Proud to confirm these numbers (e.g. 45.000km (43.000k for my) waxed Cassette and 15.000km (12.000k for my) waxed chain). I stick with Oz Cycle since early stage of candle wax with petroleum times around 2018.This approach to give HUGE contribution to the world wide cycling community is awesome. The pure attitude to bring us these detailed information of how to do chain wax WITHOUT any commercial interests is very rare these days. It must be - sorry it is: PASSION! Thanks a lot! Best regards, Ralf Venske (Biker) GERMANY. YES.
@@stevenleffanue yes, sure. I see you as the "father" for modern cycling waxing without expensive effort, but passion. Time by time the mixture getting better and better (see the last improvement while ratio of PTFE has been change from 1:10 to 1:20). At least - I was wondering the last appr. 6 years that a good guy from Australia recommended me, home town Hagen (Germany) a chain (Connex Wippermann) produced in Hagen-Delstern, where Wippermann is located since decades. Funny and a clue that our world wide cycling community works great.
since the first OZ video about chain waxing, I tried it and can confirm it works better than I expected. I've been using one chain for the third season and I'm so bored with it that I want something new, but I can't change it because I measure it and it's still like new.😂 
Isn't it great how a selfless bicycle enthusiast from Australia shared good experience and knowledge with a bicycle fan from distant Lithuania, whose chain has always been heavy, long-lasting, quiet, easy to clean, and costs practically nothing. Best wishes and thanks for sharing 👌
20:1 initial ratio, then re-wax at 100:1 - does this ratio apply irrespective of how thoroughly you clean the chain? Or is the assumption to re-wax once the chain is cleaned only using the hot water method? Great info, data collection/analysis. We appreciate you blazing this trail for the home brew chain wax crew.
Mr Steve Ozcycle you need to be careful! As the manufacturers of chainsets & chain lubes may send someone round to “have a word!” 😂 As these excellent vids of yours must be killing their profits?? Though the makers of rice cookers and PTFE must be really happy with you as their profits must’ve soared!! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and information with us. We all really appreciate it. All the cyclists over here are becoming aware of the benefits of PTFE waxing. Great Blessings to you from Dorset, England. 🙏😎👍🏻
good info, but it would be great if you could go deeper into chain wear and how it effects cassette wear. discuss how the more a chain is worn, the more wear it places on a cassette due to the rollers sitting high on the teeth as the pitch is increased. talk about having several chains in a rotation to a single cassette and how this can increase the life span of the cassette even more. when I was riding more (commuter) I had 4 waxed chains in a weekly rotation, this kept the cassette wear rate very low. when the chains would get to .65 they would be swapped out. BTW my brother lives near you, in Waitpinga.
Thanks for your videos. I also started recently hot waxing. I can see more and more something like a foam in my wax bath? Do you have the same, if yes what is it coming from? Greetings from Germany.
I have followed your channel for about 4 ½ years. I'm a chemist/ biochemist by training. Started back when you said candle wax worked ok with PTFE at 1:10 ratio (1.6µM particle size ). I run 2 chains, rotate after 300 to 400 km traveled. I'm still using the original wax mixture after some 40+ dippings. Each chain has ~8,500km and well under 0.5% wear. Chain rings and cassett have traveled ~17,000km. Have optimize the temperature melting temperatures. Raise solid wax temperature up to 80 to 85°C, dropping the chain in and agitating gently to observe the displacement of air by the formation of bubbles on the liquid wax surface. Letting the mixture cool to just below 70°C, remove chain and let drain. Very little of the wax chips off as you're getting it ready to ride or during your rides. Flexing the chain links while the wax is still warm makes it very easy to hand move all the links and once again avoid flaking. (zen and art of home chain waxing ). For a while I cleaned chain between waxing with boiling water, but Zero Friction youTube channel revealed this is not necessary if riding conditions are dry on tarmac or asphalt. Which brings me to the environmental aspect of using Teflon. Kudos on reducing PTFE ( PTFE teflon , PFAS polyfluoalkyl substance ) in your waxing mixture. Teflon is a miraculous material. It is use to replace hips, biologically inert and extremely safe for long term exposure. Also great where low friction, durability, are factor also fire resistant. Problem is when it's done and finished. It's horrible in the environment Think freon over the Antartica depleting ozone, asbestos and lungs, lead (Pb) and brains. It literally breaks down into the individual