micromobility - Ebikes, scooters, longboards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility
Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!
"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.
micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"
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Lubing a chain is always easy. But lubing doesn't actually clean the chain, which is what contributes to worn components and an inefficient ride. That's the absolute worst part if you're using an oil based lube, because you pretty much have to use solvents or an ultrasonic cleaner to actually get the important parts of the chain clean.
Waxing is so much better in every way. π€
washing chains is the worst shit ever. I really want a belt bike.
Seriously, waxing my chains changed my life. They are always clean, and rewaxing is dead simple.
Obviously, there's a small investment upfront for the wax, and something to melt it in, but it's way cheaper in the long rung.
Been looking it up now. Wouldn't a glass jar work? Can leave the wax in it to reuse too. Need to find the wax though, I know local shops don't have it.
The wax needs to be melted, so a slow cooker or something like that is pretty commonly used.
I'm using an actual "wax melter" for candles and stuff like that. It looks like a small rice cooker. Very inexpensive, but it's all I need.
The hardest part, and this applies to all chains, is getting the factory lube off it. I use a Silca product that strips chain lube without the use of harsh solvents, and that only needs to be done once.
When it's time to re-wax, I can take a chain and just put it in the pot of melted wax for a few minutes, then remove and hang to cool off.
Silca is the most popular brand of bike wax around here. If you're in Europe, there's a company called "Rex" that makes an even better wax. Not easy to find here in Canada, but ski shops sell the Rex brand because they make ski wax, too! LOL
The more I look into this the more conflicting information I end up finding! Stuff like chains are not build to be taken apart repeatedly, others saying that once the pin is pushed out you won't get it back in again. My chain doesn't have a quick link on it either. A lot of info on removing chains is for replacing them rather than take off and put the same one back on which doesn't help.
So stuff I presumably need - Chain splitter, KMC MissingLink reusable, the wax its self and then chain pliers to separate it in future. Then remove a single chain link by removing both pins that connect 2 outer joining links and then just push the missing link connectors through the hole each pin was in and clip into each other. From the image of the product it isn't directional either but can always check if it does have an arrow on it.
There are some very good resources to cut through much of the misinformation, and I'd recommend the following (in no particular order):
Silca (the brand), answers a lot of questions through their YouTube channel about chain wax, chain prep, etc. The company is American, so if I were to buy wax now, I'd go with a brand called "Rex", out of Europe. Canadian ski suppliers will have this brand, because they make ski wax, too.
Zero Friction Cycling is also an excellent resource, and they have a full video on how to wax from A to Z. This guy is from Australia, and he tests various lubes, chains, etc.
The Global Cycling Network (UK, and also known as "GCN") talks about wax a lot, too. And they have helpful videos about waxing. Note: they are sponsored by Silca, so they tend to mention Silca products a lot.
Unfortunately, Silca does make great products, but in the spirit of NotAmerican, I'll be avoiding purchasing products from the brand for the foreseeable future.
These are answered in any of the tutorial videos, but I'll add my own feedback.
I prefer to have more than one waxed chain available per bike. Yes, it adds an extra expense, but hear me out: the convenience of multiple chains makes it a lot faster/easier to manage things if you bike a lot. The money saved from waxing will pay for any of the initial expenses pretty quickly.
For chains links, most brands are not designed to be reusable. And even the reusable KMC links aren't meant to be used more than a few times. I went with Wipperman chains and extra Wipperman chainlinks. The chain company is German, and I bought them online through a bike shop in Quebec. These can be removed/installed without tools, and can be used "indefinitely" (i.e. the life of the chain).
My winter bike also has the KMC Z8.1 chains, which have added rust protection, and that's been working fine. I use the Wipperman link on those, too.
I prepped all of my chains with Silca chain stripper, which is a safe, easy, cost effective way to remove factory grease from a new chain. The alternative is to use harsh solvents. In this case, honestly, I'd simply recommend the Silca chain stripper purchased from a Canadian dealer and call it a day. It can be reused many times, and you really only need to use it once per chain.
