The complete guide to chain waxing (2021 edition)

[@gregorygoldbarth7464]

Excellent video thank you and it’s the first time I’ve been able to hear you clearly throughout the whole video as I noticed you finally got a lavalier mic! bravo!

[@ronykuba]

Thanks!

[@gregorygoldbarth7464]

My pleasure

[@bertolddrijver7444]

Your workshop is literally every bike rider's dream😍

[@ronykuba]

Thanks!

[@VikMTB]

@@ronykuba would be cool if you could do a workshop update with the new stuff that you have acquired and what new tools you would recommend, from your set up i see you dont have an ultrasonic cleaner, if your doing that many chains i would def recommend one

[@ronykuba]

@@VikMTB I've had an ultrasonic cleaner for the past 5 years, currently running a 6l industrial unit.

[@justinliborio6240]

Thanks for the video. I've been doing this process for a while now. It was rad to see your process and the details. Much appreciated !

[@ronykuba]

Cheers!

[@sstu0286]

Great vid…Worth pointing out installing the chain that the Shimano chains are directional as the plates are different inside and outside…the Shimano logo should be on the outside…

[@ronykuba]

Thanks!

[@olbtube]

Great vid, I love the cleanliness of wax (and low friction of course) and been waxing ever since I tried it. How does tungsten disulfide compare to PTFE in your opinion?

[@MrLazy912]

Great video! As someone who lives in a small apartment and doesn't race, I'm fine with some Squirt lube; but the products discussed and the insight given is very useful regardless.

[@ronykuba]

Thanks! It might be a good option to buy a prepared chain + topoff

[@nickkambitis5340]

I use an ultrasonic cleaning tank with a dilution of 20% Ardrox 6333 ( I work for Rolls Royce Aero Engine co) the rest hot water then clean for another 20 minutes ultrasonically in clean hot water. The chain looks like jewellery! If you can get hold of Adrox 6333 get some. It’s the very best for cleaning nimonic/ titanium/ stainless.

[@ronykuba]

Cool!

[@VikMTB]

i normally use mineral turps + methylated spirits, i havent heard of ardrox how does it compare to mineral turps in terms of price etc. 20 litres of ardrox is about 300 AUD how long would that last

[@nickkambitis5340]

@@VikMTB Ardrox is an aerospace grade alkaline detergent that coupled with ultrasonic cleaning cleans metal down to the individual grain structure of the metal, it replaces more nasty substances that are now band in the uk. It’s there on the net Ardrox 6333

[@MiroMateev]

Best video I’ve seen on the topic! Great tips!

[@ronykuba]

Thanks!

[@stevecrabb1]

If you hang the chain from one end whilst it is still dripping hot you can use a cloth to wipe the excess wax off it. It leaves the exterior of the chain clean but all the bearing surfaces are coated.

[@sAmiZZle82]

Thanks for making the video. Based on what zerofriction says, it's best to soak in turps/degreaser for 15mins. Then repeat with the turpentine/degreaser 2 times but this time don't soak, just agitate for 2mins. Right now your chains are coming out of dirty degreaser and going straight into wax. Also your chains are sharing the grime of 10 chains in one bath, so even worse! The above process will get the chains completely clean through 3 cycles. After the degreaser you should use a denatured alcohol like methylated spirits a couple of times till the liquid is clear and to get the residue of degreaser off the chain so the wax bonds properly. Appreciate your video though

[@ronykuba]

This was 2021.

[@sercheese]

I want to wax 3 chains to be more efficient. But what do you do when it's raining the whole week? I know, I should swap the chain for a freshly waxed one after a workout in the rain. But can I just dry the one which I used and leave it till the other two chains will also be used in the rain (during the same week)? I've read you should waxed the chain the same day or day after, but it would be a lot of work to melt the wax after each ride. It's raining a lot at the moment and I do some workouts outdoor nevertheless (and rest indoor). Thank you for your thoughts!

[@kristofkollar4431]

Hey, MSW recommends to heat their wax up to 93 C degrees, I use a meat thermometer to make sure the pot reached the optimal temperature. Do you think it is important/necessary, do you monitor the temperature?

[@ykcinasak]

Great channel and video thank you ! There is a technique where the wax dissolves in gasoline. The chain is then bathed in this solution, the gasoline is evaporated and a layer of wax remains on chain. Have you any experiences with this type of waxing?

