TromboneAl

Over the summer I became a diehard fan of paraffin chain lubing. But now the rainy season has arrived, and I'm sure to get caught in the rain now and then. My understanding is that water will get in under the wax.

One thing I've done is purchase a rust-resistant chain, since rust is more of an issue with a non-oil-based lube.

What do other paraffin users do: dry and relube the chain after getting caught in the rain?

VaultGuru

Suggestion...ask your question in the Pacific Northwest forum (regional) or call Branford Bike in Seattle, WA
https://branfordbike.com/storelocator/
They know. The owners ride continuously in the rain.

texbiker

I reduce the miles between waxing to about half.

pdlamb

Wax two or three chains and swap them out after a rain ride (or commute). Cuts the chain wear way down, and the time you spend waxing by a fraction. You'll still have to spend some time wiping the crud off the bike before it dries and hardens, right?

zonatandem

We moved to southern Arizona . . .

TromboneAl

So let's say I ride in a rainstorm, and the chain gets thoroughly soaked. Should I:

1. Drop it in melted paraffin when I get home.

2. Dry it in the oven and then drop it in melted paraffin

3. Just keep using it until I notice squeaking

zonatandem

Keep using it until it gives a 'squeak'.

NVanHiker

Up here in the Pacific Northwest, we use a product that is part Water Dispersant, part lubricant. The name escapes me at the moment, but it's pretty amazing stuff.

on the path

My experience with paraffin waxing of chain:

- new chain, + 1800 miles, 4 additional applications (5 total)

- each additional application seems to retain the wax less than the previous

- after riding in heavy rain one day for about 45 minutes, the chain became very rusty upon drying. It was light surface rust, but it covered all parts of the drive train that the chain was contacting. Another application seemed to remove and/or displace the rust.

- I don't think water gets between the wax and the chain. I think the each new application is less adherent to the chain, hence the increasing likelihood of oxidation.

- I like the lubrication factor and low maintenance of the chain waxing, but I'm not completely sold on the concept

- see signature below

Carbonfiberboy 

During the winter we will do long wet rides almost every weekend on our tandem (2 chains). #1 thing is to keep the worst of the grit off the drivetrain, which means fenders and mudflaps. We use Finish Line Ceramic Wet Lube. It stays on. We can ride 75 miles in the rain no problem. After a wet ride, I let the chain dry (no rust with a good wet lube), wipe the chain clean and add a little more lube. This takes 5 minutes. I no longer clean the chain with solvents, brush boxes, etc. I think that shortens chain life by washing the lube out of the bushings. Rain will not wash a good lube out of the bushings. I never take the chain off the bike until it is worn out.

If you want to try to continue with wax, immediately when you get back dry the chain with a rag, then a heat gun with an attachment made to heat shrink tubing. Rotate the pedals and heat gun the chain until it is quite hot and you are sure the water has been driven out of the bushings. Then remove the chain and hot wax it again. If you allow it to rust, you are causing major chain deterioration. SS chains don't necessarily solve the problem, because SS can gall. We get longer life out of non-SS chains. We use Ultegra level Shimano chains.

Rowan

Putting aside the waxing part, I tend to agree with much of what you ahve said. I've even pretty well stopped cleaning chains, and just relube them. If they get really gritty in dry conditions or because we have been over unsealed roads or paths, I probably will pull the chain off and clean. Certainly, the tandem hasn't had a chain clean since we got it, and while I have a pair of new ones for the timing chain which is currently showing a lot of grit, that part of the transmission is OK, and the rear is shifting as nicely as ever.

We also use Ultegra or equivalent in mainly KMC, although I will use SRAM if the price is right, too. Lube of choice is Tri-Flow. Anything that is wax-based just hasn't worked to my satisfaction.

TromboneAl

Here's my new 45North "Willful Neglect" rust-resistant chain:



I wanted shiny, but this looks pretty good. I B Stylin' now.

