Troul 

It's something I can do with the limited short blocks of time I've come to have as of late, during the day. It is kind of quick compared to cleaning & lubing a chain the ole non waxing ways. Cleaner process too. Only catch is having a setup to make it least cumbersome.

venturi95

IMMERSIVE WAXING UPDATE: I took the plunge. $8 for a new-looking little crock pot from the thrift shop, $30 for the top-shelf Silca product.
ABOUT ME: I am motivated by the longevity claims by the various users, the cleanliness and silence is a bonus. I am skeptical of even doubling chain life. We will have to wait and see. Previously I was a little obsessive about keeping clean Boeshield, Tri-flo, or Mobil 1 5-20 weight motor oil on the chain. My method rarely involves removal of the chain for my road bike. I would hose off surface dirt with the usual suburban lawn care nozzle on the garden hose, wipe down the cogs, chainrings and chain, slather on lube, wipe off, slather on again, wipe off everything, and be good to go. Old cardboard was used to keep the messy fling-off from the rim.

This is a little over 3,000 miles on the old 10 speed Shimano chain lined up next to the new one. I was horrified upon seeing this, I usually don't let them get this stretched. I have a hard time believing claims vastly greater than my own experiences.

So lubed up it barely moves. Wax is everywhere it needs to be.

The chain was super quiet, eerily silent, for the first 75 miles, which I love. Now 100 miles into it I notice a little noise when cross chained. The bike seems to pedal more efficiently, but that could be the placebo effect of all the silence. I am happy with my efforts so far, I say, "Believe the hype!"
USE IMMERSIVE WAXING IF YOU:
-Like a silent, efficient, and clean drivetrain
-Enjoy fussing with your bicycle
STAY AWAY FROM WAXING IF YOU:
-Don't like trying new things
I recommend a pair of mechanic's gloves for handling the hot chain on the end of a bent spoke.
I also waxed the chain on my gravel bike but have yet to set the tires upon dirt roads.

Sy Reene

For the first photo, is that the length difference against the entire chain length? If so, that might not be too bad -- about 1/8" against a 50" length (= .25%)?
The second photo looks pretty unnatural.

venturi95

I am trying to save the original Dura Ace 7803 triple chainrings for as long as possible. I know it is not excessive wear, but I get a little fanatical about not using a stretched chain.
The chain was hung up and allowed to cool. It is stiff, but it takes no effort to thread it through the derailleur jockey cage and around the cogs. After installation I rode away from my garage with no quirks from all the wax.

yaw

Good to see venturi95

I don't understand what you mean here though. If you have the chain threaded on the horizontal part of a bent spoke (or coat hanger or any other wire) and hold the whole thing by the vertical part of the 'J' shape, then your hands should not get anywhere near anything hot? It's usually best to just hang the chain up to completely cool, then break it off the hanger, break the links, and install. So it makes sense to make a little hook at the top of the 'J' and, if possible, just hang it right above the pot so it can drip into the pot and cool.

Troul 

after a 50+ mile wet, mucky, cold dash this past weekend; the waxed chain was the cleanest thing after it all... Even i looked worse than usual.

Lombard

Good grief, Charlie Brown! If you have this much chain wear after only 3000 miles, you're doing something terribly wrong.

venturi95

Pretty average wear rate from what I have read (not so sure about that, I may be mistaken). What do you think is the problem with my maintenance? I assumed keeping seemingly clean Boeshield on there was the best practice.
My friends toured the world, twice. He was a much stronger rider than the wife, and his drivetrain needed replacing sooner. My weight fluctuates from 170 to 190, I climb a lot as well.

venturi95

The chain doesn't stay un-kinked during the swirling process - just a couple little movements to assure the wax is everywhere - in the liquid hot wax. I don't like the idea of a wildly swinging hot and drippy chain, even in my dirty garage. I don't leave the spoke (or wire) attached while the chain is in the wax.

masi61

venturi95 - in your photo showing 2 chains side by side we are left guessing if they line up at the beginning. You are stating that one chain is horribly stretched compared to the other (presumably new) chain. Could you comment on this? Maybe you could line them up your old chain next to a new chain along the entire length and somehow capture a photo of this maybe using a precision 12” rule at the last 12” of both chains to get a measurement of the elongation.

BTW: I don’t have exact mileage numbers but I still wear out about one chain per year on my each of my 2 road bikes with a each running a 2 chain system. I ride about 5,000 to 6,000 miles a year total between 2 bikes so say… 2500 to 3,000 miles per bike divided by 2 and my chain life could be south of 2,000 miles before it gets to 0.75% on my Park Tools chain checker. Basically the same chain life as with wet lube.

