Sorry, I know this is really just another variation on how to top up wax lubes, but I'm still scratching my head over it.
I'm totally sold on hot waxing for the usual reasons, efficiency, clean drivetrain and drivetrain longevity.
Problem is, any additional drivetrain life I achieve is probably offset by the occasional long or wet ride I do where I end up squeaking home on a bare chain after the wax eventually wears off (anywhere between 80km and 150km in my experience).
Applying a top-up of Synergetic gets me home and feels smooth and fast, but the chain ends up a clarty black mess again (a problem with Synergetic I find, even applying fastidiously with the needle tipped applicator and wiping down after, enough excess always squeezes out during riding to attract an unholy amount of dust and grit). Obviously then requires a complete strip and re-wax which I really can't be bothered with.
I wondered if Viking Juice might be a good compromise. It's thin, so will undoubtedly needed top up during the ride, but it 'cures' in 3-4 minutes apparently and I seem to recall doesn't get all manky and black. Worth accepting repeated applications on longer rides for a cleaner drivetrain?
Applying a top-up of Synergetic gets me home and feels smooth and fast, but the chain ends up a clarty black mess again (a problem with Synergetic I find, even applying fastidiously with the needle tipped applicator and wiping down after, enough excess always squeezes out during riding to attract an unholy amount of dust and grit). Obviously then requires a complete strip and re-wax which I really can't be bothered with.
I've never waxed, but I'm very impressed with how long synergetic stays put for. Agree RE the mess - I find that wiping the chain down after the first 15-20 miles sorts that out.
Proper downpours in Scotland on the gravel bike, and river crossings on the MTB - very impressed.
Anything else I've tried in the past would have become rodent choir pretty quickly.
Personally I just put up with a squeaky chain til I get home rather than go insane carrying little bottles of lube and stopping to inspect my chain in the middle of a ride. Maybe my chains would last a few km longer if I did lube mid-ride but think my rides are more enjoyable without stopping to do maintenance. Am still getting a ridiculous amount of use before each chain starts to wear.
For multi day crap conditions riding I do sometimes take some drip on wax to apply overnight. It’s rarely the ideal application conditions but it seems to keep things running sweet.
With a waxed chain, it's the wax between the side plates that goes first. This is normally the cause of any squeak while there is still lube in the roller.
Try again with just the wax, then clean with a hot water rinse when you get back. Then use a heat gun or hairdryer to dry it off. If it gets stiff, then there was still wax in the chain I'm often surprised with how much wax is left when I think the chain is done
According to Juice Lubes, Viking isn't supposed to be applied to bikes and then immediately ridden, as it needs time to 'cure'. I've used it for years now as my only chain lube and it's very good (I routinely do 75-80km wet gritty rides without needing to re-lube mid-ride) but does need to applied at least the day before you go riding. I generally use it after a wash, so it's ready when I ride again. Juice Lube claim that it builds up over time, I've never been in a position to prove or disprove that. (nor do I care over much either way)
I'm new to using the Silica hot wax system. Did a long road/gravel ride last eek (multiple 100 mile days), the chain was getting noisy by the end of the first day. I applied some Squirt to the chain on the following mornings and it was fine. But now I need to strip it all off and start again :-/
Thinking it might have been easier to just stick with Squirt alone. Not sure I'm getting the benefits of the hot waxing?!
^ Why not just use Silca's top up wax, no additional faff required afterwards
Thinking it might have been easier to just stick with Squirt alone. Not sure I'm getting the benefits of the hot waxing?!
Can’t speak to the relative benefits of drip vs immersion, but your life might be easier if you top up with the silca drip wax rather than squirt. That way there’s no need to go crazy stripping the chain.
Personally I just put up with a squeaky chain til I get home rather than go insane carrying little bottles of lube and stopping to inspect my chain in the middle of a ride.
