I ride all winter, my 3 main bikes are a fat bike, creek crossings, deep snow, and some mud. My mountain bike sees a lot of mud. My gravel bike sees slush, rain, and cold weather. I was super stoked to see this hack of adding the synergetic oil. I’ve done it, and looking forward to testing it. With that said, I’m really bummed out how much the wax stinks, and off gasses now with the synergetic lube. To the point I can’t perform the waxing indoors anymore. Unless the performance in these extreme conditions is increased significantly, I won’t do this anymore once this batch is used up.
I lift a puck of solid wax from my Silca pot once it's cooled by turning a wood screw a little way in. A 250g/½bag puck will fit back in a Secret Blend bag. The puck can be etched with the recipe using the wood screw. No Han Solo sadly but easier than pouring to a mould.
To be honest, I'm possibly a patissier. I am interested in the workings, but might only minorly deviate from the prescribed recipe. I was tempted to try maybe a 1/6th bottle of synergetic, but luckily this video made it more clear that it's really for extreme conditions we might only have for one week. Another new thing I learned is that the noise is not necessarily a state to avoid at all cost, it's just the beginning of the wax breaking down. Until now I was more thinking along the lines "If I hear noise, I am too late". I also thought that any rust after a wet ride (if not immediately put in new wax) is a really bad sign. I can relax a bit now! Rust on a chain that is say less than half of the dry kms in, will probably not have come from the inner areas, as that should still have wax on it. Best to avoid, but not the end of the world I think now.
love it, one think I do nowadays from advice from Zero Friction. I purchased a second Silca pod. I use one with clean wax for me new chains and strip chip if I get an new chain, the other pod I use when the chain is used and could have soem dirt on, aldo I clean them first in hot water. After 10 minutes in the 'dirty´ pod and drip out, I put the chain 10 minutes more in the clean pod before I let it drip out to put it back on my bike.
I have many questions but for now I will start with just one. I don't know if this has been commented on before. Why is there no mention of the double boiler method for melting wax? To me, this (the double boiler) seems to be the easiest, cheapest and therefore most accessible method. Also, with a double boiler, the temperature can never reach the value at which the wax can be damaged.
Great, now I want to have a tauntaun-shaped block of wax for the winter and a sarlacc-shaped block for the summer. Maybe a Luke-shaped block for the lukewarm days :)
just came to say I'm here to understand the ingredients and the techniques. I only just wax my chain but I like knowing and learning and if it happens to help in the future great.
For a very long, maybe wet ride where I’ve started with a hot waxed chain and then had to top up with synergetic is it ok to just wipe off the chain and hot wax rather than having to properly clean it with chain stripper before re waxing? Sounds like it would be, which would be fantastic.
Can you give us a direct link to the tests of Smoove versus Silca indicating 20% wear versus 2 %? This video was a lot to take in. Maybe you should set up a table with all those options or maybe even a flowchart?
Hi Josh. I'm definitely a convert to wax -- people who say it's a lot of extra bother don't seem to factor in the amount of time they spend cleaning the drivetrain. On my winter bike, with hub gears and waxed chain, I don't need to clean the drivetrain from one month (several hundred miles) to the next. One question, and one suggested answer: To clean the factory grease off a new chain, is it acceptable to clean it first with mineral spirits and then use your chain cleaner? I think this should be equally effective and make the cleaner last a lot longer (sorry about the profits... 😁). Also, does the chain need to be thoroughly dried before it goes into the molten wax? To prevent rust, I moisten a microfibre cloth with some turpentine and run the chain through it. This dissolves a trace of wax and leaves a thin film over the chain. This only takes a minute or two and can be done as often as seems necessary for your riding.
What are the pros/cons of the endurance chip in below freezing weather? I don't ride when it's wet or raining, but I do commute to work routinely in under freezing temperatures, all road riding. Thanks!
After a wet ride I blow off the excess water with an air blower (plug in air duster) then wipe down the chain with an IPA wet microfibre. This helps to get rid of the water.
Chain gets noisier earlier when MTBing over rough ground. I can only think that the violent chain slapping shakes the wax off and out of the chain. I'm re-waxing around every 100km. Can still see wax inside the rollers, going to see what the higher summer temperatures do over christmas. Can you talk about stainless steel connex chains, It's what i am using. They seem to work fine. However i am unable to find Stainless steel connex quick links. Even the ones that come with the chain are just steel.
