I run a waxed chain on my road bike and my bike on my turbo, this is mostly for how easy it is to keep clean rather than any marginal gains. I use drip on wax to top up the chains and use hot wax immersion when I hit 500km
After a few decades of messing around with dozens of different wet lubes, not to mention several "dry" lubes, I tried waxing this year. Wow, I finally found the almost-perfect solution. Wax is clean, fast, and easy--not to mention the added benefit of massively increasing drivetrain life. The only downside is riding in really wet weather (although wiping the chain and applying a drip wax like Silca's Super Secret, isn't really that much work). I admit to being a skeptic for a few years, but now I feel silly for not trying it earlier.
I ride indoors 90% of the time, even in the summer. I ride after my kid goes to bed or before he gets up. A waxed chain is much better to have on a trainer. Much, much, cleaner and quieter. You can even "clean" it by doing repeated applications and "workout out" the dirt. If you're like me (and a lot of triathletes) that only ride in fair weather, then waxing is absolutely the way to go. Silca Super Secret wax is my favorite. If you're new, they have a "kit" that includes their stripper. Degrease, clean with stripper in a mason jar. Super secret lube. Away you go
I like it for cleanliness and durability.. bought the Silca system and super easy to do and I know its sad but I quite enjoy the process.. top up with Silca Super Secret in-between etc:) Pete
I did it after watching Zero Friction Cycling videos on a winters day. We own 5 bikes so did all the chains per the videos using white spirit, then meths and a slow cooker I bought of eBay to heat and apply the (Secret Chain) wax. I used sandwich boxes with sealed lids to shake clean the chains. Reasons for me, which wasn’t mentioned here, was the extended life of the chain / casssette / ring gear, due to the MUCH lower wear out rate (AKA stretch). I have mostly Ultegra level components which are expensive, so if nothing else I will be buying less of them over time and there’s no grease or oil to attract dirt. I also learnt never to install a new chain with the grease that is on it.
Zero Frictin Cycling is superb. I prefer to use wax drip and thanks to ZFC I found a drip wax called Effeto Mariposa Flower Power wax and I love using it on my favourite bike. On my winter bike I just use regular candle wax that I melt to make it liquid and I apply it using a dish washing bottle
Almost everything you said is wrong. The mess with degreasing and cleaning the new chain applies to all kinds of lubricants. Rewaxing the chain doesn't require any cleaning and costs you about two minutes, whilest with oil based lubes you need to clean it before relubing, which is a mess. Then, don't wait for cooling down the wax before removing the chain from the pot. Btw, I don't care about watt savings, but the cleanliness and longevity of the waxed chain is mind-blowing.
He is not wrong :D he is sticking to our manual! It is a crucial part to wait for cooldown. If you dont do it you are left with 200-300km of lubrication and if you are doing the cooldown you reach 800-1000km :D Also Cleaning you waxed chain before rewaxing is crucial, you dont want to bring any dirt into you wax bath :D
I’ve been waxing my bike chains for several years now. I use the Silca wax blend. I personally don’t believe you can reach between 800-1000km between applications. I definitely wouldn’t wait this long. For normal ride cycling with good weather conditions, I would confidently reapply between 400-500km maximum. Just my experience 💁🏻♂️
@@Dali6266 exactly, by stretching rewaxing period, you are loosing the main benefit of waxed chain. Wear will be much higher. Also by removing the chain from cooler wax, you are left with plenty of wax on its surface and will be chipped off during the first kilometres, which is unnecessary wasting. Yes, my own experience.
@@Dali6266 Diffrent product, diffrent result :D Why shouldn't it be possible? Our customers reach it on a regular basis, sometimes even more. In Our experience the chains last for min. 15.000km
@@Optimize-Chain-Wax So really this video was just an add for your product. Should have clearly indicated that from the start. Still doesn't highlight that many of the methods that were shown are just plain wrong and makes me question your product even more.
As a very average cyclist who has been waxing his chain for 5 years I have the following thoughts. 1) a Connex quick link makes removing and reattaching the chain incredibly easy with no tools, 2) if I can’t ride for a while the wax protects my chain from rust, 3) wax chain is much cleaner with less hunky black stuff on it for months longer than other lubricants, 4) wax lasts for a long time between applications and also reduces chain wear meaning you can save money by avoiding replacing the chain as frequently, 5) a dedicated slow cooker to melt the wax is really inexpensive these days. For me I am a convert to waxing
I run a mix of drip and hot wax SILCA makes this really easy and it’s basically the same and comparable So I hot wax and then extend the lifespan with drip wax
the secret to a long lasting chain is to never ride in conditions anything less than full sun and low humidity . In the UK that would mean two or three rides per year 😂
TBH I find starting with a meticulously clean chain (stripped of any factory pre-lube) then applying high quality drip wax has worked perfectly well. Regular maintenance, and most years a new chain at the start of summer. I enjoy forensically cleaning my bike every few weeks (I'm also a fair weather rider) and chain maintenance naturally comes into that. But I might try one waxed chain on my training bike in spring to see how it goes ...
