Immersive waxing / it should be more popular
#1001
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I'm not a fan of doing it on my mtb, but TBH that's mostly due to water from creek crossings and that sort of thing
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#1002
Senior Member
Is chain waxing also okay for gravel bikes as well? I've read some people opt not to wax their gravel chain, but I'm not sure what the consensus is on that? My gravel terrain here in SoCal tends to attract more dust and grit, so I usually mist hose my bike and wipe it down. My road bike doesn't get as dirty.
#1003
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This is on a 10 speed cassette. The 10 speed chains don’t seem to last as long as my 8 speed chains, but that’s an impression not a measurement.
Over 1000 posts on wax, and I deserve my 0.5% of the blame. Remember if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate.
#1004
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My experience in the wet is that the wax comes off ("shears" off?) and that it starts grinding and needs to get re-applied. That seems to be the general consensus as well - that wax isn't great for wet climates like the PNW. Not sure why that is, but my chain certainly starts grinding prematurely after it gets appreciably wet.
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"Your beauty is an aeroplane;
so high, my heart cannot bear the strain." -A.C. Jobim, Triste
"Your beauty is an aeroplane;
so high, my heart cannot bear the strain." -A.C. Jobim, Triste
#1005
Is chain waxing also okay for gravel bikes as well? I've read some people opt not to wax their gravel chain, but I'm not sure what the consensus is on that? My gravel terrain here in SoCal tends to attract more dust and grit, so I usually mist hose my bike and wipe it down. My road bike doesn't get as dirty.
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#1006
Senior Member
My experience in the wet is that the wax comes off ("shears" off?) and that it starts grinding and needs to get re-applied. That seems to be the general consensus as well - that wax isn't great for wet climates like the PNW. Not sure why that is, but my chain certainly starts grinding prematurely after it gets appreciably wet.
I've found that hard wax (proper grade paraffin or hard wax mixes) works in really wet conditions between 100 - 200km if that distance consists of multiple rides and for around 200km if it's one ride. By comparison, no oil I've tried has remained squeak free for more than 50km in similar conditions. Unless of course the chain is a black mess of caked oil dust and rust. Of course in mountain biking it's more relevant to consider hours of operation since average speed is so much lower.
#1007
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One more step, tool, or consideration to make this process work with ideal effectiveness. And we're still hearing "Chain waxing is so much better. It's not harder or more complicated. In fact, it's even easier than drip lube."
I'm sticking with my favorite drip lube. About every 200 miles (or however often I fee like doing it), I wipe down my chain, crank, and cassette, and then add more lube. The whole process takes maybe five minutes, doesn't require chain removal from the bike, and all I have to buy and store is a bottle of lube and a rag. But tell me again how wax is so much easier.
I think guys wax chains because they enjoy waxing chains, not because there are any major benefits. It's kind of like Hank Hill: "I"m going to change the oil in my truck. It's not due. I'm just changing it for fun."
I'm sticking with my favorite drip lube. About every 200 miles (or however often I fee like doing it), I wipe down my chain, crank, and cassette, and then add more lube. The whole process takes maybe five minutes, doesn't require chain removal from the bike, and all I have to buy and store is a bottle of lube and a rag. But tell me again how wax is so much easier.
I think guys wax chains because they enjoy waxing chains, not because there are any major benefits. It's kind of like Hank Hill: "I"m going to change the oil in my truck. It's not due. I'm just changing it for fun."
As I say to everyone, it's all a matter of what type of person you are. I enjoy spending time maintaining my bike in my garage. It's always clean. Chain waxing does not bother me and the benefits are worth it. Some of us only wants to ride their bike and lube their chain. It's also fine.
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#1008
Super-duper Genius
The argument is not that wax is much easier than wipe and drip but that it is superior in terms of drivetrain efficiency and longevity. So waxing is for people who desire these benefits and/or enjoy that kind of process. One thing to consider is that people that wax never have to clean their drivetrains (cassette, chainrings, jockey wheels,...) because they stay clean, so worth factoring in in terms of time and fuss. Beyond that, people that get into waxing may want to improve their workflow or setup, but these steps are just incremental and highly optional. Your chain and my chain are beyond comparison based on our maintenance choices, and that is certainly ok.
I suppose I can agree with the claim that, for most riders, there are real benefits to be had. They come at a cost. Many riders find the juice is worth the squeeze, but many others will not.
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#1009
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It clearly involves more steps, that's for sure, but I firmly believe that the ''benefits outweigh the costs''. Even using ready-to-use wax based lubricant in a bottle like SQUIRT is better - by far - than conventional lube. On long rides, I can hear my friend's chains getting noisier after 100+kms while mine remains quiet as a bosch dishwasher.
#1010
Super-duper Genius
But efficiency? How many Watts do you think a drip lubed chain robs from the rider's effort, and how many for a waxed chain? I bet it is less than one Watt of difference. Even a rusty, never-lubed chain is probably not taking more than a couple Watts. It's noisy, may be hard to shift, and will wear out quickly, but it's not significantly less efficient.
#1012
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Is chain waxing also okay for gravel bikes as well? I've read some people opt not to wax their gravel chain, but I'm not sure what the consensus is on that? My gravel terrain here in SoCal tends to attract more dust and grit, so I usually mist hose my bike and wipe it down. My road bike doesn't get as dirty.
We are both in SoCal, where it rarely rains, so all the handwringing about riding in the wet does not apply to us. FWIW, I rode my gravel bike with its waxed chain in light rain all the time earlier this year without issue. I did not ride in heavier rain not because of any concern about the chain, but because it is too much work to wash my bike afterward.
