Chain waxing

On Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 4:12:20 PM UTC+1, Theodore Heise wrote:
On Wed, 6 Jun 2018 07:44:01 -0700 (PDT),
Andre Jute wrote:
On Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 10:05:28 AM UTC+1, Tanguy Ortolo wrote:
Hello,

For those interested in this, after my last inquiry about
chain lubing, I decided to wax my chain by immersing it in a
hot mixture of solid and liquid paraffin (with a ratio of 50%
of paraffin oil).

After about 600 km, including some significant rain,, must say
it works pretty well. My chain still runs smoothly, and is
almost perfectly clean. When needed, I can simply wipe it with
some paper towel. I do not know yet when I will have to wax it
again, but it seems to hold pretty well.

Seems to me chain cleaning and waxing is another
sadomasochistic practice that cyclists without the imagination
to do something more productive have brought on themselves.
Socially, it's a leftover from when cycling was a workingman's
sport, which has no place in an age when cycling is in the main
middle-class virtue-signalling, and almost any bike the
equivalent in quality of a between-wars Raleigh tourer costs an
obscene amount of money.

Of course, if chain cleaning and waxing defines who you are,
like going to church on Sundays, don't pay any attention to me;
I wouldn't dream of criticizing your religion.

Well, for me it's as simple as wishing to throw the bike in the
back of the car (or pack it for travel) without having to worry
about a greasy chain. No religion, other than the spiritual boost
I get from actually riding the darn thing.


A little, a very little thought will tell any cyclist that he
can run the chain for its entire life on the factory lube, and
in the process win a permanently clean bike.

All it takes is a hub gearbox (or a single speed of any flavor
you fancy), a Hebie Chainglider or lesser chain enclosure, and
a chain from a manufacturer who uses quality lube (KMC is good
and cheap besides). Then you never again need to clean a chain
or clusters or chainrings or anything else to which the chain
has spread its filth.

I assume this is all meant facetiously.

No.

Ted Heise West Lafayette, IN, USA

Don't worry. When I tell a joke on RBT, I first tell you I'm going to tell you a joke, then I tell you the joke, then I tell you I told you a joke, and where you should laugh.

Andre Jute
No problem