My adventures in chain waxing: goals, reviews, suggestions...

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TobinHatesYou
Posts: 12456
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

kervelo wrote:
Thu Mar 30, 2023 10:22 am
Erlandal wrote:
Wed Mar 29, 2023 5:42 pm
https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/

ZFC's lubricants chart has been updated, and the Rex formula arrives taking two places on the podium.
I find it strange that their list does not contain the Dynamic lubricants, the choice of the Team Jumbo-Visma, Team Alpecin-Fenix and Team Bora-hansgrohe.
https://www.dynamicbikecare.com/pages/partners

Pretty good chance Adam has no idea this brand exists. Dynamic has no presence in the US and I assume that is true of Australia too. He also hasn’t tested Morgan Blue products for example.

by Weenie


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Lakal
Posts: 192
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2020 12:20 pm

by Lakal

He did test Dynamic Speed Potion. However, the test results were never published: https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/late ... -call-out/

MrStop
Posts: 111
Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2021 8:59 pm
Location: United States

by MrStop

wheelbuilder wrote:
Wed Mar 29, 2023 9:49 pm
MrStop wrote:I did my first big ride with a waxed chain yesterday. It was weird not having a calf tattoo.
What kind of riding and for how long? You don't see many people with this. Are you getting them when off the bike but proximal to it or something?

Sent from my SM-A526U1 using Tapatalk
I don't always get the perfect chainring print, but there was usually at least a spot of dirt and oil. I haven't paid much attention as to when it happens, but my guess it's when I'm a bit more spirited in my riding and hammering out of the saddle. It's never been a big deal. Just trying to make the point that it's nice to be able to touch the chain, intentionally or not, and not have the mess.

TobinHatesYou
Posts: 12456
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

You are doing something terribly wrong if your calf is touching the chainring while out of the saddle. The bike should be leaning left when your right leg is at full extension. Could it be you are just unclipping almost 100% of the time with your left foot and leaving your right foot clipped in while idling/stopped?

MrStop
Posts: 111
Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2021 8:59 pm
Location: United States

by MrStop

Didn't think of that. You are probably right about the unclipping. I typically unclip my left foot most of the time.

man1ac
Posts: 63
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2022 4:58 pm

by man1ac

So I finally waxed my chains (Ultegra) after a shitton of cleaning them. Went smoothly but what do you do if or when the hollow pins of the chain get filled up with wax?

I placed a sheet of newspaper on the counter and after pulling the chain out I let it fall like flatly onto the newspaper 2/3times. This cleared all the pins (90%).

FishNo6
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun May 08, 2022 10:29 am

by FishNo6

man1ac wrote:
Sat Apr 01, 2023 12:43 pm
So I finally waxed my chains (Ultegra) after a shitton of cleaning them. Went smoothly but what do you do if or when the hollow pins of the chain get filled up with wax?

I placed a sheet of newspaper on the counter and after pulling the chain out I let it fall like flatly onto the newspaper 2/3times. This cleared all the pins (90%).
Diameter of the pin hole : roughly 1mm
Length: 5.4mm (assuming 11 speed)
Let's say 110 links.

Volume in m^3 of wax in hollow pins
= 3.1415 *0.0005*0.0005*0.005 4*110
= 0.0000004665 m^3
Paraffin wax has a density of approximately 900kg per m^3.
Mass of wax in hollow pin holes
= 0.42 gram(me)s.

Obviously, you'll need to knock out those last 10% to realise the full saving....

basilic
Posts: 1028
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:05 am
Location: Geneva, Switzerland

by basilic

I've always assumed the filled pins gave you an aero benefit, much less flow disturbace, no?

MikeD
Posts: 1000
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:55 pm

by MikeD

MrStop wrote:Didn't think of that. You are probably right about the unclipping. I typically unclip my left foot most of the time.
Clipping out on the left prevents a chainring tattoo. On the right, you get them.

MrStop
Posts: 111
Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2021 8:59 pm
Location: United States

by MrStop

You guys think of everything 😂

man1ac
Posts: 63
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2022 4:58 pm

by man1ac

FishNo6 wrote:
Sat Apr 01, 2023 2:17 pm
man1ac wrote:
Sat Apr 01, 2023 12:43 pm
So I finally waxed my chains (Ultegra) after a shitton of cleaning them. Went smoothly but what do you do if or when the hollow pins of the chain get filled up with wax?

I placed a sheet of newspaper on the counter and after pulling the chain out I let it fall like flatly onto the newspaper 2/3times. This cleared all the pins (90%).
Diameter of the pin hole : roughly 1mm
Length: 5.4mm (assuming 11 speed)
Let's say 110 links.

Volume in m^3 of wax in hollow pins
= 3.1415 *0.0005*0.0005*0.005 4*110
= 0.0000004665 m^3
Paraffin wax has a density of approximately 900kg per m^3.
Mass of wax in hollow pin holes
= 0.42 gram(me)s.

Obviously, you'll need to knock out those last 10% to realise the full saving....
Thanks for the math and effor. Always appreciate it :D But I didnt say sh*t about weight savings :D

TobinHatesYou
Posts: 12456
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

MikeD wrote:
Sat Apr 01, 2023 3:07 pm
MrStop wrote:Didn't think of that. You are probably right about the unclipping. I typically unclip my left foot most of the time.
Clipping out on the left prevents a chainring tattoo. On the right, you get them.

If he’s leaving his right leg clipped in with his left leg free while standing around shooting the shit, then there’s a higher chance of his calf randomly rubbing the chainring.

SunsetRider
Posts: 27
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2023 5:05 pm

by SunsetRider

FishNo6 wrote:
Sat Apr 01, 2023 2:17 pm

Diameter of the pin hole : roughly 1mm
Length: 5.4mm (assuming 11 speed)
Let's say 110 links.

Volume in m^3 of wax in hollow pins
= 3.1415 *0.0005*0.0005*0.005 4*110
= 0.0000004665 m^3
Paraffin wax has a density of approximately 900kg per m^3.
Mass of wax in hollow pin holes
= 0.42 gram(me)s.

Obviously, you'll need to knock out those last 10% to realise the full saving....
I recently put 12 spd SRAM X0 chains into rotation for my mtb. Since they have hollow pins and I have some cut offs that don't have wax in them I decided to check the hole size. It is just little over ⌀1.5mm. Plugging this into your calculations I come up with just under 1g so now we're starting to talk about adding some real weight :shock:

Torbjorn
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2018 2:44 pm

by Torbjorn

I also have some grease stuck up in the open hollow crankset spindle. I can see it if peeking through in daylight or if holding a flashlight up to it. Is this why I'm going slow?

by Weenie


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MikeD
Posts: 1000
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:55 pm

by MikeD

TobinHatesYou wrote:
MikeD wrote:
Sat Apr 01, 2023 3:07 pm
MrStop wrote:Didn't think of that. You are probably right about the unclipping. I typically unclip my left foot most of the time.
Clipping out on the left prevents a chainring tattoo. On the right, you get them.

If he’s leaving his right leg clipped in with his left leg free while standing around shooting the shit, then there’s a higher chance of his calf randomly rubbing the chainring.
Maybe. All I know is that I used to get them many years ago and then read a Bicycling Magazine tip to clip out on the left side to prevent them. After I switched to that a chainring tattoo for me has been a rare event.

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