molecules, and there' are no bacteria or fungus that can break it down further. The stuff goes right through cell membranes. It's water fearing or hydrophobic and water loving (hydrophilic)like soap and it dissolved into fats, and just like DTT. It is in the air, land and water every where we looked (Antartica , Himalayas ) Where I live , it is at lower concentration than down east at Camp Lejuene NC. It has actually worked into the water supply, the air and land. The military used PFAS foaming compounds to practice putting out jet fuel fires. Textile industry, which put the PFAS onto fabric to prevent it from staining or making water repellent (ie Gore-Tex ). Also used to coat food packaging, which comes in contact with your food, and you can bet that some transfers in to the food you you eat. It's everywhere in eastern North Carolina. The groundwater is now so badly contaminated that it's not safe to drink. At this time no obvious way reasonably inexpensive way to clean it up for drinking. It's causing cancer in children and adults who live at Camp Lejuene NC NOW. US Department of Defense released report this 31 January 2024 about the extent of exposures and fall out . I would just suggest that you add in your next video that people dispose of their finished wax , chains, chain rings and cassettes carefully. wrap them up . Safe disposal and not introducing more into environment is the safest action. Anything that will prevent more PFAS/PTFE from leaching into environment is good thing. Thanks for your channel.
PTFE makes the best chain lube additive .As you say its not good uncontrolled. At this point in time people have the choice to use ptfe or some other additive in their chain waxing. If and when it is banned or stopped production it will be history as the best lubricant. Thanx for your experience.
@@stevenleffanueI would argue that people have the choice NOT to use PTFE as a chain wax additive. Instead of polluting the places you like to ride in, you can just not use it. Why wait for a slow government to finally take action, when you yourself can make difference.
PTFE is inert and persistent. There are many other PFAS that are indeed toxic, but PTFE isn't part of it. Just through a quick google search, I found many sources stating PTFE is safe to digest. That was mainly stated talking about non-stick pans. As you know, it takes a lot of energy to break the C-F bound and unless you use radiation or high heat it won't break down. There are some good points, but those toxins don't have anything to do with PTFE. Lead, asbestos and DTT are indeed really toxic but nothing compared to PTFE. And even if it gets disposed by burning it in a factory won't make a bigger difference to emissions from burning other plastics. Adding some disclaimer to the use of all the organic solvents for chain cleaning and those disposals would be far more valid. Assuming the PTFE decreases the need for rewaxing your chain and lengthening the lifespan compared to vanilla parafin wax, it could actually be better for the environment.
Do you know how well this would translate to motorcycle use? There's obviously more power and speed involved, but the chain is substantially larger so the pressures exerted might be somewhat similar.
@@DonziGT230 Head over to Zero Friction Cycling to ask. The guy running the tests is legit, in fact he is the authority when it comes to comparing bike lubes. He will have an answer for you (idk myself). OZ Cycle was sent to prison for torturing and killing a dog, and what he does is super helpful, but not scientific.
PTFE is totally unnecessary and terrible for environment. With my 9 and 10 spd bikes i can get 300-400km between rewaxing with pure paraffin wax (starts to get noisy). I can also get 10,000-15,000 km out of chain (0.75 wear with park tool chain checker)
the chain on my wife's bicycle can withstand 15,000 km, and the same chain on my bicycle 6,000 km, and they are maintained the same way, how, why😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@makantahi3731 You could try changing bikes for some time and see if the wear happens on her bike. If so, it's probably weight-related. Are you heavy? Or you have a hella pair of legs, very powerful while she doesn't.
@@LLF1234 thanks. my comment was aimed at the main comment that on clean wax the chain can last 300km between waxings or 15000km in total. I am a former cyclist (champion...) and after 30 years of retirement I can still produce 500w for a few seconds, or at least 300w for longer, I weigh 82kg, while my wife weighs 52kg and I doubt she can produce more than 250w at a few seconds or over 150w continuously. how long the chain will last with the same (good) maintenance depends on how much it is mistreated with great forces.(for same chain quality)
I personally found that molybdenum disulfide is far superior to PTFE, easily get over a 1000Km before rewaxing. As a perk, far safer on the environment without all the horrific production pollution of PTFE.
