Chain WAXing (yes it's that easy) - and other mysteries of this art!

[Bill K]

Waxing = good.

+1
I have been experimenting with Squirt (wax-based lube you squeeze on to the chain like conventional bike chain lubricants).
If it is mid-week and the chain starts making "wax me now" noises on my S40 commuter I put Squirt on it.
It's not quite as good as re-waxing the chain, but the chain stays almost as clean, it works well, and takes less time than switching chains.

 

[ed72]

Don't report me to the Chain Gawds, but after riding in the rain the past few days, I use WD40 liberal to get out the water. I wipe it down and put Squirt in over that. My drivetrain has never been quieter. Once the weather breaks, chain needs to get completely redone but with rain everyday, I can't be bothered.

 

[Balor]

Don't report me to the Chain Gawds, but after riding in the rain the past few days, I use WD40 liberal to get out the water. I wipe it down and put Squirt in over that. My drivetrain has never been quieter. Once the weather breaks, chain needs to get completely redone but with rain everyday, I can't be bothered.

Do you really need WD40 pretreatment? Squirt is water-based anyway, so water should not prevent penetration.

 

[bladderhead]

I had a chain with a master link whichnI took off and put back on again several times. When I got my new chain and new master link I did not realize that they had changed the design. I took it off to rewax it and when I put it back on again it was really hard to close the master link. I thought it was gunked up with wax so I thought it would close up as I rode it. Luckily I was only at the end of my street when the link broke, and luckily they sent two master links with the chain, so I put the other one on. Then the chain started squeaking again and I wanted to rewax it again, but I did not want to open my last single-use link.

Have you seen the trick where the magician gets a bike chain off without breaking it?

Remove the front wheel. Undo the chain-tensioner. The chain comes out of the derailleur. Pull the stay away from the fork. The chain comes out of the frame.

It is called the Australian Chain Trick.

 

[ed72]

Do you really need WD40 pretreatment? Squirt is water-based anyway, so water should not prevent penetration.

40 dollars a bottle vs 4 dollars a bottle.

I just asked the CFO of the household.

She said yes.

PS.....I also reuse the solvent when cleaning. Just let the metal particles and junk settle between uses and decant the clear solvent into another container before dunking the chain into it.

 

[DocS]

Good morning all,

I know this topic has been discussed over and over, but I thought I'd share...

When I considered using wax as a lubricant for my chains, I studied all that I could for the best home formula vs. commercially available stuff...

I came across the following site. https://www.bikeradar.com/news/friction-facts-publishes-ultrafast-chain-lube-formula/

The guy who published his study is the developer of Molten Speed Wax. He even published the formula, for DIYers like myself...

I've been using it since March and really like the result.

Blessings,
DocS

 

[RojoRacing]

Good morning all,

I know this topic has been discussed over and over, but I thought I'd share...

When I considered using wax as a lubricant for my chains, I studied all that I could for the best home formula vs. commercially available stuff...

I came across the following site. https://www.bikeradar.com/news/friction-facts-publishes-ultrafast-chain-lube-formula/

The guy who published his study is the developer of Molten Speed Wax. He even published the formula, for DIYers like myself...

I've been using it since March and really like the result.

Blessings,
DocS

I used this formula, molten and plain clear wax. I feel or see no difference in performance between all three except the molten formula makes your chain spear dirty with its black color and the clear wax it’s nice to show off your clean titanium nitrate coated aka gold chain.

I used molten and a special low mileage chain for those once or twice a year important races just because if there is a 1-2 watt difference that I can’t feel I’d like to take advantage or it there.

 

[ed72]

Good morning all,

I know this topic has been discussed over and over, but I thought I'd share...

When I considered using wax as a lubricant for my chains, I studied all that I could for the best home formula vs. commercially available stuff...

I came across the following site. https://www.bikeradar.com/news/friction-facts-publishes-ultrafast-chain-lube-formula/

The guy who published his study is the developer of Molten Speed Wax. He even published the formula, for DIYers like myself...

I've been using it since March and really like the result.

Blessings,
DocS

I agree.

I toss the chain into the molten speed wax crock pot every 600-1000 miles....around every two weeks. With a quicklink, it can't be easier. Every 200 miles or thereabouts, I use Squirt liquid wax link by link.

I just took off a dura ace chain (actually 3 chains on my bent) with over 10,000 miles with no measureable wear. With my regimen, the drivetrain is also pretty quiet. 1-2 watts savings is hard to measure. On my uprights, I always got at least 4,000 miles on a chain and often more than 5,000. To me, this is proof.

 

[augiedog]

I realize this is an older post but I would like to ask if any of you have used Boshield T9 liquid chain wax? When I was still racing my DF I chain waxed religiously every 1000 miles. I rode an average of 350-375 miles a week and I loved the waxing technique especially since it was old school cycling custom. Any way if the Boshield was mentioned in previous post (I didn't read all of them) you can disregard this.

 

[RojoRacing]

I realize this is an older post but I would like to ask if any of you have used Boshield T9 liquid chain wax? When I was still racing my DF I chain waxed religiously every 1000 miles. I rode an average of 350-375 miles a week and I loved the waxing technique especially since it was old school cycling custom. Any way if the Boshield was mentioned in previous post (I didn't read all of them) you can disregard this.

I tested several wax based liquid lubes and all of them dry to a waxy but still sticky substance so they’ll collect dirt. I never tried the Squirt brand which many people claim dried to pure wax but that stuff is expensive. Any liquid or spray on wax need to be applied at least a hour before use to prevent excessive flinging and dirt attraction.