The myth that a waxed chain doesn't work in the wet is just that, once I got in the habit of swapping the chain and chucking the used chain in the wax pot on wet days on my commute bike it became an easy routine. A Xpower air duster makes drying the drivetrain quick and easy. Hot waxing is much better than drip wax, cheaper too. Just dry and wipe chain before rewaxing, no need to clean it after initial prepping.
So, you pretty much did this the slowest way possible--which is unnecessary. One of the best benefits of waxing is that you don't need to use solvents every time you re-lube your chain--which actually SAVES massive amounts of time, not to mention mess. Next time you wax, try these steps: 1) Start with a new chain so that you don't need to use an ultrasonic cleaner. 2) Throw a SILCA Strip Chip into the wax pot and heat it up. 2) Add the chain to the wax pot, and then swish it around for a couple of minutes until no more air bubbles rise up. 3) Remove the chain from the pot (there's absolutely no reason to wait for a skin to form!), and then hang it to cool. 4) When the chain is cool, roll it over a dowel or something to loosen the links (takes about 30 seconds). 5) Put the chain on the bike, and enjoy! 6) For maintenance, just quickly wipe the chain with a microfiber cloth and add a drip wax like Silca Super Secret. 7) Depending on conditions (maybe 300-600 miles in dry conditions), quickly wipe the chain with a microfiber cloth, pop the chain off, and toss it back into the wax pot. Repeat steps 2-6. Super easy, clean, no solvents, and a HUGE improvement in drivetrain longevity.
I use drip wax - not really interested in the watt savings, but more interested in the state of the chain - it's not as dirty/oiled up as one using ordinary lube. Less spray of oil onto the frame and everywhere else
Not going back to wet lubricants. Waxing the chains saves so much time and so much degreasing and cleaning products (and so many chains and cassettes). Usually it is NOT necessary to degrease the chain before re-waxing! Flush with clean (hot) water, wipe it dry --> hot wax. The amount of dirt that you transport into your wax will be minimal. If you want to (largely) reset the chain, put it in a frying pan with water and boil it for 1 minute, swish it a litte bit --> the dirt will fall out, the old wax will float atop. Pick your boiled chain, let it dry --> hot wax. I also use a drip on wax for about 2x before hot waxing again. My hands on time keeping the drive train waxed is much less than beofre when I used wet lubes. Getting the black grind off my hands from the wet lubed maintenance took longer than doing a full wax service ... I can also very much recommend Connex chain links, they open and close without tools (they can't open when running normal on the bike) and are re-usable as long as your chain lasts.
100% true. i just use drip wax and for the indoor season i have to reapply every 400km and outside every 300km. when i clean my bike i just brush the chain with soapy water and after everything is nicely dry i reapply my drip. i have a ready to go 2 stage oil stripping setup containing a terpentine bath and acetone bath for my and my friends and family bikes. it takes me 20 minutes to fully strip the oil off the chain, basicly the same time it took me to degrease my drivetrain when cleaning.
wait a minute, waiting for the wax to cool & set on the chain & riding your bike for 50km should be included in the time required to wax lube! Watt have you left out? To do all of that takes already more than a day. i think i rather wet lube my chain 5x for every 1x required for hot wax! Personally, i think it depends on the condition of the country. Arizona, for example, where its really, hot, dry & dusty, it makes sense. i live in the tropics, its not very dusty. wet lube makes more sense for me & its very easy to clean off the old lube together with whatever dust has stuck to it. its so convenient, i can even do it every 150-200km in 10-20min.
The best trick i learned was just a little pottle of degreaser and a paint brush (eg one an inch or two wide) you just dip the brush and go over the cassette/chain etc. Rinse off and dry then relube. Prob 5 - 10 min work max.
Save yourself a lot of time and degreaser, do it to the chain when it comes out of the box, cut to length first. A new chain isn’t dirty it just needs stripped.
At 4:19 you should rinse with water and then dry. You've stated the opposite. If you try to immersive wax a wet chain, the wax won't bond properly to the chain metal and you will shorten the treatment life ( it has to be dry ). I realise this video is both an advert for Optimize and promoting chain waxing , so all their products are shown. Unless you're cleaning many chains, the ultrasonic cleaner is nice to have but not necessary. The initial removal of the chain factory grease is a one off job. Once it's done then cleaning even after a muddy ride can be done by melting the wax / dirt off with boiling water then drying. If the 'wax skinning' advice is from Felix at Optimize 5:25 I would be interested in knowing why he advocates this. The consensus at zerofrictioncyling is that this is not necessary because after a waxing, in the first few km of riding, most of the excess wax is squeezed out. I've been full immersive waxing for nearly 5 years.
The running time of the chain prolongs dramatically by letting the wax cool down. Less wax is running out of the chain so more wax will stay in the chain and lubricate... We are able to reach 800-1000km per waxing (real world conditions).
