On 07/06/18 00:35, Joerg wrote:


It doesn't sound very healthy for the chain to soak it in dirty wax.


Doesn't seem to make any difference as far as I can tell.

I clean my chain thoroughly using interdental toothbrushes. My wive
found a brand at Costco that is more rigid than the usual ones so the
job goes faster now. First used for my teeth, then later some day for a
chain. Afterwards scrubbing with an old regular toothbrush, followed by
a good wipe-down with Kleenex. Once the chain is really shiny I apply
White Lightning Epic Ride. If you shake the bottle well the waxy stuff
in it dissolves and thus gets onto the chain as well. I use a Q-Tip to
dab it onlto the links, then gently wipe off any excess with a Kleenex.

That way a road bike chain can run 150-250mi between cleanings depending
on whether I ride more roads or more bike paths. Gets dirtier on roads.
40-50mi on the MTB, mostly on dirt trails. The upside is that this
method does not require me to take the chain off the bike which I would
really dread.


Wow. I leave the original chain lube on from the manufacturer to begin
with. That probably lasts 1000km or more.

I just checked a chain I put on in January. It's done over 3200km and
"stretched" 1/8 of an inch over 50 inches, or about 0.25%. I've wax
lubed it twice since I installed the chain, about every 1000km. There
has been road works where I live for two months, so every ride I have to
cross several hundred metres of dirt in each direction. I've also
cycled some gravel roads for fun.

I don't dread taking the chain off my bike because I use a Connex quick
link, and once it is removed, it facilitates much easier cleaning of
other parts, like the rear derailleur jockey wheels for example.

--
JS