Sick of dirty chain, anyone using dip waxed chains?

[Fordulike]

I would like to switch from my usual dry lube to dip waxing the chain. Is anyone using, or have used, dip waxed chains?

Which wax is recommended and does it really keep the crud off the chain for longer?

 

[guerney]

My chain arrived covered in wax,
I thought the waterproofing would last,
but it developed spots of rust,
looked like it would bust,
it's regularly covered in water,
mineral oil it like I oughta?
I'm considering using hypoid,
hope it doesn't affect my thyroid.

 

[Fordulike]

Mmmmm, after doing a bit more research, I found this. Kinda puts me off, as it's inevitable that I'll get caught in a rain shower with the typical British weather

 

[guerney]

Mmmmm, after doing a bit more research, I found this. Kinda puts me off, as it's inevitable that I'll get caught in a rain shower with the typical British weather

View attachment 44207

Your information has credence,
That's certainly been my experience.

 

[TedG]

It will be long gone now but I always used Linklyfe for all my motorbike chains. Heated in its tin on a primus in the back yard then set a parrifin washed and dried chain in, lift it out before the wax set and let it drip dry.
Mother eventually forbid this practice because the "fumes will kill us all".
They didn't.

 

[Andy-Mat]

I am surprised that the old fashioned method of keeping a chain (relatively) clean, were those metal covers on bike chains of the 1950's and earlier.
See here:-

Gear case - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

You would think that something sturdier and lighter than those, covering most if not all of the chain, would have been invented and available years ago.......
Hopefully this gives the more inventive of you all, some great ideas, as many have problems with dirt and wear of their chains and related components!
Come on Pedelecers!!
Andy

 

[RoadieRoger]

As Ted says , wash in Paraffin and dry followed by immersion in a tin of Linklyfe or the modern equivalent and hang from the nearest tree with the tin underneath to catch the surplus drips . The Kitchen was a bit smelly after . Reminded me of the dodge every 5000 miles with my Ariel Leader two-stroke silencer baffles in the 1960`s , equally messy and slightly dangerous . Immerse the oily baffles in a bucket with Paraffin and set on fire so the oil was burnt to just ashes which could be brushed off with a wire brush . It usually went well until one day I set the hedge on fire and my Mother called a halt to the practice .
I have just looked and it`s Putoline Chainwax now £28 for 1kg. in a tin which can be used many times . Heating rather than boiling though .

 

[soundwave]

i use muck off wet and dry lube but i always keep my chain and cassette clean and use wd40 on the chain with a Wragg to clean it but if the cassette is full of crap it wont do anything.

my chain uses sram power lock so need to use a new one if i remove it and like 6 quid each and did get away with it for a while but one did snap after reusing it a few times but made it home with half the side plate missing.

i have only had one chain snap because one of the jockey wheels exploded and long walk home and only on my 2nd cassette since i got the bike as changed to 12spd eagle and sold the old 11 spd one.

 

[nigelbb]

I am surprised that the old fashioned method of keeping a chain (relatively) clean, were those metal covers on bike chains of the 1950's and earlier.
See here:-

Gear case - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

You would think that something sturdier and lighter than those, covering most if not all of the chain, would have been invented and available years ago.......
Hopefully this gives the more inventive of you all, some great ideas, as many have problems with dirt and wear of their chains and related components!
Come on Pedelecers!!
Andy

Here is a pedelec with a fully enclosed chain but unfortunately Woosh no longer sell this model or AFAIK any other models with an enclosed chain.

The Sundowner | Electric Bikes from Woosh | electric bike sales & hire

The Sundowner: a feature-rich Dutch style electric bike from Woosh with Nexus-7, Bafang motor and 36V 10AH battery.

wooshbikes.co.uk

It's a shame that the used example that I bought was missing the chain case. Goodness knows what happened to it as it had done less than 100 miles & was otherwise in mint condition. I have been unable to find a replacement.

 

[guerney]

Here is a pedelec with a fully enclosed chain but unfortunately Woosh no longer sell this model or AFAIK any other models with an enclosed chain.

The Sundowner | Electric Bikes from Woosh | electric bike sales & hire

The Sundowner: a feature-rich Dutch style electric bike from Woosh with Nexus-7, Bafang motor and 36V 10AH battery.

wooshbikes.co.uk

Do Woosh have one kicking about somewhere in their warehouse?

It's a shame that the used example that I bought was missing the chain case. Goodness knows what happened to it as it had done less than 100 miles & was otherwise in mint condition. I have been unable to find a replacement.