@@Optimize-Chain-Wax Probably the best thing you could do to prove this is to book a test with Adam at ZFC . You would be on a long waiting list but the test would be done properly and the results likely respected by your customers.
I live in a rural area and this time of year you will be washing your bike maybe once a week and at least once a fortnight anyway, and not just a rinse but a thorough wash too, so giving the drivetrain a good clean with degreaser and then a fresh drop of oil on each roller is really no problem at at all. I am not thereby saying that oil is better than wax but if your bike gets covered in road grime and not least road kill and whatever farm animals and tractors tend to deposit on the roads, then I am not sure I would be better off with a waxed chain.
Please watch the youtube ZFC vid ( about 30 seconds in ) ... Episode 4 - Part 2 Immersive Chain Waxing - How to Guide. Not much cleaning required as no oil to glue dirt all over your frame / spokes. I didn't miss cleaning that mess up !
@@dawn_rider I don't see how a waxed chain is going to keep my bike and drivetrain clean though? We haven't had rain for a week now and yet there are wet roads everywhere - water running off fields etc. - and coming back from a one hour ride yesterday my bike was covered in muck everywhere. My point being is that it needs cleaning anyway, regardless of using wax or oil lubricants, and in that case I find that giving each roller a drop of good quality oil is a lot quicker than waxing the chain, and since this is going to be a weekly occurring issue over winter, if not more often, I will go for quick rather than watt saving any day.
@@_J.F_ It's effectively like waxing your car or using wax on ski's to make them slippery. Muck doesn't stick well to wax. It doesn't get washed off like oil and travel all over the place ( although it can be abraded off ) . Wax is waterproof ! In your case you would have to take the chain off and clean with boiling water / dry and rewax , but it's healthier than using solvent. Since I've been waxing I've had no gunk building up around the jockey wheels etc. If you have to clean anyway , why not make it easier and faster ?! Fixing a puncture isn't a sticky experience and you can put your bike in the back of someone's car without staining everything. I wax for low wear / to extend drivetrain longevity and not watt savings.
@@dawn_rider Thanks. I might give it a try in the spring when I will likely need to replace my chain anyway. That will give me a full spring and summer to get used to it, when the weather is hopefully more dry.
Not worth for me. You clean the bike anyway. A new chain isn't that expensive. Just an additional step that requires time. Removing the cold wax takes time and as equally messy
There's no reason to remove the old wax. Just wipe off any dust from the chain with a microfiber cloth, and then re-dip the chain. Easy peasy. While chains aren't that expensive, cassettes and chainrings are--and waxed drivetrains last a LONG time.
@@SnaxNoCo i don't think wiping with a microfiber towel is enough to remove all the dirt before you rewax. Breaking the chain after you wax takes more time too. If you clean and lube your chain frequently I don't think you are gaining anything more from waxing.
@@bikemirror6620 Unless you are riding in the mud or something sticky, road dust does indeed just wipe off with a cloth. As for breaking the chain, using quick links is the way to go--and they only take seconds to open. Waxing is much quicker, ESPECIALLY if you clean and lube your chain regularly! Cleaning wet lube with solvent is messy and slow compared to waxing. I know, because I used wet lube for decades before moving to wax. But, hey, do what works for you.
You can only go through a finite number of cheap chains before your more expensive cassette and chainrings are worn. Since it is the chain elongation that does this , you want your chains to wear as slowly as possible, cheap or otherwise ! If a chain is caked in mud, rinse most off under a tap then remove the cold wax with boiling water. The wax melts at around 60°C . If you submerge the chain in the boiling water, the wax being less dense floats to the top of the container and can be poured off. You would have to use many litres of unhealthy solvent to get an oiled chain to the same cleanliness. As for cleaning the bike , dirt sticks to oil but not wax. Any wax flakes being solid can simply be brushed off the bike frame / wheel spokes etc.
Nice advert for Optimize. I don't think this is relevant for 99% of riders, and just seems to be part of the wider tech arms race (money) that is taking the shine off the sport IMHO
you don't have to be a pro to be annoyed by dirty chains and oil everywhere over your bike and body. wax is so much cleaner and it's not expensive at all.
It's not about money, it's about a clean and fast running chain :D thats it... most people enjoy that. Nobody needs ultrasonic cleaner etc. but many people want it :D
I don't want to spend a whole bunch of dollars to get those equipments just to wax my chain. A few application of degreaser and new chain lubricant works for me...
I just get the chain dip waxed at the shop when I get a new chain. After that I only apply drip wax. Can't be bothered to take the chain off every 1000km.
It takes longer, yes, but it isn't active time. Start the ultrasonic cleaner, have a cuppa tea. Cycle again, have a cuppa tea. Soak it in the wax, have a G&T. You get the idea. Also, you can process 2-3 chains at the same time, unlike manually scrubbing each--which means it really doesn't take any longer, and ends up cleaner. I use a drip on wax (for now, especially as Squirt has a low temp one for actual winter riding) now after scoffing at it for years. My bike shop was out of my usual cold weather wet lube,and suggested that one instead. Since I was already using an ultrasonic cleaner, I gave it a try and am a convert. Mostly for cleanliness and theoretically reduced wear more than watts.
