Waxing your bike chain is the best way to improve efficiency, keep your drivetrain pristine, and make your components last longer—but it has traditionally been a slow and messy process. In this video, we look at the latest tech and “ground-up” designs that make chain waxing faster and more effective than ever before. From automated agitation to pro tips on why a used chain is actually faster than a brand-new one, here is everything you need to know to level up your maintenance game.
Chapters: ⏱️
00:00 – Why Wax Your Chain?
00:50 – The Evolution of Chain Waxing
02:07- The First Purpose-Built Waxing Pot
03:28 – Swizzle Wires and Using Spools
06:18 – Rotate Your Chains and How to Maintain
07:52 – The Best Way to Re-Wax
09:44 – Pro Tips and Why Used Chains are Faster
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Waxing is one of those topics that every cyclist has an opinion on! 🧼🚲 Are you a dedicated chain waxer, or are you sticking with traditional drip lube for now? Let us know your thoughts (and any waxing tips of your own) in the comments! 👇
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40 Comments
Waxing is one of those topics that every cyclist has an opinion on! 🧼🚲 Are you a dedicated chain waxer, or are you sticking with traditional drip lube for now? Let us know your thoughts (and any waxing tips of your own) in the comments! 👇
The mrs bought a pot for melting bees wax, ive err repurposed it and use paraffin wax plus friction additive. Its a bit slow to melt the wax but as a bigger pot i can do multiple chains in one go if needed or in that time i can prep/clean the chain for waxing.
Commuted through the winter with waxed chain rotation and its a game changer. You do need to keep the chain dry after wet weather exposure to stop rust but thats easy and quick, you can also top up with drip wax if necessary.
The kit shown looks good but you can do this very cheaply with not much faff if you want to save money. It does look very neat though 👍
sellout. without imagination.
Love this. And I’m sure will sell well. But a crockpot is $10 in Walmart. Broken spoke is $0. Convenience cannot cost 25x. ‼️ I am always amazed at how $7-10 BOM china made electronics always costs $200-300. Yay.
Everything is nice and right. But hear me out! A 2L large ultrasonic cleaner with an integrated heater costs about 70 EUR from a very famous marketplace. Wax your chains and wash your cassette, derailleur, hubs, etc., with less money and greater efficiency.
Ollie: "it's a bit more expensive" it's almost £200…
man, u left out the best part of that wayne's world quote hahaha
Still waiting for the on-bike chain wax system.
I was first introduced to chain wax at RAGRAI in 2018. Made a ton of sense then, and I've never looked back.
Everyone needs a friend like Ollie… to buy all the gear and wax their chains for them. "If you can do mine, I'll buy you a pint" ZZZZzzzzzz is he still talking?
It's cool but insane cost
How long will the wax in my wax pot last? Can I keep using it indefinately? I always do at least 2 boiling water rinses before putting the chain into the wax. Also – my top tip for drying the chain after the rinses is pop it into the air fryer for a few minutes – dries the chain completely in no time and warms it so the wax doesn't cool down when the chain goes in. Just don't tell your other half!!!!
Day 27 of believing that one road bike could truly change my cycling journey and shape my future. I’m still showing up, still hopeful, and still praying that GCN sees this someday and help me. 🙏🚴♂️
I pre ordered mine at velofollies but still Waiting for a delivery date
I'd rather hear about Ollie's hair routine, gd
The agitation didn't even mix in the friction modifiers. You can literally see them on the bottom, still in stripes. $250? lol.
I could write a lot about the topic of chain waxing and in relation to the current video in particular but first I have a question (or two) for the presenter in the video: Approximately how long do you ride before needing re-waxing (how many kilometers do you ride on a single waxing) and what is the approximate lifespan of your chains (how many kilometers does a chain last before you need to replace it with a new one)?
I think too much attention is being paid for such a simple thing like putting a chain for some time into a melted wax. It start to resemble audiophiles. Just go any way which is most reasonable for you. Stove heating works well for you? Good do it. All these more than 100's of money worth gadgets work for you? Good. What I have found to be working really well is this- go buy used crock pot with temp settings. I've got mine for like 15 Eur. Pour/put you wax in there. Dump all the chains you have (i usually put 3-4 chains at the same time). 10-15 minutes you're done. Hang chains, close the pot. Until next time.
Is this will cost $10 for all the set up, then it's good. If not. I'll stick to my sweet setup.
I use bonehead chain wax best value on the market
The pot is not agitated ennough which makes me agitated…
I think Ollie is more obsessed about wax than the whole of the staff at Madame Tussauds put together
6:16 What's that stuf at the bottom of the pot? Contamination? Or friction modifiers that were not well distrubeted by the vibration motor?
$249 USD no thanks
how to make an easy process you can do with easy and cheap assessable everyday iteams sound difficult to sell your sponsored items
it's incredible how much B.S. GCN is willing to say today to get sponsor money
great great channel 5 years ago – no wonder some of the good presenters left – and what's left is someone who will say anything for sponsor money
Let me check how many wax chain videos with Ollie on GCN. Pastor Ollie wax 🙂
250 ??no,ty. Water bath works perfectly well.
Hmmm I wonder if Ollie is getting a commission on this product..
I don't understand the point…
So Silca copied the cyclowax? is that?
Ollie, thanks for another superb video!! Quick question- do you sometimes reinstall your re-waxed chain while it is a bit warm to avoid having to break the links from being frozen by the fully cooled wax and is this a reasonable option? Or does it reduce the longevity of the re-wax? Thanks for sharing your thoughts :).
@12:58 "love you!"
What's your go-to stripping method for new chains?
I prefer to use a retired pot to deep-clean the chain in boiling water. This ensures that no "detritus" contaminates my wax.
The old Cyclowax pot is dropping the wax from the chain in the pot. In the new one I see a lot of wax outside the pot.
Aren't you worried about the performance of the wax on a rainy day?
Most of the wear on a chain happens at the quick link, the unwaxable link , more snake oil
$250 for a chain wax cooker? LOL
Great video and product. Ignore the negative comments. Yes it’s 200£ no it isn’t for everyone. Some people will value the convenience and neatness of this set up.
This interview was incredibly well done. No egos from the hosts, great questions, and thorough answers. Kudos