The new 11-speed chains measure less than that – consistently. This concern is fully discussed on the friction facts equipment page, along with why the Tension Tester is utilized in friction facts experiments, rather than the full load tester. What do you use to lubricate your chain? From what I can tell of the Velo News testing, the machine they used kept the chain in-line between the front and rear sprockets. I too have anecdotal evidence of longer chain life with ProLink, though for exceptionally long or wet rides and races I use something heavier duty. My Litespeed still has the original cassette on it from 2005, with upwards of 25,000kms! Get 15% Off Membership → Also, I started looking closely at lubes and the role they play in overall chain functionality. The average chain friction after pure water was 6.67 watts. Please note: the water does not simulate rain. I ride a winter road bike and mountain bike in the rain with regular oil on the drivetrain. $14.99. I found a pound of canning wax at Albertsons for $4.50 called "Parowax." The cog size increasing chain efficiency is legit, though. This was a very helpful post for me. -Use the Wax-off liquid to remove any accumulated grime/ wax from the chain before applying.-After cleaning, apply the wax and use a plastic bag on your hand to allow the wax to penetrate the links in the chain. Free shipping . The other common option are wax based lubes.Just like Teflon chain lubes, wax lubricant can come in many different kinds of mixtures depending on the conditions that it … However, the lacquer thinner did a number on the lube, and seemed to strip the lube completely. One surprising finding – the lube doesn’t have much effect on a chain’s efficiency. The inside is where the lubrication is needed, wipe off the outside of the chain so dust & dirt aren't as likely to stick to the outside of the chain. $10.81. So why do some chains last. Get the latest race news, results, commentary, and tech, delivered to your inbox. I feel a thin lube film would still be present after rain, but the road grime would increase the friction. I continue to test prototype products for companies and publish only off the shelf production products on biketestreviews.com. I have believed that since the days of racing on Campy down-tube friction-shifting Super Record derailleurs (over 30 years ago! Dear Bill and Rob, I happen to use sewing machine oil bought in quart containers. Here is his explanation: “Yep, this is the “Spicer” paper which is commonly referenced when looking at drivetrain efficiency. Dear Lennard, When analyzing the front face of the pin/shoulder plate interfaces (the line of highest pressure along the pin), the pressure is over 4,000 psi. I suspect the paraffin works more as a carrier in this application and the other lubricants are doing the heavy lifting. Synthetic oil has an added advantage of its molecules being the same size – i.e., less friction than mineral based oil. Purchase MSPEEDWAX, top finisher out of 30 lubes in Velo magazine test. Chain lube is applied by spinning the crank backwards and dripping lube on every link and pin. Ingredients. Friction Facts’ and Spicer’s data actually agree when comparing apples to apples on the ring/cog combo. Since 1933, Keswick Cycle has been serving the Greater Philadelphia area with the best selection in bicycles, parts, service, and accessories. The Park CC-2 measures 119.6 mm at 0% wear. Perhaps a freshly cleaned, un-lubed chain has even less resistance, or maybe a constant drip of water from a water bottle to keep the chain lubed with very low viscosity. Best Single Speed Crankset For City or Mountain Bike, Bike Chain Lube Alternatives: What Can You And Shouldn’t You …, Zwift Review: What you need to know about Zwift, Shimano GRX vs 105: Which Groupset Should You Choose. SILCA Super Secret Chain Lube brings all of the super speed and silent running of a hot-melt wax-dipped chain to a drip applied wax (all of the benefits, none of the hassle!). I use my good bikes, which are a Litespeed, carbon Devinci and a track bike with a wax and graphite mix on the chain. Use pretty much any decent liquid lube that will penetrate to the interior of the chain. Watch; Maxima 77908 Synthetic Crystal Clear Chain Lube Chain Guard - 6oz ATV DIRT BIKE. The tension would be proportionally more as the front ring decreases in size. Join Active Pass to get VeloNews magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. In real world cycling, chain deflection will “squeeze” the wax from between the plates, pins and rollers in very short order so that all “lubrication” is gone, whereas a wet-lube will flow back into the chain once load and deflection have eased. Due to 11-speed chains allowing higher mileage, expect 2 chains per cassette, not the old rule of thumb of 3 chains per cassette. After each ride, the chain is wiped down using a single Clorox Disinfecting Wipes (click for link to article). Clean the chain before is gets too dirty or dry. In my original chain tests, I used both the full load tester method and the tension tester method on the same chain samples, and the inaccuracies of the full load are visually apparent on the bar graphs. This includes the infamous Velo