Your a legend, you do all the testing, then a excellent video to share your results. A lot of people like myself have been waiting for this video. Thank you for all your effort
Ive used your method for my chain on my SL6 tarmc and i can tell you, you are a LEGEND !!! I will never take any advice from bike store guys ever again. Ive learnt so much from your channel and a few others on youtube that i will never get anything repaired at the store. I do it all myself now and after waxing my chain, i am amazed and so happy! Thank you and keep posting on your channel.
You absolute beauty, I can hear Sheldon Brown telling me to wax my chain every time I clean it and dry lube it. You sir have eloquently and thoroughly tested and applied this solution, the only real solution to drivetrain maintenance. I salute you. Top bloke, thanks for the method.
Fantastic video - Cost me money though. I’ve now done all three bikes, bought a slow cooker and three more chains too - yes, those chains. You may not be making money from Wipperman but I think they are from you. Steve, as someone who’s returned to biking after 30 years, you have done so much to teach me how to be self reliant - really, a big thank you to you mate.
Massive props! Been using your method for a few months now and it's saved me eons on post mtb ride cleaning and time between rewaxing compared to various bottle lubes I used in the past, which require constant reapplication and attract so much crud. Only downside is it doesn't hold up well in the rain, so it's worth keeping a 2nd lubed chain or keep a bottle of Squirt lube handy just in case!
After 45 years of oiling chains, this video sold me on trying a wax immersion lube. My first ride today with a waxed chain - my chain was the quietest it has EVER been, and at the ride's completion, I rubbed my fingers on the chain, and they came away without the black, oily mess that appears at the end of only one ride when using various "traditional" oil lubes. The cleaning and waxing process is a bit time consuming and requires some new equipment, but I cleaned and wax lubed three chains this morning - good enough for about six weeks of riding, if this video is accurate. Many thanks for creating a compelling and informative video on this topic!
Hi, interesting that you say your chain was the quietest it has ever been? I went out with mine waxed for the first time at the weekend and it was really quite noisy, compared to usual. I can cope with this but do you know, are we supposed to let the was cool from 93 degrees down to the melting point of say 56 degrees before taking the chain out or did you take it out at the higher temperature? Thanks.
@@SteRumbelow I take the wax to 93° put the chain in and switch the cooker off. All good after 15 mins. Turns out I'd fitted the chain wrong on the rear mech - all good now 👍
@@johnslater996While I have not taken the temperature of my wax while sloshing my chain around it in it, I do NOT let it cool before removing the chain. It is also important to let the chain warm up in the wax for several minutes, along with some agitation, to make sure the wax penetrates well into the interior linkage surfaces of the chain. I take it out of the hot wax, and immediately wipe with a cloth, on all four sides of the chain. This eliminates most of the excess wax, which seems to add noise. Of course, wiping the outside surfaces of the chain does not remove the wax from the internal bushing/pin contact points, nor the inside of the plates; these are the locations you really want the lube. If you let the wax cool before wiping, or if the wax is not nice and hot, then you get a lot of excess buildup inside the links. This contributes to noise plus it leaves a lot of excess wax residue on chain rings and cassette cogs. I also run the chain around a 1" PVC pipe while the chain is warm, to better work in the wax and also loosen up the chain before putting it on the bike. Other comments - I still have to occasionally wipe small bits of wax off my chain stay, chainrings, cogs, and pulley wheels (every 1000 miles or so), but it is easy and fast - and I only have to wash my bike when I ride in the rain or through some mud. To reduce the time spent rewaxing, I wax 2 chains at a time - effectively cuts the time in half. After 5k miles per chain, they are still "in spec" (using the Park chain length tool) with respect to length.
I've been waxing my chain for more than a year now and what a change it has made! Cleaner chain, better gear changes, cleaner hands after changing tires / flats, easier maintenance! Thanks! Just an idea - I've been dipping an old magnet into the hot wax after a chain waxing and I collect metallic dust from the bottom of the crock-pot. Simply collecting this metallic dust keeps the wax cleaner and freer from grit. You may need to skim the magnet over the bottom surface a few times to collect most of the grit. This keeps the wax cleaner and I imagine keeps performance over time. Let me know what you think!
Finally got all my ingredients and waxed my chain. Almost done 350km and its still nice and shiny. We ride around a volcano that erupted earlier in the year. Our biggest problem was the ash which literally sticks to everything except a waxed chain😀. Thanks a million.
Thank you so much for all the time and effort that you put into reaching this conclusion...you are a legend. Three years of time and effort and endless trials is a long time to remain focussed and committed to proving a solution to black and dirty chains. Also good to see a group of 'ol farts' (like us) out enjoying each others company, rolling a wheel and spending their kids inheritance on well loved bikes.
Thank you so much! I waxed my chain and absolutely love it! Anyone on the fence, don't be, go for it. It's great. Just follow OZ's instructions and you'll be fine. The Most important step is starting with a super clean chain.
Built up a fine Basso this winter and the dirt on the chain was so annoying. Now I wax my chains for all my bikes. Up to now, I am very happy with the performance. This vid helped me to try it. Very instructive and well argued. With 1x-drivetrains, my yearly replacement of the whole drivetrain costs a small fortune. If this helps to get rid of that, it's pretty much worth it. Thank you, OZ!
Good evening and thank you SO SO SO SO SO much. PTFE arrived (ordered from eBay on December 2019) yesterday. I have had 3 chains super cleaned already (petrol, wash with soap, degreaser, wash with water, alcohol) and I waxed them all three following your recipe by heart (I have also cleaned my cassette and chainrings before testing). Today I tried one of the waxed chains: Oh my God..... what a difference, super smooth operation, NO NOISE AT ALL, excellent shifting performance, super clean chain/cassette/chainrings after 90 km, super clean bike, and an achieved ΚΟΜ. Thank you again so much indeed. Greetings from Crete/Greece !!!
Great video and thanks for sharing the information. I found a post on a forum many years ago explaining about the forces/pressures within the chain being extreme point pressures, similar to a car gearbox and suggested that the best lubricant was therefore EP Gear Oil (I use 85-140). The problem arises of how to keep the oil in contact with the pin/internals of the chain and suggested mixing it with paraffin wax. I took this great info and implemented it - after fully cleaning/degreasing the chain, I made a mixture (aprox 50/50) and melted it in a pan (in silver foil), enough to cover the chain. I let it cool to solidify (which keeps the mixture inside the chain) and removed the excess externally. The results have been amazing - on one chain (old mntn turned town bike) it survived 4 trips to Burning Man (probably the harshest environment for bikes on the planet!) with only light external cleaning with EP oil to maintain its almost silent operation! I still haven't needed to repeat the initial procedure as it just keeps going, around 9 years later...
This is the recipe I've used for the past 10 or more years. I can easily get about 1000km of riding before the chain sounds a little dry and I reapply the lubricant. I don't bother cleaning. Just immerse the chain in the hot wax/oil bath for a few minutes, then lift it out and wait for it to cool before putting it back on the bike (or swapping if I'm running 2 or more chains on the one cassette). I don't bother degreasing a new chain either.
I just waxed my first chain! I'm really loving it. I opted for a saute pan instead of slow cooker due to space but it works just fine. I've been on three rides here in the desert and the chain is amazingly clean. Thanks!
After "ultimately" cleaning my chain, and waxing, both per your directions, I just today rewaxed my chain after 193 miles of off-road mountain biking. Being able to ride time after time, and not worry about lubing my chain, or about the grease when I handle any part of my drivetrain, is worth so much more than time and money. Wow. Longest part of the rewax is melting the wax sitting in my rice cooker. Takes about 4 hours plus to fully melt on low heat. Cleaning with boiling water was a breeze, as was the waxing, and putting back on the bike. Can't thank you enough, Oz.
Now, with a waxed chain, when I wash my bike, the following day I have zero rust on my chain. And, I can thoroughly dry my bike, and there is absolutely no grease on my microfiber paint-only drying towel. I used to absolutely contaminate all my paint-only mf towels when I dried my bike. Just ruined them. No longer. Yet 2 more reasons to wax!
What a terrific video and what a boon to the cycling world. A friend on a ride told me about waxing, so I came here. I have six active bikes (vintage collector), so I have a lot of degreasing in my future! But the idea of never having to deal with that black crud--not to mention the superior lubrication and the reduced wear and tear--is just too seductive. Thank you very much for putting so much effort into this and making it so thorough. I've been wondering what to do with the little slow cooker I bought on sale over a year ago....
I never knew this was possible ...I happened across this video by chance. Amazing technical detail to educate and proper execution details. Thank you for taking so much care and time to share your secrets. I clean and lube my chain regularly but this looks like a deal breaker. No more rock n roll gold or Shimano PTFE for me. I will be trying this for the first time...just bought my Kmart slow cooker ( I'll prove to my wife I can cook!)
