Ski Wax - Seems to Work
I've read the many threads about chain waxing and all of the various wax potions that have been tried....so... I had some left-over 'warm weather' wax from this past ski season and decided to trust in the wisdom and innovation of the ski industry as it relates to the defeat of friction. The warm weather ski wax is pretty soft at room temperature and must be an amalgam of ingredients.
I double-boiled the wax in an old rice cooker and dropped in a 10 speed chain - swirled for a minute or so until the yellow wax turned a dirty grey from the debris inside the link surfaces - then drip-dried the chain. After that I manually ran the chain around a 1 inch dowel to break the links free - flipped and repeated. Prior to the wax I gave the chain a shake in mineral spirits for a minute or two and let dry.
I re-installed the chain and after 25 miles wiped the wax flakes off with a rag. Another 25 mile ride and all is quiet and happy. We'll see how long it lasts, but it is a pretty simple and seemingly effective process.
The only weak link in this plan is if I have to re-wax every few hundred miles that can get expensive because the 10 speed master links are about $5.00 each - and according to industry thou shall not re-use master links!
If you've got some ski wax hanging around give it a try.
I double-boiled the wax in an old rice cooker and dropped in a 10 speed chain - swirled for a minute or so until the yellow wax turned a dirty grey from the debris inside the link surfaces - then drip-dried the chain. After that I manually ran the chain around a 1 inch dowel to break the links free - flipped and repeated. Prior to the wax I gave the chain a shake in mineral spirits for a minute or two and let dry.
I re-installed the chain and after 25 miles wiped the wax flakes off with a rag. Another 25 mile ride and all is quiet and happy. We'll see how long it lasts, but it is a pretty simple and seemingly effective process.
The only weak link in this plan is if I have to re-wax every few hundred miles that can get expensive because the 10 speed master links are about $5.00 each - and according to industry thou shall not re-use master links!
If you've got some ski wax hanging around give it a try.