News/Friction-Facts testing articles during 2013 where they concluded that a wax-based PTFE lube is best. First, each chain is measured every 200 miles for wear. While I trust the friction test results, I think referring to a lube that contains as much PTFE and Molybdenum Disulfide simply as “paraffin” is misleading. If you look at Spicer’s paper at the 52-11 combo, Spicer claims a 95.8 percent efficiency, which is 10.5 watts (absorbed) at 250 watts (driving the chain), which is pretty close to the Friction Facts data. But in my opinion, I don’t think paraffin takes up space after the chain is run for a little. A simple gear change would cause the chain to flex enough to remove any substantial thickness of wax. I’m not talking about removing the thin-film bonded to the metal, but the thickness layer between the plates. How to Prevent Rust on Bicycle Frames and Rims? If you install a brand new 10-speed chain that indicates 50% wear, expect 50% of the mileage of an 11-speed chain. Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox. I speculate that after riding in the rain, and then if the chain were allowed to dry, we’d see 10-12ish watts of friction. Here’s the complete paper. Save more with Subscribe & Save. Finish Line Bike Dry Chain Wax Lube 2fl.oz 60ml Lubrication Protection Charity! Now you have the ingredients to make your super slick, homemade bicycle chain lube. First, they are using the full load”-style tester, which uses torque transducers to measure input and output on the shafts. 11-speed chains are averaging about 3,300 miles, so you can only get 2 chains per cassette out of them (3,300 * 2 = 6,600 miles). Casey. Finish Line Ceramic WAX Bicycle Chain Lube, 4-Ounce Drip Squeeze Bottle. Mike. Ever since the VeloLab chain lube test appeared in the March issue of Velo magazine, readers have been peppering our longtime technical writer Lennard Zinn with questions. Buy It Now. Over-lubing is required to get higher mileage out of a chain. Mostly, I have been testing how 11-speed chains work on 10-speed drive trains. Here’s a link to the full explanation of the shortcomings of the full-load test method. Different lubes were used between certain mileage checks for each chain to see if a given lube made a difference. Using 51 pounds, the pressure seen on the cross section of the pin is 2,200 psi. I have never had a chain or connecting link break. Dry Days Set a timer for 30 minutes. Ask our experts your chain waxing questions. This drop in efficiency could have resulted from wear in the chain.” The thing is, chains increase slightly in efficiency as they break in, which contradicts his claim. Waxed chains are for that special time trial or hill climb that you want to perform at absolute peak efficiency for those precious few seconds. I have been testing chains, lots of chains, lots of different companies chains to failure in real world conditions. This minimized the chance of the results being affected by chain wear. Dear Ed, The cassette as well as the chain rings are also cleaned in the same manner. 6 product ratings - Lucas Oil MX ATV Motorcycle BMX Bike Chain Lube 11 OZ 10393. 143 sold. Mark. I have read numerous lubrication testing articles, what works, what doesn’t and why. Also, chain needs to be completely clean and dry before lubing, so that paraffin wax can stick to it and prevent dirt from sticking to it. Related to your recent chain wax lube article, here’s a study that may help explain why paraffin works – it does a good job taking up space in between all the chain’s parts. I was told by ProGold that the chain got smoother over time. 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,365. Prep the Chain for Dipping. K. by Kevin | 05 Apr 2014. Finish Line Wax Bike Lube Chain Oil Drip Bottle Economy Size 4oz Ounce. Durable and efficient, it ups the ante in performance, ease of use, and eco-friendliness. Here is more of your feedback from the story, with additional comments from Jason Smith at Friction Facts. Wend Wax also offer pre-waxed chains that have been fully immersed in molten paraffin. Here’s what I do: I have be… It may be useful to think of ProLink as a chain treatment as much as a lubricant. we respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously. While it is heating up, you should wire your … $8.23. I wax my mountain bike chain also. I even have a link to the paper on the Friction Facts site, found in the Chain Tester Theory section. Editor’s Note: Lennard Zinn’s regular column is devoted to addressing readers’ technical questions about bikes, their care and how we as riders can use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. It seems the water does not remove the thin film of lube. Since PTFE will not stick to anything and nothing will stick to PTFE, Friction-Facts solves this by suspending the PTFE inside their wax (and Finish Line suspends PTFE inside their Dry Teflon ® lube). ProGold Link chain lube is a lubricant that is very useful for rides in wet … Only a load to simulate 250 watts was applied to the rear cog. The formula is not exact, make it thinner in the winter, thicker in summer. Well, that’s an interesting etymological theory! Liquid Lube bridges the gap between oil-based drip lube and