Are you sure you guys arent responding to a one post wonder who's pumping one or more of the products?

I tried all three, and they were all useless at removing hair. I can't imagine what else one would use wax on.

 

So THAT's why my chain is hairy!

Seriously, it's only been 6 hours since the OP posted. Good grief, give the OP the benefit of the doubt before you declare a new member a "one post wonder who's pumping one or more of the products". Waxing isn't for me, but to each their own.

 

I use wax lube (hot and drip) on some bikes and oil based on others. I think the main question you need to ask is why are you interested? Then, is the "juice worth the squeeze" to go to wax?

I use Silca hot wax and the drip to extend the time between hot waxes. I used to do the crock pot method but then purchased the Silca wax system and that made things a good deal easier overall.

First I'll say this... If you ride a lot in wet conditions, just don't do it unless you really really really like going through through the whole waxing process often.

I'll try to keep this as short as I can.

Pros:

• It's cleaner to the touch and in general with some caveats. If I drop a chain, grab it put it back on and jump on bike and roll. No need to clean fingers or hands after touching the chain. That was my main reason for switching.
• It doesn't wear the drive train as quickly. This is the reason I have stuck with hot wax on my main ride. I have 2 chains I rotate and still have less than .5 wear on both (after boiling hot water cleaning before re-imersion treatment) after 2.5 years and guessing milage of at least 12k miles if I exclude a chunck for trainer bike virtual "miles". Thats probably around 6k per chain so far. Those are Shimano HG701 Ultegra/XT and KMC X11SL chains. My rings and cassette are also not showing any excessive wear either and shifting is still great.
• Supposedly is faster and save watts... I don't care about this but if you are looking for every single possible advantage in racing, it's a consideration.
• It's quiet ****. Asterisk for a reason. When fresh and maintained and you are not crossed chained, it can be near silent.

Cons:

• It's ALOT of faf to get started. You need completely clean your WHOLE drivetrain. Everything that the chain will touch will need to be stripped of any oil or grease if you don't want to contaminate the wax. Chain, rings, pulleys, and yes the derailleur cages. I know people who skipped this and then had sub par results from the wax not lasting as long as it should or black grease like wax on their chain and it not being "clean" like I said above. If you are going to go to the trouble of using hot wax don't skip the prep.
• It's more faf to maintain. Some people don't mind this. Some find it worth it for waxing. Others not so much. You have to be more diligent on maintenance. This means you should wipe clean your chain after every ride. You can also use drip wax to extend the time between hot wax immersions. You can also rotate chains like I do, but at some point, you have to take the time to clean and dip the chains. Then break in prior to putting on the bike (not required but I find it helps with wax buildup and allows for much faster swaps on the fly if necessary).
• It can be noisy, when you need to re-wax or are severly crossed chained, it can be loud.
• It can be dirty. Wax will get on everything around your drive train. I will not use it on my trainer because I do not want wax bits all over my floors in the workout room - if it gets into carpet it's a real PIA to clean!!!. It will gum up your rings, pulleys, and in your cassette over time if you do not scrape them regularly. This is simple to prevent and takes less than 5 minutes - if you don't let it build up. Whenever I swap chains, I just scrape them with a plastic wedge. Same goes for wiping the derailleur cages with a cloth and rubbing alcohol.

That's my take and experience - sample size of 1.

 

First I'll say this... If you ride a lot in wet conditions, just don't do it unless you really really really like going through through the whole waxing process often.

This is not a big deal. It's not the whole waxing process where you need to strip a chain and start from scratch.
After a wet ride, throw the chain (even if wet) into the hot wax and renew it. Other than waiting for the wax to heat, it's a <5min process.
Even with oil lubed chains, you should dry off the chain to prevent rust. And clean/relube more often if you ride a lot in wet conditions

It's cleaner to the touch and in general with some caveats. If I drop a chain, grab it put it back on and jump on bike and roll. No need to clean fingers or hands after touching the chain. That was my main reason for switching.

The cleanliness was my main reason too. If you travel with a bike, it's so much easier and cleaner than dealing with a greasy chain and drivetrain.

It doesn't wear the drive train as quickly. This is the reason I have stuck with hot wax on my main ride. I have 2 chains I rotate and still have less than .5 wear on both (after boiling hot water cleaning before re-imersion treatment) after 2.5 years and guessing milage of at least 12k miles if I exclude a chunck for trainer bike virtual "miles". Thats probably around 6k per chain so far.

