More Questions About Chain Wax

PFAS, and what to do after a wet ride

Dear Lennard,

You inspired me to start waxing chains.

And one thing I was surprised to find was how stiff the links were after waxing, and how much time I spent "working" the links before installing.

I found that was the most time-consuming part.

I am not sure how you approach it, but I found a nice solution and have sent you a photo.

The solution consists of some 1/4" stainless bolts, oversized washers and 1/4" I.D. - 1/2" O.D. nylon bushings. Then form something like a handle to attach to both chain end and alternate pulling one at a time while keeping tension on the other end back and forth.

It works great, taking less than a minute.

Still designing swizzles. I imagine it is best to articulate each link back and forth in the pot for the best results. Melted wax is quite viscous but if it does not flow inside the links, it is a useless exercise - perhaps something similar to my fixture for working the links after waxing emersed in the wax pot.

One question - do you apply any lube between waxing? Or on the master link?

Tom

Dear Tom,

I pull my chains that are stiff after the wax has cooled post-dip over the rod in these photos. It is a fat, steel pin that holds up the anvil of my hydraulic press and rowens’t mover no matter how hard I yank on the chain. Yours is an elegant solution.

After pulling it back and forth over that rod until all of the links are folding properly, I ride it for a half hour before expecting it to perform to my expectations.

In answer to your first question, I only apply drip lube between waxing if for some reason I haven’t been able to re-dip the chain in wax and it’s been over 500 miles since I last did it. And if I do use a drip lube, it is a water-based wax lube. The other instance that I would do it is after a wet ride to avoid the rusting I experienced by just leaving my bike to dry out for a few weeks. Lots more on exactly how to do this below in answer to another question.

In answer to your second question, yes, I wax to master link at the same time I drip the chain in wax. I just slip each half of the master link onto the same wire swishing tool I use to swish the chain around in the wax so I don’t have to fish it out of the hot wax with a magnet.

Incidentally, today I just got an email blast from Silca claiming that 19 of the top 44 gravel pros competing in the Life Time Grand Prix series race on chains impregnated with Silca wax. I would bet that most of the rest of them are also on waxed chai

ns, but from other brands.

― Lennard

Dear Lennard,

In that 2014 article in VeloNews that you referenced, it says that Molten Speed Wax has Teflon in it. We now know how deadly and widespread PFAS are, which originated with Teflon (PTFE). Does it still have PTFE in it?

Frank

Dear Frank,

Thanks for your question. As someone who has gone to great lengths to avoid Teflon cookware (and food cooked in it) and to purge my shop of lubricants with PTFE in them and all my fluorocarbon ski waxes (to special drop-off locations for them), I am aware of the dangers of this stuff and regret my many years of hot waxing my skis with fluoro waxes. I highly recommend seeing this movie about the battle that led to the public finding out the dangers of PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), persistent organic forever chemicals that don’t leave the bloodstream and slowly accumulate.

I checked with Molten Speed Wax and some other companies who make chain wax about whether their products include PFAS. Here are their responses:

― Lennard

From Molten Speed Wax:

“[There is] no PFAS; we removed PTFE a couple of years ago from our wax and Race Powder.

We also use a paper tube style container instead of a plastic bag.

We also recycle all our chemicals.

Just trying to do our small part for the environment.”

John Thompson

Founder, Molten Speed Wax LLC

From Effetto Mariposa:

“[There is] no Teflon or other PFAS in Flowerpower Wax. Not even graphene or sulfides, to make it “future proof” for chemicals that are still considered ok now but might become a no-no in the next years...”

Alberto De Gioannini

Founder, Effetto Mariposa Sagl

From Silca:

“We are a PFAS free company since 2015.”

Josh Poertner

President, SILCA

From Finish Line:

“Finish Line removed Teflon (a brand of PTFE), out of its products three or so years ago. We had spent about two years on this project, looking for an alternative solid lubricating particle that would perform at an equivalent level. We discovered that a certain size and shaped boron nitride particle, a.k.a. Ceramic, delivered the same, and actually even better efficacy. So long answer, Finish Line does not have any PFAS ingredients in its lubricants or care products.”

Hank Krause

Founder, Finish Line

From Simply Fast:

Yes, [our] chain wax is all 100% chemical free- including PFAS!

No petroleum based paraffins, all ingredients are approved for use in food, pharma or cosmetics in the SIMPLYFAST stuff.

Eric Sampson

Founder, Simply Fast

Regarding preventing chain rusting after a wet ride:

Dear Lennard,

So here’s a question - what to do after that wet ride presuming you don’t want to have to go through the whole oil removal process from a wet lube? Would it be sufficient to blow dry the chain with, say, compressed air and then to re-lube with a drip wax lube?

John

Dear John,

By the way you phrased that question, I can’t tell if you mean that the chain originally had wet lube (oil-based drip lube) on it or if it is a waxed chain that you’re avoiding putting wet lube on so you don’t then have to get that wet lube back out of the chain again to re-wax it. I passed your question on to some chain-wax makers, some of whom interpreted it as being a waxed chain to start with, and some who interpreted it as being an oiled chain. Below are their responses, which include interesting tips as well.

― Lennard