I am feeling like a chemist now. How would it fare to combine a bit of Synergetic with an Endurance chip? Is there any benefit given the gain from endurance chip are minimal in wet/humid conditions. Context is winter riding around or below freezing where the roads tend to be wet and salted.
great video as usual. I wanted to ask something: how many uses can you get from a typicl quick chain link, like Connex and so on? (I don't mean the official ones, which seem pretty limited)
I ride a recumbent trike. Mostly warm to hot and dry. I mainly want a clean chain. I present at Rehab Hospitals helping people with disabilities see a safe way for them to get out and exercise. While presenting we have nurses and orderlies helping patient in and out of the trikes. It never fails they rub the chain and basically destroy an outfit. Will waxing help prevent that?
You can touch a immersive Silca wax chain without getting messy, You degrease the chain first then it never sees oil again. You may get dust and dirt on the chain, but the chain will not be oily. I think some drip wax can be slightly messy,
I touch my waxed chain and nothing appears on my fingers. If youre pedaling and the chain rubs against clothes it can transfer some wax, but for stationary applications it’s basically super clean.
Big fail on my part, been using waxed chain(s) on my trainer, getting flakes on the ground/floor was my least concern, getting flakes on the trainer had me cleaning the trainer completely shortly after waxing so as to not have the flakes damage the trainer (this was especially true after applying the Super Secret drip between waxings). Now I guess I should consider switching to Super G for my trainer rides.
I use wax on all of my outdoor bikes, but I use Synergistic-e for my indoor trainer. Just clean your chain well (or use a new chain) before applying the wet lube, and it'll last a LONG time between lubes since there's no dirt, grit, or contamination.
I think you have mentioned waxing in ultrasonic cleaners. German brand Optimize offers a special ultrasonic wax cooker and claims that using an ultrasonic cleaner wouldn't work and even be dangerous. What do you think about solid state cooker VS bag of wax hanging inside the sonicator water bath (I won't fill my whole sonicator with wax! 😆) VS special ultrasonic cooker? For now I do have the cleaner and no cooker, yet.
All of those methods work more or less equally well. We've tested ultrasonic waxing, waxing in a vacuum, and other methods to see if there are any differences and there really aren't.. the biggest performance change comes from removing the chain at the right temperature as pulling it when too hot allows too much wax to drip out resulting in reduced application longevity.
Speaking of waxing on indoor trainer, do you have any estimate of how many hours a single application of hot melt can last for, if we assume average power output between 200 to 250w?
You should point out that the "surface rust" is on the outside off the chain, not inside the rollers and simply comes right off when you give the chain a 3 second rinse in boiling water.
I would love to see some test data on real off-road mountain biking conditions. Like serious mountain bike trail riding in the Pacific Northwest or anywhere really muddy and wet with this product. I just purchased the whole wax stripping system including the melting pot. It's winter so I'll know soon but I would love to see some hardcore data on longevity for trail riding. I plan on topping off my hot wax chain with some wax drip post wet/muddy rides. Lets see how it performs and holds...
Less than a day later, if anyone's wondering, I actually found extremely good data on Zero Friction Cycling's web page. Under Silca Secret Chain Hot Melt Wax, ZFC had a 35-page extremely in-depth report on just how superior this stuff is and how well it should work for mountain bikers. Zero Friction Cycling also gave multiple options for dealing with wet nasty conditions. It actually does not seem very hard at all! And it's exactly what Josh has been saying. Personally, I think post any really muddy nasty wet ride I'm going to stick with a thorough washing followed by shaking the bike to remove excess water or my air compressor. Then a top off with the Silca Super Secret Drip Wax. Eventually I'll get a spare chain as recommended by Josh and highly recommended by Zero Friction Cycling's 35-page report. The data easily backs up how extremely superior a hot wax melting system is. And it smashes any wet lube out of the park by light years! And this is for all bikers, not just Roadies. I installed The Sram Eagle Axis T-type Transmission on my e-bike a year ago and I wish I would have known about hot waxing back then. Better late than never. I just got a new chain for it about a 100 miles ago and all of my Silca wax, stripper, and Melting Pot are on the way. Black Friday deals are looking awesome on amazon! I've been sharing the ZFC 35-page report with a lot of my mountain biker friends 🔥💯🤟🍻
@BradRussellisAwesome just search Zero Friction Cycling. Once you go to their web page there's a whole list of products they've tested. I simply scroll down until I found Silca Secret Chain Hot Melt Wax. I can try and leave a link here but I'm not sure if they work on UA-cam comments?