PTFE is one of the most toxic substances, and it’s a forever chemical. Nasty stuff. I wish it would be banned worldwide. So you use it a chain. Then the chain wears out, and ends up in the landfill…along with the PTFE, which then enters the water table. NOT COOL.
In certain high temp situations, WS2 is better, but in a bicycle they are effectively the same. Unless of course you ride in 200C temps or higher.@@albr4
My bike has 3x7 gearing so chains and cassettes are much cheaper to replace (chain $10 U.S., 7 speed cassette under $25). I've recently switched to wax only, no additives because PTFE is bad for environment. Tip for extending life of chainring: when it is worn (chain skipping) you can remove and rotate the chainring 90 degrees relative to pedals then reattach. This will let you use the relatively unworn teeth that weren't used much during the power portion of your pedaling stroke. Or you can just flip the chainring around 180 degrees so the chain contacts the opposite side of the teeth. These may or may not work depending on how your chainring attaches.
@@meibing4912 Yes! Also, 7 speed requires less dish on rear wheel, a plus for heavy riders (I'm 210 pounds) who break spokes. Also, fewer speeds means the gears and chain are wider/thicker which presumably slows wear. My only complaint is I don't like the large jumps between gears. I would prefer a custom cassette with 28-24-21--19-18-17-16. I'm 62 years old and don't need high gears for speeds over 22 mph or so.
hey i just doing wax and beginners in waxing chain, is it okay just use parrafin and oil setup to waxing ur chain? and after cycling under normal rain is it must to immediately rewaxing ? and can i use wax that i cook for the first time for waxing?
@@dizhamrl4386 you cannot mix oil and wax at all. Zero oil if you wax. Wiping down chain down immediately after rain is usually enough. I also wipe with mineral spirits to get the last moisture off. If you have been riding in heavy rain for a long time you should either rewax or top up with Silca top up wax or make your own top up vax.
Kudos for highlighting chain waxing to the community a boon for a clean drivechain As others have mentioned PTFE and its production parent PFAS have known environmental issues/problems - just do a Google search. Many countries are now either in process of banning PTFE/PFAS or have banned. Interestingly, some years back, other commercial chain wax products moved away from PTFE. Just saying
Agreed re non-stick cookware, interestingly a bunch of non-stick cookware has moved to removal of PFOA and PTFE. Likewise, an alternative move toward ceramic non-stick coatings away from PFOA and PTFE. As you say worthwhile to keep an ear to the ground.
@@stevenleffanue Given that there are alternatives that aren't harmful, shouldn't we use alternatives? Which is what all bike wax sellers have been doing.
I switched to your method of waxing 3 years ago now , you have saved me hundreds of of dollars . Thank you for all your research and time putting in all the work . And at no charge to me wow free good information . Your awesome
I bought Molten Speedwax because my ptfe powder order from China was rejected by customs because it was considered a banned material. I'm waiting the end of the winter to start the waxing. Thank you for sharing detailed informations.
thanks for your inspiration, just prepared the new bike of my wife with a waxing setup, she will ride only on dry weather. Girls love clean bike 😅. And my traveler with new SRAM mullet setup will be also equipped with a waxed chain. Don’t forget to show your tip with a waxing bottle with mixed wax/alcohol for longer events. I just thinking about to take a spare chain or a waxing bottle for my longer 1000km ultra races this year 👍
Just as a reference, I switched from PTFE to micronized graphite (10my) as an additive, mostly because PTFE is environmentally extremely harmful, and I feel like my chain is much happier than before. Maybe I just cleaned the new chain more in depth than I did with the PTFE one, but I just spent a week riding through Australia with 600km of riding, of which at least 150 in the pouring rain, and I made it to the end without the typical squeaking noise I would get after about 250k on the PTFE chain.
@@tomaszmilewicz6570 about 100ml to 1,5kg of wax. It gets pretty black of course, but it does not get my hands dirty at all. And it´s basically pure carbon! As environmentally friendly as it gets, and probably on the long run better for your own health as well.
To all people out there watching this video! We all know that PTFE is really bad for the environment, so don't use this stuff! Many of the major companies have stopped using this S**** in their products. So you should stop using it, too. Maybe this guy lives in 2008, but the rest of us still moving forward. Best wishes to all of you.
