masi61

i bought a candy thermometer to check the wax temp but haven't used it yet. The reason I was asking about the wax temp is because of the noise issue. You see, I have been using the Molten Speed Wax for a year and overall I am happy with it. My main concern is chain noise. I really wish I could keep a silent chain beyond one 50 mile ride. I mean, the wax is still on there but after about 50 miles I start to hear this sloshy sound. It doesn't drive me nuts but it is a bit unnerving. It is most notable when climbing hills, standing to climb. This got me thinking about the penetration of the wax and perhaps the wax wasn't hot enough, thus leading to inadequate thinning preventing full penetration of the internals of the chain.
I really wish that my earlier experiment of putting a pyrex cup into a hot ultrasonic cleaner with the wax granules. My Prosonix 3.5 gallon Ultrasonic cleaner is heated and has pretty powerful ultrasonic action but the wax unfortunately does not cavitate.

redlude97

There is no need to check temps, if the wax has melted to the viscosity of water it will fully penetrate the chain, just slosh it around for 10 mins. Dry lubes and waxes will always be a bit noisier than a wet lube as the liquid acts as an acoustic dampener

u235

I thought the exact opposite, a wax coating on everything seems like the ultimate dampener.

Bigbus

The only drawback I've experienced to date is a build up of wax between the 2 smallest gears (Highest speeds) that literally caused my chain to jump. I thought I was keeping this clean with a stiff brush and spinning the wheel, but I found out the wax mixed with road grime and sand just built up and hardened in there. Now every time I wax my chain I use a solvent with peroxide solution to clean wax buildup off the rear cassette and out from between the gears also. I don't ride in the rain if I can help it, but I do ride in heavy mist and fog often that soaks everything but that doesn't seem to affect the wax.

cthenn

It's a freaking bike chain, I don't understand the obsession with it looking factory new at all times... As long as I clean it and re-lube it frequently, I don't freak out over a black chain. Oh, and NFS is the best lube I've ever used, wet or dry.

masi61

ColonelSanders

Shouldn't you be allowing the wax to cool down somewhat from 93C, before you yank your chain? Like maybe 70C or whatever?


By taking it out when the wax is that hot(93C), I would imagine too much of it pours out from the chain rollers and lessens the time the chain will have sufficient lubrication?

DrIsotope

Yeah, optimally you want to have the chain come out of the wax at around 120ºF, hot enough for the wax to remain liquid, but starting to thicken. But wax is really cheap, and a temperature-adjustable crockpot, not so much. I got my Lil Dipper for free, and spent $20 on wax. Having to refresh it more often due to wax loss from overheating isn't really a problem, AFAIC.

If you had the time and the gumption, I think a sous vide cooker might be the way to go-- put the chain and the wax in a sealed bag, drop it in the water bath set to like 140ºF, and leave it overnight.

I'm sticking with the simple method, and just constantly tinkering with additives. So far, nothing I've tried has really shown a worthwhile improvement above just straight paraffin.

EDIT: I was wrong about the temperature control. Currently ordering this: Elite Gourmet MST-250XS Slow Cooker which is a whopping $17, and according to one of the reviews, does 135ºF on keep warm, 170ºF on low, and 210º on high. Put it on high until the wax melts, switch to keep warm, drop the chain in. Wooo!

canyoneagle

I'm using a rice cooker - definitely harder to control temperature.

I'm still in the early stages (less than 200 miles) but so far, so good.

wingless

u235

Simple in this context is a relative term

VeeArSix

Agreed! Lasts forever and is fairly clean. Less is actually more w/ this lube.

cthenn

I've found the application instructions not to be satisfactory (12 random drops), so I use a monoject syringe and put a very tiny amount on each link. That way I'm not overdoing it, yet each link gets lube.

motosonic

I use muc off dry lube. Man this stuff is a difference maker .you want a smooth reliable ride that won't gum up and dirty your drivetrain? This is it. Without all the hassle of wax. Just my 2 cents

maartendc

I don;t know, the waxing process always seemed a bit of a bother to me. Whenever I read up on it, people come up with their ultrasonic cleaners, and soaking the chain in three different jars over the course of a week.. No thanks.

I just use the Rock n Roll Gold lube, and it lubes well and leaves the chain really really clean. Doesn't attract any dirt and grime compared to other lubes and oils. You do have to reapply it more often than other lubes.

robbyville

canklecat

I've been using pretty much the same technique as Doc I. Little Dipper crock pot, plain Gulf paraffin. I only wipe the chains down before soaking them in hot wax again. After the initial solvent stripping of the factory oil, I don't clean them again. It's pretty simple after that initial solvent stripping. Much neater than any wet or spray lube method I've tried.

For a few months I've used Boeshield T-9 to touch up the waxed chains every 100 miles or so, after I can hear the waxed chain making a little noise. The T-9 quiets the chain. Maybe it runs a little smoother, I dunno, nothing I can measure in terms of road speed. Boeshield reportedly is just solvent (naptha, I think) and paraffin. The solvent dries pretty quickly. The chain wipes clean pretty easily with just a paper towel or napkin.

Good enough for our mostly dry climate. If I rode more often in wet weather I'd probably go back to a water resistant wet lube for an errand or commute bike. But I don't ride the road bike in wet weather if I can avoid it.

Oso Polar

Same here except I found out that I need to apply it less often than other lubes (once in about 400 miles). I usually let it dry out for a few hours after application. Exceptionally smooth and dead silent drivetrain in both dry and wet conditions, much cleaner chain. Not sure what are the ingredients, AFAIK it is for the most part some kind of solvent + teflon.

Metieval

I went the other way, and won't be coming back to wax.

ARPRINCE

Currently using Dumonde Tech (smells great, no complaints) but I only ride when it's sunny so I think I will try this one as well.

fstshrk

I use Chain-L. Lasts a long time, and doubles the life of my chains.

Home Page Chain-L High Mileage Bicycle Chain Lubricant

Wattsup

Agreed. It's just a chain. These days I use any wet lube on hand, wipe the chain after every ride, and re-lube as necessary. Every six rides or so, pop off the master link, 2 minute bath in mineral spirits, re-lube and back on the bike it goes.

u235

I use Blaster cable and chain lube. $3-4/can. I've gone at least 200+ miles covered in dirt and/or water with it. I usually rinse off the drivetrain or just wipe the dirt off and reapply and wipe off excess. Quick and nothing elaborate. I've got my share of chain ring tatoos. Oh well. I have no idea how long it lasts in clean dry conditions. So far I have 3000+ miles on my KMC X10SL with it and that is just about every ride in some type of water, dirt, or gravel. In theory, the SL design "clears dirt", maybe not but I got 3x the life compared to the regular x10.93 with WL Epic Ride lube which were getting me about 1000 miles each. The type of lube and wear really depends on what you are doing. No one best for everything.

TMonk

Chain waxing is fun. I don't bother with the temperature monitoring or anything crazy like that, I just set a cheap crockpot to high and leave it in there for like 30 minutes. At this point I can break and install a chain in a couple minutes or less, which is the total amount of time I spend per month caring for the chain, No re-lubing, no wiping, no cleaning.... nothing.

Jack Tone 

Ha. Yeah, Back when I was a nube, I had a mountain bike that I raced and then retired it and commuted 5000 miles total to work, rain or shine. Never took the chain off, never cleaned it, and "lubed" it with WD40. It worked flawlessly until it was stolen. Now I use a good chain lube, but still don't clean it. I'm still trying to figure out what length socks to wear.