Waxing your bike chain - getting it right

[@CMannino]

I’m convinced you’re the unsung hero of cycling. In many hobbies and disciplines in my life, I have always found a handful of people like you hidden away, after extensive searching. Thanks for putting in the effort, innovating your own approaches l, and being so detailed. I hope your channel continues to grow!

[@prestachuck2867]

I’ve been cleaning and waxing the chains on all of the bikes in our household using the wax/teflon formula that you’ve specified. It’s astonishing how much cleaner, smoother, and quieter our bikes are now! Thanks for all of the helpful content! Cheers!

[@BikeSeatPhilosopher]

After 50 years of cycling I thought I knew a bit about bikes but I learn something useful and interesting in every one of your videos. And thanks to your earlier videos, I'm a chain wax convert!

[@stevenleffanue]

I also learned a lot of the stuff from older cycling coaches and bike shop owners 🙂

[@Hugh23132]

@@stevenleffanue How to you feel about Paraffin Wax and Paraffin Oil about 5:1 as a formula for chain wax? I saw this formula somewhere else and have just tried it out. Also I saw a video from GCN where they just use straight Paraffin Wax

[@brandonhoffman4712]

​@@Hugh23132the problem i have with paraffin oil is that its a non drying oil. Although i wouldnt use a drying oil either, it wouldnt last on the surface and would flake off quickly with use. A non drying oil gets right back to why i switched to wax, to get away from oil on my chain... I know silca secret wax is a blend of 4 waxes. If you were asking me for another wax to adjust the paraffin, i would say microcrystaline wax. Microcrystaline wax is softer than parafin, more malliable, has a finer grain structure, and is nice and slick. There are 3 different melting points for it enabling different properties.

[@tsd3073]

I have been waxing my bike chains (three) per your instructions for 6 months now. This is a game changer. This is the future of cycling. I also wash my bikes per your instructions and my bikes are the cleanest that they've ever been. I am doing this using less work, effort, less chemicals, water, rags. This is so much more easier than lubing with oil or squirt lube for that matter. At any moment I can perform any maintenance I want to the drive train and not have to put on latex gloves.

[@ashenning9002]

This guy's chain lube protocol just keeps getting better and better! Based on earlier videos, I started waxing 3 years ago, using SpeedWax. A year ago I changed over to Oz Cycle's formula. We now have data (okay, just a sample size of one, but its pretty compelling) which backs up using the Oz Cycle formula instead of Molten Speed Wax. The new tips on using the Connex links and the daily cleaning tips are welcome additions to the protocol. The initial cleaning does take some time - a few hours - but I always clean/wax two chains, which effectively cuts the time in half. In addition to big extended life benefits to chains and cassettes, overall I spend a lot less time cleaning drive chains and my bike, which means I have more time for RIDING and other important things in my life. Getting the "waxing" protocol right is the biggest improvement to our cycling equipment since indexed shifting and modern clincher rims/tires. I don't say that lightly - I've been a rabid cyclist now for 50 years. A big THANKS to Oz for sharing this information!

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Molten speed wax has a new formula. It is also the top performing wax on zero friction test data. Just beating out silca secret wax. Zero friction is the most in depth chain lube testing channel i have seen. He has run many of the top brands products through to 0.5% wear life, running them through various testing parameters on a machine to simulate use. Im using silca wax right now, but I have an order out to molten speed. I'll have my own test data, might take a year to hit 5,000 km...

[@jamesstanden1899]

Thank you so very much for this video. I'm just stripping out the factory oils from a new chain so, have been rewatching your videos to make sure I do it right. I used your method all last year and it was completely successful. No more oily fingers, hands, legs, chainrings etc etc! I can't thank you enough. James

[@oranjid]

Dear Steven, thank you a million times for all the great tutorials and sharing your knowledge. I converted to the church of waXx two days ago. Praise the wax! Oil is sin! I truly had no imagination how great this would work, it is amazing. After a few minutes of riding there was a big smile on my face: Shifting..silence...did it really change gear? Yes. Wow. After a short 30km-ride in the cold, i thought i would not be able to tell much of a difference. Wrong. It felt smoother and faster. It certainly was faster - not much but so much that I noticed the improvement. Roads in the city here are quite dirty at this time of the year - so later running my finger over the chain: NOTHING - except for tiny waxy flakes. No dirt, so clean... And my old 10s campy behaves suddenly like Forest when throwing away the leg braces. Why did I never try this and make the effort before? Cleaning my chain and cassette after every ride takes so much more time. Bike shops here advertise the usual super expensive lubes - sticking full with dirt after just a few kilometers. They sold me every kind of stuff over the years. It was all crap. All for the $$$. Nothing really made a big difference. Cassettes and chains wore out like there is no tomorrow. I guess it makes you a very good and frequent customer at those stores. A infrared thermometer was very helpful doing this just on the regular stove (lowest setting, keeping an eye on it). I did a second run in the way, after the first one (30 minutes) was not making me quite happy. I had to go down to about 50°C to get the biggest possibly amount remaining on the chain. Just wiped bigger bits off & then rolled a chain ring over the chain (like using a pizza-cutter). So this wold dent-in the wax between the chain a little, making it easier to fit it back onto my bike. On my first attempt, figured it would hardly fit on the tooth of my front rings. Big thanks from Germany

[@LilRedDog]

If you do not want to use a slow cooker, you can put a pot in a pot of water and boil the water. It cannot get over 100c.

[@geertmeersseman3111]

Fantastic. The story has come full circle. Just rewaxed my my chain today, as a matter of fact. I have made one modification for winter. I include a petrol clean. 2 to 3 consecutive ones with minimal volume followed by 2 propanol ones (all done in less than 5 mins). I keep the dirty petrol to dispose off appropriately later. 1 liter of petrol will last an entire winter if not more: it's the reps that really clean your chain, not the volume. As far as rust due to wintery dirty Belgium: I added a tiny amount of paraffin oil, like you suggested, but I also make the effort to rinse and dry my chain real quick (I commute with my road bike). The petrol washes are also good for cleaning rusting sites. Thanks again, another convert. I will spread the word ;-) (and links to your channel, of course)

[@ernolaunis]

Nice to hear about the weather because i'm melting my parafines in Finland.

[@KarlosEPM]

Hi Geert. I'm currently living in Belgium and have had to add oil to my wax mix as well, due to the rust brought by the continuously wet weather. It also makes the wax coating last longer and, when used sparingly, it doesn't attract a significant amount of dirt. I use this mix all year round. I'd like to know how you usually clean your chains in between waxings (or do you always use the petrol baths you described). Thanks in advance!

[@jsaintclair1]

Using your instructions, I waxed nine chains in one go. My wife didn't want me to use the ceramic bowl in her slow cooker so I called the manufacturer to order an extra ceramic pot. They were so intrigued by the reason I gave for wanting an additional ceramic bowl that they sent me a complete slow cooker free of charge!

[@utkuozdemir3111]

Wow, customer service!

[@whatfuckeryisthis]

I bought a secondhand one for $10.

[@markfisher7962]

I ran across a 1/3 size unit in a thrift store. Perfect for a chain.

[@Leo-gt1bx]

Nice! what brand is it?

