I find that popping my Squirt lube bottle in the microwave for a few seconds works best, because the wax needs to be hot in order to really penetrate the rollers. This also avoids the wax gumming up the drivetrain. Coincidentally this tip was offered in one of Silca's videos.
I've been using the Silca hot wax every 500 miles or so, and relubing between rides with the Silca Top Secret liquid wax. My drive train stays spotless and smoother than anything I've ever tried before. I don't mind the extra effort to hot wax the chain (I actually kind of Nerd-Out when dipping it) and the results are just amazing.
@@paulb9769 You don't use the stove if you're married. In a serious vein, a crockpot works best and you can use it anywhere there is an outlet. (garage, shop, etc.) I just leave the wax in there with the lid on and turn on the heat as needed. The silca product is their own proprietary formula, no mixing. Oz Cycle youtube channel has lots of vids on mixing your own.
Chain lubing is a cake walk compared to chain cleaning. If you employ the clean/lube process effectively and frequently, the lube you choose is not that critical. I've used Pedro's Ice Wax for decades, and I see no reason to keep trying new concoctions. I do clean my chains before re-lubing though. Yes, lube cost is minimal compared to the price of cycling hardware, but that doesn't in any way justify it. Bikes and running gear are way too expensive these days, and claiming those high equipment prices justify high maintenance costs is a very weak argument.
You do realize these wax drip lubes wash away completely with…wait for it…hot/boiling water. What’s easier than that? I literally unhook my toolless Connex link, set my chain on my porch and poor a kettle of boiling water over it.
@@kidsafe Some do not completely degrease and clean new chains prior to waxing so your point is neither here nor there. I do how ever and this is how I clean mine.
Rock N Roll Gold for my road bikes during the dry summers, Rock N Roll Extreme for my other bikes and for the rainy winters! (PTFE-based lube) I've tried doing the hot wax thing but I found that it only lasted around 200 miles or so before the chain started to squeak, not much better than using the Rock-N-Roll lube. But it's way easier to just wipe and lube the chain after every other ride than it is to remove the chain and go through the whole hot-wax process. Frankly, I'm not after marginal gains, I'm really all about having a long-lasting clean and quiet drivechain, so the Rock N Roll works well for me. Been using it for 10 years or so - ever since I found out about it.
That's why squirt lube is used. If you waxed your chain at the beginning, then you can use squirt lube just to replenish the wax layer, no need to remove chains or clean anything.
Thumbs up for a non sponsered video made to help consumers. Here in Sweden many bikepaths are maintained snow/ice free during winter using plows and a nasty thing called salt which feasts on your drivetrain. Wet lubes has it downsides in dryer, dirtier conditions but is the best option in wet, icy and salty conditions. You still need to clean your drivetrain though and not just apply more and more lube..
I've used Squirt for 7 or 8 years now. I use a stiff nylon brush to remove dirt and old wax then re-apply new wax every 150-200km. When the chain needs a clean, I drop it in an ultrasonicator for 5 minutes with mineral spirits followed by acetone, then hang to dry. Cassette gets the same treatment. Everything is completely clean. After reassembly, I spin the crank and re-apply the Squirt. Never clumps, runs quiet, and is good for another 200-300km before re-applying here in SoCal.
i’ve been using the squirt wax lube in your video for past few months. i’d say each application last 200-300km definitely cleaner , less sticky, less messy than my previous c3 ceramic dry lube
I use Squirt dry lube for a couple of years now. It works well, keeps my chain and cassette cleaner than all other products I used before; you have to follow instructions (real deep degreasing of the chain is mandatory before lubing the chains).
@@Mububban23 l am following the Squirt instructions: I use a nylon brush to remove small solid wax particles from time to time. But there is much less buildup of wax or gunk than with other Lubes. Then I do a thorough degreasing a couple of times per year but much less frequently than before.
I switched to Squirt in the fall of 2021 (was using Muc-Off Ceramic Dry for the 3 years prior) and have no complaints at all, understanding of course that it does need to be re-touched every 300-400km in completely dry conditions, 100% road riding.
I use hot pot waxing & still need to reapply every 300-400km in dry weather. I pre prepare 3 chains at one time. The waxing process does take more time & requires a little patience but it works well & leave you with clean drivetrain 👍
I've been using squirt since 2017, coming from cooking chains in a Castrol tin can of motorcycle oil for decades. It attracts much less dirt, but also gets washed away within just two heavy showers. Definitely needs to add another "layer" of squirt every 250km after wiping the chain with a rag.
