A few months ago I wrote about changing by bike chain lubrication to a wax based system. Shortly after then I reduced my bike riding considerably and the wax testing fell off the radar. I was still riding with the wax chains. However I had not done a re-waxing of the chains.
The reason for that was the number of projects we had going. Just getting the cock pot up to heat with the wax takes a couple hours. Then you need a space where you can hang the chain to dry and keep things clean. Once I setup a work bench in the shed I had my space.
So last weekend I rinsed the 2 chains that I had ridden on for about 200 miles each. To rinse a waxed chain you place the chain into a colander and pour boiling water over the chain. This washes away the wax on the outside of the chain, which is also where the dirt and debris are attached.
Then I air dried the chains before dipping them individually into the wax/Teflon mixture in the crock pot. Once they soaked for a few minutes I air dried them on a dowel rod hanger I custom built during the waxing operation. Then I reapplied one chain set back on the bike and rode smoothly again.
So far I would say the waxing process is challenging but worth it. From having to strip the factory lube off of new chains, to setting aside a few hours to reapply the wax. There are a lot of parts and pieces involved. However the bike does ride noticeably smoother and has better shifting.