I was dubious of the chain life claims. And it wasn't my reason for switching. I've never had an issue with chain life. But DAMN. Chain life is far and above anything I've ever seen.
I'm rotating two chains, each has 4,000mi. I recently measured zero wear over 12" (on both chains). I couldn't believe zero wear was possible. So I measured the whole chain. And I found ~1/32" over 50". That's only 0.06% wear. The chains should last over 12,000mi.

Cons:

• It's ALOT of faf to get started. You need completely clean your WHOLE drivetrain. Everything that the chain will touch will need to be stripped of any oil or grease if you don't want to contaminate the wax. Chain, rings, pulleys, and yes the derailleur cages. I know people who skipped this and then had sub par results from the wax not lasting as long as it should or black grease like wax on their chain and it not being "clean" like I said above. If you are going to go to the trouble of using hot wax don't skip the prep.

Agreed. I don't think I'd want to switch over a used oiled drivetrain. And definitely wouldn't attempt to switch a used oiled chian.
I've only waxed on my new purchased bike. I haven't converted over all my other bikes.

It's more faf to maintain. Some people don't mind this. Some find it worth it for waxing. Others not so much. You have to be more diligent on maintenance. This means you should wipe clean your chain after every ride.

I find the exact opposite. It's a breeze to maintain... as in zero maintenance. I never wipe my chain and there's no wax buildup on the rings, cassette, or pulleys. Perfectly clean.
That's the greatness of waxing. Far less maintenance than oiling.

It can be noisy, when you need to re-wax or are severly crossed chained, it can be loud.

I don't find them to be any more noisy than an oiled chain that needs to be relubed.

It can be dirty. Wax will get on everything around your drive train. I will not use it on my trainer because I do not want wax bits all over my floors in the workout room - if it gets into carpet it's a real PIA to clean!!!.

Don't you have a sweat towel/mat under your trainer anyway?
You can get oil lube on the floor too.

It will gum up your rings, pulleys, and in your cassette over time if you do not scrape them regularly. This is simple to prevent and takes less than 5 minutes - if you don't let it build up. Whenever I swap chains, I just scrape them with a plastic wedge. Same goes for wiping the derailleur cages with a cloth and rubbing alcohol.

I don't have this problem.
It's been over a year and no wax to clean off.

 

The original is still the best

 

Back when I was a teen, and the universe was in its infancy, I melted paraffin wax in an coffee can. It worked fine, but really was a hassle. Now I use Silca. I also use their drip wax between the hot wax to extend its life. I don't know if it's better or worse than the other brands but it works for me. I also really like their customer service. Very quick shipping and very quick with answers to any questions I have.

 

Okay sweet, that’s good to know! I am excited to try it out!

 

That Park Tool chain cleaner makes a horrible spattery mess.

 

No it doesn't, I used it for about 18 years and learned from the first time I used it, don't back spin the chain fast, if you do it will splatter, if you don't it leaves very little mess. I put paper towels down because like any cleaning method, such as spray on and wipe, they will have some dripping, but not splatter if you don't crank the chain fast.

I switched from the Park because it was getting old, and the brushes were wearing out, while they do make replacement brushes, I thought I would try the Finish Line version, and I found that it works better than the Park, which agrees with a video I saw that tested about a dozen of these cleaners. The video did mention, and it's true, that the Finish Line one has a weird angle to it, but once you get use to it's fine, I think it's that weird angle that made it work the best of all of them; plus the brush wheels on the Finish Line had the least amount of wear thus the brush pads will last longer.

 

Lennard Zinn has done a ton of work in waxing. They have a podcast on the topic:

Lennard Zinn makes a strong case for chain waxing (and 36-inch wheels, too)

Zinn explains drivetrain wear and tells us that waxed chains are low friction and virtually maintenance-free. Plus, we talk 36-inch wheels and modern geo challenges.

www.singletracks.com

 

I use Molten Speed Wax. Works great. I think it's the best priced option.

Seems like some brands are more complex than others when it come to the process.

They are? What are the more complex processes?

 

I use Molten Speed Wax.

You mean you are Mr. Wax #2?

 

The Rex stuff looks overpriced ski wax.

You can buy Toko Backshop Wax with molybdenum for a lot less money.

 

To be serious here, I've found wax (Silca) has been great. Was using Rock n Roll Gold and found I'd have to reapply fairly frequently when the chain got noisy, plus had to deal with a greasy chain. Degreased the chain, dunked it in the wax tank and the drivetrain has been blissfully quiet like I've never experienced before. I can probably get 1-2 months out of it before needing another dunk (depending on riding volume). I've done the chains for all my bikes and had similar experiences with them.