I use ProLink. I buy a pint bottle and refill an empty Tri Flow bottle,with a straw applicator. ProLink is self cleaning and penetrates the chain easily. It provides me a 4,000 mile chain life, at 0.50 wear when I lube my bike every 90 miles. I’m still using the same 11/34 cassette after 13,500 miles, although I did replace the 11t cog at 8,000 miles.
I just hot waxed my chain for the first time and used Silca Hot Wax. One thing I forgot to do was wipe off the excess wax with a clean cloth at the end of the process. It's been about 400km since I did the waxing and the drive train is still humming along. Best of all, the chain and drivetrain is still squeaky clean!
I've been using Squirt for a while. Works well and stays much cleaner than any oil based lube I've tried. It's pretty warm where I live and over time, the Squirt would get thick and be difficult to apply. I emailed the manufacturer and they said it was ok to add water to the bottle to reduce the viscosity. I added water and shook until the consistency was a little thinner than suntan lotion which seems to work well. Will try the microwave hack next!
@@stevedriver1376 Steven you are correct my boy, it is used for Hemorrhoids but being a cream based solution by it's very nature it's lubricating. Hope they are hanging well for you. 👍
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.
@@c.s.4273 I'm using the same 100 ml flask of Exxon oil for ~30 years now, it's thinner than engine oil, still half full, cost me something like $6 at that time. Not perfect but it's good lube, and cheap!
I use Squirt lube for about a year now and I am thrilled with it! Just had the greatest compliment from another rider who said "nice new drivetrain!". while the drivetrain had 3K of experience, it keeps looking as new!
@@paulb9769 for me hotwax is too much of a hassle. Every now and then I apply SquirtLube in the evening and the next day I am ready to go, works perfect for me.
I have experimented with a few different ones for road and I also like Rock and Roll Gold the best so far. Its very inexpensive but a downside is I am putting more on every 125 miles or so.
Been using Silca Secret Chain Lube for around a year now and it’s great. No more sticky black grime on your drivetrain and hands. Yes chain prep requires far more effort but ultimately more than worth it.
been using dry fluid bike and absolutely love it. my whole drivetrain stays clean without washing, its super silent, long lasting and works in the rain. i like it better than drip wax because the chain runs smoother and i dont need to aplie 12h before riding.
I use the Synergy wet lube that you showed for the gravel bike; and Ceramicspeed UFO on the road bike. The latter has been amazing in terms of smooth running and gear changes, and the chain is clean again with a few quick wipes with a rag. Not cheap, but the best one I’ve used.
Its cheaper to just buy a new chain and cassette for the avrage rider, if you have a very expensive set up these lubes may be worth it but squirt is more expesive than an ebike chain and how much longer is it going to last using this?
I'have been using the same 100 ml bottle of thin oil for 30 years. It's still half full after all these years... I certainly paid less than 10.- for this. Maybe someone can tell its name, it's from Exxon, a small oval shaped red metal flask, with a long pointy plastic transparent opening, drawn on it are a bike, a toy, maybe a sewing machine, and another object). I mostly just wipe the chain carefully with paper towel, drop some oil inside the chain while turning it, make sure it runs on all gears and chainrings, maybe wipe again the sides and exterior of the chain in one pass, and on rare occasions I do a deeper cleaning if it's clogged with thicker dirt, degreasing with WD-40, even white spirit or gas, with a brush and towels, also the rest of the drive train, between cogs, then add some oil again. I'm tempted with liquid wax to get something cleaner, but reading all these comments it's not perfect either...
I use Squirt and I am thrilled with it. I will emphasize (as David did in the video) that it does NOT last long and frequent reapplications are necessary. Still a bottle lasts a long time and it's not overly expensive.
The overall cost of Squirt over 10,000km can be as much as 50% more expensive than the overall cost of a lubricant like Silca Super Secret Chain Lube 🙂
@@michaellarkin6158 I don't know the difference in single application longevity, but here's some interesting data from Zero Friction Cycling on the rate of chain wear per 100km in dry conditions when a chain is lubricated and exposed to sandy loam: Squirt is 2.37% per 100km, Silca Super Secret Chain Lube is 0.46% per 100km, which is five times better (100% wear is equivalent to a chain reaching its 0.5% of total wear). Silca SS also requires only one drop per roller, so you use very little per application.