I have found out best way to prep new chain is: Batch 1: Clean chain with paper towel from extra oil. Melt pure paraffin, low oil content, candles without smell, melt and leave oiled chain in it for 3 to 4 hours, shake chain every 30 minutes, keep it warm all time, molten. After 4 hours take chain off, let wax drip off, make sure batch 2 a this point is ready, dip chain into batch 2. Batch 2: As above + 5g 1.6micron PTFE, keep it low oil content, lock oil in first batch. 30 minutes and few shakes are enough, take out when mix starts skinning, neary no wax will drop off from chain, quickly wipe it with clean rug and you can mount to bike.
Great video, i want to add that i usually do drip lube wax and it goes for as far as 400km before it need re-waxing, that's more than enough for me, anyway both PTFE and normal wax are better than normal oil
When I returned to cycling I found yor long video about cleaning and waxing a chain. I also found the videos about using different lubrication for dey day, wet days, summer, and winter. That was too much. I felt the waxing would be a good all around use material so I gave it a try. I have never looked back! Easy to take care of. Easy to clean up. Easy to re-apply. Thanks for this close look at the links and the update to the ratios.
I’ve just started using this on my two bikes. One an Ebike and one a hard tail trail bike. The trail bike has a brand new chain and the Ebike is already stretched. I’m monitoring my mileage so will be interesting to see if this works
Nice video giving some details/visuals about what is happening at the micro level. Been waxing since I saw your videos years ago and initially found it a bit much but with time you come into the ease of getting it done, realize some great tips about getting several chains to cycle through, and using instant pot pressure cooker for waxing; much bigger footprint even though the wife gives me side eye every time I use it 😀...Several friends have changed their chain rings in that time while still making fun of me "that's an ol' mans gimmick". Well after putting some up front money on extra chains, wax (cheap) everything has worked out for me. The biggest plus is the only I save on soap to clean off the chain tattoos everyone else still get 😛
This is such excellent, data-backed content. I cannot overstate how much I appreciate your work here. Plus using hard evidence to prove that the commodity product performs as well (or at least nearly as well) as the expensive, marketed-to-death one (*ahem* Silca), is absolutely commendable. In this case it makes the practice of chain waxing more viable long term (and more accessible) as nobody's dependent on some brand to keep making a product with a proprietary formulation.
Although ptfe is efficient. I would never use it. It’s harmful for the nature. Especially as we are outdoor cyclist, we should care about the environment
i try many chain PYC KMC ENLEE TOPREE SHIMANO SRAM. the best durable Chain is Dura ace Shimano and KMC X, the worst is enlee and topree, the middle PYC SRAM.
hey nice videos and explanations you do - if you're looking for a wire that you can make the chain hanger from, look no further than the spokes in your drawer…
Just wanted to leave a thank you comment for properly testing and adjusting your waxing method over the years. I've just switched from chain oil to wax and happily testing the results. I've added a bit of neutral oil and beeswax to the wax mix to make it a bit softer when it dries, to decrease flaking and increase adhesion. The second best part of wax is that you don't need solvents to clean the chain! It was such a pain to let the chain soak, clean it with a toothbrush, rinse it off with fresh solvent once again, etc. Not to mention how *everything* was covered in dirty residue afterwards. Now it's perfectly painless, cheap and fast. Now I only need to make some instant wax for when I'm bike touring and I'll be good to go XD
So why don't you mix them together like most wax producers do? Molten speedwax use WS2 and MoS2, frictionfacts recipe uses MoS2 + paraffin. Personally I use WS2 + PTFE as I believe that WS2 is better than MoS2.
12:16 it seems that all additives except Teflon make no sense, because even my shimano hg70 chain, which lasted 1000 km on oil, lasts over 6000 km on ordinary wax without additives
you finally admitted that a chain treated only with wax should repeat the process every 100km. You didn't claim that in the old video where you explained how to make chain wax from candle wax and paraffin oil.
"Within the EU, five member states (Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway) are working on a restriction that aims to ban the use of all PFAS, about 5,000 substances, except for “essential uses”. The definition of PFAS used in this restriction includes fluoropolymers, such as PTFE."
EXACTLY! So I'm not alone asking people not to use this "Forever Chemical". Not only it doesn't react with other chemicals (does not degrade), it causes CANCER! PTFE is the Devil's spit!
