Hi, myself and my friends recently switched to your wax formula from Molten Speed Wax (which we used for 3 years). What i have found is that the chain is less dirty now when it comes to re-waxing. It must be the high amount of PTFE as compared to MSW. Its winter here in the UK and the roads are greasy and salted/gritted. We still get salt and grease stuck to the chain but in smaller amounts. What i have found is that the best way to clean the chain is immerse it in boiled water 3 times, agitating it. Everything just lifts off it. We never use chemicals or cleaning agents - Just hot water. We also find that the cleaner the chain is when re-waxing the more miles we get. Needless to say our cassettes and chain rings are lasting much longer, since we switched to wax. Thanks for your hard work.
@@nicolejones2468 the cassette has plastic rings between the metal cogs, so we would use hot but not boiling water. Also use a wire brush. (We don't use wire brush on the chains because they are EPT coated)
Did you boil up the chain directly in a pot? I´m facing the problem, that there is still quite a lot dirty wax left after rinsing the chain with boiling water while shaking it in a siev.
Since I got my road bike I instantly followed your channel and your instructions on a waxed chain. The thing is, a waxed chain is so easy to clean. Even though your video is 20 minutes long, which I'm still going to watch, it is just so easy... and it comes naturally. Once you start cleaning the waxed drive train you automatically realize how much time an process steps it saves you. In summary my road bike is always clean but still since two years it has never seen a full shower, because I don't need it. And I'm riding still during bad weather if anyone is wondering.
Indoor Training around 200-300km, outdoor as soon as I im bothered by the noise of the chain. It depends on the conditions, the warmer it is the faster the wax gets "squeezed" from the chain and the rings. Sometimes it's 150km sometimes I can go 250km and maybe more. Look for the video from oz cycle he recommends about the same.
@@steva_nolimits I ride fairly long distances and change up anywhere between 300 to 800 km. If I ever notice excessive noise I wax. Probably I am going beyond what Oz recommends but after 22000 km shared on 2 chains and only one is now starting to measure a little bit of wear. I can do 300 km in less than one week so I tend to get lazy and extend the re-wax period.
Hi, I have been following your method for 2 years, big improvement. I clean the chain using a heat gun, no chemicals, just heat and a cloth. The oven would work too :)
So here's my routine to clean the wax off chains: Rinse the chain 2 or 3 times in boiling water. Wipe it down with a clean cloth. Place the chain on top of a clean cloth and using a Bissell Steam Shot Handheld Cleaner steam clean each link. Wipe it down with a clean cloth. Allow overnight to dry. Rewax. The steam cleaner is also excellent for cleaning chain rings and cassettes. Normally I remove the cassettes from the wheels, the chain rings can easily be done on the bike. This may sound like a lot of work but to clean 4 chains takes about 1 hour and requires no solvents.
Hey Oz, thanks for your videos on wax chain. I switched to wax about a year ago because of you, and it was the best choice! Also thanks for you reviews on chinese frames and wheels :)
I switched to waxing and back to lube. There has been too many long rides (200km+) with some rain, which always lead to squeaking and grinding chain noise. Great for shorter rides, as long as you rewax early.
In August 2020, I bought a new trek Domane. It came with an Ultegra group set and chain. After about 4 months of riding I watched your chain waxing RU-vid’s. I stripped the lube off my chain and started waxing as you described with a Teflon powder and paraffin mix as to your recipe. After a few months I bought a second DuraRace chain so that I could alternate and wax two at at a time. I have since then rode more than 22000 km on a combination of those two chains. Those rides were always on waxed chains. Last week I measured the DuraRace chain and just now reached the .5 mm wear mark. The chain still has not reached the .7 mm mark and the Ultegra chain still is good shape and still cannot measure on the .5. So it could be estimated that only one chain is partially worn out and the other is still good after a combined use of more than 22,000 km. My kilometres have been recorded on Strava. Although I don’t know exactly how many km were done on each chain alone but between the two I can attest to the extended wear waxing provided. I still can reach down at any time and run my hands across the chain and not have any black mess.