Alternative to buying or ruining a slow cooker: Boil water in a pot. After a good boil, turn heat down so its slow bubbles. Put container(metal or plastic) with wax in the water-if plastic, be careful not to rest on the bottom of the pot, by the heat source. It could melt or burn. Used this method for candle making, etc. Thank you, Mr. Oz.
Have been using my first waxed chain (using your recipe) for about a week now and so far I'm loving it. Thanks for all of your videos on this subject, they have been really useful.
Just a quick update, just completed my first 100km on my waxed chain and it's still clean, it seems faster and definitely more positive in the gear changes and it is quieter on my bike, although some people have reported it to be noisier than before I did not find that problem, well and truly happy with the results, I'm definitely a convert now.
I found out about waxing about 10 years ago. I initially used candles but have moved to food grade wax. Once you start and get into it there is nothing better.
Greetings from Lake Tahoe where we ride in dry, dusty conditions most of the year. I found your video so compelling I decided to give it a try. It was actually very easy to follow the process once I purchased all the needed ingredients. So far I am amazed at how well this worked. I used to clean my chain after every ride and now (after a dozen rides) everything still looks freshly cleaned. Thanks so much for sharing this valuable information.
Great video, I've been riding over 3 yrs now and I am tired of the dirty chains, having studied this video I am going to give this ago I've ordered everything and now just waiting, really impressive work you put into all your videos, I'm now a subscriber and a fan, keep up the good work buddy.
Been waxing my chains for 3 years, due to your influence. Works a charm (the older style with wax + parrafin oil) and even better after I realized I was using too much parrafin oil. It only takes a little, too much turns the wax into "grease" which is bad. Now I'll try the wax/ptfe combo for sure, but getting hold of ptfe-powder in the EU seems to not be that easy. Finally found a supplier, but that was in China (ofc). Ordered. Will be here comes spring. Edit: The white residue you see on your chains, I get something similar without having used ptfe. So what that is I really cannot say.
Greetings to Australia and thanks a lot for your videos. I really got the in depth information for getting the correct ingredients and material. I’m living and riding in Germany, not too far away from Wippermann (Connex) factory. My drivetrain is a Shimano 10x3 XT in the upper price range. So I swapped my Shimano chain for a Connex 10S1 with quick link, now waxed. Oh man, what a difference. For the first time procedure: 1. First using in Germany called “Kaltreiniger” degreaser in a jar and shake it, doing at least 3 passes 2. Then having a sonicare ultrasound cleaner 3l with a specific cleaner 3 cups on 2l water, doing the chain 30min on 70°C 3. Last, using Isopropylacohol for the last degreasing, one run in jar, then hang and dry over night I’m also using a 3l crockpot for waxing. Main difference from your “waxing in between”, I use white spirit instead of Isopropylacohol, because it dissolves the wax by 100% when doing a mix wax : white spirit of 40 : 60
Thanks so much for these great videos. I converted both my bike chains to Teflon infused paraffin chains. I had a lot of wax flake off during my first ride, but shifting was smooth and drivetrain was super clean.
Followed your instructions for chain cleaning and waxing and wow what a difference! Shifting is better and a chain clean to the touch after a 3hr ride. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Suggest you read zero friction cycling facebook post re the testing. Plus home formula wax blends hardly new, and many perform well for those wishing to go that path. Its a tiny demographic, i dont think many lube lube manufacturers too worried. But to understand a bit more about proper independent testing, refer to zero friction cycling and learn some key points.
@@adamkerin4130 It was a tongue in cheek reply Adam. I've been waxing my chains for a couple of years now; chains last 2-3 times longer as well as sprockets, cleaning my bikes is a lot faster and the only "inconvenience" is taking my chain off to clean and re-wax it.
Well, my 50g of PTFE powder has arrived from China via Ebay. Thought I'd wait for that to arrive before ordering the wax. As I was a little concerned that a packet of suspicious looking white powder in the post may get the customs people a bit jumpy, but nope, it arrived safely without being tampered with. Just have to wait for the wax to arrive now. Hoping that I can slightly increase my speed on the bike. Just enough to outrun the corona zombies who will undoubtedly be chasing me and trying to eat my brains by the time I get out next weekend. Thanks for all your research and hard work work that went into developing this. You deserve some kind of award.
I'm "cooking" my first batch of candle wax+glycerin+graphite powder as I watch this video again.. this channel has been a great encourage of DIY waxing chains. Hope it works wonders as people say.
Been waiting for this video. people are amazed when I ride in the worst sandy, muddy, rainy, weather and my chain stays clean cant wait to try this new recipe
I did a decent chunk of the round Australia circuit using old style "white lightning" commercial wax lube and that was magic. In the red dust areas nothing stuck to it, I'd just wipe it down every day and add a tiny bit of lube. 15000km of excellent riding. Then they "improved" the recipe and the dust stuck to the chain... sadly the DIY doesn't work on the side of the road. But now I'm back in civilisation it's time to buy a slow cooker.
Fantastic video and great detailed instructions oz. Thank you! I've ridden 600 km since the first waxing a couple of weeks ago. Still no squeaking and the chain & drivetrain are still shiny and very quiet. Going to clean/reapply soon and I may get to my wife's bike too. LOL I didn't use petrol on my filthy Ultegra chain, just the Varsol cycle several times before the Meths rinse. For any Canadians interested in this method, I ordered 100g 1-3 um PTFE (2x 50g sachets) through Alibaba delivered in Canada for US$17 and 1lb of food grade paraffin wax at Superstore for Cdn$6. That is basically a lifetime supply of superb wax lube for our household bikes, all for Cdn$30. Is Teflon powder restricted in Canada? Nobody sells it to the public and US vendors won't ship it to Canada for under $30! One tip. Rather than buy a dedicated slow cooker, you can use a large, clean microwavable (so the container won't melt) food container to melt the wax/PTFE mix. Use your wife's best large pan on very low heat on the stove, with an inch or two of water in the bottom - it is effectively a double boiler. Cost is $0. Once you have waxed your chain and the wax/PTFE has cooled, simply put the container lid on and store until the next time. LABEL IT so the rest of your household know what is in there.
I finally got my PTFE today. I had ordered some from China but it's still not here in a month. So I ordered some from a U.S. supplier and it arrived today. First impression is that the chain is less stiff with the PTFE after cooling off. I put the waxed chain with PTFE on the bike and gave it a spin. I can feel less friction already just spinning the pedals forward with bike on a bike stand. I think the PTFE makes the pure paraffin wax less stiff. I'll be doing my first ride tomorrow using the new PTFE formula. Can hardly wait to feel the results. I have a tip to share. After dunking several used chains in hot wax some ferrous particles settle out in the molten wax. I use a strong magnet on a telescoping rod (sold at automotive parts stores) to collect the fine ferrous particles. I work the magnet back and forth on the bottom of the crock pot. Then I remove the magnet and wipe it with a paper towel. I repeat this process about 20 times or until I don't see black streaks on the clean paper towel. I'm surprised to see how much ferrous particles can be removed using this method. Of course this is with the pure paraffin wax. Hopefully with the new PTFE formula I'll see a lot less ferrous particles.
The PTFE definitely makes the chain feel slicker. Less noise and the links soften up much quicker than pure paraffin. I'm sold on this new formula. Thanks OZ Cycle.
@@yingwang2935 That's the one I got on eBay, the 2-3um one. Those particle sizes listed are average sizes. So some particles will be smaller than 2um. It's not the end of the world if you get 2-3um. Also I believe that not all advertised 1.6um are truly 1.6um. For all we know they could very well be even worse than the 2-3um. There's really no way for us consumers to tell the difference. Cheers.
AWESOME video !!! This has probably got to be THE video on the subject. I love the way you cut through all the advertising bullshit at the beginning - the wry smile at the end of that segment was hilarious. Thanks for this. One thing I would note : PTFE / Teflon might be "the best" additive, but it is also really evil shit (environmentally, and for your own body). It gets into your fat cells and other cells, and NEVER leaves your body! It never gets metabolised or excreted, and it never biodegrades in nature. It has gone right through the food chain, and just about every creature in the world has teflon / PTFE in their fat cells to some degree now (I read a sciency article on this somewhere - pretty freaky) - and nobody quite knows what the effects of this is. PS. I like that you feature wipperman chains too - There was one on a bike I bought used - had never heard of wipperman before that - but have found they are the BEST.
Problably the best 25:13 min. I have ever used on UA-cam. And I have spend a lot of minutes🤔😂 Thank you very much for being informative and very “watcher“ friendly with everything so well explained 🙏🏼👌🏼
Just bought all the stuff and will move from Oil based lube to wax using your method and formula. Really excited about the outcome. Thank you for your work!
Oz method is super and saves chemicals in the cleaning process. PTFE is bittersweet because its microplastics and stays in the nature (liver) I understand racing purposes and the amount is small what example I need for personal purposes. So let's not be satisfied yet and lets innovate more. Oz has done his share, thank you and welcome to Finland, let's have a ride.