The best method for a large amount of chain is to coil it up in a wire basket and use a large crock pot or ultrasonic cleaner big enough to hold it all.. not simple or cheap, but will save a ton of time and mess and also give you the best results! A 15L ultrasonic is probably about the right size.
I had to bail on using Synerg-E on my trainer. Tungsten disulfide-infused oil got all over the mat, chainstays, cassette, trainer, etc. Synergetic has been tolerable.
love the chef vs baker vs pastry chef analogy
I ride all winter, my 3 main bikes are a fat bike, creek crossings, deep snow, and some mud. My mountain bike sees a lot of mud. My gravel bike sees slush, rain, and cold weather. I was super stoked to see this hack of adding the synergetic oil. I’ve done it, and looking forward to testing it. With that said, I’m really bummed out how much the wax stinks, and off gasses now with the synergetic lube. To the point I can’t perform the waxing indoors anymore. Unless the performance in these extreme conditions is increased significantly, I won’t do this anymore once this batch is used up.
I lift a puck of solid wax from my Silca pot once it's cooled by turning a wood screw a little way in. A 250g/½bag puck will fit back in a Secret Blend bag. The puck can be etched with the recipe using the wood screw. No Han Solo sadly but easier than pouring to a mould.
Bike nerds rule.
Silca rocks!
Go Josh go!
To be honest, I'm possibly a patissier. I am interested in the workings, but might only minorly deviate from the prescribed recipe. I was tempted to try maybe a 1/6th bottle of synergetic, but luckily this video made it more clear that it's really for extreme conditions we might only have for one week. Another new thing I learned is that the noise is not necessarily a state to avoid at all cost, it's just the beginning of the wax breaking down. Until now I was more thinking along the lines "If I hear noise, I am too late". I also thought that any rust after a wet ride (if not immediately put in new wax) is a really bad sign. I can relax a bit now! Rust on a chain that is say less than half of the dry kms in, will probably not have come from the inner areas, as that should still have wax on it. Best to avoid, but not the end of the world I think now.
love it, one think I do nowadays from advice from Zero Friction. I purchased a second Silca pod. I use one with clean wax for me new chains and strip chip if I get an new chain, the other pod I use when the chain is used and could have soem dirt on, aldo I clean them first in hot water. After 10 minutes in the 'dirty´ pod and drip out, I put the chain 10 minutes more in the clean pod before I let it drip out to put it back on my bike.
I have many questions but for now I will start with just one. I don't know if this has been commented on before. Why is there no mention of the double boiler method for melting wax? To me, this (the double boiler) seems to be the easiest, cheapest and therefore most accessible method. Also, with a double boiler, the temperature can never reach the value at which the wax can be damaged.
PID control system description with plots. ❤
Great, now I want to have a tauntaun-shaped block of wax for the winter and a sarlacc-shaped block for the summer. Maybe a Luke-shaped block for the lukewarm days :)
hey, there are silicon inserts for wax pots witch will allow to remove the wax and simply keep the silicon cup while heating the wax!
just came to say I'm here to understand the ingredients and the techniques. I only just wax my chain but I like knowing and learning and if it happens to help in the future great.
For a very long, maybe wet ride where I’ve started with a hot waxed chain and then had to top up with synergetic is it ok to just wipe off the chain and hot wax rather than having to properly clean it with chain stripper before re waxing? Sounds like it would be, which would be fantastic.
Yes, this works! Of course, if you can rinse it with water before, you will keep contaminates out of your wax even better!
I’m yet to hear a fully dedicated video about cyclocross and how to deal with the constant washing required.
love to hear that to, gravel biking in the Netherlands in wintertime is like cyclocrossing for hours :)
Can you give us a direct link to the tests of Smoove versus Silca indicating 20% wear versus 2 %?
This video was a lot to take in. Maybe you should set up a table with all those options or maybe even a flowchart?
zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/
Here's a video we did on how to interpret and understand the test:
ua-cam.com/video/KNEFd-Fl_tc/v-deo.html
Keep up the great work Josh! Don’t let the NERDS get you down!