@@stevenleffanue There is a lady who I follow on Strava. She is Italian and I have never said anything to her because I don’t speak her language. What is remarkable is that everyday rain-or shine, she cycles more than 100 km per day in the mountains. She appears to be riding a Specialized bike on a one by setup. I cannot tell for sure but in one of her photos a mechanic appears to be working on a waxed chain. She is on Strava under the name of Barbara de Col. Her riding along with her morning running ritual is astonishing to say the least. It would be interesting to know some facts on chain and wear that she uses. Ignoring her athletic ability alone, her punishment she demands from a chain must be crazy.
Thanks again, back here after some time... I only needed 2 chains last year, both connex 10so 10 speed chains, they lasted about 5000-5500km before I had to replace them. I think for me that is good, before wax i was at 1800-2000km max. Doing a lot of hills, lots of sprints, i am 89kg and so i guess that does its part. Still happy with the result. Now I tested MSW...and not happy with it. Yes you warned me, others seem to be a big fan of it. Worst part about this stuff is that it is black...and more messy. Will leave marks on clothing. it does withstand rain better (it seems) and it seems to work better in cold weather (slight minus to 10°C). But in every other aspect the simple wax+ptfe seems to be just great. The YBN chain i had to use (no stock of connex) lasted not very long, can´t proof that it was the MSW...my guess would be the ConneX chain is better quality (and for some reason cheaper)
@@stevenleffanue I have to thank you. Your videos made me try this, and it is worth the effort. Tbh also looked at what other people say about this, and not all do agree with your method, saying it is not scientific enough and stuff like MSW and so on is better. So I got to my own conclusion. I will keep the remaining MSW for winter use, where it has its purpose and with all the dirt here on winter roads, it will not matter that it smears in black. For the other 70% of the year I will stick to my mixture that is based on your info. I tried different wax, ended up with a particular kind of white candles that acutally worked better than the wax flakes I purchased before from Amazon. 2€ for 500g of candles, the PTFE was expensive but it lasts really long. The mix does not like heavy rain, an hour of rain and it will be still good but more noisy (drying with microfiber towel after ride) -> I think the MSW must contain some other additives, or higher oil content. As for the big money saving, and as I don´t feel any difference when riding, so.. This is the way! ;-)
You don't have to wash them in petrol again, just rinse them with boiling water, wipe them off then wax them again. I take normal candle wax without perfume and a wax warmer for hair removal, I then pack a knife tip or 1/6 teaspoon WS2 and 1.6u PTFE and then I can wax again forever, only sometimes there is a little bit of new wax to it and done. Unfortunately, when it's wet, the chains squeak quickly, then dry them off and put the bike in a warm room and move the drive again and again so that it dries as quickly as possible. I simply improved the mudguards so that no more water can splash onto the chain, now they really last forever. And when changing chains I can leave my cycling gloves on, 2 minutes. Whenever the chain starts to chirp. Normal petrol for the car also works, you can use it more often, but then you can take it to the recycling center or you can still use it to clean bicycle parts. I rinse 3x and then have completely grease-free chains. The drive also has to be degreased, just put newspaper and rags underneath and brush it clean with a toothbrush and petrol, it doesn't have to be 100% pure. And for you oz, just get a 20 year old bike made of steel and leave it dirty, its the same functionality, but with style. Clean super modern bikes are not cool, the old dirty ones are.
Thanks Oz for the well produced videos. I enjoy your pep personality, great communications, and well thought out information. Your custom built gadgets are a pleasure to see. I will start my waxing procedures as soon as my supplies arrive. Looking forward to your future videos.
I find the boiling water method for cleaning quicker and a bit better. Having two chains pretty much assures I will only have the water bath once if I get a really dirty day and just rewax both on Sunday night.
Bunnings have a great brush in their "tool shop" which has a wooden handle and long bristles that're around 5cm. It's ideal for getting in between the larger rings of the cassette. The brand is "Josco".
