Siri’s outdoor lab: why a bicycle chain ended up in a rice cooker
7.5.2024
Translation: Elicia Payne
Anyone who rides a bike will have heard this tip before – if you treat your chain with hard wax instead of oil, you save yourself the constant cleaning. That sounds good to me. So good, in fact, that I had to try it out.
I like cycling. My favourite way to get around is on my mountain bike. On Saturday mornings, a group of bikers from the neighbourhood meet up for «Saturday Bike Fever», or to be more precise, to explore trails in the Seetal valley.
These trips are fun. What I don’t enjoy so much is cleaning my bike afterwards. The chain is an oily, sticky, dirty monster. If I’ve accidentally touched it while biking, I have the so-called biker tattoo, a black, oily chain imprint, on my calf.
Source: Shutterstock
Hard wax, on the other hand, is said to have a whole range of advantages. Real fans say that the chain feels dry and, unlike an oiled chain, doesn’t pick up dirt. Plus, it runs quietly and smoothly. Due to the lower friction, it shows less wear. This increases the service life of the chain, gears and other parts attached to them. Some even swore they’d never go back to using oil.
The hard wax used for bicycle chains is paraffin wax. It’s an environmentally friendly substance that’s also used in the cosmetics industry, for example for Vaseline. Chain Hard Wax is suitable for dry and wet conditions and for all types of bikes, from road bikes to gravel and city bikes to mountain bikes.
I opted for the Graphene chain wax from Absolute Black because it contains graphene in addition to kerosene. This is a thin carbon structure designed to further reduce friction and protect the metal on the chain from rust.
I’ve since delved deeper into the subject and read on the Australian test website Zerofriction that there are alternatives that last longer and better for reducing friction. So next time I’ll probably change the wax. Mspeed wax or Silca Secret Chain Blend seem to be good candidates, but I haven’t been able to test them yet.
Small warning: the effort required shouldn’t be underestimated
If you want to switch from oil to hard wax for your chain, you should allow at least two hours for the first time. The good thing is, the effort required for subsequent maintenance is significantly lower.
You also need some materials, for example an ultrasonic cleaner and a rice cooker. At the end of this article, I’ve listed the equipment and ingredients I used for this experiment. When it came to cleaning products, I went for British brand Muc-Off and was very happy with the results.
Source: Siri Schubert
As the switch to wax isn’t super cheap and takes time, it’s not suitable for everyone. You can also buy ready-waxed chains if you don’t want to boil the chain in wax.
But if you enjoy experimenting and optimising, cover a lot of miles or have an expensive bike with high-quality components, this could be something for you.
If, like my husband and I, you own a whole range of bikes for mountain biking, gravel biking and everyday use, the purchase of an ultrasonic cleaner and rice cooker isn’t excessive. Of course you can also use liquid wax. This saves you having to boil down the hot wax. However, liquid wax doesn’t last as long, so the time saved is relative.
Which chain should I go for?
I wanted to wax the chain on my favourite mountain bike, which I’d only been using for about two months. Whereas my commuter bike has a brand new chain. This reduces the time required only slightly, as a new chain must also be cleaned before the hot wax can be applied. In addition, the chainrings, sprockets and the cogs on the rear derailleur must also be cleaned of oil and dirt.
Source: Stefan Munsch
When deciding on a new chain, make sure you choose the right width – it depends on the number of sprockets. There are chains that are optimised for certain groupsets, so it’s worth checking the manufacturer’s specifications. Some chains have a running direction, others have an outer and inner side. The right chain must therefore be fitted correctly.
Off to the chain kitchen
Now you’re ready to go. After the chain has been roughly cleaned with a microfiber cloth or household paper, it’s cleaned in acetone to remove grease and oil. Wax can only adhere properly to an oil-free chain, so this step is crucial.
Source: Stefan Munsch
You should always wear gloves and safety goggles, as the solvent really dries out the skin. To clean it, I use an old jam jar and shake it well for several minutes. It’s amazing how much dirt still comes off a used but supposedly clean chain.
Source: Siri Schubert
Next up is a bath in the ultrasonic cleaner. Muc-Off Ultrasonic Tank Cleaner works particularly well for this.
The chain is allowed to soak in the ultrasonic device at 30 degrees for ten minutes before I rinse it thoroughly under running water. Then I place it on a piece of aluminium foil and let them dry in a small household oven for ten minutes at 80 degrees. You should also only touch the cleaned chain with gloves, as the skin grease also prevents the wax from sticking later.
Source: Stefan Munsch
While the chain dries in the oven, I melt the wax in the rice cooker. Why do I use a rice cooker? The temperature doesn’t exceed 80 to 90 degrees which allows the wax to melt without getting too hot. Otherwise it can burn and become very dangerous like an oil fire. Therefore you shouldn’t melt the wax on a camping stove or gas stove.
Now comes the main course
Source: Stefan Munsch
To get the chain flat in the melted wax, I thread it onto a bent spoke. The chain must disappear completely into the liquid wax so that it’s evenly wetted. It should stay in the wax bath until it’s reached the same temperature, i.e. 80 to 90 degrees. Now and again, I move the chain to ensure that every gap is waxed.
Source: Stefan Munsch
15 minutes later and the cooking lesson is complete. Carefully, I take the chain out. Only a little wax should drip down, otherwise the wax was too hot and the coating is too thin. If this is the case, you can reduce the temperature and soak the chain in the wax a little longer. Now you can hang the chain or place it on a non-stick surface such as aluminium foil. When it’s cooled down, you can move the chain links against each other to make the chain supple.
First test rides are promising
Once the chains were back in place on the mountain bike and commuter bike with the help of the KMC Missinglink chain lock and chain pliers, I went for my first test rides. As hoped, the chain was quiet and ran smoothly. Dirt hardly ever accumulated. The chain was easy to clean after the rides. No more oily smears and no more black marks on my leg.
Source: Siri Schubert
Depending on the conditions, the chain should be re-waxed, i.e. placed in the wax bath, approximately every 800 to 1000 kilometres. I cannot yet say whether this recommendation corresponds to reality, as it was only recently that I waxed it.
Source: Stefan Munsch
Experiment was a success
Waxing the chain worked well and after the first 120 kilometres I’m over the moon with the result, even though this is of course far from a long-term test. I can now save myself the time-consuming cleaning and oiling of the chain. Nevertheless, after looking into the subject in more detail, I would use a different hard wax next time. But, the ultrasonic cleaner and the rice cooker are definitely here to stay.
If you fancy treating your chain with hot wax too, you can find the products I used for this experiment here:
I also treated myself to a new chain for my commuter bike and bought the right accessories.
Bike chains
Quantity discount
CHF3.95 per piece for 4 units
KMC Chain lock MissingLink 9NR EPT (e9) 2pcs/Card
9-speed
In Siri’s outdoor lab, I test new trends, ingenious hacks and outdoor and sports equipment under real-life conditions. Follow me for more mini outdoor adventures and tips on how to make the most of them
Header image: Stefan Munsch
Siri Schubert
Senior Editor
Siri.Schubert@digitecgalaxus.chResearch diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.
Sport
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
Bike
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
32 comments
later