cyccommute 

In all honesty, I’m not a fan of hot waxing nor complicated cleaning regimes. My chains are cleaned exactly once…when I install it. I shake the new chain in mineral spirits in an old Gatorade bottle for about 30 seconds. After I let it dry (in the sun for about 10 minutes), I install it on the bike and use a White Lightning Clean Ride. That’s the last time that the chain gets cleaned or even taken off the bike. When the chain makes more noise than I can stand or if I happen to ride in the rain, I relube. Currently I’m tracking the lubrication interval but I’m early in my recording. I’ve gotten up to 700 miles on a lubrication cycle but my current chain went around 450 miles.

I do reuse my mineral spirits several times which does result in chain that is a little bit dirtier looking as the mineral spirits get used than the first wash but it doesn’t result in an overly dirty chain. I can still handle it without getting myself dirty like I did in the past when I used oil. The result is a bike and drivetrain that doesn’t need constant cleaning nor constant disassembly. Bottom line: it’s just easier.

I’ve used hot wax in the past and found it too bothersome. Not as bothersome as the constant cleaning with oil but more bother than I want to deal with. I’ve used oil…including Phil Wood Tenacious oil…and won’t go back.

As for wet weather performance, I’ve used White Lightning on tours throughout the US. I’ve used it in driving rainstorms and dry dusty conditions. I haven’t found it to perform poorly in the wet. Oil should be reapplied after rain as well since water will float the oil off. Wax doesn’t “wash off”. It’s much less water soluble than oil is but it also sticks to the metal better than oil does.

Finally, all the falderal of oil vs wax and the pearl clutching over a chain is mostly silly. It’s a chain. It will wear out. Chains are cheap. They really are not worth as much worry as we cyclists give it but, well, here we are.

gugie 

Yeah, I get you, but I've got some friends hot into wax (pun intended), so I figured I'd give it a try. I'm not worried about chains wearing out. When I was a sales rep many moons ago I'd buy Sedisport chains 10 at a time at wholesale, which was something like $2.45 each my cost, as I recall. Once they started squeeking, I'd just replace them, and give the old chains to friends, since they still had a lot of life in them.

I also wrap my bars in cloth tape, finish it with twine ala Rivendell, and shellac them. Most people don't see the bother in it, but I like the look, and it's bomb proof - I can clean and add a fresh layer of shellac once a year and they still look great.

Besides, modern chain lubes ain't C&V, waxing chains has been around since I was a teenager (many decades ago!), and was probably around earlier than that. Aren't we supposed to suffer a bit to ride our bikes?

Pretty sure the world won't end if I wax a few chains.

Bad Lag

I used White Lightning, too. After two bottle's worth, I went back to oil. Getting the wax off and out was not easy. I'm happier with oil but am not enjoy Phil Tenacious Oil on my chain, at all.

Just a thought - maybe I never got all the wax out of the chain and that is why the oil is spewing off the chain. I've never seen oil spin off quite like this before.

Chains are not cheap. I'm running a $100 Regina Oro chain right now and want to get every nickel's worth out of it. Replacements seem to be in the $30-50 range, so not cheap. I have a replacement chain sitting on the tool box.

cyccommute 

The problem most people have with White Lightning comes from following the directions and using it far too often. White Lightning severely underestimates the service cycle. I get around 400 to 700 miles between application which is far more than the 100 miles White Lightning suggest. I have 12 bikes in my garage that get around 4000 miles of combined service per year. A 4 oz bottle will last me several years.

Chains are generally cheap. I can’t for the life of me figure out what you get for a $100 chain other than a name. “Oro” should have been the first clue to how much the chain would cost. “Gold” is not a name for cheap. Even a gold chain is going to wear out in about the same time as a $20 chain.

nlerner

For my bikes that are 8 speed or fewer (other than single speeds or IGH bikes that use 1/8" chains), I use SRAM PC 8xx chains and buy them several at a time when they go on sale, usually $10-15 a pop.

Classtime 

I might have to try some WL and 400 mile between lubes. I sold my chainsaw years ago but kept the oil —getting 160 miles which is a week of commutes. 32oz is a lot of lubes and it’s a cool red color.

Polaris OBark

Do you genuinely use this for a bike chain? I have I think 4 chainsaws and a gallon of Stihl bar oil, but it never ever occurred to me to get it anywhere near my bikes. The consistency is quite tacky.

oldbikeguy62

I have just tried some on my Sunbeams chain. It is in an enclosed chain case so splatter shouldn't be a problem

Classtime 

A small drop on each link. All these bar oils are likely similar. I wouldn't describe what I'm using as tacky -- thicker than some lubes? - yes. The cost is super attractive

Chuckk

I believe I remember a posting from an ex-employee of Pedro's claiming he went to the auto supply store to buy cases of Mobil One to be repackaged as Pedro's.
But that's just hearsay filtered through oncoming dementia.

Bad Lag

Mileage per bottle sounds about right (from my experience) but I probably got fewer miles than you per bottle. I equate chain noise with needing lube, so every few hundred miles I would add a drop per link.

$100 is what a Regina Oro seems to be selling for. Mine is old and probably needs to bested and/or replaced. I did not pay $100 but it wasn't cheap, either. I bought it because I knew, without a doubt, it would work with my 5 speed freewheel drive train. It shifts very well in that role.

No one (very few) even bother advertise compatibility with 5 speed freewheels, so I am not sure if the replacement chain I bought will work, or if it "works" will it work well. One thing I know is it wasn't cheap either.

Chains seem to be selling for $30 - $50 each. Funky, cheap, black Sedis chains are offered for $70 but should be $5-10.
.

• Does anyone know the spec limits (numerical, quantitative) for chain wear? I have a huge set of measurement tools, so I do not want to buy yet another Park gage.
• Does anyone know which chains work best with old 5 speed freewheels? I think lack of lateral stiffness was mentioned as an issue with some newer chains.