[@ronykuba]

Why would someone want to bother with that, when there are perfectly functional, non toxic solutions?

[@ykcinasak]

@@ronykuba THX

[@ronykuba]

@@rumblmuck1 drip waxes do exist.

[@howardsladen3065]

Really helpful video, couple of questions though, is there a recommended amount of MSW you need to melt down to be able to wax multiple chains, or is it just a matter of making sure they are submerged fully in wax?. Lastly, once you've melted the wax and waxed the chains must you get rid of this "contaminated" wax or can you reuse? Thanks

[@ronykuba]

the best is to only submerge 1 chain at a time, as I have shown in the video, otherwise it is not very practical. The wax can be infinitely reused, as long as you don´t ruin it with a gunky oily chain.

[@julesnfriends]

Thank you for posting this, very thorough and useful

[@ronykuba]

Cheers

[@aliagha790]

Great Video!! loved how thorough it was and described every step. Do you recommend to use race powder for everyday use as well?

[@ronykuba]

Thanks. It's not necessary

[@brendanflaherty2014]

Great video! For re-waxing, what process do you go through to clean the chain or do you just wipe down and stick back in the wax after 300/400km?

[@ronykuba]

Thanks. Depends on the state of the chain.

[@snaXaminator]

Really helpful video. But (maybe it's just me) didn't seen when and how you used the brake cleaner spray? And one more question: do you recommend this "lubing" method for MTBs? Have you heard it's efficient there as well? Thank you!

[@ronykuba]

Thanks! Works off-road as well

[@ww4407]

Great video! Have you re-used the SRAM 12 speed AXS flat top Powerlink chain connector at all? I'm waxing my SRAM chain and can't see a re-usable link on the market for this chain. Cheers.

[@ronykuba]

Thanks. Yes.

[@marcodayrit2319]

Where can i buy the 50 pack quick link 12 speed?

[@stanford135i]

@ronald kuba do you ultrasonic clean a used chain before re-waxing? or the re-waxing process clean the chain itself?

[@ronykuba]

Depends on the condition of it

[@jaman548]

great video, how do you degrease the casette and chainrings?

[@ronykuba]

Depends on the condition

[@alexdupee565]

@Ronnie: I really like the concept of submersion waxing + drip wax top-up. I have been trying AB submersion and really cannot get on with it, after only 100-150km it starts to get noisy and sometimes even starts to squeak. I’m going to change to either Molten Speed wax or Silca. Submersion & drip wax - which one would you recommend ??

[@ronykuba]

Something has gone wrong with the AB wax. You need to use MSW or Silca.

[@PauloSerra]

@@ronykuba I was feeling with I was doing something wrong with it ! As I suffer from the same issues, it gets noisy real fast. I tried several waxing techniques, even leaving it to cool down a bit to the "almost solid" point before taking the chain out of the pot, but not much better luck. When I saw all the comments about AB wax issues, I felt I was not alone :D As a side note, chain wear has been really good with AB wax, if you can ignore the noise/squeak and some occasional rust.

[@PauloSerra]

Same here ! I was going nuts trying to get it right, I even used an infrared thermometer to make sure all the temperatures are correct. (I noticed they updated the instructions on their page, and also reduced the re-waxing interval to HALF what was initially claimed.

[@cfau6290]

Well looks like im getting into chain waxing now :D Thanks for the detailed video!

[@ronykuba]

Cheers!

[@klod_maloku]

Hi Ronald, do you wash your chains with hot water before rewaxing? Or you just put them straight in the hot wax?!

[@ronykuba]

Hi. Usually not

[@rubioedwin]

Great video Ronald, thanks. Q- did you use the entire bag of wax? Looks like you used only half. I will be waxing 4 chains today with the silca secret hot melt wax. Do you recommend I use the whole bag?

[@ronykuba]

Depends on the size of your slow cooker

[@AnderGdeT]

How big is yours? I just bought a 3,5L slow cooker (it's difficult to get smaller ones here) and ZFC says that 3,5L would be the upper limit...@@ronykuba

[@ronykuba]

@@AnderGdeT 2l I think

[@AnderGdeT]

@@ronykuba thanks!

[@Specki1980]

Oh Boy, what a Sound this Freehub has 😅😅

[@linusscheitinger1322]

This is what I was waiting for, one little question how many watts can be saved by going form 2 by to 1 by

[@ronykuba]

That depends on many factors

[@edmundas919]

1 by has worse chain line and that creates more friction in the chain, so no watts savings, more likely loss.