I never do the old spray down and soapy wash if my road bike. I use a natural spray cleaner regularly then wipe down with kitchen paper followed by a light auto wax spray. I remove my wheels and take off the cassette which i agitate in a solvent bath then air blast. Then I clean the chain removed and soak in wax. The jockey wheel and cassette cleaner you've made Steve is a great idea I'll give it a try👍
Glad your back. Great videos as always. You're responsible for me messing the wife's kitchen experimenting with wax viscosity's at 2am 😂 greeting from Belgium 🇧🇪
Never mind the wax \ the other PTFE plastics \ etc, it's all about two things: *Teflon & graphene.* The more Teflon in the lube, the better it sheds grime. The more graphene, the better it slides under heavy load. Any other ingredients are mostly just serving as carriers to get this stuff onto your chain\pulleys & to keep it there. Paraffin wax itself is somewhat clingy, causing it to collect particulate; oils don't stay in place well on their own. Graphene dry lube sold for locks can be a decent additive, but Teflon can be a bit harder to find on a label, in some places these days
Yes it works for muddy/wet conditions. After applying , allow the wax to dry on the chain for a couple of hours for it to harden up. Once hard it want attract dirt.
Good setup on the catch container. One improvement could be to use a longer bolt and before screwing on the nut put a piece of thin walled rubber hose to protect the derailer.
hi OZ ive been waxing my chains for 18 mths since i first saw one of ur videos, i get supriisingly 6 to 8 hundred k from a wax,onroad riding and ,after boiling hot water to melt i use a ultrasonic cleaner with simply green to clean ,no wear or stretch ,once youve waxed you never go back lol
I am surprised guys find the need to re-wax at 150 k. I too get about 6 to 8 hundred km from a wax and use boiling hot water and a ultrasonic cleaner. If Simple Green is working for you I may try it. Usually I just use hot water in the ultrasonic cleaner.
@@larrygraham1580 I PUT MY CHAIN IN A GLASS COFFE CONTAINER WITH SIMPLY GREEN 2X1 MIX AND THEN IN ULTRASONIC ,JUST TOP UP ULTRA TO IHE LINE,GLASS IS BETTER THAN A PLASTIC BAG AND DOESENT LEAK
I guess I am still super confused about this whole wax craze. Does this need to be done after every ride? My usual procedure with regular default oil lube is: Go for a ride Rinse bike down with hose and scrub lightly if it got built up Scrub drivetrain Re-lube and wipe off Ride again tomorrow This seems like a simple and straight forward process that doesnt involve removing the chain and deep cleaning and setting up a full re-waxxing station. Every few weeks I will go through and completely degrease the chain and re lube but that doesn't take much time at all. I guess I just don't see how people think wax is a better solution besides maybe just helping the chain last longer.
Thank you I change the ratio of liquid and solid paraffin according to the weather. When it is too hot and dusty with a mountain bike, I re-wax every three rides, about seven hours of riding in total.
In a previous video you showed how to drip the solution on the chain, and it does not work in the cold. The quickest way to add wax in the winter is to place the hot wax tool under the lower small wheel and dip it in the wax while rolling the chain. A little dirty, wiping, and after a few minutes of riding the unnecessary solution falls off.
Started to use wax on my chain after using oil for years. I do agree that oil do make it blacker and maybe more dirtier, but my problem with wax is that when im washing my bike and degrease the wax it keeps being dirty and black. When i let the bike dry after a wash it will drip with this greyish fat liquor what must be the wax. It does that every time even tho i re wash it 3-4 times. So annoying. With oil i just used diesel for 5 mins and everything was crispy dry. Now i use wax and i use sooo much more time on the drivetrain to get dry
@@stevenleffanue It is the dry weather lube from muc-off. Before i used it the first time. I cleaned everything to perfection with diesel and brakecleaner. the first month or two it was perfect, but when i have to degrease it, it just wont get off
Ah, yes , Mucoff lube is very difficult to remove. We've had problems with it in the past. I don't know what removes it. You may need to buy a new chain and not use the Mucoff lube.
@@stevenleffanue Do you know any lube which is better to remove? I will try to remove the muc off lube in a week when i have the chance to clean it with benzin/diesel if that wont work i buy a new chain.