@@georgec2894 I quoted from an article without proofreading what they said! 😱 As Mario said, they should have written EEA. Anyway, the point is the safety of PTFE is becoming more and more dubious each day and I am not a big fan of advocating its use in chain waxing. There are other chain wax chemistries that provide enough performance to satisfy the cycling public.
Thx for the video! Had mixed results with graphite-wax on my e-mtb. Thought graphite would be better for the environment and was easy obtainable. But if PTFE lasts that longer, it might be the better option. I got about 1000km till i hit the 0.5% mark. With oiled chains i didn't note down the mileage, but i think it was about 500-700km per chain. Now i got hope, i could reach noticeable improvements with PTFE. Reaching 1,4-2x the mileage is in my opinion not really worth the hassle. But i'm eager to try PTFE. Have allready ordered it.
Amazing! I just got new chains (3 for road bike and 3 for Gravel Bike) and will start proper care. Thank you for amazing instructions! Will be doing a Mud Race in the spring, on my gravel bike, 75km. Could you please advise whether is Waxed chain still better option then wet lubed and what is the best way to prepare it for such a condition? Thank you so much for great help!
Very interesting to see wear under a microscope. I'm riding MSW Wax new formula on a dura ace 11s chain since 10000km. My wearchecker says 0,35 so still plenty of life left till 0,5-0,6. I ride in rain and salty winter roads too, after that it always gets rewaxed. Otherwise I rewax around 150-200km, sometimes a bit more, without the chain sounding really dry. So I'm happy with it, seems to work very well too. I need around half of a msw puck /year, but didn't weigh it exactly. So it takes a while, but if its gone i will try a ptfe wax. Against most advice i don't let it cool down a lot. Just heat the wax till 90°C, wiggle the chain, let it rest for 5min and take it out, let it dry. That way there is not so much wax on the outside that flakes off.
Thank you for the effort you have put into the wax project. I shifted to wax years back thanks to your channel and I am not looking back. I was looking for alternative to oil as I never liked the idea of it, how quick it gets dirty and how dirty you get just from looking at it. I still do candle wax + PTFE as good wax is hard to get in small quantities, but it works perfect.
Hi from France, Very interesting video. I have done yesterday my first try to waxing chain, with graphite. I have read that graphite is good in presence of water.
Love your channel. ❤Yesterday I made my 1st bottle of liquid wax using naphtha and following your instructions. WOW was that a lot of work. I think I’ll just scoop out 1/3 of a bottle of liquid wax from my crock pot the next time I need a bottle of liquid wax verses shaving candles and mixing it with naphtha, which seem to take forever. Thanks again for helping out this “rookie” rider improve my cycling while maintaining my bike. Cheers
So, sorry if I missed that part, but how long do you recommend between waxing your chain? And, what do you do regarding powerlink/chain connectors? Manufacturers do not recommend reusing them as far as I'm informed.?
Many years ago I came across a forum post by a mechanical engineer explaining that the pressures experienced by a chain are extreme point pressures, very similar to manual gearbox gears meshing. Being an engineer myself that made perfect sense so I experimented with a 50:50 ratio of parafin wax with Hypoid EP gear oil (I use the highest viscosity available) for the (clean) chain bath. Gently heat the wax and gear oil, submerge the clean chain and leave to cool. Once solidified, remove excess wax from the outside of the chain and refit on bike. Periodically apply gear oil with a toothbrush to alleviate rust. It's not the cleanest solution but it works incredibly well! I don't have the facility to scientifically test it so it would be amazing if you'd be able to compare this method with the others. Cheers!
Thanx for your input with oil. Unfortunately, oil attracts dirt, which can eventually make its way inside the chains workings and cause abrasion. That's the main reason additives to chain waxes are usually dry powders.
Thank you for sharing your valuable experience and the recipes for this great homemade wax. Your waxing videos are really special with all the long-term experience and the details you put into them. Especially in times when others praise and present more products than I can use, a DIY recipe with simple yet effective ingredients is rare and all the more valuable. For the first time I have now prepared two chains using your instructions and am now looking forward to the coming season. I can hardly wait. Thank you so much.
Have you done any studies of bike chain materials? Wide range of prices for chains would seem to indicate different metals are used and therefore different wear rates.