Hey, Oz most of them in the comment section have done the good work of thanking you for your hard work and effort and time invested, and its same feeling from me here in India, now I am looking forward to whats the next big thing that you are going to come up with, Thanks a lots OZ your and inspiration
Great videos and techniques, as always. One thing you might want to mention is that the coat hangers you use to bend into hooks and hangers should be BARE METAL hangers. I made the mistake of using a plastic-coated hanger which resulted in a melted goo coating the chain when pulled from the molten wax. Ruined a new chain (and the wax/PTFE mixture as well). Won't make that mistake again!
I have a 3.5l slow cooker arriving tomorrow - one with a metal bowl was going to be delivered today but cancelled it for one with a replaceable ceramic bowl so can swap for cooking! I haven't checked on the availability of PTFE powder yet but will start waxing my chains soon. We had an exceptionally wet winter here in Blighty at the beginning of 2021 - bad enough to fit full mudguards to my commuting bike. I carried on using "dry" lube but it washed off after a few miles so started using a "wet" lube that stayed on my chain. Once upon a time, we just bought chain lube! Wet lube is really useless for the simple reason it attracts so much crud that it grinds every part down - hence my interest in hot waxing.
@@TerebroNo. Huge problem getting anything out of China right now. I ordered 100g end of Dec. Still not here and I'm in Taiwan, next door. Another problem is shipping little baggies of white powder through the post...
Sensational. Your video is very good and your way of teaching is didactic, simple and objective. I speak of Brazil and I will start to do it the way you teach. Thank you very much for your time, dedication and patience in making this work.
Finally got around to doing this waiting on the slow cooker and wax and ptfe to come. Did everything today and have to say i feel a big difference in smooth riding more power and easier gear changing fantastic stuff
Just found your channel, and it's a gem! Thanks for the information. I am definitely going to switch over to wax. I am dreading cleaning all of my family's chains and drive trains! Thanks mate!
Oz cycle - absolute legend. For those in the UK - Argos slow cooker £12.99 - Hobbycraft 1kg Parra fun wax block or pellet £8. PTFE powder off AliExpress....or eBay but was sold out
@@rallyboy101I'm far from an expert, but I would say no. The main rationale for doing the chain (particularly immersion) is due to the many hundreds (perhaps thousands) of stiction points within the chain with each pedal stroke. Whereas, for the cassette, the chain comes to a rest against it one link at a time and pulls the teeth along. The chain isn't even supposed to "rub" against the cassette.
Thank you for this, and for all the effort that went into it. Do I understand correctly that (other than the addition of PTFE) your recipe and method differs in two ways from your previous recommendations: 1. No addition of liquid paraffin (oil) to make the wax adhere better to the metal, and 2. No cooling of the chain after waxing to solidify the wax inside the chain?
Awesome channel. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Manny other channels just promoting their sponsors convincing you to buy staff. Much appreciated. Respect from Canada.
Since it is Corona warning in Germany and it is propably clever to stay at home I was waxing two chains for our MTBs this weekend. One was brand new, one was used for a couple times with the sticky Rholoff oil. Cleaning the brand new chain was working very well. Cleaning the used chain took me quite some time. After changing the first bath in petrol for three times the petrol finally stayed clean. After all the cleaning the chain runs very smooth. I tried a waxed chain on a touring bike for a couple of hundered KM and it stayed very very clean, I found a tiny little spot of rust under the CONNEX link. We still have salt on the roads in Germany.
After 523 days my order of PTFE was finally delivered. Insane it still arrived. I had to re-watch the video to find out why ordered it in the first place. I have used the normal wax procedure for almost 2 years now and it's great. I can do up to 500 km with 1 wax, dry and clean weather conditions. Curious if I will notice a difference while riding with the PTFE-wax..
@@eljaibas16 I haven’t used PTFE yet. I made my own recipe of wax. Here in Thailand we can buy regular parrafin wax which melts at about 85C and there is another kind of wax (PE wax) that melts at around 130C. I use ¼ of the Pe wax and ¾ of the parrafin wax. I can ride up to 500 km on one wax treatment in good conditions, no rain or dirt.
Fantastic video and so much detail thank you for such an amazing effort in the testing and creating the video for us. Just today I used your previous method for the first time and just bought the rice cooker for it. I'm wondering if i just warm the wax up on the keep warm setting. I will try a thermometer on it. For the Australian's, that brand of slow cooker is sold at K-Mart
I use an old rice cooker on the warm cycle and a digital temperature gauge. 80-90 is good. Let your chain soak and observe the bubbles until there is no more. I then let it cool to about 60C before removing from the pot and lay it on rags or paper.
I still use the rice cooker. I put the wax in a glass jar, then put water in the cooker. Put the jar in the water in the cooker. The wax is always cooler than the water by a few degrees and you can stop it heating too quick.
I’ve been using a cosmetic wax melter. Found on Amazon for cheap. Smaller than a slow cooker but designed for wax so little chance of over heating the wax. Has a temperature display too.
I guessed it would be PTFE in the new formula so I ordered two bags off of Ebay in advance. The 100g bag from India never arrived so the seller game me a full refund. The 50g bag from China arrived and I'll be cooking a batch as soon as possible. I also ordered a 55 lb block of refined paraffin off of Ebay for $45 USD. When I say a block of paraffin I mean a block. The 55 lb block was supposed to be layered in sheets but it all melted together into one huge block, I guess that's why it was listed for only $45. I use a hand saw to cut out chunks. Now I need to find a good use for the one gallon of paraffin oil I purchased. I guess I'll have to buy some tiki torches for the back porch. Oz, thanks for all the time and research you put into this.
The 500g of paraffin mix treats a LOT of chains. I treated 6 chains and can’t notice less wax in the pot. My strategy is each of my mountain bikes will have 3 dedicated chains, numbered 1-3. Every few rides, it’s very muddy this time of year, I swap to the next numbered chain. I like always having a fresh chain at the ready for those times I don’t have time for the full waxing process. I also like waxing the chains in batches for efficiency reasons. For some reason I haven’t had any luck replacing my mtb chains at .05 percent wear. When the Park tool indicates.05 wear I’ll replace the chain on the drivetrain only to have the chain skip on the almost new rear cassette. I think I ride too much mud for the conventional approach of chain replacement to be effective for me. It will be interesting to see what results I get with my new strategy. I do like how the new PTFE formula seems to stick to the chain better than the paraffin oil formula.
You guys that ride offroad in mud, how do you like using this wax compared to using other lubricants. I love the wax on my road bike chain but am not convinced I'll stick with it for muddy mtb use. I find no matter what's on the chain, after a muddy mtb ride the chain needs cleaned and lubed. Oiled chains I simply spray off the mud using a garden hose, dry with a rag and reapply the oil. The mud wears away the wax and reapplying the wax bath every muddy ride is time consuming. I tried breaking a block of wax out of my pot and then rubbing the wax into my chain that has been sprayed off with the garden hose and dried. This seems to work OK but it's not as good as a wax dip and if the chain isn't totally dry the chain will get rust spots.
WARNING. Guys, be really careful when re-melting your wax that has hardened in the slow cooker. My slow cooker spits wax at you as it heats up. The lowest power setting is 400 watts which is too much. Make sure to keep the lid on. I nearly copped a face full of hot wax but luckily the lid was on. Stabbing the wax first a few times seems to prevent the volcano effect. Did my first ride today on the waxed chain and pretty impressed so far.
Just completed my first ride after following the waxing procedure and I am totally sold! Brand new S-Works Tarmac SL6 with SRAM Etap Red AXS. I live in California so I had to follow a slightly different process to clean the chain. 1. Used Kerosene instead of Gas/Petrol for the first part and soaked it overnight. 2. Used the old Greased Lightning formula to de-grease overnight. 3. Can't get methylated spirits in California so I used straight grain alcohol overnight. Wax stuck to the chain incredibly well. I would advise wiping off the chain when you remove it from the wax as Oz suggest, especially if your frame is dark. I did need to take a brush and wipe off the shed wax after my ride. Not a big deal. Chain shifted perfectly, was quiet, and absolutely no dirt on any part of the drive train.
Alrighty. I’ve just bought my slow cooker, blended up my refined paraffin wax with ptfe powder, bathed my chain in this wacky concoction, all in the kitchen while my wife looked on with something that can only be described as pity. Now what? Oh yeah. Go riding!!
@@nixho4029 gotta clean your chain , according to the method in the video , clean chain allows paraffin to stick , oily chain, I mean any tiny residual oil will prevent parfin sticking , try again , it really does work if you follow the process
@@jugglematt100 Hi if you only use wax how much and how good would it be in comparison with this ptef wax? I think they dont sell ptef in my country :/
It's funny to see the other so called independant guy, from zero friction cycling (who also sells wax lubes from different companies he works with) trashing your formula because he can't make money off it... We are so lucky to have someone like you in this game.
