As someone who waxed chains for decades -- every ~200 miles for road, ~100 miles for dry, sandy dirt -- until James at Analog convinced me to try the dry liquid lube "wipe 'n' drip 'n' wipe 'n' wipe more" method -- I'm very interested in hearing others' experiences with the Silca wax lube.
I used plain paraffin (grocery store canning paraffin and old ornamental candles from a friend) for years, tho' I added various things on the basis of mere hunches that they might increase chain life, tossing into the crockpot dollops of ATF and 30-weight. The ornamental candles added vague cinnamon and vanilla scents, and the ATF colored the wax a pretty rose, but the result was a very conservative but very consistent 2K miles between chain replacements -- tho' the chains stayed operating-room clean on the outside, despite riding in very dusty conditions. I swapped to Molten Speed Wax and this basically doubled miles -- 200 to 400 on (dusty shoulder) pavement, 100 to 200, more or less, in silty sand -- so I wonder if Silca Wax is any better than Molten. But I haven't measured chain life under this regimen. Aside: I largely switched to James-at-Analog's dry-lube drip-'n'-wipe method because it's easy; but really, waxing with a crockpot is very easy itself; certainly easier than removing a chain for cleaning, the reinstalling to oil it. Patrick Moore, who had a Phil bb get crunchy in ~2K miles of sandy bosque riding. On Sun, Jan 7, 2024 at 12:53 PM Bill Gibson <bill.bgib...@gmail.com> wrote: > Chains and other drivetrain components will wear quickly or slowly > depending on lubrication and conditions. There is no rule of thumb for > mileage. Chain lube is a perennial favorite topic, along with tires, etc. > but real progress has been made in the past few years, and much lore of old > is now obsolete. I like Silca's chain lube products, and if you enjoy the > topic, they offer extensive dives into the independent testing and research > that back their claims on YouTube. I can attest that their chain wax is > well worth the prep, and will save time and wear in any condition. Some of > the favorite lubes of the past cause much more rapid wear than no lube at > all (due to grinding paste formation), so I urge you to check out the > research. The chain is harder than the chainrings, so cleaning, lubing, and > replacing it in time will extend the life of the chainring, and the rear > cogs, too, depending on what they are made of. > > Don't expect the modern cartridge bottom brackets to be as smooth and free > as perfectly adjusted and lubricated cup and cone bottom brackets of old. > Ask a shop to let you feel a new one, or pay them to check yours. Some > bearings just don't have to be perfect to be good! Unless you > obsess...which is part of the fun...! > > > Bill Gibson > Tempe, Arizona, USA > My Photographs <https://billbgibson.myportfolio.com/> : > https://billbgibson.myportfolio.com/ and on Behance: > https://www.behance.net/BillGibson <https://billbgibson.myportfolio.com/> > If you like my photographs, buy me a coffee! > <https://www.buymeacoffee.com/04141955> > > > On Sun, Jan 7, 2024 at 12:18 PM Richard Rose <rmros...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> I am two years and 7300 miles in on my Clem. Chain measure tool indicates >> I need a new chain & 38t large chainring on the Silver crank has some >> "sharkfining" evident. New chain and chainring will arrive in a few days. >> Small ring and cassette look good. What sort of mileage do folks usually >> expect out of these components? While I am at it, bike is apart and >> standard Shimano cartridge bottom bracket does not exactly feel smooth. It >> did feel smooth spinning when crank was still installed & there is no play >> evident. Riv suggests these bottom brackets might be good for 15,000 miles? >> I do not want to needlessly replace it but the bike is apart so..? >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/c36d08e0-3716-4ae7-8289-97ef61140ba1n%40googlegroups.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/c36d08e0-3716-4ae7-8289-97ef61140ba1n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CAG33NXHZwtaOSX-YDvdzfogBapG47xNET1DjfP0ZdJ14-iNkOw%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CAG33NXHZwtaOSX-YDvdzfogBapG47xNET1DjfP0ZdJ14-iNkOw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- Patrick Moore Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Executive resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, letters, and other writing services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *When thou didst not, savage, k**now thine own meaning,* *But wouldst gabble like a** thing most brutish,* *I endowed thy purposes w**ith words that made them known.* -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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