Chain Wax Discussion thread

IMG_0539.jpeg
Is this normal (area in blue) after waxing a chain? I tried scrubbing but it won’t come off after restripping and boiling. I wax it back in April. Did I go too long without rewaxing? It was a brand new chain and I followed Molten Speed Wax directions to a T.
 
Oey12 said:
I wax it back in April. Did I go too long without rewaxing? It was a brand new chain and I followed Molten Speed Wax directions to a T.
Click to expand...
Probably or possibly, without knowing how far you rode it or conditions of ride/ storage no way to say. I use the same chain, Silca by the directions plus an additional isopropyl alcohol bath (was concerned about the Shimano chain coating but it worked fine, especially after the second hot wax) and don’t have any rusty chains. I ride where it’s often wet including the beach with salt water. 100-250 between hot waxing depending on conditions, with usually one or maybe two touch ups with the drip on.

Dirty or beach days, the bike and chain get the salt spray/ mud rinsed off, quick towel dry and stick a box fan in front of it.
 
I had rust from a wet ride where I couldnt full dry / rewax until 8-9 hours after. It isn't a big deal, just surface rust. This has been a rough week for wax because of the wet. I just wipe off and apply drip, the Silca drip wax is dissolved in water, so it pushes the water out when drying.
 
Two words - Compressed Air

If that's not available then wipe down the chain with alcohol after a wet ride, then apply a light coating and work it in with your fingers. Takes less then 10 min.
 
1724072204540.png

Lol, silcas new speed chip for $29, how is 0.006 even measureable in the real world.

They also have the endurance chip, which I assume is targeted towards mega endurance riders. Both of them seem kinda silly for the average user.
 
Last edited:
This dusty dirt has been rough going for wax. In the mornings, the dew is thick now so chain gets a bit wet from dew and then the dust sticks to everything. Seems to make the wax disappear.
 
I agree the dust has been a bit rough. I wonder how the waxing fares if you're in a Goldilocks scenario where we have enough rain to keep the dust down, but it's not wet and muddy conditions.

That first ride after a wax, everything is super smooth and buttery. It does seem like the shift quality tails off pretty quickly and things tend to get get noisy. However, I'm still sticking with it for the cleanliness. I may try and adjust my approach where I'm doing a drip wax more frequently.
 
rlb said:
I agree the dust has been a bit rough. I wonder how the waxing fares if you're in a Goldilocks scenario where we have enough rain to keep the dust down, but it's not wet and muddy conditions.

That first ride after a wax, everything is super smooth and buttery. It does seem like the shift quality tails off pretty quickly and things tend to get get noisy. However, I'm still sticking with it for the cleanliness. I may try and adjust my approach where I'm doing a drip wax more frequently.
Click to expand...
Randomly I listened to an interview with the Silca guy recently and he mentioned that what throws people off is the waxed chain quickly turns noisy but is well lubricated but an oiled chain sounds better longer with less protection. He was saying it was because the slight oil barrier reduces noise where there's a small gap with the wax but it's better protected. Could be complete BS.

I keep thinking of trying wax again as I hate the oil mess. But I'm 99% sure I'd return to oil lube with all the stream crossings.
 
Wax doesn't dissolve in water, a few stream crossings isn't going to effect it. I agree on the dust issue, BUT it really just wipes off the chain at the end of your ride. Simple maintenance is all that's required. I wipe it down with a shop towel and a few squirts of isopropyl, then apply a light coating, massage into the chain and the bike's ready for my next ride. It's really so simple, I don't understand how people make a big deal out of maintaining a waxed chain. You never have to degrease or wash it and any dust or dirt wipes right off the whole drivetrain.
 
TommyF said:
Wax doesn't dissolve in water, a few stream crossings isn't going to effect it. I agree on the dust issue, BUT it really just wipes off the chain at the end of your ride. Simple maintenance is all that's required. I wipe it down with a shop towel and a few squirts of isopropyl, then apply a light coating, massage into the chain and the bike's ready for my next ride. It's really so simple, I don't understand how people make a big deal out of maintaining a waxed chain. You never have to degrease or wash it and any dust or dirt wipes right off the whole drivetrain.
Click to expand...
dang it successive post has me to from "ok yeah gotta get around to trying this" to "based on that not gonna waste my time" over and over again haha
 
TommyF said:
Wax doesn't dissolve in water, a few stream crossings isn't going to effect it. I agree on the dust issue, BUT it really just wipes off the chain at the end of your ride. Simple maintenance is all that's required. I wipe it down with a shop towel and a few squirts of isopropyl, then apply a light coating, massage into the chain and the bike's ready for my next ride. It's really so simple, I don't understand how people make a big deal out of maintaining a waxed chain. You never have to degrease or wash it and any dust or dirt wipes right off the whole drivetrain.
Click to expand...
Agree it's not hard. I just need to get better about the after-ride follow up!
 
TommyF said:
Wax doesn't dissolve in water, a few stream crossings isn't going to effect it. I agree on the dust issue, BUT it really just wipes off the chain at the end of your ride. Simple maintenance is all that's required. I wipe it down with a shop towel and a few squirts of isopropyl, then apply a light coating, massage into the chain and the bike's ready for my next ride. It's really so simple, I don't understand how people make a big deal out of maintaining a waxed chain. You never have to degrease or wash it and any dust or dirt wipes right off the whole drivetrain.
Click to expand...
That is it right there. We pull in when it's dark and just throw the bikes in the garage, eat dinner, shower and pass out.

All the Zerode bikes with belts and internal gear boxes I see on the trails lately are making more and more sense.
 
TommyF said:
Wax doesn't dissolve in water, a few stream crossings isn't going to effect it. I agree on the dust issue, BUT it really just wipes off the chain at the end of your ride. Simple maintenance is all that's required. I wipe it down with a shop towel and a few squirts of isopropyl, then apply a light coating, massage into the chain and the bike's ready for my next ride. It's really so simple, I don't understand how people make a big deal out of maintaining a waxed chain. You never have to degrease or wash it and any dust or dirt wipes right off the whole drivetrain.
Click to expand...
Wait, you are doing the refresh every ride?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom