Bought the supplies for this setup and was wondering about people's experience with gravel and wet riding? Any differences in your experience between straight paraffin and Molten Speed Wax?
Interesting that in the wet, the wax wouldn't be as effective as lube. I tend to do a bit of riding in warm/wet conditions. Might mean more frequent re-wax or do you think that it won't last a single long ride?
I quit using it. Its very sandy here in west Michigan and it seamed like the waxes I tried tend to pick up the grains and hold them, making the chains terrible after 50-60 miles. Last fall I switched to Boeshield T-9 on my gravel and fat tire bike, so far I am happy with it but no long term wear info yet. I also switched my road/trainer bike to Hornady One Shot. One shot is amazing stuff but I can't say how long it would last if things got messy.
I used MSW for a while when I lived in a condo where I had no easy access to bike washing. It was good for that. I could wash the bike in my shower without greasy residue. But otherwise it was mostly a PITA. Lots more work, lots less life than more conventional lube. In wet abrasive conditions I got maybe 50 miles of use.
Now I have a hose again and can use regular lubes. NixFrixShun received very high marks from testers so I switched back to that and I'm much happier.
DKeane wrote:Interesting that in the wet, the wax wouldn't be as effective as lube. I tend to do a bit of riding in warm/wet conditions. Might mean more frequent re-wax or do you think that it won't last a single long ride?
Beats me, I don't know your conditions. If your chain will get fairly wet or get mud, wet sand, wet gravel, etc on it then I wouldn't bother with wax at all. I rotate between paraffin wax, Rock and Roll Gold, Rock and Roll Wet, and Premier Ultra Glide depending on the conditions and intended propose. There's lots of good options. Whatever is keeping your chain running smooth and picking up the least amount of crap on your chain that day is the right choice.
For years ive heard people rave about waxing chains, but anyone ive ever known who actually tried it said it didnt work well. I've tried a lot of products, was T-9 fan for a long time, but a few years ago switched to Rock n Roll Gold (for wet) and Rock n Roll Holy Cow (for dry). Love the stuff, runs smooth and quiet, super clean chain ( esp with the Holy Cow). I'm curious about the NFS, never seen it or heard of it. Is it avail online? Just checked Amazon, couldnt find it.
Cmtgravel wrote:For years ive heard people rave about waxing chains, but anyone ive ever known who actually tried it said it didnt work well. I've tried a lot of products, was T-9 fan for a long time, but a few years ago switched to Rock n Roll Gold (for wet) and Rock n Roll Holy Cow (for dry). Love the stuff, runs smooth and quiet, super clean chain ( esp with the Holy Cow). I'm curious about the NFS, never seen it or heard of it. Is it avail online? Just checked Amazon, couldnt find it.
I use MSW exclusively on all my bikes. I've found that the initial cleaning to remove all traces of grease and lube is crucial to getting good performance out of any wax. I do a triple solvent wash, followed by ultrasonic cleansing for the first application. After that, the chains only need be boiled in hot water and rinsed in acetone before re-applying a fresh wax. https://moltenspeedwax.com/pages/clean-your-chain
I also wax multiple chains at the same time, and keep one to swap out when the time comes. I'm getting between 500 - 700 miles in dry conditions and between 300 - 500 miles in wet, sandy conditions.
That being said, I spend a lot less time cleaning my bikes now. A simple wipe down after a ride is all it takes to keep the bikes clean.
Nice - thanks for the information. I'm running my first waxed chain (the bike is mostly on a trainer unfortunately) and basically cleaned the used chain using the method you described above. When you boil the chain, you using a cruddy pot? Don't want to get yelled at for leaving wax all over a good kitchen pot.
@DKeane Yup - dedicated crock pot for the wax and a dedicated pot to boil the chains. I was able to justify the ultrasonic cleaner by telling my wife I'd clean all of her jewelry.
I have tried everything out there. My LBS just recommended this and I have just a few runs on it but so far it looks fantastic. Rock n Roll Extreme. I doesn't collect dirt/grime like everything else I have used.