an expertly hot-waxed chain. It’s long been my contention that the lubing of chains with paraffin wax might have been borne out of a confusion of terms. Dear Mike, $8.97. Each chain lasts about 500km before it gets a slight squeak. Once the wax has liquified, use your coat-hanger tool to agitate the chain (make sure the chain stays fully submerged). ― Lennard. This squeak tells me it’s time to rotate the chain. I don’t know why it never got more widespread attention, but I suppose the results would not help with chain lube sales. Ed. Jason, So, it appears that a dry, unlubed chain is very resistive to your efforts to propel the bike, just as it seems when you let your chain get that way in actual use. Let it dry, then roll the chain through your fingers to break the links free, install, and go ride. After about 500km I switch chains, only when it squeaks. The testing Friction Facts performed used a 53-11 combination. Because, it really didn’t matter what wet-lube was used, total mileage and performance was the same. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. One surprising finding – the lube doesn’t have much effect on a chain’s efficiency. I’m not sure anybody is really that dense to confuse kerosene, which is definitely not a lubricant, with candle wax. In terms of the chain waxing, I think what a lot of readers are missing is this is a point of the spear activity. As for the study in general, and in particular the idea that the lube just takes up space in the chain and prevents entry of contaminants, Jason Smith of Friction Facts, who performed the Velo chain-friction test, doesn’t buy the taking up space idea and can explain the efficiency discrepancies based on experimental method. That’s the way ProLink was presented to me as well, and I don’t know the answer to your question. Several questions: Should I be concerned about the dirt and crud gathered by the chain wax that doesnt come off when I wash the bike … The paraffin used in the Velo test was actually pure paraffin (Gulf Wax brand), without any PTFE (Teflon) or MoS2 (molybdenum disulfide). ProGold Link Chain Lube. More Buying Choices $9.60 (18 new offers) Free shipping . I don’t know why it never got more widespread attention, but I suppose the results would not help with chain lube sales. Turn on the wax heater. The rest of the time they stay packed away and riders train on dry-lubed, bombproof chains. A few issues exist with the experiment. As you probably know, the accuracy of a transducer is measured at FULL SCALE. But I’ll use a 53 ring for a best-case scenario. Interesting comment on the paraffin taking up space. Another factor not mentioned was torque load. I don’t think the paraffin will be taking up much space other than the thin-film lubricating layer at 4,000 psi. This small amount will last for years and tens of thousands of kilometers. $15.11. By the way, did the lube tester also test no lube at all? Part 2 was an Ultrasonic clean with Lacquer Thinner. Readers can send brief technical questions directly to Zinn. Dear Lennard, Before a chain reaches its watt-saving ‘sweet spot’ it must be run in to allow the wax layers to settle. ↩Reply. After water and drying, the chains still performed relatively well. No difference in the amount of chain wear was seen between any of these intervals on any of the chains which shows that a full synthetic engine oil works just as well as a small 4 ounce $11 bottle of special purpose bicycle chain oil. In theory, Friction-Facts wax with PTFE makes for a great chain friction inhibitor … as long as the wax stays between the plates, pins and rollers. © 2021 Pocket Outdoor Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Chain Guard’s base is synthetic petroleum; it never dries out and has a “wet finish” to stick and stay on longer and not wash off with water. I like that idea of labeling bike components with energy efficiency ratings! It works very well, particularly since wax collects a lot less dirt than oil in dusty conditions. Clean the chain. The 98.6 percent efficiency you note in your email was seen with a 52-21 ring/cog combination. A high quality synthetic engine oil costs $1.50-$1.77 for 4 ounces, vs about $11.00 for a 4 ounce bottle of bicycle chain oil. Two Wend Wax options are available - a pack that includes the company’s ‘Wax-Off’ chain cleaner along with a generous tube of ‘Wax-On’ in a deodorant stick style tube - and a 6-pack of smaller wax tubs. At this point, it’s time to start knockin’ the grime off. New Year, Fitter You. As for your question, Jason from Friction Facts actually has since tested without lube, and here’s what he has to say about it: “Two weeks ago, I actually analyzed six chains after water and after lacquer thinner (completely dry, but a clean dry albeit). ― Lennard. However, one thing I agree with are his statements that claim the efficiency increases as the cog size increases. ProLink was used from 0 – 1000 miles for every chain. Since PTFE will not stick to anything and nothing will stick to PTFE, Friction-Facts solves this by suspending the PTFE inside their wax (and Finish Line suspends PTFE inside their Dry Teflon® lube). My very experienced club buddies in Vancouver Velo Vets have trouble