[@brandonhoffman4712]

I use a 3qt instant pot duo+. I set it to saute on low and the wax is ready lickidy split. Then i set it to slow cook on low to hold 210f. Extra pots are easy to get. This thing also blows the snot off any rice cooker. 3 min pressure cook and a 15 min "natural release" and you have perfect rice. The pot also comes out for easy cleaning, and is stainless so lasts forever. It also makes chicken tacos, pulled pork, steams veggies, pot stickers, edamame, tamales. You can even make beans from scratch (yes the hard beans) in under an hour. My fav bean recipe is instant pot cuban black beans from a youtuber lady. The options are endless! I suggest an 6qt instant pot pro when stepping it up for the kitchen. 3qt is a good size for the wax. Another hot tip for stainless users, barkeepers friend soft cleanser. It works wonders on the pots, all kinds of other stuff too. I recently used it on shower valves on a remodel i did. They wanted to save the old valves (not that old, but visibly used) so before sealing them in place, i used the barkeepers friend. It got them looking like brand new, even cutting through the old sealant on it.

[@florianhofmann7553]

Thank you very much for the tutorial! I've been waxing my chains a couple of months now with your recipe and I'll never look back. Only issues I have ist that my front derailleur overthrows sometimes and I do include a petrol wash each time as the boiling water bath leaves a lot of grime inside the chain. Those smaller inconveniences pale to the benefits gained. With the DIY wax recipe, decanting solvents, decreased wear this method does indeed save a lot of money and over the long run also time, as waxing a set of chains is a lot faster than oiling and cleaning the whole drivetrain. I do have a 2nd bike with an oiled chain for rainy days tho. Thanks again mate and keep it up!

[@averyjamesbrooks]

Working great for my bikes here in NYC -- used to have brutally greasy nasty chain with street dirt, and now with both bike's chains waxed up, much cleaner! Nicer to work on too, and after the initial chain cleaning, super easy upkeep. Thanks again!

[@williammcgreal4366]

Thanks for this very clearly organized and delivered guide to waxing your bicycle chain. I’ve converted all three bikes with excellent results! I live in New Orleans and it’s been raining a lot. Dirty puddles, debris and windy blasts of rain have yet to spoil the clean wax lubricant effect. I love rubbing my fingers along the chain to find them clean as ever!

[@jonathangardner4475]

Im watching this to get ready to bike back to New Orleans! No immediate plans just getting my bike ready.

[@Signofevil_Smile4theCam]

I used to commute to work on a daily level, cleaning the drivetrain every week with about 200-300km done, took me ages and tons of babywipes and soap to clean my hands. Then Corona came, Not the beer, and since then no more commutes and overall I found your vids, became hooked, bought your stuff on ebay and what to say: I saw you too late (still I saw you), where were you when I abused my bike in every weather on a daily base? But then again, goes soooo smooth with proper waxing and cleaning is just 'clean'. Thanks for the good stuff.

[@thierrym6168]

I've been waxing chains on all family bikes, even children's' ones for one year now and thanks to your videos and greet, great job. I was part of the ones who commented your last vids on the subject and I am pleased helping friend on this topic. I was my chains every 250-300 km, once a month on my commuting bike and even on my fixie. I have used a small can of wax mixed with isopropilic alcohol during this summer and even if it doesn't mix as commercial products do (do not hesitate to let it in the sun and shake very often), it was a very good solution for holidays. Slow cooker is a better solution than rice cooker because of more accurate temperature control. Other advice : do not abuse of ultrasonic cleaner. The more you use it, the more dirty is water but not because of dirt dripping out of the chain, it is just the "metallic treatment" of the chain that goes away. At the end, I had a mat grey chain, more sensible to oxidation. Anyway, as I dislike dirt and grease, wax is the key for a clean and silent chain transmission and it is pleasant to do on some Sunday afternoons. A very big thank to OZ Cycle. Thierry, France

[@therucho]

Hi Thierry. I'm about to give the chain waxing a try for the first time. Do you know if paraffin wax molecules degrade or break down somehow at high temps like above around 90 celsius? I believe to have read this somewhere. Thank you.

[@thierrym6168]

@@therucho Hi. Sorry to answer late, did not see your post. I heat my wax and PTFE mix in a basic rice cooker and temp is hard to control. I use a cooking thermometer. When temp rises more than 80 degres, I switch off, plunge the chain in the bath, move it to remove bubbles (that means that wax goes in the pins and rolls). Then I wait until temp goes down to 71 degres and take it out, wipe it with a clean towel to remove the exceed of wax. I have accidentally let the temperature rise above a hundred degres but it didn’t affect my mixture as I still use it correctly. Hope it can help.

[@therucho]

@@thierrym6168 thank you!!

[@LilRedDog]

@@therucho The paraffin wax I use starts to melt at 37c. Oz uses something closer to 50c. He is in Australia, I'm mid US. You are a GOD if you can add the watts to get your drivetrain to 90c!!!!!😎

[@dirkheijkoop6510]

Thank you Mr. Oz. - I am waxing my chain already for half a year and I like it. Happy cycling!

[@tommarty879]

my chains usually last 2500 miles. I started waxing with a new chain in August and show no ware at 3000 miles. My drive chain is the envy of the group and trying to get more riders on to it. I have shared the site with my club CCB.

[@stevenleffanue]

Cheers Tom and hope you get a lot more miles yet 🚲🙂

[@ladamyre1]

I was about to do this waxing, but I saw some videos of some of Priority Bicycles bikes and wound up buying a Turi. It uses a Gates Belt drive and an Enviolo CVT rear hub, and brother, *_I don't miss doing all that maintenance!_* I've put 1000 miles on it and only rinse it off every 4th or 5th ride. I tightened the spokes after about 500 miles and one broke a couple hundred miles later and that's the only thing I've had to do except air up the tires once a week. Not trying to rain on your idea, matter-of-fact I think you ought to patent it, it's genius. I'm just offering a bit of my experience about the belt drive. I can ask a friend to let me throw it in his SUV and he has no worries about a greasy chain. I can catch a pant leg in the belt and it doesn't shred my pants. And best of all, the Enviolo is _always_ on the right ratio. No tuning, no waxing, no cleaning needed. Ever see a guy with an old 1950's Jaguar he loves?. He's always popping the bonnet and tuning the carburetor or adjusting the valves or checking the points. It's an experience he won't do without because all that bother is part of why he loves it so. I suppose you see where I'm going with that comment. Say no more, eh? Goodonya mate, and happy trails to you.

[@marziocerini6043]

Hi, I would like just to share my personal experience. I was thinking to stop with this chain wax. The chain was loud, was lasting less than 150 km and changing gear was not so smooth. I was using 100% paraffin wax for candle. I solved changing the type of wax, now I use food grade paraffin wax. Now yes, everything is working nice as it was expected. It is imperative to use that kind of wax due to the low quantity of oil residue in it. This wax sticks very well on the chain (shimano ultegra). cheers and good ride

[@quinntaw]

Making the world a better place one chain at a time! Thanks for the useful videos.

[@davekmon1]

Waxing my first chain right now. Perfect timing as I’m rebuilding an old hybrid that I have set up for bike packing. I will be waxing my new baby too (due date June 1) before hitting the road. So glad I learned about this tremendous alternative to nasty lubes. Thanks for the clear and easy steps with explanation.

[@Leo-gt1bx]

Dude you still waxing? I'm on a decade now and would never use a wet lube again.

[@NavvLife]

Suggestion : Make a playlist & add all the wax & cleaning videos in it.

[@GregGrude]

Agreed

[@stevenleffanue]

Problem is a lot of the info in the older wax vids is superseded by the 'Ultimate' wax vid.

[@chrissobchuk1492]

@@stevenleffanue can you please make Up the update info of the cleaning process, and things that have to be done and how to properly do it. Than the ratio of wax to PTFE! You have done an amazing job Mr Oz!

