For years, I’ve used dry lubes, and wet lubes on my bike chains. The lubes worked well, so why would I change anything? Yeah, the occasional bike chain tattoo on my calf was annoying, but no big deal. A little grease never hurt anyone.

One day at work, my co-worker, Ryan, sent me a link to waxing your chain. I was intrigued by the idea. After watching the video, a whole new world was opened up to me. No more chain grease tattoo. I also loved the idea of [traveling with a clean bike] inside the car. I know, I’m a bit weird and a car clean freak.

So, I was sold on the idea. I researched to make sure that waxing the chain was good for the equipment. My research convinced me. It passed the Berkey seal of approval. Now it was time to get to work. Before waxing your chain, you need to clean your chain. It doesn’t matter if your chain is brand new, just out of the package, or is full of grime and dirt. To make your life easier, I outlined the steps below with a summary of my cleaning supplies:

• Gasoline
• Degreaser
• Mineral spirits

Steps

1. Soak the chain in gasoline for five to six hours or overnight. The type of gasoline doesn’t matter. Your chain doesn’t care if the gas is premium or regular. I used 87 regular without ethanol. I swiped the gas I use in my lawnmower.
2. Soak in a degreaser for 30 min. My degreaser of choice was Muc Off Bio Drivetrain Cleaner.
3. Wash in water to get remove the gasoline and degreaser.
4. Soak in mineral spirits for 30 min. My mineral spirit of choice is Klean Strip Odorless Mineral Spirits.
5. Finally, wash in water and hang to dry.

Wax Time

Once your chain is clean, it’s time to get to the fun part. Below are the supplies and steps to wax that shiny clean chain:

• Crockpot
• Wax
• Teflon
• Wire hanger or somewhat heavy gauge wire

Steps

1. In your small crockpot, mix the one pound of wax (1 block) with all of the Teflon in the bottle. Melt the wax and stir in the Teflon to create the magic mixture. Melting the wax can take up to about an hour and a half when the crockpot is on the low setting. Take that time to get some other work done.
2. If you have a metal clothes hanger or somewhat heavy gauge wire, bend it into a hanger to hold your chain.
3. String the chain and power links (if part of your chain) onto the DIY hanger. Dip the chain into the magic mixture and submerge. Let the chain sit in the Teflon wax mixture for 10 min.
4. Pull the chain out of the mixture and let it dry for 10 min.
5. You’re almost done! Wear gloves to bend each kink of the chain so that chain moves normally. If you use power links, be sure to get the wax out of the small grooves so that links why connect.
6. Put the chain back on the bike and enjoy the goodness.

If you’re like me and are a visual learner, check out each part of the process below to see the waxing process step-by-step.

Step 1: Remove the chain

Step 2: Clean the cassettes using the degreaser

Step 3: Clean the chain with boiling water. Wipe clean with an old rag.

Step 4: Wax the chain in the crockpot. Let it soak for 10 min.

Step 5: Hang the chain to dry for 10 min.

Step 6: Get the kinks out of the chain.

Step 7: If you have power links, be sure to get the wax out of the grooves.

Waxing the chain can take time, but it’s worth it. A waxed chain lasts 200 to 300 miles, depending on where you’re riding. The wax won’t last as long if you ride in wet areas. To make the process easier, I purchased a second chain so I always have a backup ready. 

So, are you convinced? Waxing the chain makes a lot of sense for traveling and eliminates greasy hands if you need to adjust the chain on the fly. Waxing also eliminates the embarrassing chain tattoo.