 

[guerney]

Here is a pedelec with a fully enclosed chain but unfortunately Woosh no longer sell this model or AFAIK any other models with an enclosed chain.

The Sundowner | Electric Bikes from Woosh | electric bike sales & hire

The Sundowner: a feature-rich Dutch style electric bike from Woosh with Nexus-7, Bafang motor and 36V 10AH battery.

wooshbikes.co.uk

It's a shame that the used example that I bought was missing the chain case. Goodness knows what happened to it as it had done less than 100 miles & was otherwise in mint condition. I have been unable to find a replacement.

Do Woosh have one kicking about somewhere in their warehouse?

 

[nigelbb]

Do Woosh have one kicking about somewhere in their warehouse?

I asked but sadly they didn't have one.

 

[guerney]

I asked but sadly they didn't have one.

Do they have it's exact dimensions? If so, you could get one 3D printed. I've been mulling over whether to buy an "Ender 3", it's cheap and seems to be decent for the price; but too small for printing out something that size in one piece, but you could email the design to a 3D print company?

 

[cyclebuddy]

i use muck off wet and dry lube...

I agree with that and use Muc-Off lubes too largely based on this video. As always, you could pick holes in his test methods and argue that there're other brands that get good reviews and maybe he should've included, but his testing approach seems reasonably sound. How much of your life do you really want to invest (waste) just finding a reasonably adequate chain lube?

 

[Andy-Mat]

Here is a pedelec with a fully enclosed chain but unfortunately Woosh no longer sell this model or AFAIK any other models with an enclosed chain.

The Sundowner | Electric Bikes from Woosh | electric bike sales & hire

The Sundowner: a feature-rich Dutch style electric bike from Woosh with Nexus-7, Bafang motor and 36V 10AH battery.

wooshbikes.co.uk

It's a shame that the used example that I bought was missing the chain case. Goodness knows what happened to it as it had done less than 100 miles & was otherwise in mint condition. I have been unable to find a replacement.

It looks really good.....Andy

 

[Old Fart At Play]

I use squirt wax lube. Brilliant. Far less gack than other libes I've used, and much easier to clean chain. It is true that it stands up to wet weather less well, but if I am out in showers I still leave it at elast 100 miles before re-lubing. After a prolonged torrential downpour, then yes I would clean and relube when I got home.

I've used it now for about 4 years after about 40 years of using other lubes, and I wouldnt go back.

 

[Deleted member 16246]

I love fully enclosed chain guards. I have one on my beautiful Raleigh Superbe . The chain is perfect. I doubt it has even been changed in the bike's long life. When I look, to assess if I need more oil, it always looks like it was just fitted at the factory.

I also have neat little Honda CG125 with a plastic all enclosing chain guard. That's the same. I re-oil that about every five hundred miles with a small paint brush dipped ep90 gear oil. The chain barely ever needs adjustment so the lubing regime and enclosed chain guard are really working. That chain has about seven thousand miles on it so far and it looks new.

I use gear oil on my bicycles too. The Raliegh enclosed chain barely ever needs a re-lube, but for the others, about every fifty miles of riding with an exposed chain., I brush a light coat of gear oil (EP90). If it looks dirty I might wipe it now and then with a bit of kitchen towel and then re-lube.

Just to be controversial - but I believe it - I think those expensive dry lubes are snake oil - pun intended.

 

[Andy-Mat]

I love fully enclosed chain guards. I have one on my beautiful Raleigh Superbe . The chain is perfect. I doubt it has even been changed in the bike's long life. When I look, to assess if I need more oil, it always looks like it was just fitted at the factory.

I also have neat little Honda CG125 with a plastic all enclosing chain guard. That's the same. I re-oil that about every five hundred miles with a small paint brush dipped ep90 gear oil. The chain barely ever needs adjustment so the lubing regime and enclosed chain guard are really working. That chain has about seven thousand miles on it so far and it looks new.

I use gear oil on my bicycles too. The Raliegh enclosed chain barely ever needs a re-lube, but for the others, about every fifty miles of riding with an exposed chain., I brush a light coat of gear oil (EP90). If it looks dirty I might wipe it now and then with a bit of kitchen towel and then re-lube.

Just to be controversial - but I believe it - I think those expensive dry lubes are snake oil - pun intended.

Great Post! Thanks
Andy

 

[Deleted member 16246]

Great Post! Thanks
Andy

In the hayday of the bicycle, when it was everyman's transport in Britain and millions of bike miles a year were being ridden, nobody had ever heard of 'dry lube'. It is the same in the countries now where the bicycle is everyday transport. Dry lube is marketing snake oil.