Yeah but it's happened to me with 10-20km to go in the past and it's not just a bit of squeaking it's genuinely bone dry, you can feel the difference once you actually lube it again. And yes, perhaps I'm just a bit sensitive but on the gravel bike especially it's just not pleasant.
but your life might be easier if you top up with the silca drip wax rather than squirt
You can't top up with the Silca stuff mid-ride though, it needs to cure overnight.
Not sure I'm getting the benefits of the hot waxing?!
It outlasts most stuff in my experience and works beautifully while it lasts. My only issue topping it up when it does wear off.
According to Juice Lubes, Viking isn't supposed to be applied to bikes and then immediately ridden
Ah shame, the half empty bottle I still have in the garage says 2-4 minutes then ride!
I'm a big fan of the Peaty's all weather lube,
But I know you're already invested in the ways of the wax 😄
I don't suffer with rust spots like this reviewer, but then I don't really wash my chain, I just give it rub with a rag, apply some of Peaty's lube, wipe again with a rag (the rag is quite dirty so the lube seems to be cleaning my chain) then apply another quick coating and leave it. Seems to work for me.
https://off.road.cc/content/review/lubrication/peatys-linklube-all-weather-chain-lube-review-7143
I don't wax.*
I do use Juice Viking and it's so much better than all sorts of crappy Finish Line or MucOff things I had tried for years. I do apply well before a ride, often at the end of a ride, but then wipe off next time I pull bike out to use it.
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*Bike or anywhere else.
How is Peaty's after 150km of mixed wet and dry conditions?
That's the specific challenge, I'm sorted for decent lubricant and lack of rust, it's literally just the durability and top-up-ability
just use putoline you tart 🙂
Long dry rides shouldn't be an issue but yeah wet riding isn't great for a waxed chain. Once the weather turns I'm going to try the tip Josh @ Silca gave in a video (about why they didn't sell a wet weather chip), and that's adding some synerg-e lube into the hot wax (I think only a couple of squirts). He reckoned in their testing that held up as well in the wet as any other blends they tried for a wet weather chip. I also use an endurance chip btw.
As for picking up dust/grit - either use a microfibre towel or a Silca gear wipe (those are wax friendly, I'm sure there's probably cheaper options though...). You don't need to re-hot-wax just for a dirty outer chain.
For multi-day rides where I was worried about the odd bit of mud/water I'd probably take a small bottle of synergetic with me
Silca Synergetic is oil based, are you topping up a hot waxed chain ? If you so the next time hot waxing the wax is not going to stick to the chain unless you strip the chain. If you are hot waxing you need Silca super secret to top up and not Synergetic. Have a few chains in circulation, a new chain has very little space for the wax so doesn't last as long as chain coming to the end of it's life. After a few hundred miles the wax will last a lot longer, use these chains for the longer/wet rides.
Silca Synergetic is oil based, are you topping up a hot waxed chain ? If you so the next time hot waxing the wax is not going to stick to the chain unless you strip the chain
Yeah understood 👍 Is why I'm so reluctant to top up on a ride due to the mess and faff of having to strip it again!
BUT maybe you've hit upon the solution, I just keep a spare chain for the big days out and lube it with Synergetic. Means I can enjoy the benefits of the waxed chains the rest of the time...
^^have you tried topping up on a ride with super secret ?
Would there be any point? I saw Dylan Johnson and Josh Portner discussing that somewhere and concluding there was no point? (stays liquid and attracts dust and dirt but doesn't provide any useful lubrication).
Not sure, I have never used as a top up, but it is my regular lube on the road bike. It’s as close as proper wax for me without going the whole hog into wax baths and chain removal.
it’s interesting how different types of soil affect lube performance, as you know I use synergetic on the gravel bikes and have done some longish wet rides with no issue, though not the same distance as some of yours for sure. I can comfortably do a few mixed rides of road and wet windfarm gravel, adding up to well over 100 miles with just a light wipe down between rides with a microfibre cloth and it stays shiny and quiet.