 

[ed72]

I just rubbed my hand across my Molten Speed Waxed chain and there is only the faintest trace of discoloration on my hand.

I have extensively used MSW and Smoove liquid wax and Squirt brand, too. Smoove can get a little gunky compared to Squirt but neither is bad. Squirt tells you apply it and let sit overnight. A real drawback to getting these emulsions into the pins. I used to use a heat gun, which is why I rely on MSW primarily.

Boeingshield T-09 is something I tried a long time ago. It ddn't win me over. Many swear by it. Some also swear by WD-40. I like Rock-N-Roll Gold but you have to use a lot and it costs an arm and a leg but I used to be too lazy to take the chain off and put it into the ultrasonic, the Rock-N-Roll Gold used generously seemed to do a decent cleaning.

Friction facts did a good job with the efficiency of lube testing and debunking a lot of the bull. Zero Friction looks at durability testing for thousands of KM. rather than efficiency, which would take some really expensive quipment to measure. If someone uses inexpensive chains, who cares about durability. OTOH, dirty Dura Ace chains and SRAM XG1190 cassettes can make a dent in the wallet.

https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/...-Learnings-from-Lubricant-Testing-Round-1.pdf
https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/...4/Chain-Longevity-Testing-Full-test-brief.pdf

 

[benphyr]

@augiedog
I found Boeshield T9 to be significantly different in the spray version from the liquid version. Either will work in a pinch when you are chain waxing to tide you over but as RojoRacing says it is a little stickier. Boeshield and Squirt are two of the wax-based lubricants that Molten Speed Wax says you can use if you need to in a pinch and still throw your chain back in the pot with your wax without major issues. They of course say you should wash the chain etc. And it will shorten the life of your pot of wax but you won't need to start over with your thorough de-greasing routine. Both of the Boeshield seem to work best (my opinion) when put on, left to sit for an hour or two and then excess wiped off. If you leave a significant amount on for more than a short overnight then you definitely get more sticky.

The spray Boeshield works great as a frame wax too - spray it on a clean bike and wipe off a couple hours later then go ride in the mud and the difference in cleaning is noticeable.

All very subjective my experience. Boeshield is my second favourite by a fair margin after chain waxing.

 

[ed72]

One idea or tip with waxing. Let it sit in the crockpot for a least 20-30 minutes to get the wax inside to the pins. When I take it out, the chain goes onto an old piece of aluminum sheet roof flashing. I use a heat gun to gently blow off the external wax instead of letting it dry, which of course clumps off when you start riding but it will clump onto the derailleur pulleys and bits and pieces will fall about your bike. A quick flip of the chain and I blow off the other side. Really minimizes that initial clumping of wax. Let it cool a bit and install before it totally hardens. I found installation easier before the wax completely sets up....almost hard but pliable.

Also, I have never gotten 600-700 miles out of a wax job. Probably my low cadence and grinding. Typically, I add Squirt or Smoove around each 200 miles.

I installed the current chain in late July and it has 2,600+ miles and no measurable wear. And is totally silent.

 

[benphyr]

Here are the supplies that I routinely use:





The air conditioner in the background is optional, I usually use the garage floor. The plywood keeps the concrete floor from sucking too much heat. I also use an old sweater to insulate the cooker when it is cooler weather. I used the rice cooker until I killed it by holding the button ON to boil off the remaining water after rinsing off winter salty road grime. Then I found this small slow cooker. Conveniently the rice cooker bowl fits excellently speeding the process compared with the slow cook bowl.

 

[DocS]

My set-up is nearly the same... I use a 2nd hand small crockpot.
I thoroughly clean the chain with Mineral Spirits (I have a plastic container with a screw on lid. I put the dirty chain in it and shake it thoroughly. Remove the chain and wipe it with a clean terrycloth towel, then repeat until the chain leaves no grime on the towel). After it's clean, I degrease it using Denatured Alcohol, then hang for a few minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate. After clean, it goes into the Crockpot for about an hour.

I'm usually doing other stuff at the same time, so it doesn't feel like it takes too long.

I have 2 chains that I swap out, so that I can just change the chain, and clean the other at my leisure...

Blessings,
DocS

 

[3bs]

stick chain in mason jar with solvent. shake. set in sun loosen lid just a little so it doesn't pressurize. repeat a few times while doing chores outside.
run chain under water and wash the rest of the mess off. stretch chain out in sun. go back to chores.
put wax on chain from little bottle you bought several years ago and still have not run out.
check to make sure wife is not at home.
lay chain on old cookie sheet wife hates and put chain in oven low heat go back to chores
before wife gets home take chain out of oven wash old cookie sheet and put away, and wipe chain down lightly.

 

[ratz]

 

[3bs]

yeah i will buy my next bottle from josh and it will last another decade

 

[Pollock]

Over the last few months, I have taken my first steps into the world of wax. I am trying out Wend right now as it is dead simple and does not require me to remove the chain. I have applied it about three times so far; need to take the five minutes tonight to do it again. I will see how it holds up. So far, better than wet lube and even easier to apply. If I can get at least the chain use of the wet lube, I’ll call it good.

 

[ratz]

I got a bottle and tried it; it will be great for refreshing a chain on site at an event a few hours before. Still like the crock pot results / per $ better. Should be interesting to see what friction facts learns when they test it.