[@jacktreeger5676]

Have you had any experience with the YBN titanium chain

[@LilRedDog]

Thank you so much for all the waxing and removable link information... I was having 'jumping problems' on my bike and I put it in "Park" bicycle shop, on Bardstown Rd in Louisville Ky and they not only blamed my Connex removable link (that was 4 weeks old) because it was "loose" but they dry lubed my chain saying that "waxing attracts dirt". FFS!!!! They did tighten up things and made a couple of things look tidier but the guy that was in charge flat out got up in my face about your advice... I had to re-clean my waxed chain and wax it again... The guy was so convincing that I have watched multiple videos about waxing to ensure you were right. Thank you for your videos on how to buy the right Teflon and mix it with paraffin

[@stevenleffanue]

A lot of people in the bike industry are still coming to terms with how waxing works....old habits die hard.

[@LilRedDog]

@@stevenleffanue I think a lot of people want to sell chains, clusters and cranks... But I'm cynical. :/

[@badbadberto]

If you add PTFE to the wax mix I would *strongly* advise against using any appliance (slow cooker, rice cooker, instant pot, etc) used for waxing a chain for cooking food as well, even if you have a separate dedicated pot or liner for waxing. PTFE is an extremely durable molecule, and pretty much never breaks down, so bio-accumulation can be a problem - and the health consequences are not yet well understood. A respirator would also be a good idea, especially when working with the powdered PTFE.

[@ell_gto]

the is a movie on that called The Dark Waters about the c6 from dupont ... its a disaster, we are still using it and its all over us now..

[@1thAlexander]

@@ell_gto а теперь еще и велосипедамами по улицам разносим, где вихри за машинами поднимают эту субстанцию в воздух для более легкого проникновения в дыхательную систему людей.

[@jonathangardner4475]

Can we leave that out?

[@manueldeubler1127]

My personal standpoint on rusty chains, as long as only the outer plates are rusted the chain is good to go. The outer plates, especially the outside, does not move or move against anything, e. g. the chainrings. This rust on outer plates is just cosmetic. As long as you ride your bike regularly, the gears and the chain grinding against each other will remove rust from the surface. Many manufactures produce chains where only the outer links are nickel coated. This is a simple method to increase resistance against oxidization but keep the costs down. However, you rarely see this on performance orientated chains.

[@weasellyone2]

been waxing for a couple years now. 11speed campy record chain at 13000km and a 10 speed KMC chain with 17000km. Both under .25 wear. I do however wax after every ride over 100km. On long rides over 200km the chain does start to get louder. But I haven't had to replace any drivetrain components yet.

[@PoltergeistWorks]

Waxing every 100km? I rather buy 3 chains...

[@NavvLife]

@@PoltergeistWorks who asked ??

[@airwilliam24]

@@PoltergeistWorks you can buy 3 chains and just wax every 300km :). Cause you can just swap chains every 100km.

[@eXTreemator]

@@PoltergeistWorks because you didn't try! It takes 10min after few tries. I feel now that i can't stop myself from doing it often. There is other advantage of waxing it so often besides wear.

[@rt2jesus]

I started waxing my chain, my chain is now so clean, no oil. Thanks for the useful information.

[@rttm]

Thank you for your great videos about chain waxing. After been watching you videos for years. I finally decided to try waxing chain my bicycle chain too. And it really works. I just used candle wax no additional components. First I bought a new wiperman chain with connex link. I rode 200km with original lube, then cleaned it with casoline, several times. Then denatured alcohol like 3 times I think. First time waxing I rode about 80 km. Then cleaned with casoline and alcohol again. And then I rode 200km I think.. after that I tried to clean chain with hot water, but that wasn't very good, because it did not get it clean well. I thought the wax will melt in water and dirty wax will submerge to the top of water, but I guess the wax was still sticky enough and there was too little of it to get replaced by heavier water. So instead already dirty wax get heated and stick more strongly on chain.. But it's not a big deal. Anyways after that I have just washed chain with luce warm water, then leaved to dry and then washed with denatured alcohol. It's not too much trouble in container and after I filter the already used alcohol through of paper filter I can reuse it maybe infinitely.. The black alcohol gets clean again and even if there is some paraffin or maybe oil from candle wax left in that spirit.. it's the good for chain, as far when it's still able to clean it. Anyways I have rode over 1000km with waxed chain by now. And I really like. It's not trouble at all to wax it. Now there have been some little rainy days too and the wax performed well, the chain did not feel gritty after this ride. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pV64Z2Obm8eCn8U Last autumn when I rode such road the chain sounded really gritty when moving/bending it sideways. I have mudguards on my bike so there's a lot of grit falling to chain from mudguard.. Last year I could ride only 1800km with a shimanu ultegra chain, then the rollers were all worn because grit.. Chain was not worn lengthwise though. After ~2800 km I needed new chain although lengthwise it was still okay, but parktool fell in by 0,75 % wear side. And shifting got too bad. It just happened because the grit from mudguards and oil. With candle wax.. I guess the grit really just falls off and not working inside chain, under rollers so much.

[@danielbum912]

Thank you so much for your instructional videos mate. I'm the one that complained about getting a solid block of PTFE rather than powder in the post but I have since gotten a replacement from the vendor and this time it was working like a charm. The only thing I noticed is that when I do the MTB method of not wiping the chain after the bath, gravity will always pull a thick drop of wax to the end of each link which will break off completely once you have installed the chain and pedaled a bit. Now when it's broken off, as far as I can tell that bit of the chain is naked with no wax at all, so I figured still giving it a slight wipe so that there is no drop/buildup is the best way to cover the outer links thickly for shredding through dirt. If you can it would probably also work to not let it dry vertically, but with your wire method that's not really possible, I tried :)

[@stevenleffanue]

You can lay the wired chain on a rag horizontally...leaves imprint of the rag material in the wax tho 😂

[@NavvLife]

I've watched every wax video of yours for numerous times & can't stop thinking about it. Thanks a ton. 💖 🇮🇳

[@NavvLife]

@@UnhingedHarry who asked ?

[@marknolen7878]

Thanks for adding the section regarding connecting connex link, very useful. Might also be worth mentioning that Shimano chains are directional so need to ensure marking on chain are facing you

[@stevenleffanue]

Correct. You should find it on the Shimano chain instructions.

[@dickiedollop]

came here as I wasn’t sure if it was an euphemism for something else lol. Seriously though have done both bike chains specialised cross trail and my boardman carbon frame and the only problem I experienced was reattaching the quick link which was a bit of a bugger. Very grateful to your videos and much appreciation from Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 I couldn’t get powdered PTFE at first so used liquid bought from my local hardware which seemed to work alright but since have got a hold of the powder and added to the mix for the boardman and it works a treat 👍🏻

[@ollieb9875]

Yeah it's been working for me! I did 40 miles off-road in the new forest through every kind of mud, sand, river, bog, gravel you can think of and the chain was almost spotless afterwards. I expected to have to rewax it to be honest but completely forgot about it until a month later where I just did it anyway. For what it's worth, there's a guy on eBay selling 500g wax with the 50g or whatever the mix was of PTFE for around £20, even says Oz cycle in the descriptor. The only thing I've done since, now I remember, is add molybdenum disulfide to it, just s bit though.

[@dickiedollop]

@@ollieb9875 I got PTFE 1.6 micron powder from China which I’ve used but had to wait weeks for it to arrive, then found a Dutch supplier offering 3 Micron powder which I’ll try . I’ll look up the Molybdenum powder - how much do you use in your mix ? And thanks for the tips 👍🏻

[@ollieb9875]

@@dickiedollop I think he said 3 micron might be too big yeah, with a go I suppose 🤔☺️ honestly, I just put about 2 large tablespoons of molybdenum in to 500g wax. Total guess! Thing about it is it's very dark black/blue colour and I didn't want to discolour the wax too much, if it's even necessary at all 🙃 cheers!