Last edited by SoSmellyAir; 09-28-23 at 04:24 PM.
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#1013
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I'll concede on the cleanliness claim. Also longevity, perhaps.
But efficiency? How many Watts do you think a drip lubed chain robs from the rider's effort, and how many for a waxed chain? I bet it is less than one Watt of difference. Even a rusty, never-lubed chain is probably not taking more than a couple Watts. It's noisy, may be hard to shift, and will wear out quickly, but it's not significantly less efficient.
But efficiency? How many Watts do you think a drip lubed chain robs from the rider's effort, and how many for a waxed chain? I bet it is less than one Watt of difference. Even a rusty, never-lubed chain is probably not taking more than a couple Watts. It's noisy, may be hard to shift, and will wear out quickly, but it's not significantly less efficient.
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"Your beauty is an aeroplane;
so high, my heart cannot bear the strain." -A.C. Jobim, Triste
"Your beauty is an aeroplane;
so high, my heart cannot bear the strain." -A.C. Jobim, Triste
#1014
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I use this as it seems to work on my KMC chains, a guide from KNC on maintenance:A new chain usually feels sticky at first. These are residues of the high-performance grease used during assembly. Remove this grease with a thin-bodied oil or cleaner (no aggressive grease solvents!), lightly oil the rollers and remove excess oil with a cloth.
We recommend never to degrease the chain completely. Also when changing to wax, we recommend to degrease the chain only on the outside. If you degrease the chain completely, we recommend to soak the chain in wax for 12–24 hours, so that this can penetrate into the inside of the chain.
https://www.kmcchain.eu/Maintenance
We recommend never to degrease the chain completely. Also when changing to wax, we recommend to degrease the chain only on the outside. If you degrease the chain completely, we recommend to soak the chain in wax for 12–24 hours, so that this can penetrate into the inside of the chain.
https://www.kmcchain.eu/Maintenance
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#1015
member
I am a convert - turned to waxing all my/my wife's road/gravel chains - love it! However, speaking of MTB - I mostly ride my MTB in NorCal dry/dusty conditions, so thought waxing should work well for my mtb - I learned otherwise. Only after a couple of rides in completely dry conditions my chain started making this horrible grinding noise and shifting seriously deteriorated. It is 12 speed Shimano BTW. Go figure...
#1016
Senior Member
I am a convert - turned to waxing all my/my wife's road/gravel chains - love it! However, speaking of MTB - I mostly ride my MTB in NorCal dry/dusty conditions, so thought waxing should work well for my mtb - I learned otherwise. Only after a couple of rides in completely dry conditions my chain started making this horrible grinding noise and shifting seriously deteriorated. It is 12 speed Shimano BTW. Go figure...
#1018
My 11 speed XTR chain on my gravel bike did this after a particularly dusty ride in the CZU burn scar. I did the same ride again, a few days ago with a clean chain, just after the light rain we had, and didn't have a problem.
I think if the dust particles are fine enough (we call it "moon dust"), you can get this happening with wax. With a wet lube, you probably won't hear anything, but you have a fine grained grinding paste.
I think if the dust particles are fine enough (we call it "moon dust"), you can get this happening with wax. With a wet lube, you probably won't hear anything, but you have a fine grained grinding paste.
#1019
Senior Member
#1020
#1021
Doubt it all you want. It is true tho. Melted wax will dissolve and mix with factory grease no problem. Even if you are not replacing 100.00% of the factory lube, so what? You get it next time around. Again, precleaning is a waste of time And money. Just dump it in, straight from the package, swish a bit and ur fine. While we are at it. Crockpots are a waste of time too. An ordinary sauce pan and a stove top will get you done in 1/10 the time. The excessive fear of fire and what not is really misplaced. No more dangerous than frying an egg.
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#1023
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Doubt it all you want. It is true tho. Melted wax will dissolve and mix with factory grease no problem. Even if you are not replacing 100.00% of the factory lube, so what? You get it next time around. Again, precleaning is a waste of time And money. Just dump it in, straight from the package, swish a bit and ur fine. While we are at it. Crockpots are a waste of time too. An ordinary sauce pan and a stove top will get you done in 1/10 the time. The excessive fear of fire and what not is really misplaced. No more dangerous than frying an egg.
i use a crocpot not because i am scare of catching fire on a stove top but becasue it is significantly more convient to do this work in the garage where my ride is being cleaned while theh wax is doing its thing.
what i do find to be a complete waste of time is "soaking" the chain in hot wax for an hour. really? what a complete waste of time and energy. like the metal plates and pins are going to absorb wax, really? just agitate until the wax makes it way into all voids. takes a screwdriver and about 20 seconds (if that).
#1024
should be more popular
Thread Starter
And even if skipping the solvent rounds to strip factory grease is possible without purpose defeating detriment to the wax base, I will gladly do that step once a leap year when I process a new chain into the rotation and keep the wax extra pristine. Especially for more expensive chain specific waxes where a lot of the money goes into the right consistency, I won't have that soften out from the factory grease of multiple chains over time, now that I know that wax in a crockpot can be in service for years.
what i do find to be a complete waste of time is "soaking" the chain in hot wax for an hour. really?
Last edited by yaw; 10-01-23 at 06:47 PM.
#1025
I have a mini crock pot dedicated to melting wax. I would never want to put anything for consumption in that (and I use only pure caning wax, no Mb or PTFEs).
The good thing about a crock pot is you can do everything safely outside.
The good thing about a crock pot is you can do everything safely outside.