For the wax pot itself, I'm using a cheap wax melter (looks like a small rice cooker). You may be able to find these locally, but mine was purchased from Amazon a while ago. Slow cookers also work, but they are very slow to heat up.
I do also use a digital food thermometer to monitor the wax temperature. Not really necessary, since you know when the wax is melted and can pull the chain out when the wax is cooling down.
This all sounds more complicated than it actually is. When I rewax a chain now, it really only requires a minute of my time. The rest is waiting for the wax to melt, and the chain to cool off after pulling it out... gives me time to tidy the kitchen or prepare a meal. But I never have to worry about greasy hands, solvents, black marks on clothes, chain wear, chain noise, replacing drivetrain components, etc...
No more black greasy stains on my hands certainly sounds like a massive benefit for using wax. I had heard that even the reusable KMC links are only reusable a few times but you get a couple of them so that presumably should last a few thousand km. Thanks for all the info, going to look at ordering stuff and hopefully will have a waxed chain in a week or two.
When I was talking so my group about waxed chains, I literally ran my hand over my chain, and it was 100% clean. It's almost like a magic trick!
And because of that, swapping chains out isn't nearly as bad as you'd think.
Yes, KMC can be reused, but they still require a tool to get on/off. Work with what you have, and invest where it makes the most sense to you.
I have waxed chains on rotation but my commute is wet and muddy. I want to be able to just hose the damn thing off. Once I set up the air compressor I might just do that anyway and blow off the water with air though.
You can still hose it off after the ride, just as you would with an oil-based wet lube. Just don't expect your chain to actually be clean! LOL
Re: wet and muddy, one game-changer for me was to extend my front fender to almost touching the ground, so NOTHING hits my BB or chainrings. The back wheel and cogs may get some splash down from the rear fender, but because nothing is actually sticking to the components, I almost feel like cleaning after a ride isn't necessary (but I still do because of SALT).
I absolutely hated previous winters where I'd ruin entire microfiber cloths "cleaning" the black shit off of my chains. I was using the top performing chain lube (Silca Synergetic) and one from Wolf Tooth that claimed to "clean" as it lubes (tested by Zero Friction Cycling to be a lie).
Call me insane but I'm using a mix of parafine + beeswax. No problems whatsoever yet - it's been great.
Interestingly enough, immersion candle wax tests better than most wet lubes, and quite a few wax-based drip lubes. But the absolute best longevity and prevention of wear comes from the immersion waxes that have metal-protecting additives in with their wax.
Considering how cheap commercial bike wax products are (cheap for how many times you can wax the chains), I've never really had the desire to make a DIY mixture.
That's the thing with wax, though. It's nearly always going to be better than an oil-based wet lube, unless you're in a 1000km event in pure mud, then you're destroying your chain and components regardless. In that context, oil-based lubes can be applied on the bike during an event, so that's the advantage there.
I use Rock N Roll 135816 Gold Chain Lubricant, it claims to clean and lube. My bike is cheap and I don't ride a massive amount but in 4 years of using it I've only used this lube and never cleaned it otherwise, still works great.
Obviously cleaning it occasionally would be a good idea though
I don't want to send you down a rabbit hole, but look up "zero friction cycling". They test chain lube and offer a huge amount of data and insight into claims made by lube companies.
Don't say I didn't warn you π¬π€£
Depends how far you want to go into it too though. I know the guy at Halfords hasn't even heard of wax and they don't sell it.
Just looked it up and apparently need to rewax every time it gets wet? I live in the UK, that doesn't sound practical at all.
Unfortunately, a lot of bike shops are either ignorant to wax, or they don't sell it on purpose because it's too good. LOL Many of the brands you'll find in a local bike shop are well known, but the wet lubes from those companies are terrible.
To put things into context: no matter how you lube your chain, including using oil-based wet lube, if you get your chain wet, it should be cleaned to remove contaminants from inside the pins/rollers.
Wax provides a physical barrier against contaminants, and protects much better than oil lube (with attracts contaminants).
I ride with fenders, so even the worst Canadian winters (salt, melted snow, road contaminants, etc.) don't cause my chain to be contaminated. I can come home from a ride, give it a wipe with a microfiber cloth, and the cloth will look clean because nothing stuck to it.