@@mircozelle weight, because you cannot simply measure the mass, but you can measure the weight. substances of different density of the same weight have different mass due to the hydrostatic buoyancy of air
Amazing work Oz. Thanks so much. But unfortunately if you live somewhere where it rains, and you cycle for getting around from A to B, not for weekend outings, then the whole concept of waxing your chain is just not practical at all 😢. Or is it? Maybe you could do a video on that? But I think the answer is pretty much no, it is not practical. Cheers! JB
A chinese scientist in the USA added Silica to PTFE and achieved a further reduction in abrehasion of 40-60% on stinless steel. Does anybody ever added Silica to the PTFE chain wax mixture ?
Has anyone run a powerful magnet through there molten wax after re-waxing a chain? Where does all those metallic particles that adhere to the magnet come from? If left in the wax for next time are you not just adding this metallic grinding paste back onto your chain
It's the percentage of a chains length....so .5% longer than when brand new. So it took 15,000km for the chain to reach .5% longer than when brand new.
I have switched to Candle wax 2 weeks ago and so far very happy with the result. Can we use micro crystalline wax instead of paraffin wax as it is supposed to be more elastic, sticks better and less brittle but slightly more viscous?
I've been trying in the UK to get to the bottom of this Naphtha it looks to me as if I can use it as the final degreaser as well has the carrier before waxing the chain, Does anyone agree with me?
Really enjoyed this instructional video. No bullsh*t about fractions of watts faster, just so about drive train life, which matters much more to 99% of us. I do have trouble getting the PTFE to mix though as it floats...
@stevenleffanue Hello Oz, I like to thank you for your many videos and how-to's on cleaning and chain waxing. The effort you have put into that over all these years is astonishing. One idea (maybe even for a future video?) is if you might want to share your experience, tests and recipes with other additives than PTFE (e.g. MOS2 or WS2)? In the commentary section I see that a lot of people including myself have concerns on using PTFE in their wax formula for environmental reasons. Here, a video on eco-friendly additives as an alternative to PTFE would be really great. What do you think?
12:18 my chain shimano hg70 life on pure wax is 6000km on my bike and additional 2-3000km on my wifes bike , what is 6-9 times on oil, my rewax interval is 100km or before, so it seams that your rewax intervals of 300km for WS2, MOS2 and Graphite are too long , reduce it on half and must be some gain in chain life
@@stevenleffanue for some general conditions, it is unusual that anti-friction additives give a shorter chain life than wax without these additives, but over a period of 100 km, it is logical that the repetition of waxing with these additives should be more frequent, because according to scientific data, ws2 is the strongest additive when it is in oil. try to test one chain with that additive every 200km, it should extend the life of the chain
Dude!!!! Are you still talking about chains ? Holy crap, you must be the pre-eminent expert on the subject. There’s other parts of the bicycle you know. Unbelievable
With so much information available proving that waxing is so much better, efficient, and, very importantly, much cleaner, too. Why aren't bike manufacturers supplying bikes with pre-waxed chains to begin with - and new chains too. How long will it take to stop seeing oil lubes being applied. The vast majority of people who use bikes everyday have no idea about waxed chains unless they're told (obviously not referring to enthusiastic cyclists - however, even among those, including many bike mechanics, still only use oil lubes). Do you, anyone, believe in the future, all chains will be waxed, and we'll stop seeing/hearing the grinding of debris on our chains, plus all the filthy muck associated with oil lubes. Thank you for sharing all this very useful information - not least the bits where we can economize by doing it ourselves - as opposed to splash out on some very costly wax products on the market. I must admit, I'm new to all this - just purchased all the necessary products to properly clean the muck off my chainset parts, and then apply hot wax, plus making liquid wax for topping up/reapply. I've been cycling 1000km approx a month, all weather conditions, surfaces etc, for the past year or so - one becomes very sensitive to all unhealthy noises on the bike - grinding debris on chain parts is one of them. Cheers👍🚲
For the ordinary bike rider , we all have some sort of oil in the house....almost any oil will lube a bicycle chain...it's quick n easy. However, you are correct. Wax is the superior lube but at present expensive compared to oil.
Do you have any metrics for 12 speed (1x) MTB setups? Would this process/formula work just as well (considering our chains get hammered by dust/mud/water/etc.)? Also, what is the cleaning process/interval? E.g. Rinse the chain with water, allow to dry & dust off with a dry brush, etc?