@@potatocipollini8013 I was simply putting 'not overly expensive' into context 🙂. A bottle of Squirt is very cheap, but what really matters (economically) is how much lubricant you must use per application (i.e. cost per application) and how effective that lubricant is (i.e. how long before you have to spend money on replacing worn chains, cassettes and chainrings). Compared to a more expensive bottle of lubricant like Silca SS Chain Lube, Squirt has a much lower upfront cost, but it has a higher cost per application and is less effective, which makes it more expensive overall.
I’ve just bought a new ultegra 11 speed chain for £16, granted prices have fallen since 12 spd was launched but £45-£60 for the latest dry lubes or even more expensive wax treatments the Maths doesn’t work for me.
I have used Squirt for several years. It's great as long as it doesn't rain. If it rains, it gets washed off and your chain goes rusty. I have a different bike for rainy days and I use a wet lube on that!
Good sensible video clearly explaining what to do and let's be honest, these are bicycles we're talking about not an F1 car. Think of your cadence, around 80-100 rpm so the forces involved are pretty small really. Don't overthink things, some manufacturers try and baffle with science but basically clean your chain and cassette etc and apply sparingly. Job done. For what it's worth I've always used Squirt and find it very good. Just about all my riding is done in dry so a dry lube/wax is perfect.
Just use chainsaw bar oil for you chain.Its anti fling cheap and if it's good enough for a saw chain going at many metres per min I am sure it's good enough for your bike chain. Worked for me over 40 yrs.
Previously, in the distant past, I used the "Finish Line" lubricant I was satisfied, but I did not even know about the existence of dry lubricants, so I was once recommended to switch to the "Squirt Dry Lube" dry lubricant, I tried it and was very surprised at the efficiency and the chain was clean, didn't need to be cleaned all the time, I still use "Squirt" to this day. I recently bought to try "MUC-OFF DRY PTFE" I will test it!
I use the Silca Synergetic. I've used just less than half a bottle and I've managed to get through 9,000 miles on my Sram Force chain and I'm not even at 0.5% chain wear according to my chain checker. The chain is much cleaner than other lubes and I get 200 - 300 miles or so before reapplication is required.
@@davidarthur before I'd have used Muc Off or more regularly Morgan Blue Race Oil. Previously I'd have gotten maybe 5k miles on a chain but this is almost double and still a way off needing replaced. Silca claim 90% improvement in wear and I'd have to say my experience reflects that and better. Still about 60% of the bottle left too, so while it's north of 30 quid a bottle, seems pretty good value to me.
Another good thing about the wax lubes is that you can dry clean the chain with your chain brush. This knocks off all the dirty wax flakes on the outside of the moving chain links.
I am on the CS UFO Drip; a bottle has lasted me almost 18 months. One tip is to have 2/3 chains with a rotation and ultrasonic cleaning in between each lube application. This ensures cleanest chain each and every time lube is applied and therefore reduces wear on your drive train components. Apply the lube with the chain laid out flat on the floor, applying at each roller and letting the lube penetrate over several hours. The 3 chains have lasted several thousand k's with hardly any wear signs.
I have chain saw oil at home. It is very sticky and has additives to reduce wear and lubricate. I drop a drip on each link and allow it over night to sink in.
I agree with the WD40 comment made in the video, with the WD40 that was being used. However, the WD40 brand does have many bicycle specific cleaners and lubrication products.
Amusingly, the WD40 silicone product shown in the video *is* a lubricant. Not a product that I would use on a bike chain, but not the basic WD40 water disperser.
I remember a large scale test of all these products, and standard WD-40 wasn't so bad in fact... just not sure if it was on a YT video or a website... Performance wise wax was the best, Squirt was not far from it, they had just forgotten to mention thin oiI, suspect that's because performances are just as good as most commercial products.
Check out zero friction cycling's tests. The finish line stuff works, but it definitely doesn't work well (especially for the cost of the ceramic stuff).
Lube I like to use is tri flow, cleaner, quieter shifting. Add little more then you need whip off to clean chain, reapply and whip off. Nice clean chain. After cleaning chain rings/ cassette and jockey wheels.