Some feedback after 3 years and almost zero chain wear. I started with 3 new chains and have cleaned and waxed using a fresh chain each week. I still dont even make the first level on a chain wear tool. I average about 8000kms per year down in Tasmania so winter conditions are pretty average to say the least. Im using the new formula and im also still on the first batch of wax, will need to top up soon. I also do a full clean before rewaxing, this only takes one minute. Because im using multiple chains its pretty easy timewise as i always have one ready to. Have only just changed a rear cassette for no other reason but replacing wheels and thought i better put a fresh cassette on. Thanks for the great video and advice.
I'm estimating that this is the seventy-fourth video you've made on waxing your chain so I reckon you must be convinced :). FIne, fine, I'll give it a go. Love the channel, need more Aussie content on UA-cam.
PTFE is metabolically inert. That's why it's in things like knee replacements, cosmetics, and frying pans. The only way it can be made dangerous is if it is heated to decomposition where it produces toxic gases at 300-400 degrees Celsius. Birds do not possess stomachs or respiratory tracts capable of those temperatures. However, if you burn your Teflon pan in the presence of your cockatoo then it will die. As long as you don't reenact Gordon Ramsey's kitchen nightmares in front of your pet birds, I think using Teflon powder will be fine.
@@MonMalthias inert sure, but that means it can't break down. The particles eventually get smaller, end up in the ocean, the fish, then us. These micro plastics end up so small they go into your blood stream and brain
Thank you very much for this revealing video. I have just ordered everything I need. Already started with petrol cleaning of the chain. Staggering what came out, even though I had recently cleaned with muc-off. Cheers, mate!!
Thanks so much for this. I’ll be making this over the Christmas break. I was surprised to discover that the new mixture contains no paraffin oil at all. Why did you take that out of the recipe? I thought that softened the wax and made it less likely to flake away.
they could also be happy because now a lot of folks buy 4 chains at once to have a nice rotational workflow when waxing. And then maybe switch to next gen 12 speed gropuset and buy 4 more 12s chains. ;)
@@GameMovieStudios2000 Yeh, but at least they now have a choice. Wax it yourself and have a cleaner chain, less friction and minimal wear or buy a bottled lubricant...your choice!! 10,003
As a competitive cyclist for over 40yrs, I really appreciate your dedication, hard work & enthusiasm!!! We used to wax our chains back in the 80's, but got away from it. Seeing your stripping method(I used to use kerosene) & concoction added with the wax, I will give it a try. I am currently in the middle of a new build on my Merckx with Super Record(mechanical) & think I will take the time to do this, Thanks😁 If you ever come to the United States, bring your road bike & we'll go for a ride here in Waynesville, NC(The Great Smokey Mountains home of the Blue Ridge Parkway). Thanks Again, David Lovett USAF Desert Storm Veteran🇺🇸!!!
I have a friend in Perth who restored a Merckx MX Leader in team colour(pink n black), full super record but put Campy bullet wheelset and super record carbon crankset on to match all the components black colour.Sure is nice!
Greetings from Bielefeld Germany! I've tried your method and it works. It's clean and I really feel how easy, I mean really allot easier to bike, less effort to ride the bike... Allot of Thanks's and Good bless you!!!!!
I finally did it.Bought the fixings, a slow cooker and two wipperman chains. Did the clean as per the video. So far so good. Also cleaned the chain that was already on the bike and the amount of metal that came out was sobering.
If you don't have a slow cooker you could also use a double boiler to melt the wax. The maximum temperature that a double boiler can reach is inherently the same as the maximum temperature that water can reach (100°C / 212°F). If you don't have a store-bought double boiler, you can make one by sticking e.g., a stainless steel bowl on top of a pot of boiling water, and put your wax in the bowl.
Hey Oz! I have a couple questions about your waxing method/formula. In your earlier waxing videos, you used parafin oil to thin out the parafin wax. Is the teflon performing this function somehow or have you determined that thinning the parafin is unnecessary? I ask because I may just use pure parafin wax until my teflon arrives, but I will probably rewax when I have teflon on hand. My second question is, in your previous videos you talked about waiting for a specific temperature and possibly dunking in cold water immediately to avoid having the wax run out of the links. Do you still recommend doing either of these? In this video it kinda looks like you took it out hot and you didn't mention a water dunk. Thanks a ton for all your contributions to the community!
Hi, Stephen... May I ask where have you ordered de PTFE dust...? I can´t find companies selling it in Spain, and I already tried twice to buy on line but for some reason they return money before sending it... thank you...
Take a zip-lock bag with PTFE powder into your saddle-bag on your next cycling tour with friends. Just ask them during a brake if they need a performance boost and show the bag. Look at their faces. Then powder your chain with it. Priceless.
i'd appreciate your insights & suggestions as to a more environmentally-friendly alternative to PTFE. i just received a tin of sheep lanolin-based lubricant -thinking of combining it with wax
So i'm quite intrigued by this chain lubricant/wax. By now I've found a 12 speed reusable link, so I could be in business. However, I'm also concerned about the environment. In your video, you clean the waxed chain with boiling water. Isn't that releasing the PTFE/Teflon to the environment? Maybe you could provide us with a more sustainable additive to your wax?
I can only look on with a mixture of awe and unabashed admiration at what you are doing for free for the cycling fraternity. One vote for OAM .
Your a legend, you do all the testing, then a excellent video to share your results. A lot of people like myself have been waiting for this video. Thank you for all your effort
Ive used your method for my chain on my SL6 tarmc and i can tell you, you are a LEGEND !!! I will never take any advice from bike store guys ever again. Ive learnt so much from your channel and a few others on youtube that i will never get anything repaired at the store. I do it all myself now and after waxing my chain, i am amazed and so happy! Thank you and keep posting on your channel.
Thanx for your feedback,sounds like you got a handle on waxing.
oz cycle very happy with the results. Its so smooth and quiet now. My Di2 is as quiet as ever!
You absolute beauty, I can hear Sheldon Brown telling me to wax my chain every time I clean it and dry lube it. You sir have eloquently and thoroughly tested and applied this solution, the only real solution to drivetrain maintenance. I salute you. Top bloke, thanks for the method.
Fantastic video - Cost me money though. I’ve now done all three bikes, bought a slow cooker and three more chains too - yes, those chains. You may not be making money from Wipperman but I think they are from you. Steve, as someone who’s returned to biking after 30 years, you have done so much to teach me how to be self reliant - really, a big thank you to you mate.
This is the aboslute KOM of Waxing Chain Tutorials! Love the Details and the Enthusiasm! I am converted for sure!
You are a full time true blue LEGEND. Love the presentation, the info, and the enthusiasm. Keep up the good work 👊
Massive props! Been using your method for a few months now and it's saved me eons on post mtb ride cleaning and time between rewaxing compared to various bottle lubes I used in the past, which require constant reapplication and attract so much crud. Only downside is it doesn't hold up well in the rain, so it's worth keeping a 2nd lubed chain or keep a bottle of Squirt lube handy just in case!
After 45 years of oiling chains, this video sold me on trying a wax immersion lube. My first ride today with a waxed chain - my chain was the quietest it has EVER been, and at the ride's completion, I rubbed my fingers on the chain, and they came away without the black, oily mess that appears at the end of only one ride when using various "traditional" oil lubes. The cleaning and waxing process is a bit time consuming and requires some new equipment, but I cleaned and wax lubed three chains this morning - good enough for about six weeks of riding, if this video is accurate. Many thanks for creating a compelling and informative video on this topic!
Hi, interesting that you say your chain was the quietest it has ever been? I went out with mine waxed for the first time at the weekend and it was really quite noisy, compared to usual. I can cope with this but do you know, are we supposed to let the was cool from 93 degrees down to the melting point of say 56 degrees before taking the chain out or did you take it out at the higher temperature? Thanks.
@@johnslater996 I’m finding that too, John. Also wondering whether the cooker should be turned off once it’s at the right temperature...
@@SteRumbelow I take the wax to 93° put the chain in and switch the cooker off. All good after 15 mins. Turns out I'd fitted the chain wrong on the rear mech - all good now 👍
@@johnslater996While I have not taken the temperature of my wax while sloshing my chain around it in it, I do NOT let it cool before removing the chain. It is also important to let the chain warm up in the wax for several minutes, along with some agitation, to make sure the wax penetrates well into the interior linkage surfaces of the chain. I take it out of the hot wax, and immediately wipe with a cloth, on all four sides of the chain. This eliminates most of the excess wax, which seems to add noise. Of course, wiping the outside surfaces of the chain does not remove the wax from the internal bushing/pin contact points, nor the inside of the plates; these are the locations you really want the lube. If you let the wax cool before wiping, or if the wax is not nice and hot, then you get a lot of excess buildup inside the links. This contributes to noise plus it leaves a lot of excess wax residue on chain rings and cassette cogs. I also run the chain around a 1" PVC pipe while the chain is warm, to better work in the wax and also loosen up the chain before putting it on the bike. Other comments - I still have to occasionally wipe small bits of wax off my chain stay, chainrings, cogs, and pulley wheels (every 1000 miles or so), but it is easy and fast - and I only have to wash my bike when I ride in the rain or through some mud. To reduce the time spent rewaxing, I wax 2 chains at a time - effectively cuts the time in half. After 5k miles per chain, they are still "in spec" (using the Park chain length tool) with respect to length.
i’m curious if everyone is still waxing their chains
I've been waxing my chain for more than a year now and what a change it has made! Cleaner chain, better gear changes, cleaner hands after changing tires / flats, easier maintenance! Thanks!