I have been waxing my chain for a few years. I have an old slow cooker that always has wax in it. The initial chain prep is a pain, however, once chain has been waxed for the first time, it's just a case of popping the chain in the slow cooker every 5-600km. I also race ultra's here I start with a waxed chain, but use drip wax every day. Normally I apply the drip wax in the evening, if it is really wet, I also apply drip wax more than once per day - typically on an ultra, I am riding 3-400km per day. Big advantage of wax/dripwax is that it is clean, when doing an ultra race, I really hate getting hands and clothes covered in an oily mess. On this year's TCR, when I started, the chain had already covered over 1000km, I rode 4000km to Istanbul, and chain had under 0.4% wear, still well within tollerance, even after another 1500km the chain is still well within normal tollerance.
Have you tried Silca's Strip Chip? It really takes to pain out of prepping a new chain. They Chain Stripper is also really good. Both sure beat the old method of using multiple solvets!
The worse the conditions the better wax is. The treatment life goes down the worse it gets, but until all the wax is gone the wear rate is very low compared to oil. For very long rides oil will stick longer to the chain but your wear rate will be high far earlier into the ride. All that dirt will be stuck to the oil and grinding away at your chain. The paste will just get thicker and thicker and tend to not drop off your chain ! All the rest of your drivetrain ( and your bike frame ) will also get coated with it. So just from that viewpoint wax is better than 'ok' . Wax is just a tool and if used correctly saves a lot of money and hassle.
At least you kicked my lazy ass to call the bike mechanic and order new cassette and chain to my bike. And it will be wax. I waited way too long to do this. And really I will think I will see more watt 😬🙈cause my poor bicycle needs so much love ❤️ right now. Thank you for this video. Marie-Louise
Everyone ISN'T waxing their chain! My cleaning and relube routine are far more time efficient than waxing and with better performance and longevity. Unless you always ride in bone dry, dusty conditions, chain waxing is pointless.
Even if you do ride in dry dusty conditions, lubricant sprays like GT85 or even WD40 are far easier & more efficient. That's why the professionals use them instead of wax 😂
@@SnaxNoCo I used SILCA Secret Chain Blend, did everything exactly how you're supposed to. Really can't tell what the issue was. Probably should give a different product a try, but as of now, don't want to go through the process again ;-)
@@johannesbader4500 SILCA Secret Chain Blend is very popular, and I've never heard of anyone else having this problem. Did you try "rolling" the chain over a dowel to loosen the links? Maybe you let the wax cool down too much before removing the chain?
@@johannesbader4500 Usually, a stiff cooled chain fresh out of the waxing pot means things went well ! If you don't run the chain around a dowel ( which takes seconds ) to break the wax / chain bonds you might have issues, especially if it's freezing. I also run a straight chainline for the first km or so to avoid chain skipping ( the break in goes faster if you cycle up a hill ) . The colder it is, the longer the initial break in will take. All should be fine after that for potentially hundreds of kilometres. Even if none of the Tungsten Disulphide additive ( from lack of stirring ) got into the chain, you would have to re-wax earlier but the links would still move.
I’m sorry but waxing your chain. I feel like nothing but marketing garbage it clogs everything up makes your chain look like crap and it makes a big mess all over your bike with wax flying off everywhere. It’s nothing but marketing garbage don’t fall for the hype.
No industrial applications use wax as a lubricant. The design of roller chains requires a fluid lubricant, not a solid, as it has to reflow into gaps once displaced by pressure. Wax is a scam, fact 😂
Waxed chain and cassette look super shiny and clean after. Doh! *but you stick to the dirty black oil lube that marks your skin and ruins any clothes that touch it. Nice.
I run a waxed chain on my road bike and my bike on my turbo, this is mostly for how easy it is to keep clean rather than any marginal gains. I use drip on wax to top up the chains and use hot wax immersion when I hit 500km
After a few decades of messing around with dozens of different wet lubes, not to mention several "dry" lubes, I tried waxing this year. Wow, I finally found the almost-perfect solution. Wax is clean, fast, and easy--not to mention the added benefit of massively increasing drivetrain life. The only downside is riding in really wet weather (although wiping the chain and applying a drip wax like Silca's Super Secret, isn't really that much work). I admit to being a skeptic for a few years, but now I feel silly for not trying it earlier.
