Jeff K.

I hate to start another thread on waxing chains, but one topic I've never seen addressed is the cassette and chain rings.

After washing my bike and reapplying oil to the chain, I've always made sure the cassette and chainrings got a fine coating of oil to prevent the risk of surface rust. I'm ready to clean my drivetrain and install a new, freshly waxed chain. Do I need to do anything to the gears?

If not (out of curiosity), have I been wasting my time in the past ensuring they received a fine coat of oil after degreasing?

fietsbob

Starting with everything new? you get 2 new chains?
double boiler to melt the wax to heat & so, liquify the wax ?
doing it right , is not simple,
and takes time to do often enough to matter.

The surfaces under the chain's rollers is the surface where the primary wear happens .
replacing the chains frequently slows wear on the other parts.





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Jeff K.

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes, I actually prepped the new chain in a crockpot a couple of months ago but never go around to degreasing the drivetrain and installing it. I plan on getting at least one more chain for a rotation, but want to try the first one before going all in.

Cyclist0108

I've never done anything other than clean the cassette and chainrings. I also suggest very thoroughly cleaning the derailleur pulley wheels. They always seem to accumulate the most crap.

kingston 

Clean the oil off the rings and cassette before you install the waxed chain. I have never oiled rings or cassettes even with an oiled chain so I would say you have been wasting your time.

noglider 

Most chainrings are steel, not aluminum, so there is no risk of rust. The risk of rust on rear cogs is small, unless the bike sites outside a lot. Oiling is mostly unnecessary but not a terrible thing to do. It could attract dirt onto the chain which would shorten the life of the chain, but it's not clearcut. I sometimes clean my bike with furniture polish in a can, and I believe it leaves a thin coat of wax. This may not keep it clean, but I believe it makes subsequent cleanings a bit easier.

Kontact 

Cassette rust is relatively unlikely. Most of the cassette is protected by some sort of plating, and the wear areas are protected by the chain wax and the wear removing corrosion before it can get very far. You would have to leave your bike outside and ride very little for the rust to become an issue faster than wear from use.

If you are anal about it, wax your cassette.

Bigbus

I live on the coast where everything rusts so I wax all the gears along with the chain on a regular basis. I would use oil for the ease of it but found it collects beach sand much faster compared to wax.

Bigbus

Aluminum rusts? and steel doesn't? I need to go back to school. haha

Jeff K.

noglider 

Oops, obviously I got that backwards.