Using Silica Hot Wax periodically and when I've an hour to spare, backed up with Weldtite Dry wax drip wax. I do a fair bit of gravel riding and its just amazing that the drive train just stays clean and quiet. Washing the whole bike down with Muc Off after mucky rides is pretty much all that's needed. If only chains came supplied without factory greese there'd be no reason at all for anyone to ever bother with oil based lubes again because as you said you really must start with a fully degreesed chain for wax lubes.
I use White Lightning and Rock n Roll gold, and I wipe down my chains with a microfiber cloth after each ride. Clean and re-lube every 200 miles. I'm getting 4500 miles (7000 km) on a Shimano Dura-Ace 11-speed chain and 7000 miles (11,000 km) on my Red AXS chain.
Weldtite all weather with Teflon is by far the best all round oil for 99% of cyclists. Cheap too. Their wet lube is good for UK winters too, doesn't wash off as quick. No way I'd ever spend more on bike oil than £5 a bottle, that's just crazy.
Squirt's just easy, not stupidly expensive, no worry about over-lubing as any excess sheds off. Does not make bike or hands too grimy. If chain really dirty boil it in old frying an with washing up liquid/ citrus degreaser, shake in jar changing hot water until water clear of particles. Heat chain gently in pan and reapply Squirt to warm chain. I use KMC 9-speed chains as cheap and easy to remove and re-join chain by hand. Have a new chain ready to go in spares cupboard, use a chain checker regularly and replace when 0.5 to prolong cassette and chainring life.
The overall cost of Squirt over 10,000km works can be up to 50% more expensive than the overall cost of a lubricant like Silca Super Secret Chain Lube 🙂, don't let the upfront cost sway you.
@@michaellarkin6158 No, but I make decisions based on evidence. Check out Zero Friction Cycling's lubricant test data. (FWIW, I use Molten Speed Wax, not any Silca product, but I recognise that Silca Super Secret Chain Lube is a better choice overall than Squirt, and I simply want to let others know because good products deserve to be recognised). The cost of a bottle of lubricant is one consideration. But how much lubricant must you apply for each application (i.e. how many applications per bottle)? How long does the lubricant last? What effect does the lubricant have on rate of chain wear over time and in different conditions? How often will you need to replace your chains, cassettes and chainrings? These considerations dictate the real cost of a lubricant.
What about bearing grease? I love that stuff. I use an old paint brush and slather it all over.. and don’t forget jockey wheels, cassette, and chain rings.
If you're riding a lot in foul weather, or in winter when the roads are salted, this is a really good tactic cos it protects the chain & drivetrain from rust. Pro cycling teams often do it for training rides, but they don't tell you cos they want you to buy silly expensive fancy lubes from their sponsors😂
Hi, I use Revolube. I also have squirt and sscl but i dont like the soft black particles that are left over on the chain and cassette.better say hate it... Synergetic is very good but leaves the chain little bet grey or should i say- not sparkling. Revolubes, gives you the optimal results: It is smooth as wet or wax lube, and after you wipe/wash it from the outer chain it seems that there is no lube at all on the chain and its clean and shiny for weeks of ridings!! And still running and shifting smooth!! Yes i have found my solution for dry road cycling. Thanks
Silca Synergetic is great on my indoor trainer bike. Super quiet and smooth for many months. Though I recommend having a rubber mat under the trainer and bike to prevent any oil on the ground.
Why start with lube? Hotwax is the easiest and cleanest! I am amazed that it is taking so long to grow more popular. Also with the dry lubes immersive application for the first application is a must! And for bikepacking you just take AB graphene lube. Yes is seems expensive but at the end of the line it is much cleaner and the cheapest!
I use Molten Speed Wax. One thing I've found with wet lubes is that they can be deceptive, because they silence the drive train. The lube might be full och sand and road dust and grind your chain at an astonishing rate, but the drivetrain is still silent, so you ride along happily. When the wax on a waxed chain no longer does its job you will definitely hear your chain rattle.
I've used Squirt wax on my road & gravel bike for a few years and been v. happy with it. Just trying out hot wax method now with intention of topping up with wax lube every couple of weeks - still too early to say it's definitely better, but certainly now I've done it once it's straightforward enough I'll do it for all our bikes.
Be interested to hear how you get on with the hot wax method Paul, I'm going to get myself set up and see what it's all about next - maybe going into winter is the ideal time for it?
