How To Choose The Right Chain Lube

Bike chains need their fair share of TLC but knowing what type of lube to use for your bike can be a bit of a headache. Wet lube, drip wax, immersive wax... what's the difference? Luckily, Ollie is here to take you through the ins and outs of each type and which is best for you.

00:00 Intro
00:26 Different lubes
00:37 Immersive waxing
03:56 Drip on wax
07:16 Wet lube
08:41 Do's and dont's

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Let us know what sort of chain lube you use in the comments below 👇

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[gcntech]

Let us know what sort of chain lube you use 👇

[jordanallen]

live in Adelaide Australia. Simply go with a good wet lube all year round. BUT. I do multiple immersive solvent bath washes (kero in a jar and shake) finished with an ethanol bath to strip all remaining oils from the chain, then let dry in the sun. Do this first while doing a general service on the bike, so by the time you finish the chain is dry.

On the kitchen bench, drip on my lube of choice, rub through several time then wipe down the chain with a clean rag until no more residue (oil) gets left on the rag.

Doing this has resulted in chains that last exceptionally well and tend to keep a clean chain for 500-800kms with a service life near 1, 000kms before the next bike service.

[veriest]

I've been on the Silca Wax for a while now and couldn't be happier for my dry climate. One way to make it faster is to have two waxed chains for your bike but I just top up with the drip-on wax and give it a fresh dunk in the melted wax every 1000km or so. I recall Josh recommending this procedure on the Marginal Gains Podcast and it's worked well for me.

However, the best part, the best part, the best part, is how clean the waxed chain is. Especially for a bike that's stored indoors or is on the trainer a lot of the time. In the latter case, it's especially nice because my white cat doesn't end up with black streaks down her back anymore.

[chawley]

My local bike shop insisted that the "blue" wet lube was the best for my gravel bike...all it really did was require more frequent cleaning and it turned the Arizona dust into the grinding paste you speak of! I switched to immersive waxing and now my chain is shiny, quiet, shifts smoother, and easily lasts for 300+ kilometers!

[davidvrkoc]

I'm a "waxer". I have one chain on bike and four waxed chains ready to use. When the wax is off I take a prepared chain. When I take the last chain I clean and rewax the used ones.

[phenofinder]

Wax submersion is my jam. The process is therapeutic when you become comfortable doing it.

[SrFederico]

I'm actually very happy with the Super Secret Chain Coating. I did a full imersion over night in that, and top it up every now and then. Chain always clean, and no streching of the chain since 3k kilometers.
BUT there is one major problem: All the Silca wax products haven't been available in Germany since months! They are stronger in advertising than in production, it seems ..

[Hill_Walker]

I saw a video on yt which had a great tip for ultrasonic cleaners which I feel is relevant.

They recommended having you cleaning (or waxing) solutions in plastic vessels which you then place you dirty bits in.
Submerging the container with dirty bits and cleaning solution in ultrasonic cleaner tub which just needs plain water to conduct the the vibrations.

Less mess and more use out of your cleaning solutions.

[Hebbs]

Been using Silca hot wax for about 9 months now on my race bike which I’ve done about 5000 miles on including on the turbo. Got 2 chains which I rotate and haven’t registered any wear yet. The best thing for me is how clean it is. I can work on my bike with light coloured clothes with no worry about stains. It takes about 2 mins of actual work to rewax the chain as you just carry on with other tasks while heating the wax and then waiting for it to cool. Personally I think it’s actually less effort than a lubed chain as I have NEVER had to clean my drive train since waxing! Granted I have another bike I use in the winter and when it’s wet but it’s so much easier than using degreaser trying to clean an oily chain.

[peterharrington]

TBH my Silica hot waxed chain got me through 3/4 of the Dirty (and pretty wet) Riever this weekend. Topped it up with a drip wax (Weldtite) for the remainder. Maybe not optimal but good to go. Will wash and redo it today. Simple, no mess. Even workable for multi day events really as all you need to clean the thing is hot water.

[HamRadio]

2:40 I have never known paraffin wax to be water soluble. In fact, a quick search on the inter web will confirm that paraffin wax is not water soluble. Therefore, wet environments should have no ill effect on a properly waxed chain. Cleaning a waxed chain with boiling water from a kettle may release some wax, but you really need a warm/hot non-polar solvent to really release the wax.

[craigsmith]

I've just started waxing my chain after burning through a chain in 1500km over the winter. Every week I degreased the chain and applied fresh lube. Using just regular 'dinner' candles from the hardware store I've gone 2000km and I've got zero wear. I spend less time cleaning and more time riding. Now it's just a weekly drop in the hot wax bucket and good to go for another week. Cassette and chain rings stay clean and I've not found a need to do any cleaning. Now to find a way to get that silca secrete wax where I live to see if it's even better.

[stuartdryer]

I find immersion waxing quite easy once I had the stuff I need, and I'm a mechanical anti-talent. My chains now last an incredibly long time. Also I like the Silca version best. Each application lasts longer than the other ones I've tried. I do tend to avoid riding in the rain.

[alexanderdemeulenaere]

I'm using on my MTB and road bike since a good year Squirt Wax and I'm very satisfied about this. I'm also applying it to my girlfriend her gravel bike which she also uses to commute to work. I'm considering later on this year to invest in the tools for immersive waxing. I'm never going back to dirty oil based lubricants for my chain!

[xtrailz]

Ollie is the new Mister Miyagi ... "Wax on, wax off"

[thelesserzdoctor]

Top tip: I also use the silca drip on lube in this video but I put the bottle in a cup of hot water for a few minutes before applying it. Obviously, it becomes a lot less viscous and flows better when warmed up.

[conceptcs]

Will just stick with wet lube. I wipe off the chain with dry cloth, and reapply. My 105 chains are now at over 4000km. Checked it with the chain ruler the other day, still good.

[stevenss]

Tipp: Use Wippermann-Connex chains. With the special chain link you don’t even have to use a tool to take the chain off. It makes cleaning much easier.

[jeskli]

Most of the time I'm opting for Squirt drip vax and I'm very satisfied with it, it also lasts surprisingly long and it's reasonably cheap here (thanks to a generous supplier it's not uncommon to get a small bottle, which is enough for maybe ten lubrications, for free in a starting pack at local races). For winter riding and most bad weather CX/MTB races I use some wet lube provided by my team's sponsor (it's not one to recommend though…). I'm, however, now considering getting a nice new "good weather only" road bike and for that I'd be tempted to try the hot wax method.

[SignorLuigi]

I've been using Silca hot wax with its Super Secret drip wax between hot wax emersion treatments and can't overstate how pleased I've been with the results. I do one thing before follow-up hot wax treatments. I put 99% rubbing alcohol in a jar, drop my waxed chain in, shake vigorously and then remove the chain. This removes most of the debris that has collected on the chain and prevents that debris from getting mixed in with my hot wax solution. Takes essentially no time and keeps that precious Silca Hot Wax as clean as the day I bought it. ❤️