Just an idea - I've been dipping an old magnet into the hot wax after a chain waxing and I collect metallic dust from the bottom of the crock-pot. Simply collecting this metallic dust keeps the wax cleaner and freer from grit. You may need to skim the magnet over the bottom surface a few times to collect most of the grit. This keeps the wax cleaner and I imagine keeps performance over time. Let me know what you think!
I wait and let the wax harden. Invert and wack it. Scrape it with a spoon and the wax is clean.
What wax did you use?!
i did it to and my chain looks dry after 150km, it looks like there is no wax anymore on the inside of the chain...
Magnetic cleaners are used in central heating systems.
This is a smart idea!! Should pinned!
Finally got all my ingredients and waxed my chain. Almost done 350km and its still nice and shiny. We ride around a volcano that erupted earlier in the year. Our biggest problem was the ash which literally sticks to everything except a waxed chain😀. Thanks a million.
Thank you so much for all the time and effort that you put into reaching this conclusion...you are a legend. Three years of time and effort and endless trials is a long time to remain focussed and committed to proving a solution to black and dirty chains. Also good to see a group of 'ol farts' (like us) out enjoying each others company, rolling a wheel and spending their kids inheritance on well loved bikes.
who you calling old fart im only 61 lol
Thank you so much! I waxed my chain and absolutely love it! Anyone on the fence, don't be, go for it. It's great. Just follow OZ's instructions and you'll be fine. The Most important step is starting with a super clean chain.
Built up a fine Basso this winter and the dirt on the chain was so annoying. Now I wax my chains for all my bikes. Up to now, I am very happy with the performance. This vid helped me to try it. Very instructive and well argued. With 1x-drivetrains, my yearly replacement of the whole drivetrain costs a small fortune. If this helps to get rid of that, it's pretty much worth it. Thank you, OZ!
Good evening and thank you SO SO SO SO SO much. PTFE arrived (ordered from eBay on December 2019) yesterday. I have had 3 chains super cleaned already (petrol, wash with soap, degreaser, wash with water, alcohol) and I waxed them all three following your recipe by heart (I have also cleaned my cassette and chainrings before testing).
Today I tried one of the waxed chains: Oh my God..... what a difference, super smooth operation, NO NOISE AT ALL, excellent shifting performance, super clean chain/cassette/chainrings after 90 km, super clean bike, and an achieved ΚΟΜ.
Thank you again so much indeed. Greetings from Crete/Greece !!!
Great video and thanks for sharing the information. I found a post on a forum many years ago explaining about the forces/pressures within the chain being extreme point pressures, similar to a car gearbox and suggested that the best lubricant was therefore EP Gear Oil (I use 85-140). The problem arises of how to keep the oil in contact with the pin/internals of the chain and suggested mixing it with paraffin wax. I took this great info and implemented it - after fully cleaning/degreasing the chain, I made a mixture (aprox 50/50) and melted it in a pan (in silver foil), enough to cover the chain. I let it cool to solidify (which keeps the mixture inside the chain) and removed the excess externally. The results have been amazing - on one chain (old mntn turned town bike) it survived 4 trips to Burning Man (probably the harshest environment for bikes on the planet!) with only light external cleaning with EP oil to maintain its almost silent operation! I still haven't needed to repeat the initial procedure as it just keeps going, around 9 years later...
This is the recipe I've used for the past 10 or more years. I can easily get about 1000km of riding before the chain sounds a little dry and I reapply the lubricant. I don't bother cleaning. Just immerse the chain in the hot wax/oil bath for a few minutes, then lift it out and wait for it to cool before putting it back on the bike (or swapping if I'm running 2 or more chains on the one cassette). I don't bother degreasing a new chain either.
I just waxed my first chain! I'm really loving it. I opted for a saute pan instead of slow cooker due to space but it works just fine. I've been on three rides here in the desert and the chain is amazingly clean. Thanks!
I think I’ll try the pan method myself, thanks
After "ultimately" cleaning my chain, and waxing, both per your directions, I just today rewaxed my chain after 193 miles of off-road mountain biking. Being able to ride time after time, and not worry about lubing my chain, or about the grease when I handle any part of my drivetrain, is worth so much more than time and money. Wow.
Longest part of the rewax is melting the wax sitting in my rice cooker. Takes about 4 hours plus to fully melt on low heat. Cleaning with boiling water was a breeze, as was the waxing, and putting back on the bike.
Can't thank you enough, Oz.
Now, with a waxed chain, when I wash my bike, the following day I have zero rust on my chain. And, I can thoroughly dry my bike, and there is absolutely no grease on my microfiber paint-only drying towel. I used to absolutely contaminate all my paint-only mf towels when I dried my bike. Just ruined them. No longer. Yet 2 more reasons to wax!
4 hours to melt wax? You must have forgotten to depress the lever on the rice cooker. Without that it will only supply heat to keep rice warm.
I’ve been riding a bike for decades, you’re teaching me things I knew nothing about, thanks
What a terrific video and what a boon to the cycling world. A friend on a ride told me about waxing, so I came here. I have six active bikes (vintage collector), so I have a lot of degreasing in my future! But the idea of never having to deal with that black crud--not to mention the superior lubrication and the reduced wear and tear--is just too seductive. Thank you very much for putting so much effort into this and making it so thorough. I've been wondering what to do with the little slow cooker I bought on sale over a year ago....
How's your wax chains, now a year later? I'm on the fence.
I did my 1st triathlon race with a waxed chain after following your intructions and it was perfect!!!
I never knew this was possible ...I happened across this video by chance. Amazing technical detail to educate and proper execution details. Thank you for taking so much care and time to share your secrets. I clean and lube my chain regularly but this looks like a deal breaker. No more rock n roll gold or Shimano PTFE for me. I will be trying this for the first time...just bought my Kmart slow cooker ( I'll prove to my wife I can cook!)
Alternative to buying or ruining a slow cooker: Boil water in a pot. After a good boil, turn heat down so its slow bubbles. Put container(metal or plastic) with wax in the water-if plastic, be careful not to rest on the bottom of the pot, by the heat source. It could melt or burn. Used this method for candle making, etc. Thank you, Mr. Oz.
If this technique in gastronomy is called a bain-marie
works also fine for me!
Incredibly thorough background research and information, super classy presentation - the best video of that type I have seen EVER.
Have been using my first waxed chain (using your recipe) for about a week now and so far I'm loving it. Thanks for all of your videos on this subject, they have been really useful.
This is fantastic. You explain things so clearly and I appreciate how much experimentation and research you do.
Just a quick update, just completed my first 100km on my waxed chain and it's still clean, it seems faster and definitely more positive in the gear changes and it is quieter on my bike, although some people have reported it to be noisier than before I did not find that problem, well and truly happy with the results, I'm definitely a convert now.
I found out about waxing about 10 years ago. I initially used candles but have moved to food grade wax. Once you start and get into it there is nothing better.
Greetings from Lake Tahoe where we ride in dry, dusty conditions most of the year. I found your video so compelling I decided to give it a try. It was actually very easy to follow the process once I purchased all the needed ingredients. So far I am amazed at how well this worked. I used to clean my chain after every ride and now (after a dozen rides) everything still looks freshly cleaned. Thanks so much for sharing this valuable information.
Makes my chain cleaning today look a bit rubbish, think I'll give this a go. Thanks for sharing.
That is the easiest way to clean cassette, jockey wheels and chainrings I've ever seen! Thanks so much!
Great video, I've been riding over 3 yrs now and I am tired of the dirty chains, having studied this video I am going to give this ago I've ordered everything and now just waiting, really impressive work you put into all your videos, I'm now a subscriber and a fan, keep up the good work buddy.
Been waxing my chains for 3 years, due to your influence. Works a charm (the older style with wax + parrafin oil) and even better after I realized I was using too much parrafin oil. It only takes a little, too much turns the wax into "grease" which is bad.
Now I'll try the wax/ptfe combo for sure, but getting hold of ptfe-powder in the EU seems to not be that easy. Finally found a supplier, but that was in China (ofc). Ordered. Will be here comes spring.
Edit: The white residue you see on your chains, I get something similar without having used ptfe. So what that is I really cannot say.
Greetings to Australia and thanks a lot for your videos. I really got the in depth information for getting the correct ingredients and material. I’m living and riding in Germany, not too far away from Wippermann (Connex) factory. My drivetrain is a Shimano 10x3 XT in the upper price range. So I swapped my Shimano chain for a Connex 10S1 with quick link, now waxed. Oh man, what a difference.
