Waxing Chain Just Trend or usefull?
09-13-23, 11:32 AM
#176
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No, my chain is not "clean", just like the underside of my car, the bottom of my shoes, and the sewage pipe of my toilet are not "clean". There are some devices in the world that are not meant to be operated "clean". These devices can be kept operational with the correct maintenance, even if their operating environment is not "clean".
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09-13-23, 11:36 AM
#177
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What kind of monumental, life-changing things did you do with those 5 minutes you didn't waste in the last 3 months?
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09-13-23, 11:45 AM
#178
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09-13-23, 11:51 AM
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Sometimes the fight is its own justification .... well, maybe "justification" isn't the right word ..... excuse? compulsion?
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09-13-23, 12:35 PM
#181
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Such nonsense. That's not really how time works in the real world, and you know it. Saving slivers of time over multiple days/weeks/months doesn't mean you have collected a block of time that can be used for another longer task. If you save 2 minutes every time you do a daily task, do you shift the time you do everything else during that day 2 minutes earlier? Are you dropping off and picking your kids up earlier to and from school progressively earlier with every occurrence of time-saving?
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09-13-23, 12:51 PM
#182
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Yep, the nature of time, the age old philosophical question hehe.
What did I do with all that time I saved? I biked 4300 miles in 3 months.
And when I wasn't biking, I was chilling.
You know what I wasn't doing? I wasn't doing some totally unnecessary busy body chore that I invented out of thin air to torture myself for no reason.
What did I do with all that time I saved? I biked 4300 miles in 3 months.
And when I wasn't biking, I was chilling.
You know what I wasn't doing? I wasn't doing some totally unnecessary busy body chore that I invented out of thin air to torture myself for no reason.
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09-13-23, 12:52 PM
#183
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I find strange the juxtaposing of kids and bike grease with dog paws (...?).
I mean I'm pretty far from being one of those "BUT CHEMICULS!!!" sort of people but I do draw the line somewhere. If my kids want to eat dirt in the woods? Fine by me. I'm sure the older one has sneak eaten more than one poo from the forest floor. They're so quick when they want to be.
But petrolleum distillates combined with lubricity additives mixed with road grime, exhaust pollution and tire derived nano particles does make me uneasy especially when my kids would stick that stuff in their mouths or eyes. Also properly black gunked chain oil doesn't come off in the wash after it makes contact with a cotton garment.
Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe toddlers and solvents do mix after all?
I mean I'm pretty far from being one of those "BUT CHEMICULS!!!" sort of people but I do draw the line somewhere. If my kids want to eat dirt in the woods? Fine by me. I'm sure the older one has sneak eaten more than one poo from the forest floor. They're so quick when they want to be.
But petrolleum distillates combined with lubricity additives mixed with road grime, exhaust pollution and tire derived nano particles does make me uneasy especially when my kids would stick that stuff in their mouths or eyes. Also properly black gunked chain oil doesn't come off in the wash after it makes contact with a cotton garment.
Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe toddlers and solvents do mix after all?
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09-13-23, 12:54 PM
#184
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That's quite odd.
I spend much less time and effort waxing my chains and cleaning my drivetrain than I spent doing everything the Bicycle Taliban-approved way.
I spend much less time and effort waxing my chains and cleaning my drivetrain than I spent doing everything the Bicycle Taliban-approved way.
09-13-23, 01:12 PM
#185
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I find strange the juxtaposing of kids and bike grease with dog paws (...?).
I mean I'm pretty far from being one of those "BUT CHEMICULS!!!" sort of people but I do draw the line somewhere. If my kids want to eat dirt in the woods? Fine by me. I'm sure the older one has sneak eaten more than one poo from the forest floor. They're so quick when they want to be.
But petrolleum distillates combined with lubricity additives mixed with road grime, exhaust pollution and tire derived nano particles does make me uneasy especially when my kids would stick that stuff in their mouths or eyes. Also properly black gunked chain oil doesn't come off in the wash after it makes contact with a cotton garment.
Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe toddlers and solvents do mix after all?
I mean I'm pretty far from being one of those "BUT CHEMICULS!!!" sort of people but I do draw the line somewhere. If my kids want to eat dirt in the woods? Fine by me. I'm sure the older one has sneak eaten more than one poo from the forest floor. They're so quick when they want to be.
But petrolleum distillates combined with lubricity additives mixed with road grime, exhaust pollution and tire derived nano particles does make me uneasy especially when my kids would stick that stuff in their mouths or eyes. Also properly black gunked chain oil doesn't come off in the wash after it makes contact with a cotton garment.
Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe toddlers and solvents do mix after all?
09-13-23, 01:44 PM
#186
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No, my chain is not "clean", just like the underside of my car, the bottom of my shoes, and the sewage pipe of my toilet are not "clean". There are some devices in the world that are not meant to be operated "clean". These devices can be kept operational with the correct maintenance, even if their operating environment is not "clean".
What this chain waxing reminds me of are those old ladies who wash the four paws of their dogs in a little bowl of soapy water every time they come home from a walk. Yes, they exist, we all know a grandma like this.