Exactly the same as with road. If riding in wet conditions, wipe chain dry with microfibre cloth before storing the bike or rewax the chain if required.
Hello Oz, I have been waxing the chains of all our bicycles for over a year now, and I am extremely happy with the results. Since I am using graphite instead of PTFT I am not quite sure when to change or rewax. One chain has 200 km and is still running smoothly. What do I listen for? Do I have to listen very carefully or is it something I just can't miss, like, say, skeletons dancing on a tin roof? When is the right time?
Yes , many times. The chain makes a dry,metallic sound. This means it has run out if the wax within the links. This wears the chain links very quickly.
@@stevenleffanue If you melt it together in a small proportion you should just get a slightly softer wax. You can search google scholar for "parafin pdms superhydrophobic" for a number of papers on the combination.
Each time I tune in I leave with something new. Thanks. OK let’s discuss about what gram quantity of PTFE do we use per chain? So we don’t waste money on it unused. Your advice?
You tought me all about chain waxing in previous videos. I followed your adivces and I am amazed how good it works although I have to rewax evey 150km. Probably my ptfe powder is not fine enough. Anyway a big thanks to you. That changed a very big part of my cycling life. I am awed by your microscope pictures. Thank you so much!
Hi Garry what percentage percentage of wax to PTFE to tungsten disulfide is your mix? I’ve been thinking about doing the tungsten disulfide also but I wasn’t sure what percentage or grams to add to the mix. Thx Jake
I saw your video's and started waxing my chains with paraffin and PTFE. I'm very interested how the chains will hold up. Thank you for the great content. I also experienced a broken chain link exactly how you explained it. Even if I do not crosschain normally. It was a KMC 11s chain. I like the Shimano chains more.
You do realise that ptfe / teflon is toxic - the teflon poisoning of people on the production line and environmental disaster of polluting the waterways of delaware in the USA was subject of the movie "Dark Waters" ... Your research and finding that ptfe is highly resistant to abrasion and near indestructible is inline with what I would expect. Happy to see new reduced ptfe use formula but handle with care all the same.
Hey Steven, may I raise an additional question? - Despite the long lasting experience in chain waxing (2019), I need your opinion for a very long ride of appr. 3,500km to Sweden and Norway this summer. The problem is the rain - very often and heavy. I can take the "mobile chain wax" with me, but I suppose I can not carry as much as needed for this trip. What do you mean? Should I go back to oil only for this period? Normally, I take a second chain with me... but in this case 40-50days this will not really a solution... Thanks, Ralf
Good question. You could go back to using oil or refill the wax bottle when in a town with candle wax disolved in white spirits or shellite if they have it there?
@@stevenleffanue I will take a bottle wax-refill - 'OZ Cycle' receipt - with me and check out whether and how many days to 'survive' in Norway. Later, when cycling season in Australia will restart in October I will report. Thank you for your kind reply and advice in this context. Ralf.
@ralfhenning-venske6764 When in Australia you are welcome to visit me. We have a great bunch of friendly riders here. Hit me up on Facebook messages or instagram when here 👍
@@stevenleffanue Thank you very much. I am following "Coast Cruisers" since years (Ralf Venske Biker... ) and would appreciate this incl. a special "Ralf's ride - Coast 2 Coast"... ;-) -> Thank you Steven!
I've been doing this for some years now after finding this channel and it's made life and cycling so much easier. So many companies with expensive waxing products trying to cash in too! The only thing better is the Gates Carbon belt on my mountain bike. That's only been hosed clean after each ride for over 2 years. 😋
Another very informative video, thanks for sharing. I’m looking to use your recipe for homemade wax and noted you suggest using naphtha as the carrier. What are your thoughts on substituting naphtha with IPA (ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL 99.9% purity)? Would that be as effective as a carrier? Thanks 👍
Yes , IPA works well but you will need to heat IPA and wax up gently to melt point of the wax , 60 - 70degC. Once wax is liquid shake the bottle and it becomes a mixture
@@stevenleffanue brilliant. thank you for the reply and advice. Ordered some IPA yesterday and just ordered some paraffin wax and PTFE. I’ve been using Molten Speed wax for the last few months but it’s costly compared to this DIY option. Thanks again for your help 👍