Manufacturer says: "our winterized chains are electro-plated with zinc chromium to make them rust resistant. We test them past 500 hours of salt spray testing without any signs of corrosion."

I'll let you know how it goes.

Rowan

The rust on the chain with waxing indicates to me the fundamental problem with waxing -- that any abrasion of impact between the metal surfaces of the chain actually scrapes or presses the wax from those surfaces. The rust means the metal surface is being expose to water and oxygen, and that is not a good thing.

While I appreciate the results in TromboneAl's other summer testing and the adherents to waxing as a lubing regimen, I see it as fairly impractical for my purposes and riding conditions, and given the pullback I have adopted in chain cleaning as noted above.

pursuance

About a year ago Richard of Richard's Cyclery had me try Boeshield T.9.
Richard has been a bent dealer for 25+ years (long chain runs through tubes and such).

I've been using it ever since. Google reviews, the marine guys and MTB guys like it so it must do well in mud/water.

TromboneAl

Does it collect road dirt like oil?

"Boeshield T-9[SUP]®[/SUP] was developed and licensed by The Boeing Company to fill their need for a superior lubricant/protectant. The formulation, based on a unique combination of solvents and waxes, is designed to penetrate metal pores and dissolve minor corrosion, then leave a resilient waxy coating that lasts for many months."

NOS88

This is my thought as well. I think the problem with wax versus other kinds of lubricants is that it must get hot enough to turn into liquid to seep back onto the parts that have been scraped clean of it. With other lubes this is not the case. In terms of wet riding, I think lubricants that tend to displace water are the best bet.

Al, I'll be interested to know how it works for you. My thinking about this, as always, could be completely off base. Like I'm prone to telling my sons, "Just because you believe something doesn't make it true."

pursuance

No it does not collect dirt like the Tri-Flow I've used. The chainrings and cassette stays clean but I use fenders.
We get little rain in SoCal so I really can not comment on wet weather use.

It is so dry when I reapply after about 150 miles(probably too often) that a light spray of WD40 on a paper towel is used to clean the chain and very little grit shows on the paper. I ride MUPs the most but do ride in traffic also.

Richard likes it because the chain run tubes do not fill-up with grit.

on the path

What you say is certainly true. I'm open to explanation, but I don't know why applying heated wax is a bad thing.

See my post earlier in this thread. My experience is that the wax treatment works great...for a while. Long term, I'm not yet convinced..

NOS88

I don't think applying heated wax is a bad thing. It is more problematic in terms of ease of application and length of effectiveness for time invested. However, that is not bad. As an example, it is more problematic for me to wet shave every morning with a DE safety razor than to simply pull out the electric and be done in 2 minutes. Yet, I wouldn't trade the ritual of a wet shave for the electric. I like the ritual, while recognizing that it is more problematic.

on the path

Agreed. And, different preferences.

I'd much rather do the waxing routine every few weeks than the constant wiping, re-lubing, etc. And don't even get me started on the dreaded tank-with-rotating-brushes contraption. I learned to hate that thing very quickly. And.. I prefer the quick once over with the electric razor, as opposed to alternative safety razor and shaving cream approach. To each his own..

TromboneAl

I had a thought, don't know if it would work this way:

Let's say the chain gets wet, and I want the water to evaporate before I put the chain into the melted paraffin. Perhaps if I put the chain on top of the solid paraffin in the slow cooker, and turn it on, the water will evaporate while the paraffin is melting. That is, it sits on the hot, solid paraffin for an hour or more while the wax is melting.

I'm probably over thinking this.

fietsbob

pursuance

Boeing developed T-9 for use as an external lubricant on aircraft.
A dribble bottle is < $10 at Lowes.
Read the data sheet in the link you provided.

In the olden days of non-oring m/c chains some would mix bees wax and gear oil into a heated mess to soak the chains in. yuck!

zonatandem

300,000+ miles so far (since early 1970s) . . . does that qualify as 'long term use?'