Cycling more expensive per mile than driving?

[scotsbikester]

An hour to re wax a chain? In terms of the value of my time I'd be less expensive to just slap in a new chain.

Yes, that's what I thought. I'll find out in a few days.

The experience seems to be that most of the time is spent doing something else, while the wax melts, and the chain absorbs the wax.
Which is why it would be perfect as a group thing. Certainly a lot of waxers seem to do several at once.

My plan, if I like the overall waxing thing, is to buy another, when the first one has done a few miles, then maybe a third. And then get into the routine of doing all of them at once, using them up one by one.

 

[Drago]

Just dribble some oil on there and get of with your life.

 

[scotsbikester]

How long does it take to re-wax a chain, an hour with removal and refitting?

Is that how long it takes you to re-wax your chain? I'm hoping it will be a lot quicker than that. Still, it's good to hear your experience of chain waxing.

 

[scotsbikester]

Just dribble some oil on there and get of with your life.

Thanks so much for your advice. I've been "dribbling some oil on there" for a few years now. And I've decided to try something else.

 

[Oldhippy]

A high end road/racer bike I'd imagine is a lot more expensive for bits. My touring bike is fine with minimal servicing and little cost.

 

[scotsbikester]

A high end road/racer bike I'd imagine is a lot more expensive for bits. My touring bike is fine with minimal servicing and little cost.

I daresay you're right. I'm doing this mainly for cleanliness, TBH. Extending component life will be a secondary benefit.

 

[Drago]

Thanks so much for your advice

I sense pearls being clutched!

Well, when its done let us know how long it ultimately took.

 

[HLaB]

Never done the maths but thinking quickly the car purchase, VED, Insurance, MOT & Service, New Tyres, petrol, fluid etc must be more for 150,000 miles than for my bike. The bike was dearer, £3,500 for the frame, circa £1000 for the parts, circa £1-500 a year in replacement parts and circa £500 for fuel to run it for 40,000miles over 7.5 years.

The commuter/winter bike (although it's was in a friend's garage for circa 3 years has done 18,500 miles for just £4-500 (built from a £350 frame and the groupset was donated) and its a lot cheaper to run circa £100 pa at most. So it must be cheaper than the car too.

 

[HLaB]

Oh and I use drip wax, so I get most of the cleanliness, component longevity of dry wax but for a fraction of the time.

 

[scotsbikester]

I sense pearls being clutched!

I don't understand, what does that mean?

 

[scotsbikester]

Never done the maths but thinking quickly the car purchase, VED, Insurance, MOT & Service, New Tyres, petrol, fluid etc must be more for 150,000 miles than for my bike. The bike was dearer, £3,500 for the frame, circa £1000 for the parts, circa £1-500 a year in replacement parts and circa £500 for fuel to run it for 40,000miles over 7.5 years.

The commuter/winter bike (although it's was in a friend's garage for circa 3 years has done 18,500 miles for just £4-500 (built from a £350 frame and the groupset was donated) and its a lot cheaper to run circa £100 pa at most. So it must be cheaper than the car too.

Yes. I suppose I was really just talking about the apparent "marginal cost". But yes, you are absolutely correct, a more thorough comparison of the cost I'm sure would show that a car is more expensive per mile than a bike.

 

[scotsbikester]

Oh and I use drip wax, so I get most of the cleanliness, component longevity of dry wax but for a fraction of the time.

Yes, I considered drip wax. And as you can imagine a variety of opinions on drip wax vs immersion have been expressed. Frequently stridently so, with utter and complete assurance that those opinions are correct. In the end, I decided to go with immersion.

Presumably you found the immersion process too time-consuming or had other downsides?

 

[Toshiba Boy]

I don't understand, what does that mean?

To "clutch pearls" (or "clutch one's pearls") means to react to a situation with exaggerated shock, dismay, or moral outrage. It describes a melodramatic or overly sensitive response—often when someone feigns more shock than they actually feel to judge others.

Our Drags wasn't giving further chain cleaning hints.

 

[HLaB]

Yes, I considered drip wax. And as you can imagine a variety of opinions on drip wax vs immersion have been expressed. Frequently stridently so, with utter and complete assurance that those opinions are correct. In the end, I decided to go with immersion.

Presumably you found the immersion process too time-consuming or had other downsides?

I didn't even get as far as trying immersion rbh, it just looked convoluted and drip wax worked so I never tried it to find out.

 

[PaulSB]

@scotsbikester I'm sure you'll be delighted with the results of moving to wax. I haven't regretted it once in the four or five years since I started using wax.

My advice would be to drip wax. All you need to do is get your chain scrupulously clean, or invest in a pre-waxed chain, and then drip it when needed. I don't have a routine other than wipe after a ride with a cotton cloth. Run a finger over the surface, if it feels dry add some wax.

I have friends who enjoy the total immersion technique. We ride a together a lot, the results are very similar, the real difference is they get pleasure from the process. They also drip wax quite frequently.

Enjoy.