Wax lube doesn't go all that well together with hotwax. The only exeption is that you can hotwax certain wax lubed chains. AB graphene lubed chain for example. But your wax lube will not bond with the chain that is coated with hotwax. Also it is much easier to just remove the chain and swish it. I use a couple of chains so I have one ready at all times. It's the fastest and cheapest option in the end.
@@Anihalas interesting to hear your experience. Silca say in their documentation / marketing to top up with their wax lube, but maybe that's just a way of selling more stuff. I'll see what happens.
@@pscoop I have no experience with silca. But I can see it from them since they are one if not the best. Just keep in mind that the liquids from the wet lube need to evaporate before you ride. Otherwise it will still atract dirt into the chain. I just don't bother since I've grown so accustomed to the hotwax process and my information might be a bit outdated!
Squirt is great and cheap, silka super secret is even better and lasts a LOT longer. Since switching to wax lube 2 years ago I would never fuss around with oil-lube anymore. That oily stuff is not as good for the drive train, worse for the environment and constant cleaning necessary, literally no reason not to switch to wax except perhaps the cost. Silca is about 50USD per bottle 😂
Absolutely David, one of your better videos to be honest. Spending on lube, as you mentioned, is a small cost compared to other components. It also will save money in the long run, a lot in fact, ZFC has made a chart comparing the cost of maintaining a drivetrain using the worst lubes compared to the best.
I have been hot waxing for a decade now. I normally buy a pair of chains and rotate them and I have always reused my quick link with out any problem despite the warnings.
@@burningatthetrailhead What speed are you running? I swap my chains at least once a week and I find I get a good few months out of one. The current pair are 6 months old and still good.
@@paulb9769 8 on my dj, 10 on my DH and single speed on my bmx. I ride my dj the most and get 5-8 weeks per waxing depending on weather. Swapping between 3 chains I get 5 years out of the full drive train. I ride in sun, rain and snow. Sothern ontario conditions. You should be getting 8 weeks of riding in perfect conditions riding daily per wax if you're doing around 20k a day.
@@burningatthetrailhead My bike gets a wash every week it is a shiny carbon bike and I am a bit ocd with it and the UK gets a fair bit of rain so I just stick with my weekly routine. I have my waxing and cleaning down to a fine art it takes me literally no time.
Been using Squirt for a few years and also an ultrasonic cleaner for a couple seasons as well. After ultrasonic cleaning, I usually lay the chain down on top of shop towel and then apply Squirt and also let it dry there. This avoids getting extra lube on the chainring and cassette which is somewhat inevitable if you apply while the chain is already installed. I've found the pros and cons of Squirt exactly as described in the video. It's quiet and seems to make my chains wear much slower, but you really do need to re-apply it fairly often. Even when only riding in fair weather though I usually want to wash my bike after 200 miles max so cleaning and re-lubing the chain pretty much comes a part of that process anyway. Poor weather is where Squirt really suffers though, you only need to ride through a good pour and/or wet road afterwards and it's gone after a single ride.
@@Mububban23 I don't, but would probably save myself a lot of bother if I did. It's a bit hard to recommend for winter for sure. There's "low temperature" version which supposedly works better in sub zero temps and I do use it, but can't really say that it lasts noticeably better.
I reapply the lube after every ride few drops not each link just rotate the chain and put few drops also before doing that use a brush to remove the dust then just wipe the chain with a rag this was suggested by a mechanic who is a certified one .. its look like a time consuming process but if you using wax the degrease step is removed and it will hardly take 10mins or less i do this process after every 50km+ ride and its must after a long ride like 100km or 100+ for me 100 is long dont know about you guys considering i have a hybrid 😂
David, thanks for this information. I have been using ProGold ($7.99/4 oz) for years, and it works well on all my bikes. No significant wear on my components, so I will keep going with this one.
For years I've used Shimano PTFE to good effect, I know there's no bells and whistles to it and it's pretty thin but I prefer to do it more often and always put just a tiny amount (a drop on each roller usually). But next I'm gonna go for the Squirt wax.
Are you also using Squirt on your gravel bikes? Do you use a chain cleaner periodically with simple bike cleaner (Muc Off) in place of a degreaser as well? Or dry brush any dirt off the drive train?
i have been using a mix of coconut and with a 30% mix of castor oil. after cleaning the chain and chain rings. never got issues so far. its good water repellent too.
