RiceAWay

It is somewhat trendy. Chains do not last longer than a good lube but the chain, rings and cassette stays very clean and you're not covered with filth from chain lube if you have to touch the chain or rings.

Maelochs

The whole deal with Flat Earth is that it is a Lie.

I tried being a Flat Earther and the Earth didn't get flat. I still had to ride hills. So screw that.

Rogerogeroge

But when you're done, are you back where you started? What's your total net elevation change?

PeteHski

Tests have shown that chains do actually last longer with wax, mainly because they stay cleaner as you have observed. At least in dry conditions. Wax tends not to perform so well in the wet.

Lombard

Another chain waxing thread. How adorable.

Lombard

If you don't care about that, why lube your chain at all? Just run it dry!

Maelochs

Doesn't matter. If the Earth is flat, it should be Flat ..... no elevations change.

Polaris OBark

In my experience, they actually do last quite a bit longer, under the conditions I ride at least. Anything other than wax under these conditions, the "filth" you mention becomes a grinding paste, and I was constantly replacing chain rings, cassettes and chains until I switched over to wax.

Polaris OBark

Pretend it is another e-bike thread.

wolfchild

Just wait until we get a leg waxing thread.

Yan 

Time is money (I could be working and making money). Waxing is time consuming. My time is worth much more money than even the most expensive top level groupset. The cost of worn part replacement is simply not a concern compared to wasted time. For a $10k+ bike with a top end drivetrain, I get it. It's psychological, even if it makes no sense from a time/money calculation perspective. Any cheaper bike and it's a hard no.

I suppose I could pay someone else to wax my chain and come out ahead. They'd have to come to my house though because if I had to take my bike to a shop and pick it up later, there's that time wasted again.

In conclusion: no.

Maelochs

Electrolysis.

E-bikes and waxing had a child ....

Lombard

Not to mention that there appears to be no longevity advantage to hot waxing over using a good oil based lube. The only advantage to hot waxing appears to be keeping the drivetrain cleaner. It is certainly not worth the extra time and resources. And don't even go into the "grinding paste" theory. I get 8-10K miles out of my chains using oil based lubes every 500 miles. I have yet to see any hot waxers claim longer chain life.

smd4

Guess you didn't read post 79.

Polaris OBark

Mine have at least tripled. More importantly, it has reduced wear on my cassettes and chainrings.

I recognize I ride under more extreme conditions than average, but it has made a huge difference. If it made no difference, I wouldn't bother.

msu2001la

I really don't understand this take. I spend about the same amount of time with hot wax as I did with wiping/re-applying wet-lube.
The process basically is however long it takes to disconnect and remove a chain, and then put it back on. With quick links, this takes about 30 seconds. The rest of the process involves a chain sitting in a pot while it heats up and/or hanging on a hook drying.

terrymorse 

I'm not so sure about that conclusion. Yes, waxed chains stay cleaner, but that may not fully explain why chains last longer.

The Zero Friction lubricant tests with no contamination still showed wax lubes greatly reduced wear over non-wax lubes.

PeteHski

Well I did say "mainly", maybe I should have said "partly". One thing that is clear from those tests is that a dirty drivetrain greatly accelerates wear.

Maelochs

Actual scientific testing---serious testing, not the anecdotal BS most internet users seem to think is "science"---indicates clearly that waxed chains last longer than unwaxed chains--and save a tiny bit of power as well.

The question is whether the trade-off for the very slightly more involved process is justified by the better performance and extend drive train length. That is entirely a personal matter, not subject to science---it is a matter of opinion. It is a matter of personal preference. Even speaking as a chain-waxer, I would say the benefits are so minimal that wet-lube, drip-wax, and cooked wax are all valid choices.

However, the facts have been amply demonstrated---the cleanest way to lubricate one's bike chain is wax and the longest-lasting chain 9and thus also drive train parts, by some not-yet-determined degree) and also the least power-robbing chain is one which has been properly waxed.

PeteHski

It is obvious he has just assumed waxing would require more work. I just use drip wax because I'm lazy. I don't earn any extra money with the time saved either. That time soon gets taken up by our kids and pets!

I also know a shop who offers a chain waxing service on rotation. They sell you 3 new, freshly waxed chains and you post them back after each use.

Lombard

I did. "Tests show blah, blah, blah". No, I have yet to hear from anybody here that they can get north of 10K miles using hot wax. I get anywhere between 8-10K miles out of my chains using oil based lubes. Furthermore, can you go 500 miles between hot waxings and get that kind of mileage?

Lombard

i have to dispute this as well. Back when I used wax lubes, I was lucky to get 2-3K miles out of my chains. Now thst I use oil based lubes, I get 8-10K miles.

Eric F 

Just a guess...Wax holds on to less grindy particles that contribute to wear of the chainy parts.

My observations of my own own bikes using wax-based drip lube, compared with my previous use of oil-based lubes, support this conclusion. I'm not a scientist, and I do not have a laboratory.

Polaris OBark

I think this is the key, overlooked point.

With completely pristine, on-road conditions, the difference is probably negligible.

Under the conditions I ride (dry moon-dust, sand, grit), a non-wax lubricant quickly becomes a highly destructive grinding paste. There may be some formulations that minimize this, such as the ones that are designed to leave a dried teflon coating, but for those that I have tried, they still get dirty, and are much more of a PITA to work with (not to mention more toxic).

Polaris OBark

I am, and I do, but it would be hard to think of a less interesting experiment, except maybe testing different brands of tooth-paste.