Hi Josh. I'm definitely a convert to wax -- people who say it's a lot of extra bother don't seem to factor in the amount of time they spend cleaning the drivetrain. On my winter bike, with hub gears and waxed chain, I don't need to clean the drivetrain from one month (several hundred miles) to the next.
One question, and one suggested answer:
To clean the factory grease off a new chain, is it acceptable to clean it first with mineral spirits and then use your chain cleaner? I think this should be equally effective and make the cleaner last a lot longer (sorry about the profits... 😁). Also, does the chain need to be thoroughly dried before it goes into the molten wax?
To prevent rust, I moisten a microfibre cloth with some turpentine and run the chain through it. This dissolves a trace of wax and leaves a thin film over the chain. This only takes a minute or two and can be done as often as seems necessary for your riding.
What are the pros/cons of the endurance chip in below freezing weather? I don't ride when it's wet or raining, but I do commute to work routinely in under freezing temperatures, all road riding. Thanks!
Thanks for this video! This has been the most concise answering of a lot of the same questions i've had. Perfect!
Loved the comment about the 4 types of people who watch these videos. lmao. I think I'm a lazy chef or a good baker? Thanks again Josh.
After a wet ride I blow off the excess water with an air blower (plug in air duster) then wipe down the chain with an IPA wet microfibre. This helps to get rid of the water.
Chain gets noisier earlier when MTBing over rough ground. I can only think that the violent chain slapping shakes the wax off and out of the chain. I'm re-waxing around every 100km. Can still see wax inside the rollers, going to see what the higher summer temperatures do over christmas.
Can you talk about stainless steel connex chains, It's what i am using. They seem to work fine. However i am unable to find Stainless steel connex quick links. Even the ones that come with the chain are just steel.
I am feeling like a chemist now. How would it fare to combine a bit of Synergetic with an Endurance chip? Is there any benefit given the gain from endurance chip are minimal in wet/humid conditions. Context is winter riding around or below freezing where the roads tend to be wet and salted.
great video as usual. I wanted to ask something: how many uses can you get from a typicl quick chain link, like Connex and so on? (I don't mean the official ones, which seem pretty limited)
Thanks for the info. I moved to super secret a couple of years ago and am not going back.
I ride a recumbent trike. Mostly warm to hot and dry. I mainly want a clean chain. I present at Rehab Hospitals helping people with disabilities see a safe way for them to get out and exercise. While presenting we have nurses and orderlies helping patient in and out of the trikes. It never fails they rub the chain and basically destroy an outfit. Will waxing help prevent that?
You can touch a immersive Silca wax chain without getting messy, You degrease the chain first then it never sees oil again. You may get dust and dirt on the chain, but the chain will not be oily. I think some drip wax can be slightly messy,
You may get a small dark mark depending on the blend, although from my experience it’ll simply rub away (to almost all extent)
I touch my waxed chain and nothing appears on my fingers. If youre pedaling and the chain rubs against clothes it can transfer some wax, but for stationary applications it’s basically super clean.
what is the recipe for a very hot and humid and or rainy ride using Silca ingredients. I'm thinking something extreme like La Ruta.
I'm assuming standard hot melt is fine at 32f if on road and dry?
Big fail on my part, been using waxed chain(s) on my trainer, getting flakes on the ground/floor was my least concern, getting flakes on the trainer had me cleaning the trainer completely shortly after waxing so as to not have the flakes damage the trainer (this was especially true after applying the Super Secret drip between waxings).
Now I guess I should consider switching to Super G for my trainer rides.
I use wax on all of my outdoor bikes, but I use Synergistic-e for my indoor trainer. Just clean your chain well (or use a new chain) before applying the wet lube, and it'll last a LONG time between lubes since there's no dirt, grit, or contamination.
Enjoy learning the science of it all but I just use Super Secret drip on wax.
I think you have mentioned waxing in ultrasonic cleaners. German brand Optimize offers a special ultrasonic wax cooker and claims that using an ultrasonic cleaner wouldn't work and even be dangerous. What do you think about solid state cooker VS bag of wax hanging inside the sonicator water bath (I won't fill my whole sonicator with wax! 😆) VS special ultrasonic cooker? For now I do have the cleaner and no cooker, yet.
All of those methods work more or less equally well. We've tested ultrasonic waxing, waxing in a vacuum, and other methods to see if there are any differences and there really aren't.. the biggest performance change comes from removing the chain at the right temperature as pulling it when too hot allows too much wax to drip out resulting in reduced application longevity.