 

I don't see the point of the hassle of hot waxing, they claim it's the best way to lube a chain, and it might be as long as you don't ride in the rain, but Silca Secret Chain Coating in a bottle also makes a much easier to apply drip wax.

I just started using Silca Super Secret Chain Coating, so I can't yet vouch for how long my gears lasted, or how long between re-lube, etc. But I can tell you that I tried an interesting way of applying to a chain.

I first cleaned the chain with Silca Chain Stripper + Was Prep, by pouring it into my Finish Line Chain Cleaner, which works better than my old Park one did.

Then I got to thinking while cleaning the chain, what would happen if I put the Silca Super Secret wax into the Park cleaner? hmm, so I did, and it worked great at getting the wax into and around the chain, but the darn thing used too much lube in the reservoir, then I started to wonder if the Finish Line's reservoir was too much do they make another cleaner that doesn't hold as much fluid? I started looking around, and sure enough there is one that holds a lot less fluid, called Pedro's Pig II Cleaning Machine, so I bought it. Put the lube in the machine and it worked like a charm.

I found out about this Pedro's from a You Tube video that tested probably all the chain cleaning machines on the market, and they did confirm that the Finish Line Cleaner worked the best, but they also said that the Pedro's while it held the least amount of fluid of the dozen or more that they tested, it didn't clean as well, that's fine, I didn't need it for cleaning I needed it to put lube on the chain without as much waste.

Of course, just as I clean my Finish Line Chain Cleaning machine after cleaning the chain, I also have to clean the Pedro's Pig II after lubing the chain. I had left the remaining lube in the Park and it turned into a solid and gunked up everything, which was ok it was ready for the trash anyways.

Of course it's important to follow the directions on Silca Super Secret lube in order for it to work correctly.

 

My question is with all this removing and re-installing the chain on the bike, how many uses do you get out of a single quick link? I know Shimano says to never re-use a quick link, but some here say you can get at least a few uses out of one.

 

I reuse them a lot more than 'recommended'. Most people do.
A Shimano I'll reuse 3-5 times.

The Connex Link is reusable indefinitely. But they're ~$30.

KMC makes a reusable (5x) and a non reusable link. But I don't think the reusable one is offered in 12sp.

YBN makes a reusable (5x) 12sp link. It's what I use. And I use them more than 5x, until they stop solidly locking.
A 6-pack is $20. Replacing them at 5x should will get you over 10,000mi.

 

Hey y’all appreciate the insights. It sounds like a large portion of this forum doesn’t like or approve of waxing but I still want to try and discover that for myself!

I might be a “one post wonder” I might not. I guess anyone who post to this group for the first time has to deal with that type of grief.

 

Hey y’all appreciate the insights. It sounds like a large portion of this forum doesn’t like or approve of waxing but I still want to try and discover that for myself!

I might be a “one post wonder” I might not. I guess anyone who post to this group for the first time has to deal with that type of grief.

Think of it as your initiation.

Seriously, there are a few old timers here who are immediately suspicious of new members. And for sure there have been some trolls passing through here and yes, "one post wonders" as in folks who ask a question, get advice and never post again. If you hang around, you can learn quite a bit. Ask questions and don't take the gruff responses too personally.

Welcome!!

 

I'm skeptical about wax. I might be a hidebound old geezer but a little black on the fingers from a lube doesn't bother me all that much. Is there any real data from a designed experiment that makes it verisimilar that wax has better lubricity than oil? I use a PTFE based dry oil. I'm satisfied with it. There might be a moral issue about the use of PTFE, but we are already awash in it.

 

Is there any real data from a designed experiment that makes it verisimilar that wax has better lubricity than oil?

Yes. ZFC has mountains of data. On pretty much every lube there is.

Lubricant Testing - Zero Friction Cycling

zerofrictioncycling.com.au

 

Like I said, they have a lot of wax to get rid of. Go ahead and use it, NP. I don't need to waste my time while on my system which takes like 5 min every week or 2.

 

15,000 km. No measurable chain wear

 

🍿🍿🍿

 

I use wax on my kitchen counters, works great, no problems!

 

I've never tried wax. I use a dry ptfe lube.

 

I use Molten Speed Wax. Works great. I think it's the best priced option.

