Late last year I switched to waxing chains. To my shock and surprise, the waxed SRAM PC-1110 chain on the tandem lasted exactly 1000 miles. Now, the tandem is a particularly tough environment for chains, having more than twice the load, and I used that bike under all conditions on and off road. For the tour, I knew I'd have to take the bike a part at least a couple of times, so I bought (at the last minute) a Shimano Linkglide Chain and waxed it before the trip.
On the trip itself, I brought a 4oz bottle of the Silca Super Secret Chain Wax. We used it on the bike every day after the ride, since I couldn't be bothered to add up the miles and calculate when we were supposed to top it off. In Nova Levante, I took apart the bike to put it on the bus and it didn't mess up my hands completely. At the end of the trip, we got home and I measured the chains and the chain was still good. Surprisingly, the 4oz bottle lasted through the entire trip, which means that for a group of 3 singles one 4oz bottle would probably last a 3 week trip as well.
What I've discovered is that while chain waxing isn't too hard, the quick links used to disconnect and reconnect the chain were prone to failure when reused (many of them are not intended to be reused). As a result, any money savings you might have from the waxed chain lasting longer will be swamped by the occasional need to buy a new quick link over the lifetime of the chain.
My suspicion is that for a bike that will be ridden in the rain, it's most practical to switch to oil lubrication during the rainy months and only switch back to waxing after you've worn out that chain. For touring, the cleanliness of waxing might justify the cost and effort, and the wet wax has the advantage of not risking chain failure from a broken quick link.
I'm not sure I will keep waxing past this bag of Silca wax. Carrying a pair of disposable gloves in my repair kit might be preferable!
No comments:
Post a Comment