[@danieletognozzi7641]

after one year following your tips I developed my own routine, here is my feedback: - I clean my chain by warming it up with a heat gun, and then wipe the old wax off, then drop it in the cooker. Superfast and no water involved, which makes things easier and is also a bit more ecologic than dissolving PTFE in hot water. - I tested my chain on a long, multiple day trip with dry weather, and after 550km it was still fine, no creaking of sort. With rain instead it needs more frequent re-waxing. - The Connex link is great, but I fear the strange shape of it doesn´t really match the CNC machining on the cassette, hence affecting shifting when it rolls on the jockey on the "external" side of the chain. I might try one from KMC in the future. Thanks a lot for your amazing work!!

[@flyinlo1474]

are you saying that you have stayed with paraffin oil and not using PTFE?

[@danieletognozzi7641]

@@flyinlo1474 no I use PTFE but I don't melt it in hot water to clean the chain as OZ suggests, I warm up the chain and simply clean the outer surface with a cloth before dipping it in the wax.

[@flyinlo1474]

@@danieletognozzi7641 Thanks Daniele! I am new to the waxing and trying to determine what the best, most efficient system will be. Time is in short supply for me but I do know moving forward I want a grease-FREE setup.

[@danieletognozzi7641]

@@flyinlo1474 I was worried it would be too much work. But if I think that in the past year I *never* had to clean my transmission with degreaser, I believe I saved time. When you have your setup all in all it takes 15 minutes to clean the chain and re-wax it. And especially now in winter looking at my friends transmission it seems quite clear why I don´t miss oil.

[@flyinlo1474]

@@danieletognozzi7641 Good info! What is your thoughts on using the Dupont Teflon liquid as a coating? Two of the 4oz bottles would easily coat the chain multiple times. Just seems that might be longer lasting and more effective in lubricating with Teflon (PTFE). www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BCVXUR6

[@robertm1552]

Being a .75 must replace Mech trained guy I would say you have 3 more winters of chain life. Rule of thumb for me is at .5 you should start thinking chain replacement. A useful rule of thumb here in the US, but always listen to others experience. And appreciate your ongoing series!

[@mathewwhittle10]

Started using wax on my chain on an old bike after watching one of your videos years ago. Switched to a brand new bike in 2018 or so, and was doing 80 miles a week in all weathers and salty british roads up until lockdown. It is on its original chain and is less than 0.5 wear! The added benefit is that the entire bike remains clean and washes easily. Also, because you no longer need to aggressively clean the bike, the other parts such as deraileurs never wear out either, the bike is like new. I was waxing once every 2 weeks and using a 50/50 mix of plain candle wax and paraffin oil. Biggest thing is ensuring all excess wax is removed before fitting.

[@flyinlo1474]

have you switched over to using PTFE instead of paraffin oil? if so how often are you rewaxing now?

[@M4L1L4]

how does this 50/50 mix of plain candle wax and paraffin oil works on cold winter weathers?

[@mathewwhittle10]

@@M4L1L4 I was using the original chain through all weather's 80 miles a week for 2 years with barely any chain wear. Typical British salted roads, just a bike rose at the end of a ride. Never washed it.

[@M4L1L4]

@@mathewwhittle10 so no need to get PTFE at all then? just using candle wax (parafin) +parafin oil mixture? greetings from Finland, almost same weathers here and was thinking this than using normal chain oils.

[@mathewwhittle10]

@@M4L1L4 yes that's correct.

[@mathewwhittle10]

What I like about waxing a chain is the simplicity of it and the lack of maintenance, why some people have to over-complicate it, I have no idea?!

[@poxcr]

Having to re-wax the chain every 200km is a real bummer. That'd mean once or twice a week for me, don't have time for that... :(

[@vongdong10]

@@poxcr get spare chains so you can swap them out and clean whenever you have free time. 200km is kinda low though

[@--KAS--]

hi Steven, after starting using this lubricant in my chains, I'm astonished because my chain in 2 months 1,700km already was in the end of life, so I started use wax and I already ride 4 months with 6,370km and the chain is good yet. it's fantastic, not dusty, no chemical products to clean my chain, durable, 300km each application thank you so much your videos, explanations and dedication to teach people around the world to care his loved bikes 😍😃👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@stevenleffanue]

Thanx for the feedback!

[@andysatch9150]

On the very last point about taking the chain out of the wax, previously you have said to let the wax cool until a surface skin just forms, so that the wax doesn't drip out from the inside of the chain when you lift it out? That is what I have been doing. Which is the correct advice..? Cheers.

[@Mylity66]

Very late, but here's my 2¢. Petty sure that previously he recommended that for a pure paraffin method that required as much wax to stay inside the rollers as possible. This one contains additives, so the wax is still doing lubrication but now also has the equally important purpose of depositing and holding the additives (PTFE) inside the chain. PTFE is very slippery, which is what you want but that also means it doesn't stick at all and it's very difficult to introduce inside the rollers as dust. You could introduce PTFE using alcohol inside the rollers but as soon as it dries it's gonna start slipping out. Conclusion is, if you're using pure paraffin without additives, waiting for the wax to start coagulating and then expose to a fan to cool it faster is the best way. If you have additives, there's no need, but there's not harm either, you'll use a bit more wax which may be good for MTB.

[@efficientequilibrium2982]

I have done 600 miles on my first waxed chain on my road bike , 300 miles on my mountain bike. I am converting every bike in the household to your waxing formula it is working very well. I do 200 miles until the chain becomes noisy which is great. Thanks a lot. I have a couple of comments/questions though. 1. I used bike specific citrus based degreaser and pure citrus turpentine both work well. Since I live in an apartment it is hard to use any of the cheap chemicals you have used in the video. These degreasers/turpentines I use are non-toxic but they are very expensive for the container method. 3 chains were used one chain was brand new and I have to say completely cleaning used chains is a pain in the neck(they may look clean, you let them sit in turpentine and it completely turns black again). I have to use diluted degreaser many times until black residue is almost gone, then mild dish soap to get the degreasers out and finally %99 ipa. I was hoping to make this process easier by using an ultrasonic cleaner but you are not a fan of it. I don't think I understand your reasoning since in the container method you are still just loosening up the dirt. If you wash the chain with mild soap, rinse and use ipa wouldn't the ultrasonic cleaner work well ? 2. On one of my chains, there is black wax flakes on one side. Boiling water doesn't really get rid of it I have to scrub. Do you know a way to get rid of these black wax residue on the outside ? Again great job, your formula changed the way I cycle, I really don't wanna go back to regular lubes ever again.

[@DocLois2010]

Awesome instructional session. Thank you for your hard work.

[@joergthierer8861]

Hello OZ, I did one modification to your initial process of waxing the chain. After taking the chain out of the wax I let the wax drip and slightly wipe the (road bike) chain from the outside. THEN I put both of the extremity chain links on a coat hang wire each and keep moving the chain up and down in an alternate movement for a bit more than five minutes until the chain is only a little above room temperature. That way I do not have to break loose the chain after it cools down. A lot easier it seems to me. Let me know what you think about that.

[@jackglossop4859]

For Connex link usage I just remember ‘Frown Down.’ 🙃

[@jayjayskampjes9354]

You save bikers all over the world so much money. Thanks mate :)

[@bernardinfeld1282]

Thanks for another great video. This might seem like a bizarre question, but how long does a batch of your chain wax mixture last before you have to discard and make more from scratch? Does the paraffin wax-PTFE mixture last indefinitely as long as no dirt gets into it?

[@davidmarshall2399]

Ditto.

[@mathewwhittle10]

mines been in the rice cooker for 2 years, still on the same chain 80 miles a week for two years, 0.5mm wear.