Another satisfied Squirt user here. I'm convinced you get a few extra watts as well. For winter I'm currently using Pedros Syn Lube which gets less gunky than other wet lubes around. Applying carefully to each roller saves wasting a lot of lube as well.
I like to use the Ufo Drip Wax lube from Ceramic speed. When you apply it it sticks to the chain and no drops falling to the ground messing my ground floor. And it works just perfect.
Muc-Off Ceramic as of late. Chain stays clean and sharp for 300km if I don't get caught in rain. Seems to handle dust as well when I use on my gravel steed, though after 100+km dusty rides I do clean and re-apply.
I use squirt and it works great but you still need to give your drive train a wipe down with a dry rag occasionally as it does leave a waxy residue behind that builds up over time.
Used to have Muc Off Dry Lube and even tried ceramic lube, got dirty fast as I ride a lot of gravel. Switched to Squirt Wax lube and I swear by it, did a couple of gravel races/rides and the only part that was clean is my chain.
I have been using SQUIRT since purchasing my cf bike 2 1/2 years ago. I will reach 7000 km total before the end of this week. I hope to try paraffin combined with microfine ptfe Teflon shortly……once my bag of Teflon arrives from China soon I hope.
I’ve been using squirt and mostly happy with it. Occasionally it will get my jockey wheels pretty gunked up which I don’t understand. I do the small drop per roller method and let it dry a minimum odd 20-24 hours before riding.
I used to use those silicone spray when starting out cycling. Easy to apply but heck of effort to clean them and they are dirt magnet. Switched to Squirt after a friend's recommendation. Much easier to clean and works well even on wet roads(no rain) as well as drizzling conditions. Was given a bottle of Muc-Off C3 and my life was never the same. It felt so quiet and light on my chains as well as smelled real good too... Lol! But this came at the expense of the lube not able to hold up to wet weather. After the few puddle splashes or decent amount of raindrops, the lube was completely gone. I had to carry a small of bottle of it for such situation when the weather takes a bad turn. In spite of all this, I still prefer to use the C3.
After a couple of years of Squirt, I moved on to UFO drip. Squirt was good value for money and I had no complaints for outdoor riding with it. But when it came to indoor cycling (I had only 1 bike then and had to use the same bike for indoor and outdoor riding), Squirt made my floor dirty. Dirt went off quickly with wet wipes, but still not ideal. Ever since I changed to UFO, my floor is much cleaner after indoor riding. Yes, UFO is more expensive than Squirt, but given that a bottle of lube lasts 12-18 months, I don't think price is that big of an issue.
I occasionally switch lubes. I am finished with my REX one and now got a Dynamic to try out. I struggle to find any difference between expensive wax-based lubes. Have tried around 20 different varieties. Muc-off hydrodynamic had a stand out feature. No itsy-bitsy rust spots on a chain over a very wet ride or a decent bike-wash. Others do let rust occur occasionally.
I am using Squirt on my bikes, even in winter (the low temp version). I recently bought the 500 ml bottle as you do need a lot of it. For me it’s Squirt all the way, I’ve recommended it to many cyclists who have switched and are very happy with the results.
@@DR_1_1 I bought the big bottle about a year ago and there's still about a third of it left. I cycled approx 18,000 km in those 12 months. It depends how much it rains - I always add some squirt after it got wet. In dry conditions you can easily go for about 500 km before you need to add more.
@@boudoir00 That's A LOT of kilometers... I see they have e-Squirt too btw. In these conditions costs are reasonable, even if that's the price of a new chain - and you need at least a 2 new chains, and drive train!
I have been hot waxing in a pot for a decade I will never use anything else again. Properly degrease a couple of new chains wax them and rotate. With a quick link the process is quick and convenient. It might seem daunting at first but the benefits far outweigh the cons.
I also use squirt on my daily commuter bike. Works very well, unless it's rainy season. Just two large showers and it's all gone. However, most of the time (once every two weeks), you just need to wipe the chain with a rag and then put some lube on it. No need to take the chain off, it's a matter of 5 to 10 minutes.
Very good video, David. I use hotwax on my roadbike, but this system comes to its limits when it comes to gravel or cx-racing in dirty/muddy conditions. It just wears out to quickly. I will test these products on these and if they work, will also apply them on my mtb. It's just the season for it, no 😃?