Now if you told this to the general population, they'd think you're a freaking nutter. But I bet on www.dogforums.net, there are fierce threads debating the benefits of washing your dog's feet before coming indoors. Why, you don't know how dirty dog feet are and how much poop they step in? What if they get your carpet dirty? Washing dog feet is being CLEAN.
I installed my current chain (11 speed, about $30) at the beginning of June. In the last 3 months (today is Sep 13) I've ridden 4300 miles (7000 km), according to my bike computer which I keep on my bike for all rides. My chain is currently at 0.4% wear. I change my chains at 0.5% wear, so my chain is 80% through its lifespan. Do you know how much of my life I have wasted on keeping my drivetrain "clean" during this 4300 miles? Grand total of maybe 5 minutes. Yep, just the old squirt-and-wipe whenever I remember. Now if I was waxing my chain every 350km, I would have had to do immersion waxing a whopping TWENTY times. Even if I had two chains to rotate and save time, that's "cooking dinner" TEN TIMES.
Yeah, no.
What this chain waxing reminds me of are those old ladies who wash the four paws of their dogs in a little bowl of soapy water every time they come home from a walk. Yes, they exist, we all know a grandma like this.
Now if you told this to the general population, they'd think you're a freaking nutter. But I bet on www.dogforums.net, there are fierce threads debating the benefits of washing your dog's feet before coming indoors. Why, you don't know how dirty dog feet are and how much poop they step in? What if they get your carpet dirty? Washing dog feet is being CLEAN.
I installed my current chain (11 speed, about $30) at the beginning of June. In the last 3 months (today is Sep 13) I've ridden 4300 miles (7000 km), according to my bike computer which I keep on my bike for all rides. My chain is currently at 0.4% wear. I change my chains at 0.5% wear, so my chain is 80% through its lifespan. Do you know how much of my life I have wasted on keeping my drivetrain "clean" during this 4300 miles? Grand total of maybe 5 minutes. Yep, just the old squirt-and-wipe whenever I remember. Now if I was waxing my chain every 350km, I would have had to do immersion waxing a whopping TWENTY times. Even if I had two chains to rotate and save time, that's "cooking dinner" TEN TIMES.
Yeah, no.
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09-13-23, 02:00 PM
#187
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This dude Yan ..... quite the ummm..... issues, eh? Where id the chain-waxer touch you ......
I frankly don't care if or how Anybody else lubes their chains. I don't care how or how frequently they wash or polish or detail their bikes ... I do get some amusement seeing people trying to logically defend illogical opinions ....
So, Yan ... everything you do is right, and everything you don't do is wrong, and everyone who doesn't do everything you do or who does anything you don't do is a bad person.
I prefer waxed chains and could not care much less abut what anyone else does ..... what a freak am I.
I frankly don't care if or how Anybody else lubes their chains. I don't care how or how frequently they wash or polish or detail their bikes ... I do get some amusement seeing people trying to logically defend illogical opinions ....
So, Yan ... everything you do is right, and everything you don't do is wrong, and everyone who doesn't do everything you do or who does anything you don't do is a bad person.
I prefer waxed chains and could not care much less abut what anyone else does ..... what a freak am I.
09-13-23, 02:05 PM
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How does drip wax differ from oil? I'm asking honestly. This sounds like a good compromise. Why doesn't liquid wax pick up dust like regular oil would?
09-13-23, 02:17 PM
#189
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Oil lubricants typically include quite a lot of solvent as well. But they stay liquid as the solvent leaves because oil is a liquid.
09-13-23, 02:38 PM
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Thanks. I suppose you initially need to remove all oils from the chain?
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09-13-23, 02:44 PM
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09-13-23, 02:45 PM
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09-13-23, 02:45 PM
#193
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I haven’t drank the hot-dip wax Kool Aid yet, but have been enjoying the benefits of drip wax for all my bikes.
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Last edited by Eric F; 09-13-23 at 02:49 PM.
09-13-23, 03:32 PM
#194
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16 Canadian winters so far and when I say winter I mean the whole winter season, whatever nature throws out there....and I have no plans to start waxing my chains ever. Oil based lubes work just fine for me.
09-13-23, 03:46 PM
#195
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Since oil-based lubes work just fine, you haven't actually used wax lube, correct?
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09-13-23, 04:19 PM
#196
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09-13-23, 04:39 PM
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I first started using Squirt on my mountain bikes many years ago after a bike shop owner I rode with recommended it. I switched to Silca about 3 years ago after I saw the test on ZFC.
I do still have one road bike using an oil based lube and it is not that bad to be honest, but drip wax is definitely a cleaner solution. When I next fit a new chain I will switch this bike over to Silca drip wax.
09-13-23, 04:40 PM
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09-13-23, 04:42 PM
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I’m leaning on the Silca drip lube. Some great reviews. Silca sells degreaser, but I bet there’s a better/cheaper way.
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09-13-23, 04:51 PM
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Yeah, any degreaser should work fine. Just get all the oil off, rinse thoroughly and dry. Don’t be tempted to skimp on the degreasing/cleaning though! It really does need a clean, dry starting point. Obviously the same goes for the cassette, chainrings and jockey wheels. You don’t want any oil contamination if you can help it.