[@bernardinfeld1282]

@@mathewwhittle10 Thanks, Mathew

[@greiner7414]

PTFE is inert, and the wax will be fine as long as it's not overheated. So it should last for years.

[@stevenleffanue]

Its best to start a new batch when starting a new chain. Usually at 14,000km

[@hyperbalent2775]

Fellow follower here! Bonus information Water is not the reason for the PTFE clumping. This happens when the powder is sheared and is very specific to PTFE. For your purpose sheared pTFE is not good for the job. I would return as being a defect product. Source: I work for the largest PTFE manufacturer in the world ... on that occasion: great channel and love your personality

[@stevenleffanue]

What other types of PTFE are there?

[@hyperbalent2775]

@@stevenleffanue well (as a chemist) there is only one perfluroroethelyn technically but thousands of copolymers. For our purpose pure ptfe will be best as you use it in a micronized form. Issue is that it cant be solved to go in the links and it will hardly stick (sic!). I believe the friction result without ptfe is extremely similar so I personally don't use it. What I am wondering about is to test silicone oil in the mix out of curiosity (although I hate the stuff ...)

[@martinarnsten4203]

@@hyperbalent2775 is it possible to use something other than ptfe? It would be nice if you could avoid it because of the longevity in nature. I used wax with paraffin oil. But as @ozcycle mentioned it attracts road dirt and for me it lasts about 100 to 150 km before it gets noisy. It would be nice to have a wax with less dirt and maybe also if it could last a little longer.

[@francoisrainville]

incredible, I have done 7000km this summer with no chain wear whatsoever, I feel i'm never going to change a cassette again

[@dt8696]

how often you make a rewax?

[@ausphotography101]

Best chain advice yet, thanks for sharing it.

[@arkan1960]

I'm using connex link 10v with Campagnolo chain with optimal results

[@stevecarleton163]

I have been using paraffin wax for about 18 months now (summer and winter), and i will never go back to oil again. I don't use Oz's formula yet because i am still using up the MSW i had from before, but have it ready when the MSW runs out. Anyway i have tried different chains and master links. I live near the sea in a cold wet climate. The roads are salted and i have my bike outside all day at work. The best combination that works for me (so far) is to use a KMC EPT chain (which is supposed to withstand 650 hours of salt water) and the YBN QRS reusable link. It is cheaper and has a neater fit than the connex link.

[@stevecarleton163]

​@书中自有黄金屋 You are correct about the limited uses. However the connex link costs me £20 GBP. The YBN link only costs £2.50 on ebay, so i can buy 8 of them for every connex link. Also the YBN link works longer than recommended. Adam Kerin states that he can get up to 10 changes from one YBN link. I have tried the connex link and it is not good long term on salted roads (neither is the YBN but they are cheap). Salt water corrodes stainless steel with continuous exposure over time. Solid salt spread on icy roads works the same way as salt water, but more so since the lumps of salt will be saltier than actual salt water. If salt water is not an issue for you, the connex link is fine.

[@durianriders]

So Molten Speedwax doesnt match its marketing claims?

[@stevenleffanue]

Correct , albiet only 1 test by 1 person.

[@dbpantani]

I disagree as I've been using the Molten Speed Wax and have gotten at least 10,000ks out of my training chains. I also have had failures with the 11sp connex quick link (I've used connex links since 2000). The YPN connectors are redundant after 4 uses but are inexpensive and very secure.

[@bazza76d53]

I’m using msw and ybn chains. I’m on track for 15,000 kms, sorry but that 4870 kms or whatever is bs.

[@eXTreemator]

Just don't buy this crap. Take beeswax at least they always make good product and don't make any shills

[@stevevasilica6187]

I have made the wax with ptfe however the chain wasn't stiff after drying like yours. Is it dependent on Temp its currently 25'c? . I took the chain out of slow cooker at about 50'c so really nicely coated. Also I have ordered a Wipperman chain which I'll wax and use in due course. Love your videos 👍

[@tommimoilanen4305]

Sram Red Etap Axs XPLR became dead quiet when waxed with rex black diamond wax using this method, thank you so much Oz!

[@durianriders]

OC I found Squirt to be as good but far less time invested. What did you find?

[@stevenleffanue]

Ive not used "Squirt" lube but have used other drip lubes like "Rock n Roll". Found it required way more than just 1 drip per link....cost was therefore high and was still attracting dirt,going black n messy.

[@thierrym6168]

I have used Squirt Lube and remain a great fan of this solution as soon as you are not motivated by the idea of waxing your chain. As far as I am concerned, it is the less dirty solution, the less sticky fluid to put on your chain. I have converted a lot of my teammates to this solution. But it still goes to black finally and loose efficiency when wet.

[@geertmeersseman3111]

Squirt is excellent in clean conditions but, because of it's mild stickyness, is a dirtcollector in messy conditions (like now, in Belgium). So you have to remove and reapply quite often. The wax does not stick, that's the beauty of it. As far as time invested, you still need to clean your drivetrain before you reapply and removing the chain makes this a tad easier if you like a thorough clean

[@jirdesteva]

Thanks for this. Been using the original wax formula since I first saw your video August 2017. I just purchased a new chain and will be using your latest formula on it. I haven't gotten anymore leg tattoos since. It's been a pleasure to work on my bikes without having all that nasty grease to clean from my hands and tools.

[@alexmalone1642]

Hello from Bucharest România 🇧🇪

[@ThomasFlorimonte]

Great info. Using you instruction, I've been running my bike now for about 2+ months. Works great. Thanks for all the research :)

[@Hawlkeye-e9p]

New chain. Clean outside with mineral oil. Ride till it grinds. Replace.

[@rodrigog.c.6047]

Money is time conversed to paper. Doing this for money saving seems dumb. I agree with you.

[@jugglematt100]

Im Nearly 3500km in using your waxing method on my emtb and im convinced that it works , i follow your system of chain and cassette cleaning and swap chains every 200km . Now i have it down pat and have all the tools required, its a pretty a quick and easy process . At the moment i have 2 chains on the go so i have a new waxed chain ready to go when i do the swap . Still haven't reached the max strech on the chain and the cassette looks fine . Emtbs are notoriously hard on drivetrains so im curious to see how it goes . Cant seem to find a connex reusable link for my 12speed drivetrain .so am just reusing the quick links thst came with the chain , so far ok . If i go on longer multiple day trips that are more than 200km i use squirt lube as a commercially available lube to keem me going. Thanks for the great information Thanks for the great information

[@samuelkmaina]

Thanks for pointing out about the PTFE blackening on the chain. I thought I was doing something wrong because after a few rides the chain would have some dark residue when wiped with a clean cloth.

[@LilRedDog]

Yeah, me too!!! But I had a shop lube my chain hours before a ride and I had to go through the 3 step process, again. I thought the dirt was from one ride but I used a high powered magnet and none of it was metal.

[@mydearriley]

Couple of questions: 1. How would you go about preparing a used (or new with factory lube) cassette for a waxed chain? 2. Could all of these info chain wax info videos be added to a single playlist? Yes, the information has evolved and some has become outdated, however (speaking for many viewers) it has been very educational to see that progress. Having the videos numbered chronologically in a playlist would make seeing the process quite easy! Perhaps edit the titles to include in shorthand, what major changes to "The Formula" that video will cover? Or add an *Outdated* disclaimer for the older videos? I'm sure formula is getting close to "perfected," but I assume there may be further iterations (or testimonials) that could be added to that playlist! Brilliant stuff! Thank you!

[@stevenleffanue]

Simply clean cassette and chainrings so they have no lube on them. They will stay clean. Playlist idea is good...thanx

[@mydearriley]

@@stevenleffanue Wonderful. I'll give it a go. Thank you again for your infinite waxy wisdom.