I continue to wax my chains for the cleanliness but also for the quietness of a freshly waxed chain.

And back to the chain life anecdotal reports I would say that in my experience SRAM and KNC chains run really well when new but elongate the fastest. This is in comparison to Campagnolo and Wippermann chains which start out life a little stiff but then get better with more miles and seem to last maybe 1/3 to 1/2 longer before reaching 0.75% elongation.

And ditto about the 7803 triple chainrings and wanting to nott wear them out prematurely… These are the cranks I am running on my Flyte and the middle 39 tooth ring is used the most and once it gets shark toothed…it is doubtful I will ever find a factory perfect new replacement for it.

venturi95

To be clear, the picture of my old chain is not 12 inches, it is the entire length. What kind of milage and riding are you experiencing?
Some dumb stuff from the internet:

FWIW a 10 speed drivetrain isn't likely to last less than 8 or 9 speed provided you look after it. I expect to get about 1000-1500 miles out of a chain, replace a cassette every 3-4 chains and rarely replace chainrings if everything else is running sweet. I have chainrings that are more than 30 years old. Mashing a big gear with a worn chain also creates greater point-load on the chainring and therefore accelerates wear.

a chain will last 2000 miles at a push without ruining your other kit. and you've done over twice that- but seriously commuting with a 10speed setup is pissing money down the toilet. 10 speed lasts less time in theory that cheaper 8 or nine due to higher point loads- and whatever they say the material isn't harder.

A chain can last anywhere from about 500 miles to 5000, depending on the quality of the chain, the sprockets, how the bike is ridden, and the maintenance.

1. How Often Should I Replace My Bike Chain?
Generally, it’s a smart idea to replace your bike chain after reaching 2,000 miles. Though a well-maintained bike chain can go up to 8,000 miles,

I will believe it will never happen with me pedaling it: well-maintained bike chain can go up to 8,000 miles,

Lombard

I'm not sure what you are doing wrong. I generally get about 8,000 miles before my chain is worn 1/16". That's when I replace it. I lube with a 50/50 homebrew mix of synthetic motor oil and mineral spirits. I re-lube every 500 miles unless I get caught in the rain, then I re-lube after that ride.

If you're only getting 3000 miles out of a chain, you must either ride in rain and wet roads a lot or you're doing something terribly wrong.

venturi95

Well, what can it be? Pushing abrasive paste into the rollers when "cleaning" the chain? There is a lot of wind-blown and abrasive dust here (bordering the high desert), in fact this area is famous for its wind. That is one plausible explanation. Or... perhaps the wear accelerates exponentially with weight of an aging road rider? What do you weigh? I was 150-155 in my day, then I quit racing and started using my upper body for work. My weight went up to 165-170 very quickly, and I noticed every dynamic of the vehicle (me on the bike) changed for the worse.
I just weighed myself and I was 184. That's an additional fully loaded touring bike with my old self pedaling it.

yaw

And why not? That is the whole purpose of it. You thread it onto a hanger to dip it in, swish it, and pull it around without getting anywhere near the wax.

Like in this pic (minus the silly gloves of course!)

GhostRider62

Immersion should be more popular, I'm going to bring it to the boyz in the hockey locker room. Why rub your stick when you can dip your blade.

Lombard

Possibly the dust in the desert or your cleaning method? My chain goes on the bike new and does not come off the bike until I am ready to replace it. I never clean the chain other than wiping it down after lubing, I just re-lube every 500 miles. The mineral spirits in my homebrew works out the nasty stuff and the chain wipes clean. Then I wipe it down again after the first post lube ride when the excess lube works its way out of the rollers.

Unless you are carrying 50 lbs of touring gear, I doubt your weight is a factor. I'm 175# and carry a beam rack weighing 6-8# on a 23# gravel bike.

GhostRider62

I've been lazy with chain maintenance after rain rides and today, I took the chain off at 3,000 miles and measured the whole against a brand new one. No observable difference in length. Shocked.

Lombard

I have to wonder if people aren't loving their chains to death.

Kai Winters

Chain wear varies based on the load applied imo.
I've had 20+ year old bikes in the shop and checking the chain find it is barely stretched/worn while others are stretched after a relatively few...perhaps 1500 miles or more...miles. The bikes have few miles on them and are generally used for a very easy ride around the neighborhood or at a summer camp, etc.
If you are putting a lot of load on the chain it will stretch and wear, no different than a cable stretching over time.
Perhaps cleaning regularly and waxing a chain will lengthen the life perhaps not but it is certainly more quiet and has little to no contamination...dirt, etc...on the outside of the chain.
I'm a waxing fan !

spelger

i'm in the desert too and get way more than 3K per chain. more like 7-8K mi. my routine is to take chain off, swish in bottle of mineral spirits, move to secondary MS bath (cleaner), bathe in wax and leave in until next time. the croc already has a chain from the previous cleaning so while the one is being washed the other is in melting wax waiting to be taken out and put on bike. the dirty MS bath really is quite dirty.

msu2001la

OK - I've read most of this thread and am ready to dive in. I've got a $14 Amazon crock pot and some Silca Super Secret wax on the way. I plan to buy a new chain and immediately start waxing. A few questions that have probably been answered at some point in the last 31 pages, but I'm hoping someone can provide some quick answers:

1. I'm planning to strip the lube from the existing chain, and also from a new chain that I just bought - does Mineral Spirits followed by a rinse with Denatured Alcohol/Acetone sound correct for this process? I got that from CyclingTips, which makes it seem like the cleaning process is pretty critical for the first time.
2. How long do I need to let the chain dry after cleaning before waxing can begin?
3. How long does the chain need to sit in the hot/melted wax? Am I agitating it the entire time or letting it "simmer"?
4. Some videos show people measuring the temperature of the wax. The settings on a cheap crock pot are basically "off-low-high". I can measure with a thermometer, but is this typically a "low" setting or "high"?
5. Is there a reason some people wax the quick links separately?
6. How long after waxing do I need to wait before breaking the links and re-installing?


Thanks.

Troul 

i've experimented with #2, & after the chain has been used out in the dirty environment, the personal pref wait time to dry before dropping it into the wax seemed to be related to the chain's temp. The cleaner makes the metal cold, & once that cold leaves the metal, I use that as the opportune time to drop it in the molten wax.
usually when the chain is dropped in, I move on to doing a simple cleaning/inspection of the bicycle. Once that is wrapped up, I remove the chain from the hot wax.
I don't let the wax "boil". A medium-low heat seems to work. If the wax is gassing, it's too hot imo.
Maybe they dont want to lose the links? I just slide them on to the dedicated spoke first followed by the chain. No issues yet.
I'll let the wax in the pot cool, which gives me the time needed to tidy up the area, & to lastly destiff the links & install the ready to go chain.

spelger

1. don't bother. nothing wrong with the factory lube. once time for re lubing just use mineral spirits. i use two baths, first is a dirty wash, second a cleaner bath. how long? i swish it around for a few seconds, let settle, swish, then move to the other bath adn repeat. sometimes i leave it in for a few hours because life gets in the way.
2. you can put in the wax right away. MS will get displaced by the wax. i let mine hang for a bit before dumping in though.
3. not long, after i dump it in i use a screw driver to agitate it a bit until all bubbles stop. bubbles are coming from the rollers in the links. any longer and you are wasting energy.
4. never measured temp.
5. because they have too much time on their hands.
6. once it is cool to the touch you can start right away. nice on the hands in winter.

my croc was $5 at the good will and i only use gulf wax. guess i am pretty cheap here.

SoSmellyAir

msu2001la re: post #771, as follows:

1. Odorless mineral spirits (the fast to dissolve version, not the slow to dissolve version) is all you need. Two or three baths (depending on how dirty the chain is to begin with), with agitation.
2. Long enough so that it is no longer dripping, plus another 10 or 15 minutes to let more evaporate from the surface. A little residual OMS is not going to affect the waxing.
3. Long enough to allow chain to reach same temperature as wax. 45 minutes should be plenty. (To reduce this time you can drop the clean chain into the wax before the wax is fully melted.) Agitate a few times during this period, but no need to do so constantly.
4. Crock Pot (the brand, not the generic term) on low is roughly 200 F, which is more than sufficient to melt the wax.
5. I wax the quick links secured to the chain with twist ties, to allow the perfect wax layer to form between each quick link and the inner chain plate. But doing so limits the installation of the chain in exactly one orientation. Probably fine to just wax the chain without the quick links as some wax will remain on the exterior surfaces of the inner chain plate.
6. The wax would solidify before the chain gets cool enough for you to handle.

Psimet2001 

I have a nice one as well. Large. we fill it with water. We then put parts we want to clean into plastic bags with whatever solvent or cleaner we want to use. That way the cleaner is almost always fresh, it doesn't take a lot and we don't have to clean out a whole wash - just drain the water if we aren't using it for a few days.