I used Squirt for a while - I can say by frequent application the chain last really much longer than usual (around 5000 against 2500 km) BUT i switched back to traditional lube because I was annoyed with that small wax particles running everywhere especially while using that indoors.
Smoove works better in this term. I had the same problem with all liquid wax lubes except Smoove. It is a little more sticky and dirty than Squirt, but doesn't flake and lasts longer.
I use Squirt during the summer and Muc-Off Hydrodynamic or C3 Ceramic Wet Lube in the winter (or wet rides). Either of the two winter options tend to attract dirt and need a strong degreaser to remove them. I find Squirt tends to make the chain stiff and slightly noisy after a few rides and applications, the wax is still there but the links don't seem to move as freely as they did on first application. Maybe I'm using too much? Any recommendations for the best degreaser? I find huge variation in brands in terms of effectiveness.
Ceramicspeed UFO degreaser for drivetrain. It's ecological and it is amazingly good. I recently degreased a 20yo drivetrain with it. For new chains though I use a few terpentine baths followed by some alcohol baths. It's much cheaper. But do take care of the right disposal. Zerofrictioncycling can tell you all about it. Also wax lubes always require some time to break in and don't make your chain silent. As long as it's not the sound of metal on metal you're good. Usually you can start to hear a higher pitched grinding sound when there isn't enough lube left.
I just invert my mountain bike on the grass and then put an old sock on my left hand. Then with the other hand I crank the pedal in reverse while I lightly grasp the chain with my left sock hand. With this method I end up cleaning 90% of the grit off the chain. The grease and dirt buildup in the cogs of the rear derailleur I clean by lightly inserting a small wide blade screw driver and rotating the crank pedal in reverse (not directly in the cogs but on the sides of the cogs where the dirt and grease build up) . I do the exact same with both rear sprockets and both the left and right side of the rear derailleur. I get most of the old heavy bike grease, oil, and dirt buildup this way (then wipe the screwdriver off on some old newspaper). The front derailleur I just leave alone since I always leave the front derailleur in the middle anyways Like most people I just use WD40 once a month and that seems to do the job for the average bike enthusiast. Maybe 10 ~ 15 minutes of time once a month usually is all a quick chain oiling and cleaning takes. WD40 does evaporate but it is cheap and can be found at Dollar stores and Walt-Mart and once can of WD40 will last for years. I just use what I can find that is cheap and readily available since I'm not a hardcore enthusiast biker anyways... but I do use my bike almost every day when possible.
Very informative, thank you, and thx also for the links to the products. I have ridden for too long on filthy chains. I'm now coming out of the `Dark Ages`
I was using n oil for dry conditions. Recently I thoroughly cleaned my transmission, ready to apply a wax lube. Hope that keeps things cleaner, as oil is so messy.
If you eventually decide to go back to wet lubes, something like Silca Synergetic or Revolube aren't as messy because you only apply a small amount of lubricant per application 🙂, and they perform exceptionally well for oil based wet lubes!
All this talk about wax lubes working better and potentially saving some watts. My good friend who rides with me in my cycling club swears by submerging his chain in melted wax. Man I don’t want to do that. I’m still old school and use pro link of which I have had really good luck with for at least 17 years. Used to live in inclement whether and did a lot of mountain biking and Cyclocross in mud ,snow and wet whether. Out of everything I tried Pro link was the one lube that worked in all kinds of weather. I have always applied it like you do and always spent some time wiping off the excess. I have never spent extra time cleaning my chain with solvents and such and my drive train was alway clean on my road bike. You should see my drive train now on my road bike and I’m riding almost 200 miles a week. Sparkly clean. Even the cassette. I live in Florida now and I might try some squirt since all the experts are saying how great wax is for your chain.
Big fan of Squirt lube here! I first applied it to my Giant XR1 'mountain / hybrid' and liked it so much that when a chain update on my Canyon Ultimate was due, I degreased the whole drive train and took the factory grease off the new chain and started using Squirt on that as well. Very happy so far. I quite often ride in the dunes here along the coast and notice I don't come home with this "Sand is eating your drivetrain" sound. Another benefit: If you have to touch the chain or sprockets, no hands with "grease from hell", just waxy stuff you can pretty much wipe off your fingers.
