First time chain waxer here!
I've bought a brand new 11s Dura Ace chain to convert my drivetrain to wax.
My steps so far:
- 4 baths in white spirits (left it in the first one for roughly 20 minutes) & shaking the jar
- after a quick wipe down of the chain I noticed some stains in the cloth and decided to go for a 5th bath
- dried the chain with a microfiber cloth & a hair dryer
- 2 baths in alcohol, to get rid of residue
After this I dried off the chain again and I am still noticing stains in the microfiber towel (image).
Is this normal, or should I try to get the chain even cleaner?
Thank you in advance for your replies <3
by Cslteo
8 Comments
I had the same problem. I cleaned it with pedro’s and acetone twice. I think you are supposed to use an ultrasonic cleaner. Why should I buy a machine to clean my chain? That is asking too much.
Honestly, I just buy them pre-waxed from cyclowax.
I am much less careful. My wax ends up with some residue that settles to the bottom but the chain works fine. You don’t want a process that keeps you from waxing frequently enough.
disclaimer: I am really new to waxing too.
The zero friction guys, who are really into this stuff, suggest that a single bath with specific drivetrain cleaners is enough prep for waxing a new chain. For white spirits they suggest all the way to 8-12 baths!!!. And your experience does quite seem to match their advice.
I did this with a new chain and the ceramicspeed cleaner and a single bath was enough for it to be degreased. No residue whatsoever after a single time. I did this for an used chain and, like they mention, two baths in the UFO cleaner was enough.
[https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Chain-prep-Guide-Concise-v3.pdf](https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Chain-prep-Guide-Concise-v3.pdf)
Yeah OP, you’re good to go
Top tip, theres a substance that lubricates your chain and doesn’t require you to do any of this. It’s called oil.
Follow Silca’s instructions.
Why is it easier for people to go through 50 shades of struggle and then post here instead of just RTFm.
If it’s a new chain I use the silca strip chip. Works great.