chain waxing, which ?

bing gordon

What's the best stuff for waxing a chain ? , I'm fed up with oiling then i either end up with rust (not enough) or black oily gunk (too much) all over my hands . I'm after something in a tin I can rub on the chain with a rag or spray on that will protect it over the winter and give that waxy feel like when you buy a new chain. I can't be doing with melting paraffin in the kitchen the missus will see that as the last straw.

zx6man

I use the finish line dry teflon stuff. Have to apply it quite regular but keeps the chain really clean.

nathancom

Boeshield comes in an aerosol and does the job

http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/DK7130

amaferanga

I use Finish Line Dry lube in the summer, but it doesn't last at all well in the wet so for the winter (when the roads are wet a lot of the time even if it's not actually raining) I use Finish Line Wet lube. The trick with oils is to apply, leave for a bit and then wipe off the excess.

bing gordon

I've tried numerous oil's for the chain but the one's I've used in the past always seem to leave the chain with black crud all over it.

freddiegrubb

I use squirt wax ( applied to each roller then moved around with childs paintbrush) not brilliant in the wet & as the wax gathers dirt it "globules" & drops off. Nice cleanish chain & cassette, not available everywhere, try the w/site for suppliers. I get mine from chevin, otley & stiff, harrogate.

amaferanga

bing gordon wrote:

I've tried numerous oil's for the chain but the one's I've used in the past always seem to leave the chain with black crud all over it.

Just wipe the chain down with some wet wipes if you want it looking nice and clean. Unless there's some revolutionary product out there that I'm not aware of, the choice is either oil which is at least a little resistant to water or a dry lube or wax that'll quickly wash/wear out of where it needs to be.

mitchgixer6

Yeah what he said! If you're riding outside at this time of year then it will be very hard (impossible almost) to have a chain that looks clean.

I was using the Rock + Roll Gold stuff on my winter bike, it keeps the chain looking nice and clean, but was having to apply it every week to stop the squeaking. At the price that stuff costs that wasn't going to work, so have gone with the Finish Line Wet lube, which is lasting much longer. Yes it makes the chain look dirty, but as I say, if you're outside at this time of year then that's the way it has to be. :roll:

ugo.santalucia

mitchgixer6 wrote:

Yeah what he said! If you're riding outside at this time of year then it will be very hard (impossible almost) to have a chain that looks clean.

I was using the Rock + Roll Gold stuff on my winter bike, it keeps the chain looking nice and clean, but was having to apply it every week to stop the squeaking. At the price that stuff costs that wasn't going to work, so have gone with the Finish Line Wet lube, which is lasting much longer. Yes it makes the chain look dirty, but as I say, if you're outside at this time of year then that's the way it has to be. :roll:

I have tried some of the green finish line wet stuff, as it came as free sample from a retailer. It is absolute crap... after about 40 miles my chain was so full of debris and oily stuff that pedalling backwards resulted in the derailleur cage going out of line.
I don't know what the fuss is about... I have used various cheap oils (some not so cheap as they were for diesel engines... but cheap for bicycle use) for years and never had to wipe the chain as an emergency measure to restore functionality
To the OP... stick to oil and wipe the excess... transmissions do get dirty.

domgears

Has anybody tried or heard of this stuff, from my googling it seems pretty impressive.
http://chain-l.com/
apparently best applied with the chain off, some people even bake it in, it is produced by some guy in NY, not some big conglomerate.
Reports are that it lasts for months on end, makes your drive train silent and when looking grubby just a quick wipe and the chain is spotless again but still well lubed.

I am really interested if anyone in the UK has tried it yet.

smoggysteve

You need to remember the reason why you oil a chain in the first place. The only part of the chain that needs the oil is the internal linkage. You should get into the habit of cleaning the chain by taking it off the bike once a month or so depending on the weather. You only need to oil the inside of the links and wipe off the excess. Oil is the biggest reason chains attract dirt in the first place. more oil = more dirt. If you get orange spots on the outside of the chain, wipe it down with a bit of scotchbrite to remove it. Its not going to break the chain, having sticking and damaged links are what do that.