[@rehview]

Hi Ronny, you mentioned that you shouldn’t leave a chain in degreaser overnight. I did this to a new chain by mistake. Is it dangerous to ride this chain or is it just best practice not to do it? Cheers.

[@ronykuba]

It’s not dangerous

[@laury21]

Great video. Not sure if i missed it, but you didn’t mention how long you go with one wax?

[@ronykuba]

Depends on the conditions

[@danshady09]

So how do I know if the wax has gotten into the rollers. after 85kms of riding I've noticed the rollers can move up and down pretty freely even making a slight noise if I flick the chain, is that normal? Or should I rewax it

[@ronykuba]

Yes

[@Ty-ut8um]

Hello Ronald I love watching your videos I wish I could send my 10 speed schwinn so u can get it riding good.

[@OFFSHOREDOUG]

Great videos as always.

[@ronykuba]

Thanks

[@jeffbrunton3291]

Tru Tension are a recent drip wax, tested by Friction Facts better than Squirt and Smoove. Simple and gives good performance

[@ronykuba]

👍

[@mydearriley]

Would you say using Petrol/Gasoline before the degreaser could improve the cleaning process?

[@ronykuba]

No

[@gengar678]

Thank you. I use the ultrasonic cleaner. Any ideas about it?

[@ronykuba]

what do you mean?

[@gengar678]

@@ronykuba I mean I clean the chain in the ultrasonic cleaner instead of in a degreasing agent like you do. did you not do this too before?

[@ronykuba]

@@gengar678 I use both in a 3 stage process as explained in the video

[@blinzi69]

so how often do you need to hot wax it and do you regularly need to apply the chain lube too?

[@ronykuba]

Hello and thank you for your message. I can assist you with your technical queries on my Discord server: whop.com/ronysclub/

[@gpuglisi23]

thank you for the detailed video!

[@ronykuba]

Cheers

[@gamelaro]

I used this method of waxing the chain. I disliked the white flakes mess of wax spread all over chain stays , RD or chain rings. How do you keep your bikes clean ? Would dry brushing be an option? Thanks!

[@ronykuba]

the flakes just fall off

[@VikMTB]

you use a dry soft bristle brush like a soft paint brush and it takes 2 seconds to brush the frame down, if you free each link before you put it on the bike you get less flakes. Plus i break each link over the slow cooker to save some wax =)

[@gamelaro]

@@VikMTB The issue is that those flakes are sticky, they don't just fall off. I'm using Molten Speed Wax. Thanks!

[@VikMTB]

@@gamelaro im also using msw they tend to fall off for me, are you letting the chain dry completely after the soak then breaking it in or straight onto the bike ?

[@cadaver1ne635]

Now we know who has bought al the Shimano chains in Europe 😂😂😂

[@ronykuba]

😅

[@silkroadcycling2107]

Curious if it's acceptable to use isopropyl alcohol instead of methylated spirits? Easier to get iso here.

[@ronykuba]

Absolutely

[@VikMTB]

usually isopryl alcohol is more expensive than methylated spirits in larger quanitites as you want to get a higher concernation isopryl (rubbing alcohol)

[@growproteas1148]

do you check the temperature of the wax? They recommend 200 degrees.

[@ronykuba]

No

[@VikMTB]

you can but the russel hobs cooker set on low doesnt go that hot but ideally you dont want your wax to go above 93 celcius thus its recommended you use a slow cooker

[@yogatriathlete]

@@VikMTB I have the same Russel Hobs cooker as Ronald, and my MSW wax can exceed 260 fahrenheit if I don't pay attention

[@sercheese]

Hello, do you prepare/clean the cassette in the same way? I once cleaned everything, applied squirt lube and went threw all gears. At the end I had wax on the whole casette and I found it quite messy...

[@ronykuba]

The rest of the drivetrain needs to be clean too, but only the chain is waxed

[@Espon123]

@@ronykuba Do you degrease the casette and just rinse it or do you do anything special?

[@ronykuba]

@@Espon123 anything required to make it clean

[@samuraioodon]

Hi Ron, if I have multi day wet days how to wax if I’m on the go? Any suggestions or tips?

[@ronykuba]

Clean with Silca wipes and top off with Silca or UFO

[@srdjancervenjak8337]

Hello, i have the same cooker its not clear on the video what stage of power you have it on 1 and 2?