If it's really bad, I just swap the chain out. Or, if I'm short on time, I'll keep my chain on while I wash the crap off my bike, then use an air blower to get rid of any moisture. Seems to be working great.
Wet chains = rusted chains for most people. Only chains with rust inhibitors (i.e. KMC Z8.1) will help, but keeping your chain dry will go a long way.
If you are waxing your chains, and anticipate regular poor weather, I'd suggest having multiple chains in rotation. This ends up being much faster than cleaning and re-lubing a chain that has wet lube on it, and the chains continue to last forever while being clean.
During the summer months, I'll do an immersion wax every 1000-1500 km or so, but will "top up" with a wax drip lube every few hundred KM). The chain runs dead silent, clean enough for me to run my fingers along it without getting dirty (even after a 100km+ ride), and my drivetrain doesn't wear out.
I avoided waxing because I thought it would be too much trouble. But I'm saving way more time now, and I'm not ruining microfiber cloths and using solvents anymore!
Cleaning a chain every time it gets wet is kinda impractical isn't it? That would be pretty much a daily task.
Again, every chain, no matter the lube should be cleaned after a wet ride.
Whether you choose to ignore that or not, totally depends on your goals.
I use wipperman links, which allows me to remove my chain without tools. So it's quite literally a 10-second swap, and only if the chain is too "dirty" (again, it really doesn't get dirt when it's waxed) to cleaned with a cloth.
For context, I my first winter ate through chains, and all of my components were rusted by the spring no matter how obsessive I was about keeping things clean.
This year, not a single bit of rust. No chain wear at all over thousands of KM. No wasted rags or solvents. And very little of my time went to chain maintenance.
When I waxed my chain the first time, the experience was so positive, I immediately switched two other bikes over to waxed chains that same week.
I ride a lot (min 500km a month over the winter), so if you are an occasional cyclist, then it may not be as profound of an experience.
Looking into the stuff needed for it, what product names should I look for? Almost everything is a liquid you put on the chain rather than a heat melted was which in comparison barely seems to exist.
I will check it out, thanks for the tip!
Waxing sounds interesting to me, but I doubt I can actually make it work where I live, since I routinely have to bike in below freezing during winter and get lots of rain outside of winter. I tried using drip on wax, but it washed away basically immediately and ruined my chain in a hurry.
It's a bit of a myth that waxed chains don't do well during winter or in wet conditions. In fact, they perform significantly better in those conditions vs a wet lube.
The trick in those conditions is to simply wax multiple chains in rotation.
And go with immersion wax instead of drip. Drip can work as a too up, but not as good as true immersion.
Most people think it's more work, especially in bad winter conditions, but that's because they usually ignore actually cleaning inside their chains when using a wet line π
I've been using KMC rust buster chains + immersive wax all winter, and it's been a dream! Cleaner than wet lube during dry summer months!
That's why I've always just used those 3-in-one general lubricants. I completely soak the chain in it and then wipe it off with a rag. The lube displaces any water there may be while also flushing out the dirt which I then wipe off with the rag. I almost never wash my chain yet it's always looking new and shiny. The only downside to this is that the lube is quite short lived so I need to repeat this every two weeks or so but as it only takes about 2 minutes I'm fine by that.
The problem with oil is that it holds onto dirt, grit, and dust. When those contaminants get into your chain, they act as a grinding paste.
And the chain still ends up being dirty to handle or touch.
With wax, you're forming a layer of protection that doesn't hold onto dirt, so chains see no to extremely low wear after thousands of km. This means the chainring and cassette also don't wear out (and they don't get dirty either π).
True, but they'll wear out and need to be replaced eventually either way so I just don't stress about it. Re-lubing it every few weeks and wiping it clean with a rag seems to flush out most of the dirt just fine. The chain never gets dirty to the point that you'd get your hands dirty from touching it. These general purpose oils are so thin that dust doesn't seem to stick to it that much anyway compared to proper chain lube. I've been getting around 3 years of use from a chain this way and that's good enough for me.