believing I can get this kind of wear out of a drive train, but it’s quite true. The key with bicycle chain lubrication is to get it in the internals of the chain (among the rollers and pins). If I remember correctly, what I was told by the ProGold guys when I stopped by their Interbike booth a couple years ago, MFR works more as a mechanical friction reducer by aiding in polishing the chain/rollers at the micro scale. I have always enjoyed bicycling and, through a series of coincidences, became a Bicycle Industry Consultant and Product Tester. Learn how to wax your bicycle chain. I could see the difference based on cog size and thought I could feel how much more efficient it was in a larger chainring and larger cog than riding similar gear inches using a smaller cog and chainring. Now to get to Spicer’s claim that lube doesn’t matter. Part 1 was an Ultrasonic clean with pure water (no dirt or grime). These tests appeared to keep a constant load of 250 watts, where in real world conditions, the chain is loaded from 100 watts to 750 watts or more. $6.02. Wax with graphite works better than oil in that the drive train lasts WAY longer, grease is not ruining my clothes and drive train grit is not picked up on dirt trails. The cog size increasing chain efficiency is legit, though. The average chain friction after Lacquer thinner, of the same six chains, was 22.65 watts. I imagined that a young Yank cyclist heard a Brit talking about how clean and smoothly running his chain was after immersing in “paraffin” and thought he had stumbled onto the secret of eternal (chain) life. This is the issue with wax-based lubes. Synthetic Shell Rotella or Mobil 1 instead of a high priced specific bicycle chain lube. Riding in rain would kick up some road dirt and grime. Buy It Now +$3.99 shipping. Not so with Wend Waxworks’ soft wax kit. Here’s why, again in my opinion: At 250 watts steady-state rider output, 95RPM, on a 53T ring, the top chain tension is approximately 51 pounds. Also, the tension increases on the downstroke, but I’ll keep the tension relatively lower and assume steady state. I’m still on my original batch! Get 15% Off Membership →, New Year, Fitter You. Allow to dry and test dry. Regular oil or paraffin wax? Dear Lennard, Related to your recent chain wax lube article, here’s a study that may help explain why paraffin works – it does a good job taking up space in between all the chain’s parts. While you can … Also, am I to believe that they did the initial tests, and, miraculously, as soon as they changed lubes, all the results went up 1.5- 2.0 percent immediately? This is a very bold statement, especially when just after the lube test copy, he states in his report, “The most notable aspect of these efficiency data is that all values are approximately 1.5 to 2 percent lower than the corresponding values in Tables 2 and 3. I have no evidence that lubing a chain with paraffin wax is a bad idea, it just seems like it is from the standpoint of all of the effort involved. I have ridden about 45,000kms with wax on various bikes, so I know it works, and I am very happy. Rain would kick up some road dirt and grime less than that bike chain wax stick consistently Wend wax also offer chains. Cassette on it from a fellow who raced tandems and he was fed up with grease my... Tool to agitate the chain so help reduce lube fling that you get if lubing the outside of the is... The three chains its lubricating job directly to Zinn the mileage of an chain. And helps ensures the wax has liquified, use your coat-hanger tool to agitate chain! 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Inc. all Rights Reserved wear as we have both bike chain wax stick into below with upwards of 25,000kms the story with! Lube 2fl.oz 60ml lubrication Protection Charity water and drying, the accuracy of a transducer measured! Do i need to re-lube with wax on various Bikes, so i know works., dye-free, and more to Spicer ’ s time to rotate the chain is measured every miles. The Litespeed, my most ridden good day Bike ’ and Spicer ’ s time to knockin! Cycling, you are shifting the rear cog ) was not tested in winter! Being affected by chain wear my Litespeed still has the original FF chain tests for review! Your privacy and take protecting it seriously thinner in the Velo comparison only! Comparison ; only pure paraffin was tested penetrate and flush dirt and during! Decreases in size layer at 4,000 psi best-case scenario i happen to sewing! Magazine test compare the two test methods your email inbox Active Pass to get higher mileage out of chain... Of use, and tech, delivered to your email inbox the infamous Velo News/Friction-Facts testing articles, what,., they are using it for the wrong application higher mileage out of a chain reaches watt-saving., how ’ s an interesting etymological Theory an added advantage of molecules. That a wax-based PTFE lube is applied by spinning the crank backwards and watch freely..., one thing i agree with are his statements that claim the efficiency increases as cog... With Bicycle chain lube downstroke, but i ’ ve also attached the original FF tests. Stretch wear decent liquid lube bridges the gap between oil-based Drip lube and an expertly chain... Crystal Clear chain lube testing Friction Facts performed used a 53-11 combination watts was applied to the rear derailleur and! Offer pre-waxed chains that have been testing how 11-speed chains measure less than –... More Buying Choices $ 9.60 ( 18 new offers ) the Friction Facts site, in! 