[@vladimirzavyalov]

Very solid and useful follow up to the previous videos on waxing, OZ! Those new to waxing will be happy to hear all these answers and advice packed into one video!

[@vutran2305]

I've been waxing my chain for 3 4 months and i enjoy it a lot. I do usually 100km per week sometimes 200km but rewaxing is not so difficult to do vs the amount of time and effort for cleaning lub chain. My wax and teflon changed color and not clear after sometimes. But it works really well. Thanks a lot, from vietnam.

[@choyweide903]

How often do you do a rewax?

[@Justmarcusdave]

just got a new commuter bike, bought a new chain, slow cooker and started waxing-only done a few hundred miles, some in heavy rain(UK) so far very impressed-smooth quiet and clean-keep up the good work :)

[@ukrytykrytyk8477]

Hi. Are you re-waxing the chain regularly or have you left it as is after the first wax?

[@Justmarcusdave]

@@ukrytykrytyk8477 hi I have been using 2 chains and rotate them every 120-150 miles then I clean and rewax, I have done over 1000 mls and still impressed there is some surface rust from winter riding but it's only cosmetic 👍

[@ukrytykrytyk8477]

@@Justmarcusdave Hi. So more or less in line with OZ Cycle video recommendation, even though his riding is more sport oriented. I need to try waxing method and see how it goes!

[@Justmarcusdave]

@@ukrytykrytyk8477 yes worth the small investment in slow cooker

[@ukrytykrytyk8477]

@@Justmarcusdave One thing that needs figuring out is where to dispose some of the de-greasers used during cleaning. I'm hoping some can be filtered and reused but some I hope will be accepted by local recycling centre.

[@jobertels]

Hey Oz cycle, thank you for giving the world this way off chain greasing, you put the chain disconnected in the slowcoucker, I do it connected and it works great and I dont have to clean the link just open the chain put it on the bike and connect the chain again, maybe you have something on this tip!

[@mauriciovillada1783]

I use your first metod on my fixie chain (izumi black jet) lovely smooth thanks for all this learnig form Colombia

[@nigelliam153]

Another great video. FYI anyone in the Philippines doing REPAL ride, waxing stops the volcanic ash sticking to your drive chain.

[@Fellafoe69]

I was just cleaning and rewaxing my ebike and found a good way to clean the chain and casette after the boiling water and its nothing but a steam cleaner. It works very good for cleaning in between the links where its way too hard to normally.

[@Kinuk]

Same here. Steam works great.

[@paulhooijman948]

Thanks for your video’s! I ‘ve allready waxed 2 chaines; one of my road bike and one of my gravel bike. Both stay shiney! No dirt on it and almost no maintenance. Top! Gr Paul (Holland).

[@pilikiosuafoa1727]

I just started waxing my chain yesterday! Glad this vid came out!!

[@albertolucianez9214]

Mil gracias, he encerado la cadena con teflón 1.6 micras y parafina, tal como explicas. Espectacular!!!, eres mi héroe.

[@Gem-Ex]

Love your detailed explanations. Thanks :)

[@Lestalad1961]

Love your vids Mate. I want to wax my chains and have done so in the past. What I don’t like is the residual deposits that typically get left between the small sprockets on the cassette and occasionally around the jockey wheels. Finding the perfect lube is like the quest for The Holy Grail. The best I’ve found to date is also one of the cheapest. I really like Muc-Offs supermarket “Step 4 Dry Oil” it’s a white thin liquid and biodegradable. I’m based in the UK and this works well in all weathers but it will wash out in rain. The best thing about it is it’s very quiet and very clean. No black chain or cassette and a wipe down and reapplication after every other ride is enough to keep your drive train clean and silent. All this for less than four quid for 100ml bottle.

[@grahamjohnstone3483]

The waxed chain is great. Used on both my bikes for two years. However, in a UK winter the wax becomes too solid/brittle in low temperatures and appears to crumble away after very low mileage leading to a rusty chain. I've resorted to the wet lube for winter and then a deep clean in spring before rewaxing. Be interested if anyone has had success using the waxed chain in low temperatures (5C and below).

[@KarlosEPM]

Hi Graham. I have had success but (*sinister dramatic music*)... I had to add oil to the wax mix. About 2 teaspoons of it for a ~200ml pot of wax. It softens it without turning it into an oily/greasy substance. Back home (generic tropical country) I mixed candle wax with the sticky gummy synthetic wax used for toilet rings, but temperature never goes below 8°c. My experience is that pure paraffin wax flakes off in less than 50km and the chain gets squeaky, and the pedalling gets tougher. I have been told that additives (PTFE/teflon, graphite, etc) soften the mix, but I haven't tried those. In all honesty I ride so much (and am so stubborn) that I simply go by feel and cleanliness, so a thick, non-brittle, clean (no dirt or colorful additives) is what I prefer. 2k kilometers per chain (I have two) and neither the chains or the drivetrain show visible wear. I ride a hybrid bike and use it for commuting, exercising (city) and mild cross-country mtb. Hopefully some of this will be useful for you or others. Cheers and happy cycling!

[@JoshGt87]

I’m using this and it is working great! The one issue I’m having that I haven’t seen you mention, or maybe you did and I missed it, I’m getting so much flaking. I’m using 1lb of wax to 50 grams of Teflon. I pull the chain out out 160-140°F. I give it a wipe, the chain looks fantastic, but after a couple miles it just builds up so many flakes. I almost wonder if it’s not sticking properly. I was using molten speed wax before your mixture. All I did was a hot water rinse before the swap. Thanks for the great videos!

[@stevenleffanue]

Sounds like wax isn't sticking. Do the complete chain clean and start a new batch of wax...oil may be present somewhere.

[@JoshGt87]

@@stevenleffanue 10-4 thanks!

[@casuallycycling9339]

It should be 1:10 ratio so 50grams ptfe and 500grams wax

[@lucianoserafino5872]

Yup! you keep getting better and better. Your the best!!

[@arncj18]

i'm not sure i'll go waxin yet, the plus maintenance work on the cassette 5:55 brings me back to whether it is THAT much superior to lubing. Wax in between those disks is worse than lube. And it is a nightmare to get off. I respect the idea and maybe sometime i'll research it more. I have time to think since i am a beginner and don't ride thousands of km anyway.

[@stevenleffanue]

Wax buildup is only on spacers between the two smallest cogs...5 seconds to pick it off

[@arncj18]

@@stevenleffanue great info and channel btw and thanks. will need to watch all of your cleaning videos. I only watched like 3-4. And then make up my mind.

[@the80s365]

I notice a new high end slow cooker lol - next level. Thanks for all the info, you're an absolute legend for all this knowledge.

[@frogslips]

Been using your chain waxing method for a few years now, from paraffin to ptfe. Just seen an advert to Graphene Lube and wondered what you thought to that. I’m going on a two week cycle tour in July on a touring bike and wondered what to use. And thank you, I love your channel and your super friendly advice.

[@stevenleffanue]

The friction differences between submersive waxes is almost insignificant. Graphene leaves dull grey marks if touched like molybdenum disulphide.

[@frogslips]

@@stevenleffanue thank you. I don’t want dull grey on my bike 😊

[@flyinlo1474]

I just cleamed and waxed two old chains tonight. thank you very much for the The multiple videos you have done on this subject. they have been most helpful!! what about lubing the The front and rear derailleur when you have waxed your chain??

[@stevenleffanue]

Silicone spray on the pivots is all you need to lube there Tim.

