Silca hot waxing

[Binky]

New bike on order(from Canyon so not holding my breath) and I'm thinking of going down hot wax route for chain.
I currently use Squirt drip and it's been fine but thinking with new bike and drivetrain chain etc I might try hot wax.
The Silca system appeals as can use Strip chip on factory grease so saves cleaning faff.

So, anyone who does this I'd appreciate any reviews etc. Ive read thread from back in 2024 but must be some here using this now with pluses and minuses of it.

Thanks

 

[Ajax Bay]

I recommend one new thing at a time - was a key mantra in hang gliding. New venue - old glider. Familiar venue - new glider. Familiar venue - familar glider - new position eg supine as opposed to sitting.
Explore the whole 'hot waxing' regime on your current drivetrain (new chain maybe). Then when your Canyon arrives, you'll be an old hand and can make an informed decision to crack on; or not.

 

[Sea of vapours]

I've used Silca hot wax for nearly four years. I've also switched to the Strip Chip method for essentially zero chain preparation now. (Note that you need Silca's wax pot for this as the temperature has to be raised to a specific level for the actual Strip Chip process on a new chain.)

I can't think of any minuses.... Nope, I literally can't, other than needing the Silca pot for the Strip Chip, which barely counts and is a minor thing compared to using chemicals to strip chains. Oh, I suppose there is more chance of superficial rust than with 'oil', but that's ameliorated by simply wiping with a microfibre cloth and isopropyl alcohol after a wet ride; thirty seconds 'work'. You're using a form of wax anyway, so that'll be much the same, and the Silca hot melt is probably more protective, but I can't compare.

The positives are as you'll have read on the other thread: clean, extends component longevity, very easy and quick to do, probably the odd watt or two saved over many alternatives. My primary positive is the 'clean' one. It makes a huge difference, having nothing involving 'oil' anywhere on the outside of the bike. Again, that's wax in general, though immersive waxing does a better job of filling all the spaces (surely!) so must be better in that respect. It's also a good bit quicker than applying wax to each link and waiting for it to dry/set properly.

I can't remotely imagine putting oil on a bike chain now, nor using drip wax other than when travelling on multi-day trips, where immersive waxing would clearly be 'a bit challenging'.

 

[Dorset Boy]

I've been using the Silica hot wax for a year now and agree, no downsides.
I run 2 chains, so there's always one to put straight on when the current one needs re-waxing

 

[Binky]

I've used Silca hot wax for nearly four years. I've also switched to the Strip Chip method for essentially zero chain preparation now. (Note that you need Silca's wax pot for this as the temperature has to be raised to a specific level for the actual Strip Chip process on a new chain.)

I can't think of any minuses.... Nope, I literally can't, other than needing the Silca pot for the Strip Chip, which barely counts and is a minor thing compared to using chemicals to strip chains. Oh, I suppose there is more chance of superficial rust than with 'oil', but that's ameliorated by simply wiping with a microfibre cloth and isopropyl alcohol after a wet ride; thirty seconds 'work'. You're using a form of wax anyway, so that'll be much the same, and the Silca hot melt is probably more protective, but I can't compare.

The positives are as you'll have read on the other thread: clean, extends component longevity, very easy and quick to do, probably the odd watt or two saved over many alternatives. My primary positive is the 'clean' one. It makes a huge difference to having nothing involving 'oil' anywhere on the outside of the bike. Again, that's wax in general, though immersive waxing does a better job of filling all the spaces (surely!) so must be better in that respect. It's also a good bit quicker than applying wax to each link and waiting for it to dry/set properly.

I can't remotely imagine putting oil on a bike chain now, nor using drip wax other than when travelling on multi-day trips, where immersive waxing would clearly be 'a bit challenging'.

Thanks.
My plan is this: buy Silca bundle plus spare chain. Treat new chain with Strip Chip and wax ready for bike arrival. Then when bike arrives put this chain on ready to ride.
Subsequently treat chain I'll have removed from new bike with another Strip Chip in existing wax in Silca pot.
I'll then have two brand new chains to rotate/rewax when required.

I believe subsequent waxing in Silca pot can then be done lots of times(40?) as long as not treating new chains with factory grease as doing that needs a new Strip Chip for each chain and once 6 strip chips used in wax pot the wax in there is done as wax/grease ratio reached.

Does above make sense regards procedure? This is what I've gathered from looking at Silca instructions and various forums.

 

[Dorset Boy]

Sounds right to me.

 

[MadMalx]

Do you old hands use waxed chains all year round?
Supplementary Q: For rewaxing, how do you clean first? A full deep clean or is it just wipe with popranol (isopropyl alcohol) and rewax? - Or boiling water And dry? (as I’ve seen elsewhere)

 

[Dorset Boy]

Given water runs off wax, then I see no reason not to run a waxed chain all year. I get 2,000 kms between waxing in a dry summer like this one, but guess you'd want to rewax more frequently in winter.
I generally use degreaser then wash in water, hang to dry and then rewax. However, you could just wipe clean and then use the silica strip chip.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Does above make sense regards procedure?

Sounds exactly correct, yes.

 

[Drago]

Why would you need to wax more regularly in winter if water runs off wax?

 

[Sea of vapours]

Do you old hands use waxed chains all year round?
Supplementary Q: For rewaxing, how do you clean first? A full deep clean or is it just wipe with popranol (isopropyl alcohol) and rewax? - Or boiling water And dry? (as I’ve seen elsewhere)

I do, yes. After a wet ride, I wipe the chain with microfibre and Isopropyl alcohol. That's it.

I don't do anything special before re-waxing, other than the above to get any external grit off, of which there will be very little unless it's just rained. If it's been really wet, and finished wet, then I'd tend to re-wax. The 'work' involved in that, for me, is well under five minutes in an elapsed couple of hours. I do have a metal mesh at the bottom of my Crockpot, with a slight gap beneath it. The idea is that any particles of grit melt off and sit beneath this, so the wax in the chain will be 'clean'. I've not idea whether this actually works, but the chains last a good 15,000km so I'm happy with the overall process.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Why would you need to wax more regularly in winter if water runs off wax?

The wax is not on the outside of the chain; or not for long. Wet, gritty roads throw up more crud and the wax in the chain doesn't last as long. Plus, as the wax is worn / used up, that means water /could/ get into those spaces, which /could/ cause corrosion. On the basis that completey re-waxing is quick and easy, I err on the cautious side and re-wax more when it's wet, which tends to coincide with it being winter. This applies to salty water even more: I'd rather not risk leaving road salt on the chain at all.

 

[Milzy]

Marketing man's dream.