I ride indoors 90% of the time, even in the summer. I ride after my kid goes to bed or before he gets up. A waxed chain is much better to have on a trainer. Much, much, cleaner and quieter. You can even "clean" it by doing repeated applications and "workout out" the dirt. If you're like me (and a lot of triathletes) that only ride in fair weather, then waxing is absolutely the way to go. Silca Super Secret wax is my favorite. If you're new, they have a "kit" that includes their stripper. Degrease, clean with stripper in a mason jar. Super secret lube. Away you go
I like it for cleanliness and durability.. bought the Silca system and super easy to do and I know its sad but I quite enjoy the process.. top up with Silca Super Secret in-between etc:) Pete
I did it after watching Zero Friction Cycling videos on a winters day. We own 5 bikes so did all the chains per the videos using white spirit, then meths and a slow cooker I bought of eBay to heat and apply the (Secret Chain) wax. I used sandwich boxes with sealed lids to shake clean the chains. Reasons for me, which wasn’t mentioned here, was the extended life of the chain / casssette / ring gear, due to the MUCH lower wear out rate (AKA stretch). I have mostly Ultegra level components which are expensive, so if nothing else I will be buying less of them over time and there’s no grease or oil to attract dirt. I also learnt never to install a new chain with the grease that is on it.
Zero Frictin Cycling is superb. I prefer to use wax drip and thanks to ZFC I found a drip wax called Effeto Mariposa Flower Power wax and I love using it on my favourite bike. On my winter bike I just use regular candle wax that I melt to make it liquid and I apply it using a dish washing bottle
Almost everything you said is wrong. The mess with degreasing and cleaning the new chain applies to all kinds of lubricants. Rewaxing the chain doesn't require any cleaning and costs you about two minutes, whilest with oil based lubes you need to clean it before relubing, which is a mess. Then, don't wait for cooling down the wax before removing the chain from the pot. Btw, I don't care about watt savings, but the cleanliness and longevity of the waxed chain is mind-blowing.
He is not wrong :D he is sticking to our manual! It is a crucial part to wait for cooldown. If you dont do it you are left with 200-300km of lubrication and if you are doing the cooldown you reach 800-1000km :D Also Cleaning you waxed chain before rewaxing is crucial, you dont want to bring any dirt into you wax bath :D
I’ve been waxing my bike chains for several years now. I use the Silca wax blend.
I personally don’t believe you can reach between 800-1000km between applications. I definitely wouldn’t wait this long. For normal ride cycling with good weather conditions, I would confidently reapply between 400-500km maximum. Just my experience 💁🏻♂️
@@Dali6266 exactly, by stretching rewaxing period, you are loosing the main benefit of waxed chain. Wear will be much higher. Also by removing the chain from cooler wax, you are left with plenty of wax on its surface and will be chipped off during the first kilometres, which is unnecessary wasting. Yes, my own experience.
@@Dali6266 Diffrent product, diffrent result :D Why shouldn't it be possible? Our customers reach it on a regular basis, sometimes even more. In Our experience the chains last for min. 15.000km
@@Optimize-Chain-Wax So really this video was just an add for your product. Should have clearly indicated that from the start. Still doesn't highlight that many of the methods that were shown are just plain wrong and makes me question your product even more.
Big advantage, living in a small flat/apartment, wax is less mess. Cleaning or storing an oily chain in a flat is difficult.
You forgot the most important thing, wax is way cleaner
That is the ONLY good thing about waxing.
@ I don’t understand
_"wax is way cleaner"_
a totally dry chain more cleaner than that. So what?
@@MSM5500 that using oil. When I oiled my chain my cycling clothes constantly had lube on them
Funny to see a different BRAND "sponsoring" this video when there's already a CHAIN WAX supplier to GCN/GTN. Great way to peeve off your main sponsor!
We don't have a chain wax supplier on GTN. GCN are a different channel, and have their own partners
As a very average cyclist who has been waxing his chain for 5 years I have the following thoughts. 1) a Connex quick link makes removing and reattaching the chain incredibly easy with no tools, 2) if I can’t ride for a while the wax protects my chain from rust, 3) wax chain is much cleaner with less hunky black stuff on it for months longer than other lubricants, 4) wax lasts for a long time between applications and also reduces chain wear meaning you can save money by avoiding replacing the chain as frequently, 5) a dedicated slow cooker to melt the wax is really inexpensive these days. For me I am a convert to waxing
I run a mix of drip and hot wax
SILCA makes this really easy and it’s basically the same and comparable
So I hot wax and then extend the lifespan with drip wax
the secret to a long lasting chain is to never ride in conditions anything less than full sun and low humidity .
In the UK that would mean two or three rides per year 😂
TBH I find starting with a meticulously clean chain (stripped of any factory pre-lube) then applying high quality drip wax has worked perfectly well. Regular maintenance, and most years a new chain at the start of summer. I enjoy forensically cleaning my bike every few weeks (I'm also a fair weather rider) and chain maintenance naturally comes into that. But I might try one waxed chain on my training bike in spring to see how it goes ...
The myth that a waxed chain doesn't work in the wet is just that, once I got in the habit of swapping the chain and chucking the used chain in the wax pot on wet days on my commute bike it became an easy routine. A Xpower air duster makes drying the drivetrain quick and easy. Hot waxing is much better than drip wax, cheaper too. Just dry and wipe chain before rewaxing, no need to clean it after initial prepping.