They are? What are the more complex processes?

So THAT's why my chain is hairy!

Seriously, it's only been 6 hours since the OP posted. Good grief, give the OP the benefit of the doubt before you declare a new member a "one post wonder who's pumping one or more of the products". Waxing isn't for me, but to each their own.

I am just curious about it, I have been seeing a lot of it on the gravel scene and seems to work well. I like the idea of clean and long lasting but am here to try and learn more

 

I think the writeup @tinball made is pretty thorough and informative:

https://www.roadbikereview.com/threads/chain-hot-wax-rex-black-diamond-vs-silca-secret-vs-mspeed.387661/#post-5636449

A few people who use this method buy a cheap crockpot to use for melting the wax.

 

Are you racing? If not, why are you wanting to hot wax your chain? Do you think that by hot waxing your chain you'll go on a 100 mile ride and get back 30 minutes sooner? No you will not, the quickest you would get back home is just a lousy roughly 1 minute from going from say Silca Super Secret drip wax to immersive hot waxing. So if by chance you can average 16 mph on a 100 mile ride, it will take you 6 hours and 15 minutes, by hot waxing it will take you 6 hours and 14 minutes, are you really going to notice that 60 seconds?

You will spend a hell of lot more time then 60 seconds going through all the trouble of hot waxing your chain!

Now there is the point that can be made that a hot waxed chain can last longer, but trying to find an average difference between a hot waxed chain and wax drip chain was impossible on the internet, but I doubt the difference is more than 500 miles. But to get those 500 miles you'll have to remove that chain, clean the chain, hot wax it again, and reinstall it every 150 to 250 miles. I did read the more you hot wax it, like at the 150 mile mark the longer the chain will last, but no numbers were given. Also if you get caught in the rain, as soon as you get home you have clean it and hot wax it again. The expense of all of that clean and waxing, plus time, and in my book time is money, just isn't worth it TO ME, but you might think differently about that then I do.

Back in the 70s when I first started racing I hot waxed my chains, it was a headache, eventually I moved on to Tri-Flow, and while it was a wet lube it wasn't messy from what I can remember, I continued to use it for many years so it must not have been overly messy. Later I tried a drip on wax lube but my chain life cut in half, so I moved on to other lubes, and tried a lot of them. The only one so far that I liked was Rock n Roll Gold, I'm now trying Silca Super Secret drip lube, if that one does not work well for me I will probably go back to R n R Gold; the Gold formula even held up in the rain pretty good, which I doubt the Silca will, but the Gold also kept my chain clean like the Silca is suppose to do as well. I just started using the Silca, so it might take a year before I know.

 

Are you racing? If not, why are you wanting to hot wax your chain? Do you think that by hot waxing your chain you'll go on a 100 mile ride and get back 30 minutes sooner? No you will not, the quickest you would get back home is just a lousy roughly 1 minute from going from say Silca Super Secret drip wax to immersive hot waxing. So if by chance you can average 16 mph on a 100 mile ride, it will take you 6 hours and 15 minutes, by hot waxing it will take you 6 hours and 14 minutes, are you really going to notice that 60 seconds?

You will spend a hell of lot more time then 60 seconds going through all the trouble of hot waxing your chain!

Now there is the point that can be made that a hot waxed chain can last longer, but trying to find an average difference between a hot waxed chain and wax drip chain was impossible on the internet, but I doubt the difference is more than 500 miles. But to get those 500 miles you'll have to remove that chain, clean the chain, hot wax it again, and reinstall it every 150 to 250 miles. I did read the more you hot wax it, like at the 150 mile mark the longer the chain will last, but no numbers were given. Also if you get caught in the rain, as soon as you get home you have clean it and hot wax it again. The expense of all of that clean and waxing, plus time, and in my book time is money, just isn't worth it TO ME, but you might think differently about that then I do.

Back in the 70s when I first started racing I hot waxed my chains, it was a headache, eventually I moved on to Tri-Flow, and while it was a wet lube it wasn't messy from what I can remember, I continued to use it for many years so it must not have been overly messy. Later I tried a drip on wax lube but my chain life cut in half, so I moved on to other lubes, and tried a lot of them. The only one so far that I liked was Rock n Roll Gold, I'm now trying Silca Super Secret drip lube, if that one does not work well for me I will probably go back to R n R Gold; the Gold formula even held up in the rain pretty good, which I doubt the Silca will, but the Gold also kept my chain clean like the Silca is suppose to do as well. I just started using the Silca, so it might take a year before I know.