Hey Oz, thanks for the videos. Do you ever worry about getting wax and grease remover into the hub of your rear wheel? Have these chemicals ever had an effect on the rolling resistance of your rear wheel and/or the jockey wheels (due to breaking down the grease)?
No, the amount of degreaser used is very little and should not be sprayed on the hub anyway. When washing off I use a gentle spray, not high pressure - it wouldn't get past the seal.
What the next best thing to diy chain waxing? Currently using Squirt lube but I find that it gets dirty really easily, and it gunks up my chain and jockey wheels Update: I've finally committed to fully waxing my chain, still haven't ridden it because it's been raining all week!
PS: Full Ingredients are listed in MSDS. Main are: Solvent naphtha (petroleum), light aliphatic 40-60% Naphtha (petroleum), hydrodesulphurized heavy 40-60% plus some other nasty sounding things. You can find wax and grease remover at any car accessories shop or automotive refinish supplier.
The various product and MSD sheets would suggest that Diggers isn't water soluble, rather it evaporates. IPA is very effective in this role and doesn't require washing off with water. If you buy 5L off ebay in UK it's not too expensive 👍
Great stuff as always, thank you! Maybe a stupid question, but why not just pour some boiling water on the cassette and cranks (carefully and outside obviously), if that works for the chain?
Does anybody else use Dry Teflon PTFE spray on their chain? I spray it after each ride, spin the chain to allow the PTFE to get into the links then wipe the outside to remove excess. Seems to run beautifully and chain is always shiny clean.😎
Thank you for the tips! Any advice on how to keep the wax+ptfe clean? Even though I'm cleaning my chain (1l boiled water in a sieve) before waxing it still leaves a bit of dirt inside the pot when inserted in the hot wax. Thanks again!
I’m struggling with hot waxing 12 speed chains. What worked with 10 speed for years, does not with 12 speed. 200f wax after spotless clean using gasoline followed by lacquer thinner. I added pfft and had marginal increase in service interval. I use to get 500 to 1000 miles road cycling before roller pin rattling was too much. Now it’s 100-200 miles. This is the new Dura Ace di2 12 speed. My last effort was to try a KMC chain and it was no help. Very frustrating. Anyone using Dura Ace 12 speed road and getting good distance between rewax? Let’s talk
Great videos. Finally going to try waxing my chain. Wondering what is the current 'chain wax in a bottle' formula recommendation, assuming the wax is the 500/50 wax/ptfe mix? The 2/26/2020 video has approximately 3:1 isopropyl alcohol/wax mix. An older video had wax/paraffin oil/xylene in 3 equal parts. Thanks,
*Question* - What do you do to clean and lubricate the bushings, inside the jockey wheels? Is it even necessary? I do feel the road grit in them after my bike has dried from a rainy ride. I am new to chain waxing, via your methods, and I am very pleased with the results. As far as the bushings go, I have been disassembling the cage, cleaning and using a drop/smear of general purpose grease. I do this 3-4 times per year.
Hey Oz, I started watching your videos a couple years ago and thanks to you, I bought a Connex chain by Wipperman and love it. It has stainless steel inner plates and that clever removeable link. I have been waxing my chain with paraffin and teflon and am extremely happy about it....Questions: How do I know when to change the wax/paraffin mixture? Does the teflon gradually disappear after a few waxings? I've had my paraffin/teflon mixture turn a grayish color in my pot, but no evidence of large pieces of dirt, etc. How many waxings can I expect from this mixture before I make up a new batch? Thanks again for all that you've done...
Hi Oz, thanks for all the information on chain waxing. I'm going to attempt waxing my chain with your method today. I've seen pretty much all of your videos on the topic and wrote down the whole process just to make it easier for me. There's one detail I might have missed and I'm now worried about: once you clean the drivetrain and fit the waxed chain, is there anything supposed to be applied on the drivetrain to prevent rusting other than the liquid isopropyl-wax preparation from time to time? If this is the case, how often should I do it? Thanks so much.
Really helpful video. I've been waxing my road and gravel chains for 6 months now. Quick question. My gravel chain is a SRAM on an Apex 1 drivetrain and has very little wax flake off whereas my road chain is a Shimano and I get a lot of flake off onto the drivetrain and chainstays. I'm using Molton Speedwax on all of my chain waxing as a beginner in this area. Any ideas on why the Shimano chain flakes off more wax onto the drivetrain than the SRAM chain?