[@easternelementbmx123]

First off love the vids and subbed a couple weeks ago. I just got a new chain last week but only did 1 cycle of gas->degreaser-> mineral spirits. Seeing this vid now it makes sense as I don’t think the wax is adhering as well as it could. Took the bike and on its first 20 mile ride w the new chain and it was excellent though. Might just have to re-strip the chain again soon, didn’t know the packing grease was so stubborn! Thanks for all you do oz.

[@stevenleffanue]

Yeh, packing grease is very stubborn...got to disolve it to carry it out of rhe links. Can take 3-4 rinses with petrol. Once done its plain sailing.

[@Hunterthepunter126]

On your advice I started to wax my bike chains. Its amazing!

[@linusw.2453]

First of all: I really appreciate your helpful videos and I would like to thank you very much for all those tips and tricks. As I still have got some Molton Speed Wax left I am using this for waxing my bike chains at the moment. stirring a lot to work the wax properly into the chain. When I put the chain back onto the bike everything feels and sounds smooth. What I experience is that after cycling only about 100 miles in dry conditions the chain is getting much louder. You can really speak of a rattling noise. Also to me it feels as if I had to pedal a higher wattage than before. I then really feel compelled to re-wax the chain. What makes me wonder is that people say one can ride for a couple hundred miles in dry conditions with one waxing process...

[@stevenleffanue]

Yes you should get appx. 250 -300km from each waxing

[@thehandleiwantedwasntavailable]

This sounds to me like the waxing process has not been followed 100 percent (I’m speaking from experience). Ive found three things affect the distance you’ll achieve between waxing: 1. The weather, of course. 2. The initial cleaning process. It’s super important to fully strip any factory oil from the chain. I use mineral turpentine followed by denatured alcohol. I don’t use petroleum. 3. The temperature of the wax during application. Wax melts at quite a low temperature, but will only properly bond at about 90c. Make sure you’re getting the wax and chain to this temperature. I leave my chain in the cooker for 15-30 minutes. In dry conditions I manage 250-400km between waxing. In really wet conditions it usually requires a wax after the ride.

[@7u0m0]

I use bleach as the final stage of cleaning a new chain for waxing(after solvent risings), bleach(Sodium hypochlorite) will convert the remaining oils to different compounds on metal surfaces so it does not rely on rinsing the oils away like solvents do, with solvents you will always leave trace amounts of oils behind on the metal surface, this is a old painters trick to get sheet metal clean as possible before painting, I've noticed that it makes a big difference when compared to solvent rinsing only(and you can get away with one solvent rinsing only, before the bleach, depending on the chain manufacturer). Just wet the chain thoroughly with pure bleach and let sit for 5-10min or so and then rinse with water and dry well immediately... and you got an ultra pure chain for waxing, absolutely no oils!

[@stevenleffanue]

Thanx for suggesting bleach , I will experiment with its effects on chains. Cheers

[@oskarsarzynski4384]

Bleach is corrosive even to stainless steal. Are you having any issues with that, or rinsing the chain in water wash out all of it?

[@7u0m0]

@@oskarsarzynski4384 The bleach is in contact with the chain for 5-10min, no issues, it's a method used by painters for steel. Here is a video from Applied Science on it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpqvZ6iGg9GkiNk I don't use dry bleach as it's not available in my country but normal Domestos(Sodium hypochlorite) works really well and the wax seems to stick much better, and you don't have to use as much solvents.

[@7u0m0]

And if you are worried about corrosion you can reduce the time to 1min or so, but I have not observed any oxidation what so ever even with 10min exposure, and yes you need to rinse the chain thoroughly with water.

[@liveloveride1676]

bleach is a little thick do you find it gets into the rollers after just 10 mins

[@peteraziz5521]

Hi, I finally got my chain waxed for both of my bikes and was having a skipping issue only when descending. I followed the cleaning process and made sure both chains were clean. Also using the connex link on both bikes. Now on the road, it’s nice smooth shifting and no problem at all. However, the only issue I am having is when descending chain starts skipping. This also only happens when I am on the smallest cassette at the back and big gear in the front. This issue is happening on both bikes. Both bikes have new cassettes, chains, and never had that issue before. Hope there is an easy solution to this, as I liked having a smooth clean chain.

[@stevenleffanue]

Remove and wax buildup on spacer between two smallest cogs

[@peteraziz5521]

@@stevenleffanue ohhhhh That makes sense. 😅. Thank you

[@jugglematt100]

5000km in with your waxing method on my emtb . Running 2x chains and still religiously swapping and cleaning every 200km , still not at max wear . 👍

[@stevenleffanue]

Thanx for the feedback. I have no idea how long chains last on ebikes , this helps

[@leo150125]

Hi there, thank you so much for sharing all your experiments and providing everyone your findings. Do you mind sharing the exact model of your Kogan cooker, as I live in Perth? Thanks

[@stevenleffanue]

The model isn't available any more. Any slow cooker should do the job fine Leonardo.

[@Threadexpress]

Hi Mr Oz. I agree that wax is a much overlooked lubricant that really shines on bike chains. I also think you probably also present the ultimate application method. But it is too much effort for the average rider and I want to propose the law of diminishing returns applies here. I applied blue rock and roll solvent dissolved wax over my factory oiled chain when new. And have reapplied on the bike every two weeks or so for two years now, wiping off the grit, surplus wax/solvent and dirt with a rag, and still my chain is 100% with no wear is measured. Your method may be 2 times better, but for most riders what I am doing is fine. Your thoughts? Cliff

[@stevenleffanue]

Agree , submersive wax isnt for everybody. The carrier in "Rock n roll" and many other commercial drip-on wax lubes remains and attracts dirt.

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Molten speed wax has a new formula. Its comes in cylinders not niblets, its not the stuff on amazon. It tests out @ the #1 spot on zero friction in a dry/dusty enviornment like here in California. Considering silca keeps a chain good much longer than 4,000km, the new molten speed wax should hold up much longer than the old stuff. Also silca uses a blend of 4 waxes, not just paraffin wax. I would imagine molten speed wax is using a blend now too.

[@platoali]

@oz_cycle I using your formula for a few times. I have two issues: 1- In the last couple of times, foam gather on top of the melted wax. I am using an old slow cooker.What cause this foam to gather on top? High temperature? The last time I gather a few hundred grams of foam from the top of the wax. (1 kg of wax and 100 g Teflon powders). 2-The other issue. I am riding on very dusty roads. When I submerge the the chain there are black particles in the bottom of the pot between the Teflon powders,Although I clean the chain with boiling water several times before submerging. Do they go inside the chain? how can I remove them from wax without losing too much Teflon powder?

[@stevenleffanue]

Sorry , not sure what the foaming is. Feel the black residue between your fingers...if its rough , its dirt , which should be removed or prevented. If its smooth its ptfe gone black which is fine.

[@ak-xx2gy]

In an earlier video Mr Oz used a sieve to raise the chain away from the dirt which settles at the bottom, but also used a slow cooker with bent wire hooks to keep the sieve off dirt which settled at the bottom. With the newer temperature controlled cooker the top seems to have a seal which would prevent hooks from the sieve being hung there. A solution would be to simply attach 3 machine screws plus 1 or 2 nuts, etc, to make short legs for the sieve to keep the bottom of a properly sized sieve up from the bottom of the new cooker or other pot. This would keep the cleaned chain away from the dirt which would settle at the bottom. A screw eye bolt could be attached to the center of the sieve to lift the chain and sieve basket, and to shake/mix dirt off chain similar to a steamer for vegetables. Or if you care to use a larger volume wax/PTFE to raise the bath high enough, use a folding vegetable steamer basket. It comes with legs but the shape requires more wax bath volume.