For the first time procedure:
1. First using in Germany called “Kaltreiniger” degreaser in a jar and shake it, doing at least 3 passes
2. Then having a sonicare ultrasound cleaner 3l with a specific cleaner 3 cups on 2l water, doing the chain 30min on 70°C
3. Last, using Isopropylacohol for the last degreasing, one run in jar, then hang and dry over night
I’m also using a 3l crockpot for waxing.
Main difference from your “waxing in between”, I use white spirit instead of Isopropylacohol, because it dissolves the wax by 100% when doing a mix wax : white spirit of 40 : 60
Thanks so much for these great videos. I converted both my bike chains to Teflon infused paraffin chains. I had a lot of wax flake off during my first ride, but shifting was smooth and drivetrain was super clean.
I can't believe the interest I'm watching a man clean a chainset with. Thanks for the new recipe!
Followed your instructions for chain cleaning and waxing and wow what a difference! Shifting is better and a chain clean to the touch after a 3hr ride.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Two days after uploading, seven chain lube manufacturers dislike this video.
Suggest you read zero friction cycling facebook post re the testing. Plus home formula wax blends hardly new, and many perform well for those wishing to go that path. Its a tiny demographic, i dont think many lube lube manufacturers too worried. But to understand a bit more about proper independent testing, refer to zero friction cycling and learn some key points.
@@adamkerin4130 It was a tongue in cheek reply Adam. I've been waxing my chains for a couple of years now; chains last 2-3 times longer as well as sprockets, cleaning my bikes is a lot faster and the only "inconvenience" is taking my chain off to clean and re-wax it.
Ian Canuckistan ... see the other video for that.. ua-cam.com/video/-oyNX6-CCMw/v-deo.html
Well, my 50g of PTFE powder has arrived from China via Ebay. Thought I'd wait for that to arrive before ordering the wax. As I was a little concerned that a packet of suspicious looking white powder in the post may get the customs people a bit jumpy, but nope, it arrived safely without being tampered with.
Just have to wait for the wax to arrive now. Hoping that I can slightly increase my speed on the bike. Just enough to outrun the corona zombies who will undoubtedly be chasing me and trying to eat my brains by the time I get out next weekend. Thanks for all your research and hard work work that went into developing this. You deserve some kind of award.
Best thing ever.
I'm "cooking" my first batch of candle wax+glycerin+graphite powder as I watch this video again.. this channel has been a great encourage of DIY waxing chains. Hope it works wonders as people say.
Been waiting for this video. people are amazed when I ride in the worst sandy, muddy, rainy, weather and my chain stays clean cant wait to try this new recipe
Yeh,just had to make sure the big lube merchants weren't going to send out any hitmen on me :)
@@stevenleffanue lots of people trying to make a living off gimmicks out there for sure
@@stevenleffanue haha I didn't read this comment and commented the same thing above
I did a decent chunk of the round Australia circuit using old style "white lightning" commercial wax lube and that was magic. In the red dust areas nothing stuck to it, I'd just wipe it down every day and add a tiny bit of lube. 15000km of excellent riding. Then they "improved" the recipe and the dust stuck to the chain... sadly the DIY doesn't work on the side of the road. But now I'm back in civilisation it's time to buy a slow cooker.
Just spent £30 on ebay and I'm all set.
I did my first 100 km on wax+parafine+ptfe mixture - I'm very happy so far! Thanks from e-biker :)
I use depilatory Wax Heater Pot as a melting pot.
Fantastic video and great detailed instructions oz. Thank you! I've ridden 600 km since the first waxing a couple of weeks ago. Still no squeaking and the chain & drivetrain are still shiny and very quiet. Going to clean/reapply soon and I may get to my wife's bike too. LOL
I didn't use petrol on my filthy Ultegra chain, just the Varsol cycle several times before the Meths rinse.
For any Canadians interested in this method, I ordered 100g 1-3 um PTFE (2x 50g sachets) through Alibaba delivered in Canada for US$17 and 1lb of food grade paraffin wax at Superstore for Cdn$6. That is basically a lifetime supply of superb wax lube for our household bikes, all for Cdn$30. Is Teflon powder restricted in Canada? Nobody sells it to the public and US vendors won't ship it to Canada for under $30!
One tip. Rather than buy a dedicated slow cooker, you can use a large, clean microwavable (so the container won't melt) food container to melt the wax/PTFE mix. Use your wife's best large pan on very low heat on the stove, with an inch or two of water in the bottom - it is effectively a double boiler. Cost is $0. Once you have waxed your chain and the wax/PTFE has cooled, simply put the container lid on and store until the next time. LABEL IT so the rest of your household know what is in there.
I finally got my PTFE today. I had ordered some from China but it's still not here in a month. So I ordered some from a U.S. supplier and it arrived today. First impression is that the chain is less stiff with the PTFE after cooling off. I put the waxed chain with PTFE on the bike and gave it a spin. I can feel less friction already just spinning the pedals forward with bike on a bike stand. I think the PTFE makes the pure paraffin wax less stiff. I'll be doing my first ride tomorrow using the new PTFE formula. Can hardly wait to feel the results.
I have a tip to share. After dunking several used chains in hot wax some ferrous particles settle out in the molten wax. I use a strong magnet on a telescoping rod (sold at automotive parts stores) to collect the fine ferrous particles. I work the magnet back and forth on the bottom of the crock pot. Then I remove the magnet and wipe it with a paper towel. I repeat this process about 20 times or until I don't see black streaks on the clean paper towel. I'm surprised to see how much ferrous particles can be removed using this method. Of course this is with the pure paraffin wax. Hopefully with the new PTFE formula I'll see a lot less ferrous particles.
The PTFE definitely makes the chain feel slicker. Less noise and the links soften up much quicker than pure paraffin. I'm sold on this new formula. Thanks OZ Cycle.
What brand of PTFE you bought from US seller, what size of the powder. The one I found on Amazon is 2-3 um. Do you have a link? Thanks a lot.
@@yingwang2935 That's the one I got on eBay, the 2-3um one. Those particle sizes listed are average sizes. So some particles will be smaller than 2um. It's not the end of the world if you get 2-3um. Also I believe that not all advertised 1.6um are truly 1.6um. For all we know they could very well be even worse than the 2-3um. There's really no way for us consumers to tell the difference. Cheers.
AWESOME video !!! This has probably got to be THE video on the subject. I love the way you cut through all the advertising bullshit at the beginning - the wry smile at the end of that segment was hilarious. Thanks for this. One thing I would note : PTFE / Teflon might be "the best" additive, but it is also really evil shit (environmentally, and for your own body). It gets into your fat cells and other cells, and NEVER leaves your body! It never gets metabolised or excreted, and it never biodegrades in nature. It has gone right through the food chain, and just about every creature in the world has teflon / PTFE in their fat cells to some degree now (I read a sciency article on this somewhere - pretty freaky) -
and nobody quite knows what the effects of this is.
PS. I like that you feature wipperman chains too - There was one on a bike I bought used - had never heard of wipperman before that - but have found they are the BEST.
Thank you for so many great videos! Your channel has been my primary source (going on 5-6 years).
Problably the best 25:13 min. I have ever used on UA-cam. And I have spend a lot of minutes🤔😂
Thank you very much for being informative and very “watcher“ friendly with everything so well explained 🙏🏼👌🏼
Just bought all the stuff and will move from Oil based lube to wax using your method and formula. Really excited about the outcome. Thank you for your work!
Oz method is super and saves chemicals in the cleaning process. PTFE is bittersweet because its microplastics and stays in the nature (liver) I understand racing purposes and the amount is small what example I need for personal purposes. So let's not be satisfied yet and lets innovate more. Oz has done his share, thank you and welcome to Finland, let's have a ride.
Hey, Oz most of them in the comment section have done the good work of thanking you for your hard work and effort and time invested, and its same feeling from me here in India, now I am looking forward to whats the next big thing that you are going to come up with, Thanks a lots OZ your and inspiration
Great videos and techniques, as always. One thing you might want to mention is that the coat hangers you use to bend into hooks and hangers should be BARE METAL hangers. I made the mistake of using a plastic-coated hanger which resulted in a melted goo coating the chain when pulled from the molten wax. Ruined a new chain (and the wax/PTFE mixture as well). Won't make that mistake again!
Must be a real skinny coathanger with plastic on to fit thru chain link ?
I have a 3.5l slow cooker arriving tomorrow - one with a metal bowl was going to be delivered today but cancelled it for one with a replaceable ceramic bowl so can swap for cooking! I haven't checked on the availability of PTFE powder yet but will start waxing my chains soon.
We had an exceptionally wet winter here in Blighty at the beginning of 2021 - bad enough to fit full mudguards to my commuting bike. I carried on using "dry" lube but it washed off after a few miles so started using a "wet" lube that stayed on my chain. Once upon a time, we just bought chain lube!
Wet lube is really useless for the simple reason it attracts so much crud that it grinds every part down - hence my interest in hot waxing.
