Swapped from greasy chain lube to wax last winter and I'm never going back

For about 10 years I used drip lube on all my bikes, the wet kind that works in rain but turns into a nasty black sludge after a week. Then last November I tried hot waxing my chain on a beater bike I use for commuting in Seattle. I bought a slow cooker for $8 at Goodwill and a bag of paraffin wax for $12. The difference was night and day - my drivetrain stayed clean for 300 miles, no more wiping black gunk off my legs, and shifting felt smoother than ever. My only regret is not doing this sooner, because the initial setup requires taking the chain off and cleaning it thoroughly which is a pain. Has anyone else made the switch and found a good way to handle rewaxing on the road during long rides?

2 comments

2 Comments

hernandez.ben22d ago

Good point about the rewaxing on the road, that's always the part that gives me pause. I just carry a little bottle of drip wax for when I'm out on longer rides and it works ok even if its not as good as a full hot wax. Actually I had a buddy who tried waxing once but his chain snapped on a gravel descent and he blamed it on the wax, though I think he just never cleaned his chain properly before starting.

wyatt_ross2722d ago

Your buddy blaming the wax is pretty classic, people love to point fingers at anything but themselves. The thing nobody brings up enough is that waxing actually makes your drivetrain way more visible for spotting problems. With all that sticky oil stripped off, you can actually see cracks, wear, or bad links on your chain before they let go. A greasy chain hides all that junk under a layer of grime. Your buddy probably snapped it because he was running it way past its life and just never noticed the damage through all the lube. Wax is like going from a dirty windshield to a clean one, you see what's really going on.