This sure was a mouthful. I'm sure most people who hot wax are focused on cleanliness, not an extra watt or two. I've tried a few wax "dry" lubes and was unimpressed with them all.....including Rock n Roll. It wasn't even clean, it made the drivetrain gummy. And forget about trying to apply it was it was below 50 degrees.

I now use a homebrew of 50% synthetic motor oil and 50% mineral spirits. I re-apply every 500 miles. I also wipe down the chain after application, then wipe it down again after the first post-lube ride. And no, it isn't the cleanest operation, but my chains last at least 8,000 miles.

If I were starting a new drivetrain, I would be tempted to try hot wax. But I'm too lazy to take all my existing components off and clean them to make it worth it.

 

A forum member makes 5 posts after joining almost 14 years ago, lays dormant, then makes 20 posts this year. Is that called sleeper... something? 🤨

 

The reason for that is the arguing that goes on in this particular forum is unceasing, and I wish not to partake playing with children arguing, so I hop on once in awhile to see if things have changed, they have not.

 

I'm not arguing, I am discussing. There are others here that ARGUE to the MAX!

 

No, you are arguing.

 

This is not a big deal. It's not the whole waxing process where you need to strip a chain and start from scratch.

I probably should have worded it a bit better. If you ware always riding in the wet (say the PNW), wax may not be the best option. Pretty much everything I have read supports this. Not that it won't work just that oil based is probably the better choice.

The cleanliness was my main reason too. If you travel with a bike, it's so much easier and cleaner than dealing with a greasy chain and drivetrain.

I had/have SRAM 11 Force 2x on my now trainer bike and that bike felt like it dropped chains if you looked at the front derailleur sideways. I got frustrated with it on one ride and that is what pushed me over the edge to try wax.

Agreed. I don't think I'd want to switch over a used oiled drivetrain. And definitely wouldn't attempt to switch a used oiled chain.
I've only waxed on my new purchased bike. I haven't converted over all my other bikes.

I haven't tried the Silca Strip Chip, but their liquid stripper is fantastic for chains - regardless if you are waxing or not. Way easier than the mineral spirits or petrol and then denatured alcohol. The real pain when getting started is the rest of the drive train.

Lombard, while it's a commitment to strip and clean everything, you can easily go back to oil if you don't like it. A good time to try it, is an annual service. You could get a pre-waxed chain and try it to see if you like it. It's easy enough to go back - some hot water and a few minutes.

I find the exact opposite. It's a breeze to maintain... as in zero maintenance. I never wipe my chain and there's no wax buildup on the rings, cassette, or pulleys. Perfectly clean.
That's the greatness of waxing. Far less maintenance than oiling.

Don't you have a sweat towel/mat under your trainer anyway?
You can get oil lube on the floor too.
I don't have this problem.
It's been over a year and no wax to clean off.

I think the flakes and mess and buildup are a by product of the drip wax top off. To be fair, it was way worse when I first tried waxing by only using the super secrete drip wax. I thought that would be easier than dealing with a crock pot - kind of half way committing to waxing. That was a terrible experience and i just about threw in the towel. But I decided to give the hot immersion a try before completely giving up. What a difference it made. I think anyone curious about wax lube - don't do it half way. Just commit and give it a proper go.

The trainer is oil based but I really don't see much if any drip unless I really go heavy on the lube and forget to wipe it down prior to the next ride. Plus it's on a rocker plate that is on top of a rubber mat that catches all drips and drops.[/QUOTE]

 

I had/have SRAM 11 Force 2x on my now trainer bike and that bike felt like it dropped chains if you looked at the front derailleur sideways. I got frustrated with it on one ride and that is what pushed me over the edge to try wax.

SRAM Force 22 is tricky to set up the FD. If set up correctly, it'a a dream. If you don't get it just right, dropped chains will be a fact of life. Look up how to set up SRAM front derailleur Force 22. Follow their directions to the letter. If after that you are still getting dropped chains, take it to a bike shop.

 

Any lubrication test which includes WD-40 is .... suspect! What are they going to compare it with to make it look good, water?

 

Everything you think is suspect.
They're not trying to 'make' anything look good. FFS They compare ALL LUBES against each other. It's DATA.

People actually use WD-40 as a chain lube. It's a valid test to see how it compares.

Oh looky... duriel thinks they're trying to make it 'look good'. 🤣

 

There is a bigger advantage to 36" wheels, IMO.