8:38 Straight to the point.
ps: The information before this is priceless! Totally worth watching.
Many thanks for all the hard work. Big improvement over the paraffin oil. Think you just created a global shortage of PTFE powder.
: I agree. I wasn't satisfied with the paraffin oil. The chain still attracted a lot of dirt.
Yeah big improvement on the paraffin oil, I found that the wax didn't stick long enough in hot weather
I can't find PTFE anymore. Can't get it via ebay from China now. Know of a cheap alternative?
@@TerebroNo. Huge problem getting anything out of China right now. I ordered 100g end of Dec. Still not here and I'm in Taiwan, next door. Another problem is shipping little baggies of white powder through the post...
@@martonchip9856 Yeah thought as much. If you're that close I may aswell give up! Cheers
Sensational. Your video is very good and your way of teaching is didactic, simple and objective. I speak of Brazil and I will start to do it the way you teach. Thank you very much for your time, dedication and patience in making this work.
Finally got around to doing this waiting on the slow cooker and wax and ptfe to come. Did everything today and have to say i feel a big difference in smooth riding more power and easier gear changing fantastic stuff
Wow mate! Your editing skills have really stepped up! Well done
Just found your channel, and it's a gem! Thanks for the information. I am definitely going to switch over to wax. I am dreading cleaning all of my family's chains and drive trains! Thanks mate!
Oz cycle - absolute legend. For those in the UK - Argos slow cooker £12.99 - Hobbycraft 1kg Parra fun wax block or pellet £8. PTFE powder off AliExpress....or eBay but was sold out
Is it worth doing the cassette?
@@rallyboy101I'm far from an expert, but I would say no. The main rationale for doing the chain (particularly immersion) is due to the many hundreds (perhaps thousands) of stiction points within the chain with each pedal stroke. Whereas, for the cassette, the chain comes to a rest against it one link at a time and pulls the teeth along. The chain isn't even supposed to "rub" against the cassette.
Can you use a normal pan on low heat instead of the slow cooker?
@@alexapirot32 yes, but very low heat, so it doesn't start generating fumes
Or use a pan on top of another filled with boiling water. Au bain marie.
Thank you for this, and for all the effort that went into it.
Do I understand correctly that (other than the addition of PTFE) your recipe and method differs in two ways from your previous recommendations:
1. No addition of liquid paraffin (oil) to make the wax adhere better to the metal, and
2. No cooling of the chain after waxing to solidify the wax inside the chain?
If you use a paraffin wax you shouldn't need any extra paraffin.
I agree: an explicit recommendation from OZ Cycle, breaking from prior recipe, would inspire confidence
IME, using a higher temperature (above 100C/212F) results in better adherence to the chain, with no flaking off of wax at all.
Yes, I'm wondering the same thing? Also only cleaning with boiling water? What happened to all the shakers with petrol, and metho?
Correct Paul. Ptfe replaces the oil. No snap cooling required either.
Awesome channel. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Manny other channels just promoting their sponsors convincing you to buy staff.
Much appreciated. Respect from Canada.
ABSOLUTE LEGEND, thank you for being this inspirative person.
Brilliant ! Thanks for all your hard work & sharing it all with us. Love your channel, you're a legend!
Since it is Corona warning in Germany and it is propably clever to stay at home I was waxing two chains for our MTBs this weekend. One was brand new, one was used for a couple times with the sticky Rholoff oil. Cleaning the brand new chain was working very well. Cleaning the used chain took me quite some time. After changing the first bath in petrol for three times the petrol finally stayed clean.
After all the cleaning the chain runs very smooth. I tried a waxed chain on a touring bike for a couple of hundered KM and it stayed very very clean, I found a tiny little spot of rust under the CONNEX link. We still have salt on the roads in Germany.
I was very happy with the old recipe but this one seems to be even more fabulous.
After 523 days my order of PTFE was finally delivered. Insane it still arrived. I had to re-watch the video to find out why ordered it in the first place. I have used the normal wax procedure for almost 2 years now and it's great. I can do up to 500 km with 1 wax, dry and clean weather conditions. Curious if I will notice a difference while riding with the PTFE-wax..
@@peterderouck7942 hello my friend, how the PTFE waxing went?
@@eljaibas16 I haven’t used PTFE yet. I made my own recipe of wax. Here in Thailand we can buy regular parrafin wax which melts at about 85C and there is another kind of wax (PE wax) that melts at around 130C. I use ¼ of the Pe wax and ¾ of the parrafin wax. I can ride up to 500 km on one wax treatment in good conditions, no rain or dirt.
@@peterderouck7942 do you plan on using the PTFE or just keep using your mixture? Anyways, up to 500km 😯 that's a lot.
@@eljaibas16 I'm fine with this mixture.
Fantastic video and so much detail thank you for such an amazing effort in the testing and creating the video for us. Just today I used your previous method for the first time and just bought the rice cooker for it. I'm wondering if i just warm the wax up on the keep warm setting. I will try a thermometer on it. For the Australian's, that brand of slow cooker is sold at K-Mart
Yeh that will be fine Andrew,just keep an eye on the temp and it will work out.
I use an old rice cooker on the warm cycle and a digital temperature gauge. 80-90 is good. Let your chain soak and observe the bubbles until there is no more. I then let it cool to about 60C before removing from the pot and lay it on rags or paper.
I still use the rice cooker. I put the wax in a glass jar, then put water in the cooker. Put the jar in the water in the cooker. The wax is always cooler than the water by a few degrees and you can stop it heating too quick.
I’ve been using a cosmetic wax melter. Found on Amazon for cheap. Smaller than a slow cooker but designed for wax so little chance of over heating the wax. Has a temperature display too.
Wow - just did all of this on my Van Nicholas and.... it's brilliant much much better, quieter, smoother, better shifting - Thank you!
I go through chains quickly and I got fed up with the daily cleaning, so I'm trying the wax now.
Great video and thankyou for the time and effort you put into it. Look forward too trying it out and benefiting from the results 👍
You're the OG of chain wax. All these companies owe you some royalties.
I guessed it would be PTFE in the new formula so I ordered two bags off of Ebay in advance. The 100g bag from India never arrived so the seller game me a full refund. The 50g bag from China arrived and I'll be cooking a batch as soon as possible. I also ordered a 55 lb block of refined paraffin off of Ebay for $45 USD. When I say a block of paraffin I mean a block. The 55 lb block was supposed to be layered in sheets but it all melted together into one huge block, I guess that's why it was listed for only $45. I use a hand saw to cut out chunks. Now I need to find a good use for the one gallon of paraffin oil I purchased. I guess I'll have to buy some tiki torches for the back porch. Oz, thanks for all the time and research you put into this.
The 500g of paraffin mix treats a LOT of chains. I treated 6 chains and can’t notice less wax in the pot. My strategy is each of my mountain bikes will have 3 dedicated chains, numbered 1-3. Every few rides, it’s very muddy this time of year, I swap to the next numbered chain. I like always having a fresh chain at the ready for those times I don’t have time for the full waxing process. I also like waxing the chains in batches for efficiency reasons. For some reason I haven’t had any luck replacing my mtb chains at .05 percent wear. When the Park tool indicates.05 wear I’ll replace the chain on the drivetrain only to have the chain skip on the almost new rear cassette. I think I ride too much mud for the conventional approach of chain replacement to be effective for me. It will be interesting to see what results I get with my new strategy. I do like how the new PTFE formula seems to stick to the chain better than the paraffin oil formula.
You guys that ride offroad in mud, how do you like using this wax compared to using other lubricants. I love the wax on my road bike chain but am not convinced I'll stick with it for muddy mtb use. I find no matter what's on the chain, after a muddy mtb ride the chain needs cleaned and lubed. Oiled chains I simply spray off the mud using a garden hose, dry with a rag and reapply the oil. The mud wears away the wax and reapplying the wax bath every muddy ride is time consuming. I tried breaking a block of wax out of my pot and then rubbing the wax into my chain that has been sprayed off with the garden hose and dried. This seems to work OK but it's not as good as a wax dip and if the chain isn't totally dry the chain will get rust spots.
WARNING. Guys, be really careful when re-melting your wax that has hardened in the slow cooker. My slow cooker spits wax at you as it heats up. The lowest power setting is 400 watts which is too much. Make sure to keep the lid on. I nearly copped a face full of hot wax but luckily the lid was on. Stabbing the wax first a few times seems to prevent the volcano effect. Did my first ride today on the waxed chain and pretty impressed so far.
That just happened to me today. Reheated the wax and it shot a stream off my forehead and all over the ceiling. Almost hit my eyes.
Thank you! Did my wife and my chain, so smooth, silent and clean after 100km!!! $25 for 20 years of chain lube lol.
Just ordered some PTFE powder and wax pellets, interested to give this a try! Hate black oily chains.
How it went?.