[@mrkoh5885]

Try vibrating the wax pot (not the electric part). I believe it keeps the PTFE in a uniform suspension while the wax cools. For me the treatment lasted twice as long. I use an orbital sander attached to a hanging bucket along with a rheostat from ebay to slow the sander down.

[@1thAlexander]

кстати, вы пробовали то же самое для промывки цепи? :)

[@pederp5749]

Hi. Thanks for your guides. I have used your wax formula and I do not see any wear at all on my chains. When the chain is in the hot wax, i put the entire pot in a vacuum and pull out small bubbles from the links.

[@stevenleffanue]

Great idea. Can anyone do this or does it require a special vacuum unit?

[@pederp5749]

@@stevenleffanue You can buy all kinds of suitable vacuum containers, or build one from a tight jar with fittings. I found mine at a yardsale. My pump is a "water jet vacuum pump", but you can find all kinds of cheap solutions.

[@enjoiboy385]

@@pederp5749 Interesting. So just find a vacuum pump of some sort, seal off the pot of wax, and pull a vacuum?

[@rhothgardenviking7851]

Brilliant videos. Recently waxed my first chain for time trialling here in the UK. Came to rewax yesterday and probably got a little confused over the chronological changes to your process. On rewax, do you still recommend rinsing with boiling water and a sieve? Also, on any waxing be it initial or rewax, is the immersion in cold water still the current best practice? I think on one of my chains I forgot to reduce temperature, I think it was on TT bike (but it is a well worn chain anyway - I have a brand new one waiting to go on once this one reaches 0.5%), so I removed it and wiped it out. It worked very well but this is the chain I rewaxed yesterday and did the cold water immersion on as I have an important race coming up this weekend. I also note that on one of your videos you say run it in with the factory lubricant. Unfortunately, I didn't see this before stripping a brand new Wippermann chain for my training bike. I guess the issue there is it will simply take a long time to bed in now it's super slippery? Thanks for posting these videos. Like yourself, I'm sceptical of all the nonsense out there (especially absoluteBLACK at £115!!!!). These companies are just taking people for mugs.

[@stevenleffanue]

Yes boiling water rinse at rewaxings. No need for cold water , simply remove chain and hang to cool.

[@rhothgardenviking7851]

OK. Cool. I really like the cold water immersion to do the sealing after just removing from a skinning off wax unless you are categorically saying this is no longer best practice. In one of your videos, you recommend a wipe down with a rag after every ride so I will also start doing that. Have you considered a quick swish in methylated spirits before rewaxing? Or would that strip wax off? Took TT bike out for a spin last night and chain was a dream. On one very slight downhill grade segment 0.55 miles at -2% I averaged 32.2 mph with a 38.9mph maximum for only 248W average. That included about 0.1 miles of no pedalling!!! Would have KOM'd if I'd have not stopped pedalling for that tiny portion. Very impressed with your videos and advice. Keep up the excellent work!

[@petrzalsky9830]

Have you think about adding some sort of corrosion protection to the mix? I am having slight troubles with rust on my MTB chain using wax, so I was wondering that some industrial grade additive for corrosion protection has to be able to prevent that rust, but I lack knowledge of some compatible with parafin. But anyway thanks a lot for all the info! I am using it since last year. I have got the PTFE from Aliexpress, haul of parafin from the local shop and cheap but convenient slow cooker from Lidl (one of european discounts)

[@stevenleffanue]

Add some paraffin oil to your wax to prevent corrosion.

[@bikepackingadventure7913]

I’ve followed all your instructional videos to the letter. I think wax is great as a road cyclist on a day ride or club ride in decent weather. But riding everyday in all weathers 🌧🌧 and I’ve found waxing a chain does not stop all my chains from starting to rust. Dealing with rust just once or twice a week from a club ride may not be a difficult maintenance issue. But riding a bike everyday and having to sort out rust is just too much maintenance. I’ve switched to revolubes and apart from wiping over the chain and giving it a basic clean, I’ve not had to do much for 2 months and it’s still going strong. So wax great for club rides but sadly too much of a maintenance burden for riding every single day in all weathers, for that revolubes is good. 🤔🙂🙂

[@hhl_travel6008]

Agreed. Good for fair weather but a bit high maintenance when rainy. Did you add paraffin oil to your mix?

[@stevecarleton163]

Try a KMC EPT chain. it works for me on salted roads. There was a guy from Norway who posted a youtube video on waxing using an EPT chain.

[@KeithAVass]

Great videos-great idea, but, instead of thousands of bike riders learning to reinvent the wheel, it sounds like a good adjunct to the local bike shop or some entrepreneurs who want to set up a back yard business. I love the idea of a clean chain with no more oil stains on my clothing but as for the rigmarole of cleaning the chain, then waxing it, then connecting it, that is for the birds-especially at my age.

[@stevenleffanue]

Take the jump Keith. Everybody who gets the waxing right never goes back to the old oil.

[@ericderuffray5641]

Thank you so much for sharing all these very useful tips!

[@EricKinskofer]

Hey there. Just getting into this and cleaning my new chain for the first time. I don’t have access to ptfe yet. Can I just use parafin wax and then perhaps spray on dry ptfe lube (wd40 specialist makes one) for the time being until my ptfe powder arrives? I saw another video of a fellow that sprays it on the drying chain after he’s pulled it from the wax. Thanks so much for these videos.

[@stevenleffanue]

You can wax your chain with paraffin wax only but it only lasts about 150km before it requires rewaxing. Spaying outside of your chain with ptfe will give no benefits , the ptfe needs to get into the chain with the paraffin wax to give the wax its longevity.

[@jeroenvanderwiel9620]

I’m using the homemade wax for my road bikes, really great solution, thanks! But for the mountainbikes and gravel I use Squirt, my experience is that it works better in wet conditions.

[@giannibusia5390]

Thank you Steve for sharing your knowledge, i am now another rider converted to waxing my chain. One question: can you reuse the wax indefinetely?

[@stevenleffanue]

Usually the wax lasts about 4,000km as it gradually goes grey in colour indicating contamination. For all the following batches, you only need to add 1:100 ptfe instead of 1:20

[@ricogonda]

PTFE is expensive from where i reside. but this is really effective. Thank you!

[@retroonhisbikes]

Yes Teflon slides over itself.very low friction.

[@iainfarquhar3474]

I've tried putting the chain in boiling water to clean it. This seems to clean very effectively (melts oil/grease/wax) and changing to another load of water is easy and cheap to ensure that the chain is really clean...

[@iainfarquhar3474]

But having tried cleaning a chain with petrol that I'd already boiled for 5 minutes with water/degreaser. I have to agree that petrol is massively more effective. Now I have to work out how to filter the dirt out of the petrol so I can re-use it and not chuck the whole lot away each time I clean a chain. Any thoughts?

[@stevenleffanue]

Put lid on the container and allow it to sit for a day. Impurities will settle to the bottom , usable petrol on top.

[@iainfarquhar3474]

@@stevenleffanue I tried that but 24 hours doesn't seem to have done it! It worked with diesel when I used that for use with a chain cleaner so maybe I need to be more patient. I wondered if laboratory filter paper might work (coffee filters don't).

[@stevenleffanue]

Petrol prolly disolve the glue of the filter paper. Maybe a fine gauze cloth

[@iainfarquhar3474]

@@stevenleffanue The dirt just clogged the filter paper. A microfibre cloth didn't do the job either. I'll continue experimenting and I'll let you know if I come up with anything useful. Thanks for the videos. The plain wax without the paraffin oil certainly adheres much better to the chain...

[@adamjankowski7679]

You have to add bees wax to keep it from flaking g off, I also add 5% fully synthetic gear oil. Teflon powder would also be a great addition