Absolute nonsense, you just made all that up 😂
So, you pretty much did this the slowest way possible--which is unnecessary. One of the best benefits of waxing is that you don't need to use solvents every time you re-lube your chain--which actually SAVES massive amounts of time, not to mention mess. Next time you wax, try these steps: 1) Start with a new chain so that you don't need to use an ultrasonic cleaner. 2) Throw a SILCA Strip Chip into the wax pot and heat it up. 2) Add the chain to the wax pot, and then swish it around for a couple of minutes until no more air bubbles rise up. 3) Remove the chain from the pot (there's absolutely no reason to wait for a skin to form!), and then hang it to cool. 4) When the chain is cool, roll it over a dowel or something to loosen the links (takes about 30 seconds). 5) Put the chain on the bike, and enjoy! 6) For maintenance, just quickly wipe the chain with a microfiber cloth and add a drip wax like Silca Super Secret. 7) Depending on conditions (maybe 300-600 miles in dry conditions), quickly wipe the chain with a microfiber cloth, pop the chain off, and toss it back into the wax pot. Repeat steps 2-6. Super easy, clean, no solvents, and a HUGE improvement in drivetrain longevity.
Josh? That you?
@@DDai-qd8uk Nope. But I think that he would likely agree with me.
I use drip wax - not really interested in the watt savings, but more interested in the state of the chain - it's not as dirty/oiled up as one using ordinary lube. Less spray of oil onto the frame and everywhere else
Not going back to wet lubricants. Waxing the chains saves so much time and so much degreasing and cleaning products (and so many chains and cassettes). Usually it is NOT necessary to degrease the chain before re-waxing! Flush with clean (hot) water, wipe it dry --> hot wax. The amount of dirt that you transport into your wax will be minimal. If you want to (largely) reset the chain, put it in a frying pan with water and boil it for 1 minute, swish it a litte bit --> the dirt will fall out, the old wax will float atop. Pick your boiled chain, let it dry --> hot wax. I also use a drip on wax for about 2x before hot waxing again. My hands on time keeping the drive train waxed is much less than beofre when I used wet lubes. Getting the black grind off my hands from the wet lubed maintenance took longer than doing a full wax service ...
I can also very much recommend Connex chain links, they open and close without tools (they can't open when running normal on the bike) and are re-usable as long as your chain lasts.
This all untrue 😂
100% true. i just use drip wax and for the indoor season i have to reapply every 400km and outside every 300km. when i clean my bike i just brush the chain with soapy water and after everything is nicely dry i reapply my drip.
i have a ready to go 2 stage oil stripping setup containing a terpentine bath and acetone bath for my and my friends and family bikes. it takes me 20 minutes to fully strip the oil off the chain, basicly the same time it took me to degrease my drivetrain when cleaning.
@@sirclemeni1 save it for someone else, chatbot 😂
wait a minute, waiting for the wax to cool & set on the chain & riding your bike for 50km should be included in the time required to wax lube! Watt have you left out? To do all of that takes already more than a day. i think i rather wet lube my chain 5x for every 1x required for hot wax! Personally, i think it depends on the condition of the country. Arizona, for example, where its really, hot, dry & dusty, it makes sense. i live in the tropics, its not very dusty. wet lube makes more sense for me & its very easy to clean off the old lube together with whatever dust has stuck to it. its so convenient, i can even do it every 150-200km in 10-20min.
The best trick i learned was just a little pottle of degreaser and a paint brush (eg one an inch or two wide) you just dip the brush and go over the cassette/chain etc. Rinse off and dry then relube. Prob 5 - 10 min work max.
Save yourself a lot of time and degreaser, do it to the chain when it comes out of the box, cut to length first. A new chain isn’t dirty it just needs stripped.
At 4:19 you should rinse with water and then dry. You've stated the opposite. If you try to immersive wax a wet chain, the wax won't bond properly to the chain metal and you will shorten the treatment life ( it has to be dry ). I realise this video is both an advert for Optimize and promoting chain waxing , so all their products are shown. Unless you're cleaning many chains, the ultrasonic cleaner is nice to have but not necessary. The initial removal of the chain factory grease is a one off job. Once it's done then cleaning even after a muddy ride can be done by melting the wax / dirt off with boiling water then drying. If the 'wax skinning' advice is from Felix at Optimize 5:25 I would be interested in knowing why he advocates this. The consensus at zerofrictioncyling is that this is not necessary because after a waxing, in the first few km of riding, most of the excess wax is squeezed out. I've been full immersive waxing for nearly 5 years.
The running time of the chain prolongs dramatically by letting the wax cool down. Less wax is running out of the chain so more wax will stay in the chain and lubricate... We are able to reach 800-1000km per waxing (real world conditions).
@@Optimize-Chain-Wax Probably the best thing you could do to prove this is to book a test with Adam at ZFC . You would be on a long waiting list but the test would be done properly and the results likely respected by your customers.
Squirt drip wax before or after every ride. Done.
I live in a rural area and this time of year you will be washing your bike maybe once a week and at least once a fortnight anyway, and not just a rinse but a thorough wash too, so giving the drivetrain a good clean with degreaser and then a fresh drop of oil on each roller is really no problem at at all. I am not thereby saying that oil is better than wax but if your bike gets covered in road grime and not least road kill and whatever farm animals and tractors tend to deposit on the roads, then I am not sure I would be better off with a waxed chain.