@@junboo8730 legent tell, that he is still riding without stop
Please offer comparison of the PFTE based lube to the parafin oil mixed with the wax
Just completed my first ride after following the waxing procedure and I am totally sold! Brand new S-Works Tarmac SL6 with SRAM Etap Red AXS. I live in California so I had to follow a slightly different process to clean the chain. 1. Used Kerosene instead of Gas/Petrol for the first part and soaked it overnight. 2. Used the old Greased Lightning formula to de-grease overnight. 3. Can't get methylated spirits in California so I used straight grain alcohol overnight. Wax stuck to the chain incredibly well. I would advise wiping off the chain when you remove it from the wax as Oz suggest, especially if your frame is dark. I did need to take a brush and wipe off the shed wax after my ride. Not a big deal. Chain shifted perfectly, was quiet, and absolutely no dirt on any part of the drive train.
Alrighty. I’ve just bought my slow cooker, blended up my refined paraffin wax with ptfe powder, bathed my chain in this wacky concoction, all in the kitchen while my wife looked on with something that can only be described as pity.
Now what? Oh yeah. Go riding!!
What your result I did this with candle wax only and 20km I got clumps of oily/wet dirt everywhere.?
@@nixho4029 did you clean the chain properly? ua-cam.com/video/sYxzHClWfQU/v-deo.html
So how it is?
@@nixho4029 gotta clean your chain , according to the method in the video , clean chain allows paraffin to stick , oily chain, I mean any tiny residual oil will prevent parfin sticking , try again , it really does work if you follow the process
@@jugglematt100 Hi if you only use wax how much and how good would it be in comparison with this ptef wax? I think they dont sell ptef in my country :/
It's funny to see the other so called independant guy, from zero friction cycling (who also sells wax lubes from different companies he works with) trashing your formula because he can't make money off it...
We are so lucky to have someone like you in this game.
Unfortunately it's a greedy world out there.
Some feedback after 3 years and almost zero chain wear.
I started with 3 new chains and have cleaned and waxed using a fresh chain each week. I still dont even make the first level on a chain wear tool.
I average about 8000kms per year down in Tasmania so winter conditions are pretty average to say the least.
Im using the new formula and im also still on the first batch of wax, will need to top up soon. I also do a full clean before rewaxing, this only takes one minute.
Because im using multiple chains its pretty easy timewise as i always have one ready to.
Have only just changed a rear cassette for no other reason but replacing wheels and thought i better put a fresh cassette on.
Thanks for the great video and advice.
Thank you for developing and sharing all this knowledge 👏👏
I'm estimating that this is the seventy-fourth video you've made on waxing your chain so I reckon you must be convinced :). FIne, fine, I'll give it a go.
Love the channel, need more Aussie content on UA-cam.
Awesome! Just did this to 2 chains. Ride is super slick, clean and chain shines a silver white colour. Thank you!
Outstanding tips!! Particularly re: cleaning the drivetrain!
Really great video. PTFE seems to be dangerous for the environment, especially for the birds. Is there any alternative to PTFE in making the wax?
Lots of other additives you can use but ptfe came out as best
@@stevenleffanue What is your recommendation for a more environmentally friendly additive?
PTFE is metabolically inert. That's why it's in things like knee replacements, cosmetics, and frying pans.
The only way it can be made dangerous is if it is heated to decomposition where it produces toxic gases at 300-400 degrees Celsius.
Birds do not possess stomachs or respiratory tracts capable of those temperatures. However, if you burn your Teflon pan in the presence of your cockatoo then it will die.
As long as you don't reenact Gordon Ramsey's kitchen nightmares in front of your pet birds, I think using Teflon powder will be fine.
@@MonMalthias LOL. In future I shall ensure my cockatoos are at least in the next room next time I go in for the classic "burning Teflon" pastime.
@@MonMalthias inert sure, but that means it can't break down.
The particles eventually get smaller, end up in the ocean, the fish, then us. These micro plastics end up so small they go into your blood stream and brain
Thank you very much for this revealing video. I have just ordered everything I need. Already started with petrol cleaning of the chain. Staggering what came out, even though I had recently cleaned with muc-off. Cheers, mate!!
Thanks so much for this. I’ll be making this over the Christmas break. I was surprised to discover that the new mixture contains no paraffin oil at all. Why did you take that out of the recipe? I thought that softened the wax and made it less likely to flake away.
Softening the paraffin wax makes it a more durable lubricant, but decreases the efficiency advantages and makes it gather dirt more, too.
The multinational chain mafia will knock you off one day Steve with all this cheap do it yourself advice lol
they could also be happy because now a lot of folks buy 4 chains at once to have a nice rotational workflow when waxing.
And then maybe switch to next gen 12 speed gropuset and buy 4 more 12s chains. ;)
all jokes aside from these 250 000 people maybe 10 000 actually do it
10,001. I just did it for the first time.
10,002
@@GameMovieStudios2000 Yeh, but at least they now have a choice. Wax it yourself and have a cleaner chain, less friction and minimal wear or buy a bottled lubricant...your choice!! 10,003
As a competitive cyclist for over 40yrs, I really appreciate your dedication, hard work & enthusiasm!!! We used to wax our chains back in the 80's, but got away from it. Seeing your stripping method(I used to use kerosene) & concoction added with the wax, I will give it a try. I am currently in the middle of a new build on my Merckx with Super Record(mechanical) & think I will take the time to do this, Thanks😁 If you ever come to the United States, bring your road bike & we'll go for a ride here in Waynesville, NC(The Great Smokey Mountains home of the Blue Ridge Parkway). Thanks Again, David Lovett USAF Desert Storm Veteran🇺🇸!!!
I have a friend in Perth who restored a Merckx MX Leader in team colour(pink n black), full super record but put Campy bullet wheelset and super record carbon crankset on to match all the components black colour.Sure is nice!
Thanks for the video
K-mart will be wondering why all the cyclists are buying out their slow cookers!
Thank you from Sparta Greece!
Greetings from Bielefeld Germany! I've tried your method and it works. It's clean and I really feel how easy, I mean really allot easier to bike, less effort to ride the bike... Allot of Thanks's and Good bless you!!!!!
Guess it is off to my local “piano store”: PTFE powder is a standard supply item for keeping the “knuckles” on a piano nice and slippery.
I've been watching videos on how to restore pianos as I have one that needs some work so now I have two reasons to buy it
Make sure it's 1.6um tho
Oz the wax master! :D
I finally did it.Bought the fixings, a slow cooker and two wipperman chains. Did the clean as per the video. So far so good. Also cleaned the chain that was already on the bike and the amount of metal that came out was sobering.
If you don't have a slow cooker you could also use a double boiler to melt the wax. The maximum temperature that a double boiler can reach is inherently the same as the maximum temperature that water can reach (100°C / 212°F). If you don't have a store-bought double boiler, you can make one by sticking e.g., a stainless steel bowl on top of a pot of boiling water, and put your wax in the bowl.
Hey Oz! I have a couple questions about your waxing method/formula. In your earlier waxing videos, you used parafin oil to thin out the parafin wax. Is the teflon performing this function somehow or have you determined that thinning the parafin is unnecessary? I ask because I may just use pure parafin wax until my teflon arrives, but I will probably rewax when I have teflon on hand.
My second question is, in your previous videos you talked about waiting for a specific temperature and possibly dunking in cold water immediately to avoid having the wax run out of the links. Do you still recommend doing either of these? In this video it kinda looks like you took it out hot and you didn't mention a water dunk.
Thanks a ton for all your contributions to the community!
Hi, Stephen... May I ask where have you ordered de PTFE dust...? I can´t find companies selling it in Spain, and I already tried twice to buy on line but for some reason they return money before sending it... thank you...
Ptfe replaces oil. Yes you can use wax without ptfe. No need to dunk chain in cold water when using ptfe.
Asia is cheapest for ptfe
@@stevenleffanue thank you, sir.
Only thing I can say is thanks. Your a legend for posting this information and for free. The difference is really noticeable
Glad to help. Hope it goes well for you 🚲😎
Take a zip-lock bag with PTFE powder into your saddle-bag on your next cycling tour with friends. Just ask them during a brake if they need a performance boost and show the bag. Look at their faces. Then powder your chain with it. Priceless.
Nearly spat me coffee out there man !!! 😂😂
😂
i'd appreciate your insights & suggestions as to a more environmentally-friendly alternative to PTFE. i just received a tin of sheep lanolin-based lubricant -thinking of combining it with wax
Brilliant. Spent the last 2 nights watching your videos. Wish I'd found them at the start of the lockdown 😀
So i'm quite intrigued by this chain lubricant/wax. By now I've found a 12 speed reusable link, so I could be in business.
However, I'm also concerned about the environment.
In your video, you clean the waxed chain with boiling water. Isn't that releasing the PTFE/Teflon to the environment?
Maybe you could provide us with a more sustainable additive to your wax?
Very good point. Glad that someone mentions the environment factor. I'd use plain paraffin, even if it means it'll cost me 1-2 watts.
can u recommend 12 speed re-usable link?
@@Dralbastaki YBN has one that can be reused 4-5 times