The SMOOVE website recommends using either their SMOOVE PREP or a citrus-based cleaner to clean a SMOOVE treated chain. I'm just curious if you've ever tried a citrus-based cleaner and with what result? Thx in advance.
One thing about using this wax (and saying this while having the slowcooker & thick waxblock in my kitchen - so I'm not against its functionality): How good/bad is it for the environment? There seems to be some relation to PFOA and PFOS, which iirc doesn't degrade and is very carcinogenic. If using this means I'm a mass-spreader of a non-degradable carcinogenic compound around the lovely roads I bike, I think I'd opt to use something else. But again not too sure, so putting it out here.
What do you think of orbea or ridley? The top option is pinarello dogma f but I am not sure it’s really worth the price tag. Trying to find a descent mid range
Hey Oz, greetings from Vancouver, BC. It's been a pretty crumby winter out here so I've followed your videos and spent a day doing a full chain, drive train clean, it was a bit of a process. Used like 6 rounds of mineral spirits + iso though to degrease and then clean.. Then waxed and it turned out super clean, quiet, a bit messy as I'm using a trainer, however, brush and vac is fine. HOWEVER, after the first 150km or so I noticed it has got a bit noisy. I pulled the chain off and I'm noticing small black metal fleks. I checked with a magnet. I'm using an ultegra chain. Is this normal? Once I noticed this, I boil cleaned the chain, dried and back into the hottub the chain went. I'm using just plain parafin and plan to add some molybdenum disulfide to try out soon. Thoughts?
Could be however I’ve ridden this chain ring for about a year. I’m wondering if it’s the coating inside the chain? I am racing on the trainer so perhaps I’m pushing the chain too hard. Oh well not to big of a deal to give it more frequent hot baths. I will look at getting another ymc or connex chain for rotation. Thanks again for such awesome tutorials!
Wouldn't citrus degreaser on a MF towel... just like you can use for regular oil based lubes... work the same here? and be quicker and cheaper than a set of chain-specific bottles of cleaning liquid? I'm not sure I'm understanding the necessity to construct a specialty catch-tray or the need to use wax-specific cleaners if the chain is nowhere near during the cleaning. Also, is it truly advisable to pour wax contaminants down a sink drain??
@@stevenleffanue I'm asking about the need for special wax cleaners and constructing catch trays for cleaning the deraleaur and cassette -- when a little citrus degreaser on a microfiber towel would work just as well and would be quicker/easier/cheaper?
Soaking a rag with motor oil (any engine oil will do) and pulling the chain through it is all I do. That's it. Repeat every week on rainy conditions and every month on dry conditions. No special expensive chain oil, chain wax and no degreaser or anything else needed. Motor oil has everything needed, it works not only as a lubricant but also as a detergent and rust inhibitor, it has anti wear components, too. In winter it's thin enough and in summer thick enough due to it's viscostiy improvers it comes with when it is a multigrade oil which every motor oil nowadays is. Like I said, everything ever needed is already in motor oil included. There is no cheaper and more effective way to take care of your bicycle chain.
Hello Oz. Have you considered using Tungsten Di-sulfide instead of PTFE Teflon mixed with the wax. Apparently it is less harmful than the Teflon. It is what is used with Silka WS2 chain lube. Seen the powder on Ali and is around the same price as the Teflon. I have been waxing using your method and like it a lot. Keep up the great videos.
And can I also leave the chain on the bike and use the degreaser to clean the drivetrain? Or do I always need to take the chain off the bike before cleaning?
Hi. I have an old bike I use as a shopper. Lots of short trips in all weathers in a wet UK and I don’t wipe the chain down after. Would waxing be any good here? All my trousers have oil on the bottom of the right leg!
Hi, 👋👋 i want to see if i understood right? After first wax, and than after around 100km, chain needs to be waxed again. And after that do i need to clean and wax every 300km chain ?