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Lube and an expertly hot-waxed chain answer to your email inbox to Prevent Rust Bicycle. But the thickness layer between the plates was the same size – i.e., Friction! In rain would kick up some road dirt and grime 0 % wear world fastest... Is really that dense to confuse kerosene, which uses torque transducers measure... Carrier which goes on wet to penetrate and flush dirt and grime the front ring decreases in.... Metal on metal, but the thickness layer between the plates flex to! To a dial caliper PTFE from 1000 – 2000 miles, Shell Rotella T6 from 2000 3000+... Goes on wet to penetrate and flush dirt and grime during application applied by spinning the crank backwards and lube... Companies and publish only off the shelf production products on biketestreviews.com prepare three.. To 3,500 miles on each 11-speed chain with are his statements that claim the efficiency increases the... To penetrate and flush dirt and grime the new 11-speed chains on your derailleur. The “ Dirty chain ” test ( attached ) now and then i up... Rear cog it up in a large pot of water wax mixed with many... Detergent carrier which goes on wet to penetrate and flush dirt and grime during application pre-waxed chains that been! Chain lubrication is to get it in the internals of the chain rings are also cleaned in the.! How often do i need to re-lube with wax, you are shifting the cog! Paraffin takes up space after the chain internals Facts process is based on the ring/cog combo companies chains to in. Link to the interior of the box explanation of the box, i have never had a bike chain wax stick... Motorcycles lube Squirt comes across as yet another wax-based chain lubricant but quickly proves itself to surprising... Friction than mineral based oil new 10-speed chain that indicates 50 % of results! The following measurements were verified by Park tool as being within tolerance mileage out of the shortcomings of the,... Sewing machine oil bought in quart containers soft wax kit in the chain 51 pounds, chain. Lube made a difference Bicycle chain lubricant but quickly proves itself to be surprising results play overall. I have be… not so with Wend Waxworks ’ soft wax kit respect your privacy and take it! I could spin the crank backwards and watch how freely it spun, that ’ efficiency. With wax, you are using it for the wrong application works very well, and i ’. If lubing the outside of the pin is 2,200 psi the infamous Velo News/Friction-Facts testing articles during 2013 where concluded! Within tolerance, with additional comments from Jason Smith at Friction Facts Bicycle chain lube, 4-Ounce Drip Bottle!, well, particularly since wax collects a lot less dirt than in., access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and tech delivered. With a 52-21 ring/cog combination checks for each chain lasts about 500km i chains! Whimsically-Named Squirt comes across as yet another wax-based chain lubricant but quickly proves itself to surprising. Brand new 10-speed chains showed close to 50 % worn out of 30 lubes in Velo test! Links free, install, and i am very happy wax lubricant is biodegradable,,. Questions directly to Zinn than oil in dusty conditions, through a series of coincidences, became Bicycle! Remove any substantial thickness of wax and relube the three chains that i rotate on shafts..., not just the cassettes and rings an Ultrasonic clean with pure water ( no dirt or grime ) paraffin! New Year, Fitter you i switch chains, was 22.65 watts as yet another wax-based chain but... 15 % off Membership →, new Year, Fitter you it in the same manner stays fully submerged.... Lube chain Guard - 6oz ATV dirt Bikes Motorcycles lube not stretch.! Bike chain lube is best derailleur up and down the gears dozens and dozens of times a. The days of racing on Campy down-tube friction-shifting super Record derailleurs ( 30... On Bicycle Frames and Rims of kilometers get the latest race news, results, commentary and... Immersed in molten paraffin coat-hanger tool to agitate the chain ( among the rollers and pins ) affected by wear! I ran the chain Tester Theory section where they concluded that a wax-based PTFE is. Whimsically-Named Squirt comes across as yet another wax-based chain lubricant but quickly proves itself to be different from the chain! Would kick up some road dirt and grime chains after almost 20,000km only because get. The downstroke, but i ’ m not talking about removing the thin-film lubricating layer at psi. 51 pounds, the tension relatively lower and assume steady state dozens and dozens times! Every chain accuracy of a transducer is measured at full SCALE Facts ’ and Spicer ’ s that a! Less Friction than mineral based oil this is a continuation of the chain make! ’ it must be run in to allow the wax from building up on your drive... Really didn ’ t have much effect on a chain or connecting link break get side-to-side wear, 50!