Please watch the youtube ZFC vid ( about 30 seconds in ) ...
Episode 4 - Part 2 Immersive Chain Waxing - How to Guide.
Not much cleaning required as no oil to glue dirt all over your frame / spokes. I didn't miss cleaning that mess up !
@@dawn_rider I don't see how a waxed chain is going to keep my bike and drivetrain clean though? We haven't had rain for a week now and yet there are wet roads everywhere - water running off fields etc. - and coming back from a one hour ride yesterday my bike was covered in muck everywhere. My point being is that it needs cleaning anyway, regardless of using wax or oil lubricants, and in that case I find that giving each roller a drop of good quality oil is a lot quicker than waxing the chain, and since this is going to be a weekly occurring issue over winter, if not more often, I will go for quick rather than watt saving any day.
@@_J.F_ It's effectively like waxing your car or using wax on ski's to make them slippery. Muck doesn't stick well to wax. It doesn't get washed off like oil and travel all over the place ( although it can be abraded off ) . Wax is waterproof ! In your case you would have to take the chain off and clean with boiling water / dry and rewax , but it's healthier than using solvent. Since I've been waxing I've had no gunk building up around the jockey wheels etc. If you have to clean anyway , why not make it easier and faster ?! Fixing a puncture isn't a sticky experience and you can put your bike in the back of someone's car without staining everything. I wax for low wear / to extend drivetrain longevity and not watt savings.
@@dawn_rider Thanks. I might give it a try in the spring when I will likely need to replace my chain anyway. That will give me a full spring and summer to get used to it, when the weather is hopefully more dry.
Not worth for me. You clean the bike anyway. A new chain isn't that expensive. Just an additional step that requires time. Removing the cold wax takes time and as equally messy
There's no reason to remove the old wax. Just wipe off any dust from the chain with a microfiber cloth, and then re-dip the chain. Easy peasy. While chains aren't that expensive, cassettes and chainrings are--and waxed drivetrains last a LONG time.
@@SnaxNoCo i don't think wiping with a microfiber towel is enough to remove all the dirt before you rewax. Breaking the chain after you wax takes more time too. If you clean and lube your chain frequently I don't think you are gaining anything more from waxing.
@@bikemirror6620 Unless you are riding in the mud or something sticky, road dust does indeed just wipe off with a cloth. As for breaking the chain, using quick links is the way to go--and they only take seconds to open. Waxing is much quicker, ESPECIALLY if you clean and lube your chain regularly! Cleaning wet lube with solvent is messy and slow compared to waxing. I know, because I used wet lube for decades before moving to wax. But, hey, do what works for you.
You can only go through a finite number of cheap chains before your more expensive cassette and chainrings are worn. Since it is the chain elongation that does this , you want your chains to wear as slowly as possible, cheap or otherwise ! If a chain is caked in mud, rinse most off under a tap then remove the cold wax with boiling water. The wax melts at around 60°C . If you submerge the chain in the boiling water, the wax being less dense floats to the top of the container and can be poured off. You would have to use many litres of unhealthy solvent to get an oiled chain to the same cleanliness. As for cleaning the bike , dirt sticks to oil but not wax. Any wax flakes being solid can simply be brushed off the bike frame / wheel spokes etc.
Whatever lube you use, replace the chain at / before the 0.5% wear mark in order to extend the life of your cassette / chainrings.
Worth it for me 💯
Nice advert for Optimize. I don't think this is relevant for 99% of riders, and just seems to be part of the wider tech arms race (money) that is taking the shine off the sport IMHO
you don't have to be a pro to be annoyed by dirty chains and oil everywhere over your bike and body. wax is so much cleaner and it's not expensive at all.
It's not about money, it's about a clean and fast running chain :D thats it... most people enjoy that. Nobody needs ultrasonic cleaner etc. but many people want it :D
I don't want to spend a whole bunch of dollars to get those equipments just to wax my chain. A few application of degreaser and new chain lubricant works for me...
That's cool!
I love the pace clock. Does it work?
Hey, I recommend watching today’s show then and keeping an eye on the channel! 👀
@gtn Excellent. Will do. Bring back the pace clock! No more watches in the pool.
I just get the chain dip waxed at the shop when I get a new chain. After that I only apply drip wax. Can't be bothered to take the chain off every 1000km.
I'm only interested in component longevity , even if it costs me 10 watts.
Less friction = Less wear and tear :D
10 seconds in, and there's a glaring spelling mistake in a huge font, across the whole screen! 🤯
The word is "maintenance"
Your waxing was done at 90 degrees C, while Silca's is done at 75C. I wonder why such a big difference?
Because it works best with our wax :D We are able to reach 800-1000km per treating with this method :D
@@Optimize-Chain-Wax Let's see the data.
800 to 1000kms?