[@ronykuba]

2

[@srdjancervenjak8337]

And you soak the chains only 2 to 3 minutes? As other sugest on YT 15 min or even more.

[@srdjancervenjak8337]

@@ronykuba i finaly managed to get the same degreaser you have im just wondering if the degreaser can be reused if i degreas one chain now and a 2nd in a few months time, can i use the same batch of the degreaser or i have to put in fresh one?

[@Dogmeat26]

Do you use the super secret as a topper for your mountain bikes? I tried Squirt on my mountain bike as a topper on my MSW and it attracted a whole lot of grime after a ride. It was dry conditions too. Had to clean and rewax it after that. Not sure what I did wrong.

[@ronykuba]

I only have a road and TT bike, but the same will work well for MTB

[@VikMTB]

squirt + msw doesnt go that well together. The squirt has higher percentage of paraffin oil. That residual oil will keep the wax from fully hardening and will diminish the effectiveness somewhat. it doesnt dry that well. seems the new silca topper is the best one

[@jimbink1892]

i live in tropical climate . . is it ok if i just use wet lube all the time bcoz in my country we have rainy days 2-3 times in a week

[@ronykuba]

You'd be better off with Absolute Black graphene lube

[@jorgesobrinobaeza1321]

awesome!! love this marginal gains videos, very technical

[@ronykuba]

Thanks! The gains from an optimised drivetrain are far from marginal 🙂

[@jorgesobrinobaeza1321]

@@ronykuba i know hehe

[@phxrsx]

Can you show us how you put on the race powder?

[@ronykuba]

Yes

[@erikcastellanosz]

Have you tried absolut black wax?

[@ronykuba]

No

[@sercheese]

Do you also wax the quick links?

[@ronykuba]

yes

[@yesti54]

Hello How many kilometers for an application chain waxing ?

[@ronykuba]

Depends on the conditions

[@VikMTB]

i tend to get easy 300km in fairly standard dry conditions

[@alexafluor8613]

Hi Ronald. How can I buy a chain from you?

[@ronykuba]

Hi, through the site, or write me an email: [e-mail]

[@DanTuber]

why don't you wash the chain under water after the spirits?

[@ronykuba]

Because it's unnecessary and detrimental

[@VikMTB]

the methylated spirits evaporates leaving a dry surface for the wax to adhere to

[@yannickokpara4861]

Great video! But why is your drivetrain so noisy? :O

[@ronykuba]

Because it's not covered in watt sucking muck to dampen the noise

[@yogatriathlete]

Also, the disc wheel is amplifying the noise

[@wwedscsdsdsa5395]

Please correct me if im wrong. You can use e.g Squirt Lube as "refiller" with Molten Vax (bath in slow cooker)?

[@ronykuba]

Refill = apply on the chain without needing to immersive wax

[@wwedscsdsdsa5395]

@@ronykuba Yes, understood. But can you mix two different products? Squirt + Molten speed?

[@wwedscsdsdsa5395]

@@Talos353 This is what i was thinking

[@ronykuba]

Squirt on MSW is not ideal, but better than nothing

[@yogatriathlete]

@@ronykuba if Squirt Lube is not ideal, what do you recommend to top off a MSW treated chain?

[@roadglide]

Silca Super Secret Liquid. In conjunction with Ceramic Speed OS Pulleys, BB and Hubs. Equals sublime. Just saying.

[@ronykuba]

True!

[@falac1658]

Have you tried the absolute black wax ? What are your thoughts?

[@ronykuba]

Only the lube

[@rav3nst33l]

I tried the absolute black wax and did not have a good experience. I recently switched to the silca wax and it’s SO much better.

[@techwe11]

Tried the AB GraphenWax. Very unhappy, could not get 100k in the dry out of it. My homemade paraffin + ptfe mix lasts much, much longer.

[@rav3nst33l]

@@techwe11 i switched from the homemade version you use to the graphene wax and it was a big downgrade. After reading a lot of information from zerofrictioncycling i decided to use the silca wax and it’s even better in my experience.

[@jou3708]

Stay away of AB wax. Bad experience here. Pure marketing shit

[@Dralbastaki]

how many kilometer does chain wax last in a dry desert, so I can repeat this process again? 400km?

[@ronykuba]

300-400

[@c.d.j300]

I hate that these premium chain waxes are black. Why is that?

[@ronykuba]

The ingredients are black, there’s not much to do