Long Bikepacking and Immersive Waxing

[EtoDemerzel]

ZFC says 300km or so, waxed won't feel or sound lubricated without rewaxing, and 450km real world lifespan before re-waxing.

bmcr's 150-200km re-waxing might be pessimistic but all these numbers may be in the realm of possibility.

[froze]

Now there is controversy brewing. Apparently, it's coming out that hot waxing a chain is only good if you're using the chain for a racing event, for everyday use it shortens the life of the chain and gears.

https://bmcr.com.au/articles/should-i-w ... ike-chain/

More time needs to go by before we find out if waxing a chain is just a fad that non-racers should not be doing.

If that was your takeaway from one small bikeshop's unscientific op-ed then I don't know what to tell you... A chain doesn't know if its being "raced" or simply being ridden in an "everyday" type way...

If you're interested in the actual science, read this;
https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/

Yawn, I noticed all this testing is done in a lab, not on the road.

if you're interested in listening to the facts from people who are experienced watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ejcYBTJtk

[ultimatist]

Back to thread topic, I wanted to share my recent experience using the Silca endurance chips to increase wax lifespan: the stuff works! I'm covering double the mileage, often in worse conditions (winter has arrived) before I hear the common chain sounds that signal another waxing is due.

This is with two endurance chips in about a bag and a half worth of hot wax. If I were doing Unbound size races, or multiday bikepacks, I'd add another chip in that recipe. Silca delivers again!

[joebusby]

Now there is controversy brewing. Apparently, it's coming out that hot waxing a chain is only good if you're using the chain for a racing event, for everyday use it shortens the life of the chain and gears.

https://bmcr.com.au/articles/should-i-w ... ike-chain/

More time needs to go by before we find out if waxing a chain is just a fad that non-racers should not be doing.

If that was your takeaway from one small bikeshop's unscientific op-ed then I don't know what to tell you... A chain doesn't know if its being "raced" or simply being ridden in an "everyday" type way...

If you're interested in the actual science, read this;
https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/

Yawn, I noticed all this testing is done in a lab, not on the road.

if you're interested in listening to the facts from people who are experienced watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ejcYBTJtk

This is always a really interesting divide that seems to increasingly happen in bike forums. It's a bit like Godwin's law. As the discussion continues, people will tend to start to invoke identity politics and calls to authority when they come up against evidence that causes them cognitive dissonance.

You see the same thing in threads about mountain bike tyres, where a body of declamation rises that doesn't want to run a 2.2 Raceking (potentially because they don't have the handling) and reply 'but Keegan Swenson / nino schurter wouldn't run maxxis if they weren't the fastest / the fact that they win is evidence that these are the fastest tyres.

The actual chimp brain behind it is really just saying 'its cognitively less effort to say x is good cos y does it than it is to read the test protocols and understand what they mean'.

See also 'but weight matters more than aero cos I like clinbing (at 6%)', and 'lockouts make you faster because you lose less energy'.