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January 18, 2025

Its the Perfect Time to Start Waxing your Bike Chain

When it comes to bicycle maintenance, waxing your chain is one of the best upgrades you can make for efficiency and longevity. Not only does it make your ride smoother, but it also prolongs the life of your chain, chainrings, cassette, and pulley wheels. Waxing creates a cleaner, quieter, and more durable drivetrain compared to traditional oil-based lubes. For cyclists who want to minimize maintenance and maximize performance, waxing is a game-changer. Here’s a complete guide on why you should wax your chain and how to do it.

Why Wax Your Bike Chain?

Waxing your bike chain can boost your ride quality and make your drivetrain more efficient. First, a waxed chain reduces friction between the chain and drivetrain components, which means more of your energy goes into propelling the bike forward. This gain in efficiency translates to more speed with less effort—a win for any cyclist.

Beyond efficiency, waxing helps to extend the life of your chain and drivetrain components. Since waxed chains don’t attract dirt and grime like oil-based lubricants, you’ll experience less wear on your chain, cassette, and chainrings. Over time, this results in cost savings, as you won’t need to replace these parts as frequently.

Another major advantage of waxing is that it helps your chain run quieter, stay cleaner, and resist water. A waxed chain is less likely to produce the squeaking sounds that come with a traditionally lubed chain, and it remains cleaner for longer. Waxing also makes your drivetrain water-resistant, reducing the risk of rust and damage in wet conditions. Plus, with a waxed chain, you can say goodbye to greasy hands and chain marks on your legs!

Finally, one of the most appealing aspects of waxing is the reduced need for frequent maintenance. With waxing, reapplication is required far less frequently—usually every 300–450 km (200–300 miles), depending on riding conditions. This makes it ideal for riders of all kinds, from racers and bikepackers to everyday cyclists, who can now enjoy more time riding and less time maintaining their chains.

What You’ll Need to Wax Your Bike Chain

To start waxing your chain, you’ll need a few key items:

Starting with a new chain is recommended for the best results, as it ensures that the chain can be fully cleaned of factory lubricants, allowing the wax to adhere properly.

Silca Chain Waxing System with chain

How to Wax Your Chain: Two Methods

Method 1: Waxing with Silca Strip Chip

To wax your chain using the Silca Strip Chip, start by preheating the wax in the Silca Chain Waxing System to 125°C. As the wax melts, add one strip chip, which helps to strip away the factory grease on new chains. This step is only necessary for new chains; if the chain has already been waxed, you can skip this addition.

Next, hang your chain on a wire hanger. You don’t need to wax the quick link, as waxing doesn’t add to its efficiency or longevity, and a non-waxed quick link makes reinstallation easier. Once the wax is fully melted, drop the chain into the pot, ensuring it is completely submerged. Gently agitate the chain to allow air bubbles to rise to the surface; this process helps the wax to penetrate every part of the chain and rollers. Let the chain sit in the wax for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, lower the heat to 75°C. Once the temperature has dropped, remove the chain and allow it to hang dry. During this cooling period, gently agitate the chain every few minutes to prevent clumping. Once the chain is fully dry, you can reinstall it on your bike.

SILCA StripChip

Method 2: Waxing with Chain Stripper

To wax your chain using a chain stripper, begin by placing the chain in a mason jar. Cover the chain completely with the chain stripper solution, secure the lid, and shake the jar vigorously. Allow the chain to soak for 10 minutes, then shake it again.

After 10 minutes, pour the chain stripper out of the jar. For easy storage and reuse, you can filter the solution through a funnel and coffee filter and store it back in the original bottle. Next, with the chain still in the jar, fill it with warm water, shake well, and drain. Repeat this rinse step twice to ensure the chain is fully clean.

Now you’re ready to wax the chain. Follow the same steps as outlined in Method 1: place the chain in the pre-melted wax, making sure it’s fully submerged, and agitate to remove any air bubbles. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 75°C, remove the chain, and let it dry. Once dry, you can reinstall it on your bike.

Silca Chain Stripper

After Waxing: Chain Maintenance

To maintain your chain between hot wax applications, you can use Silca Super Secret Drip Wax. After each ride, brush off any dirt or debris from the chain with a clean rag and apply the drip wax to each roller. Let the drip wax dry completely; it’s easiest to do this after your ride, so it’s ready for the next time you ride.

For full re-waxing, reapply hot wax every 500–1,000 miles, depending on your riding conditions. If you ride in especially wet or muddy environments, you may need to re-wax more frequently. A noisy chain is a sign it’s time for another wax session.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

There are a few mistakes to watch out for to ensure you get the most out of your waxed chain. If your wax wears off quickly, ensure you’ve fully removed any factory grease, as this can prevent the wax from adhering properly. Also, be cautious with certain chain coatings, such as KMC black or rainbow finishes, as these may resist wax adhesion.

Avoid removing the chain from the wax when it’s too hot; if the wax is at a lower viscosity, it can flow right through the chain, reducing its longevity and efficiency. Conversely, removing it when it’s too cold can lead to “candle wax” clumps on the outside, which makes the chain less efficient.

After waxing, it’s important to break in the chain by riding at a moderate effort for around 30 minutes. This step is particularly important for racers, as a non-broken-in chain is around 5 watts slower than a chain with factory grease. Once broken in, a waxed chain can actually be up to 4 watts faster.

When reinstalling the chain, make sure it’s routed correctly around the derailleur pulleys. Incorrect placement can cause noise or even make the bike unrideable. Also, take care to install any directional chain links correctly; text should face outward, and arrows (like on Shimano links) should point in the chain’s direction of travel.

Other Additives:

Silca recently introduced two innovative products designed to optimize the performance of waxed bike chains: the Speed Chip and the Endurance Chip. The Speed Chip focuses on boosting chain efficiency, while the Endurance Chip extends the durability of the wax.

Cyclists can mix and match these chips based on their performance goals. For instance, adding one Speed Chip can enhance efficiency by 0.4%, while using two raises that gain to 0.6%. Similarly, one Endurance Chip can extend wax longevity by 80%—ideal for rides up to 550 km—while two Endurance Chips stretch this to around 750 km. For a balanced approach, combining one Speed Chip and one Endurance Chip provides a 0.2% efficiency increase and extends wax longevity by 60%.

Cyclist Wearing POC Thermal Legs

Conclusion: Is Waxing Only for Racers?

Absolutely not! While professional cyclists benefit from waxing for efficiency, everyday riders and bikepackers love it for its longevity and reduced maintenance. Waxing may seem complex at first, but it quickly becomes a simple, rewarding part of bike maintenance. If you haven’t tried a waxed drivetrain, now is the time. You’ll enjoy a smoother, cleaner, and more efficient ride while saving money on wear and tear.

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