfsmith

I am using Silca SS. Most of the time I am re-lubing is because of rain so it is not consistently timed. With no rain I probably get about 400-500km. One long ride in heavy rain and I immediately need a re-lube. I listen for noise in mildly cross-chained gears to decide when to re-lube. Serious cross-chaining is always noisy but just a bit off is quiet unless I am out of lube.

Not to long ago I switched to using a Park Tool chain cleaner to apply the lube.. just fill up to the solvent line with lube (and re-use of course). This method extends the longevity based on results so far. It puts a lot more lube on the chain so it is also costing more.

Lombard

400 miles and the drivetrain is noisy? I once forgot and rode 1000 miles between lubes and the drivetrain was not noisy.

I've seen the Zero Friction charts more often than I'll ever need to. Not real world results.

Iride01 

With the short life of drip wax lubes, my chain is less gunky and my inside right calf clean most of the time now when I get home from a ride. So I don't mind dripping it on every two or three rides, though there have been times when I went for many more rides without lubing. However it's noticeable when the lube is fresh. Shifting seems better and quieter.

I don't think it's made any difference for how long my chains last though. Still get more than 5000 miles out of a 11 speed chain, so I'm happy.

Though I might be getting more chain life now with my Di2 bike since I always use full synchronized shifting and have it shifting to the small ring before the chain can ever get to the two larger (by tooth count) rear cogs.

terrymorse 

By "noisy", I mean there's a buzz coming from the drive train. A clean and unworn drive train has a noticeable "buzz", unless there is ample lube to dampen the sound.

As Zero Friction writes:

I reapply when the chain has that "buzz" that "sounds dry".

Okay. Kudos to your lube, I guess. So how can you tell when more lube is needed?

mschwett 

Interesting results so far, and thank you to all who responded.

I’m now wondering if our coastal, sometimes foggy, sometimes sandy and windy conditions are a lot harder on the chain/lube than I thought. I cannot imagine riding 200+ miles on one application. I feel like it would sound like sandpaper.

Lombard

I don't care when I get to that point when the chain is dry. By that time, excess wear is already happening. As I said before, 500 miles is a good round number I go by and the number of miles on my bikes is on my Strava.

No buzz.

Lombard

All the things you mention would definitely contribute to being harder on the chain and all the associated components. Salty moist air is the worst.

spelger

oh no, here we go again.

datlas 

You think wax threads should be more popular??

SoSmellyAir

Is it possible to segregate the mileage for each bike on Strava?

mschwett 

yes, at least in my strava you can select which of your bikes for a ride and see the mileage for the bike. not sure if you can do much more than that.

Lombard

Yes, absolutely.

jaxgtr

That is an interesting way of doing it. Never crossed my mind.

Lombard

The Park Tool chain cleaner is a splattery mess. I would never use that thing for anything.

GhostRider62

Half as long as hot melt wax. Twice as messy as hot wax but one tenth as messy as 20W/50.