@SILCAVelo Ah okay, thank you!
Haha, this is great! And yes, I love to cook, but suck at baking 😂
Speaking of waxing on indoor trainer, do you have any estimate of how many hours a single application of hot melt can last for, if we assume average power output between 200 to 250w?
I have gotten close to 1000 miles before it got a bit noisy.
Synergy has helped a lot indoors and my sweat really destroys the wax fast but not as bad as the dog in the corner as mentioned by Josh.
You should point out that the "surface rust" is on the outside off the chain, not inside the rollers and simply comes right off when you give the chain a 3 second rinse in boiling water.
I would love to see some test data on real off-road mountain biking conditions. Like serious mountain bike trail riding in the Pacific Northwest or anywhere really muddy and wet with this product.
I just purchased the whole wax stripping system including the melting pot. It's winter so I'll know soon but I would love to see some hardcore data on longevity for trail riding.
I plan on topping off my hot wax chain with some wax drip post wet/muddy rides.
Lets see how it performs and holds...
Less than a day later, if anyone's wondering, I actually found extremely good data on Zero Friction Cycling's web page.
Under Silca Secret Chain Hot Melt Wax, ZFC had a 35-page extremely in-depth report on just how superior this stuff is and how well it should work for mountain bikers.
Zero Friction Cycling also gave multiple options for dealing with wet nasty conditions. It actually does not seem very hard at all! And it's exactly what Josh has been saying.
Personally, I think post any really muddy nasty wet ride I'm going to stick with a thorough washing followed by shaking the bike to remove excess water or my air compressor. Then a top off with the Silca Super Secret Drip Wax.
Eventually I'll get a spare chain as recommended by Josh and highly recommended by Zero Friction Cycling's 35-page report.
The data easily backs up how extremely superior a hot wax melting system is. And it smashes any wet lube out of the park by light years! And this is for all bikers, not just Roadies.
I installed The Sram Eagle Axis T-type Transmission on my e-bike a year ago and I wish I would have known about hot waxing back then. Better late than never. I just got a new chain for it about a 100 miles ago and all of my Silca wax, stripper, and Melting Pot are on the way. Black Friday deals are looking awesome on amazon!
I've been sharing the ZFC 35-page report with a lot of my mountain biker friends 🔥💯🤟🍻
@@leoc9074would you mind sharing where on the ZFC site I can find this 35 page report? As in what tab, drop down or title to find it? Thanks!
@BradRussellisAwesome just search Zero Friction Cycling. Once you go to their web page there's a whole list of products they've tested. I simply scroll down until I found Silca Secret Chain Hot Melt Wax.
I can try and leave a link here but I'm not sure if they work on UA-cam comments?
@@BradRussellisAwesome just go to zero friction cycling website. Scroll down and it's test number 19 at the bottom silica hot melt wax
@BradRussellisAwesome search Zero Friction Cycling website. Then scroll down towards the bottom test number 19 is silica hot melt wax.
I wax all my bike chains, but I just acquired a recumbent with about 12 feet of chain. What's the best way to wax that?
The best method for a large amount of chain is to coil it up in a wire basket and use a large crock pot or ultrasonic cleaner big enough to hold it all.. not simple or cheap, but will save a ton of time and mess and also give you the best results! A 15L ultrasonic is probably about the right size.
Maybe you could just break the chain into sections with a few quicklinks, and then wax as your normally do?
I had to bail on using Synerg-E on my trainer. Tungsten disulfide-infused oil got all over the mat, chainstays, cassette, trainer, etc. Synergetic has been tolerable.
Old ice cube trays are free on the curb 25:56
Bearings tend to be greased/ oiled and covered by seals so I don't think it's fair to equate rusting chains to rusting bearings
I actually am a Pastry Chef, by degree and practice
I vote for banana scent, please. ;-)
What we need is a reusable quick link.......
Definitely the baker guy 😅 Tell me what to do, how to do it, and I’ll follow the guidelines.
😴😴😴😴
I watch to drown out the intrusive thoughts. Also, buy some wax and a crockpot. It's so clean and easy.
I like the chef analogy
Josh backpedals his way out of a tight spot.
My father was a Master Pastry Chef from Germany. Your Baker/Chef analogy is way off. Stick to talking about wax and candles.
"Do cool shit and don't be an asshole."
Kinda failing at your own tagline there bud.