The first initial cleaning of a new chain uses solvents to remove the factory applied grease and oil so that you do not get a rusty chain from the factory even though it is new. The wax will not stick to the chain if it has any oil, grease or lube. After 100K and then every 300K, boiling water kettle (or 2 or 3) and some sort of colander or screen to wash the chain is needed. Once cleaned and cooled, thread the chain on a wire hanger and into the hot wax with PTFE.
I read somewhere recently that you shouldn't wash the chain in hot water because the tap water can introduce particles into the rollers and then cause the chain to wear. I had been following the wax and clean process detailed on this channel and recently had to change the chain because it was fully "stretched" well before the 13,000 km mentioned here... Is there an alternate to boiling water, should it be filtered, is there a step to clear the chain between water and wax that I m missing?
@@almeder3260 Cool - I think the risk was if particles in the water are washed into the rollers and deposited when the chain dries... I just know my waxed chain was 'stretched" well beyond usable limits within a relatively short time
A year and a half ago I bought a belt drive bike: a Priority Turi. It has a 300% ratio NuVinci transmission in the rear hub and I haven't had to do any of this crap since. Seriously, I've put about 4000 miles on it and all I ever do is wash the tires and frame with soap and water. One strand in the shifter cable broke and I had to replace it but the same thing could have happened with a derailleur. The Gates belt is a cogged belt, much like the one running the camshaft in most 4 cylinder car engines, and as I said I've put 4000 miles on this one and it looks like new. I bet it will go for 10,000 miles easy. And that's without washing it at all! I hate to say it but for me it's not "Why would I ever go back to oiling my chain?" but instead, "Why would I go back to chains, period?"
@@truthseeker8483 Funny. Yeah man lets get some carcinogenic PTFE and take a big whiff of it making that special wax so I can go back to a 60 year-old technology and reminisce about the good old days for a few months before I get lung cancer. But I'll have a nice shiny stainless steel chain to show off to my mates! Then again there's all that adjusting the shifter cables and cleaning and... NAAAAHHH.
What should I do if the wax isn't sticking very well to the chain from only 1 hot wax bath (new chain). I did the degreasing it fully using the 3 step process but it seems to still have slight residue left. Not sure what to do since there is plenty of wax on the chain but potentially it will come off quick.
Check the temperature of the wax. If it is too hot there will only be a light coat of wax. If the wax gets too cold, the chain will will have clumps of wax on it. As soon as I put the chain in the hot wax, I unplug the slow cooker. I agitate the chain in the wax a little so that the PTFE that has settled to the bottom of the wax gets worked into chain. As the temperature of the wax is coasting down, I check the temperature using an infrared heat gun pointed at the center of the wax. I take the chain out of the wax when the temperature is between 60 and 70c. I think. Or you can use the use the eye ball method of when the wax barely becomes cloudy.
After watching your wax lube the chain I went and did it, now when I back pedal the chain comes off the chainring. When at a red light I have this issue and when backing the bike into it's spot the chain comes off the chainring.
The disc is on the opposite side to the chain so you shouldn't get too much wax on your disc. A quick wipe of the disc with IPA or acetone every now n then will keep your brakes fine.
Step one. Spend all day driving around and buying plastic crap. Step two. Order dental pik. Step three. Attempt to figure out what kind of solvent he’s using. Step four. Forget about his video and clean your bike like a normal person
@@keithhudson4638 Battling the same fight. Rust can be a problem to during winter here, Lots of salty roads in Scandinavia. My new connex link got rust spots after a few days.
@@stevenleffanue But would that Silicone spray attract dirt again (something i want to avoid)?. I was also thinking about drying with compressed air (gently) or hair dryer. Both with the wheel out? Any other ideas are welcome as i have seen also seen the little rust spots after rinsing with water and the outside temps / condition not good enough for unattended drying where I live (Netherlands).
OMG! You supposedly run waxed chain, to keep things simpler! This process ir really complicated. I run a waxed chain for 200-250 km then put a drop of silicone dry lube, and ride once more. Then I clean with degreaser and everything gets shiny, pure metal! Then rewaxing for another 300km !! Looks simpler to me!