If only I knew how to get the chain off the bike 😂
It takes longer, yes, but it isn't active time. Start the ultrasonic cleaner, have a cuppa tea. Cycle again, have a cuppa tea. Soak it in the wax, have a G&T. You get the idea. Also, you can process 2-3 chains at the same time, unlike manually scrubbing each--which means it really doesn't take any longer, and ends up cleaner.
I use a drip on wax (for now, especially as Squirt has a low temp one for actual winter riding) now after scoffing at it for years. My bike shop was out of my usual cold weather wet lube,and suggested that one instead. Since I was already using an ultrasonic cleaner, I gave it a try and am a convert. Mostly for cleanliness and theoretically reduced wear more than watts.
Nonsense 😂
I have been waxing my chain for a few years. I have an old slow cooker that always has wax in it. The initial chain prep is a pain, however, once chain has been waxed for the first time, it's just a case of popping the chain in the slow cooker every 5-600km. I also race ultra's here I start with a waxed chain, but use drip wax every day. Normally I apply the drip wax in the evening, if it is really wet, I also apply drip wax more than once per day - typically on an ultra, I am riding 3-400km per day. Big advantage of wax/dripwax is that it is clean, when doing an ultra race, I really hate getting hands and clothes covered in an oily mess. On this year's TCR, when I started, the chain had already covered over 1000km, I rode 4000km to Istanbul, and chain had under 0.4% wear, still well within tollerance, even after another 1500km the chain is still well within normal tollerance.
Have you tried Silca's Strip Chip? It really takes to pain out of prepping a new chain. They Chain Stripper is also really good. Both sure beat the old method of using multiple solvets!
If you clean before new lube, time cost on the oil based side adds up quickly.
wow i had no idea you can buy a waxed chain. Then why bother with the conversion and waxing yourself??
It's way cleaner. Fixed it.
Drip wax is enough for me.
Rubbish in the wet ok in the dry
The worse the conditions the better wax is. The treatment life goes down the worse it gets, but until all the wax is gone the wear rate is very low compared to oil. For very long rides oil will stick longer to the chain but your wear rate will be high far earlier into the ride. All that dirt will be stuck to the oil and grinding away at your chain. The paste will just get thicker and thicker and tend to not drop off your chain ! All the rest of your drivetrain ( and your bike frame ) will also get coated with it. So just from that viewpoint wax is better than 'ok' . Wax is just a tool and if used correctly saves a lot of money and hassle.
@@dawn_rideruntrue, shill account 😂
It's the only way to go.
At least you kicked my lazy ass to call the bike mechanic and order new cassette and chain to my bike. And it will be wax. I waited way too long to do this.
And really I will think I will see more watt 😬🙈cause my poor bicycle needs so much love ❤️ right now.
Thank you for this video.
Marie-Louise
Everyone ISN'T waxing their chain! My cleaning and relube routine are far more time efficient than waxing and with better performance and longevity. Unless you always ride in bone dry, dusty conditions, chain waxing is pointless.
Even if you do ride in dry dusty conditions, lubricant sprays like GT85 or even WD40 are far easier & more efficient. That's why the professionals use them instead of wax 😂
Once you wax, you never go back.
Sure did. Tried it once, links wouldn't move properly, no matter what I did.
@@johannesbader4500 You must have done something wrong, as this shouldn't be an issue. What kind of wax did you use?
@@SnaxNoCo I used SILCA Secret Chain Blend, did everything exactly how you're supposed to. Really can't tell what the issue was. Probably should give a different product a try, but as of now, don't want to go through the process again ;-)
@@johannesbader4500 SILCA Secret Chain Blend is very popular, and I've never heard of anyone else having this problem. Did you try "rolling" the chain over a dowel to loosen the links? Maybe you let the wax cool down too much before removing the chain?
@@johannesbader4500 Usually, a stiff cooled chain fresh out of the waxing pot means things went well ! If you don't run the chain around a dowel ( which takes seconds ) to break the wax / chain bonds you might have issues, especially if it's freezing. I also run a straight chainline for the first km or so to avoid chain skipping ( the break in goes faster if you cycle up a hill ) . The colder it is, the longer the initial break in will take. All should be fine after that for potentially hundreds of kilometres. Even if none of the Tungsten Disulphide additive ( from lack of stirring ) got into the chain, you would have to re-wax earlier but the links would still move.
I’m sorry but waxing your chain. I feel like nothing but marketing garbage it clogs everything up makes your chain look like crap and it makes a big mess all over your bike with wax flying off everywhere. It’s nothing but marketing garbage don’t fall for the hype.
You may feel like that, doesn't make it correct though.
No industrial applications use wax as a lubricant. The design of roller chains requires a fluid lubricant, not a solid, as it has to reflow into gaps once displaced by pressure. Wax is a scam, fact 😂
Waxed chain and cassette look super shiny and clean after. Doh!
*but you stick to the dirty black oil lube that marks your skin and ruins any clothes that touch it. Nice.
@@stephencharles6932 OK, bot account 🙄