When it comes to maintaining a smooth and efficient ride, cyclists often debate between waxing a bike chain and using traditional lubricants. Waxing, while more labor-intensive, offers significant advantages over lubing; waxed chains run cleaner, attract less dirt and grime, and provide superior protection against wear and corrosion. The wax creates a dry, friction-reducing barrier that can extend the life of the chain and drivetrain components. Additionally, waxed chains require less frequent maintenance, allowing us to spend more time on the road and less time in the workshop. For cyclists seeking optimal performance and longevity, waxing emerges as a superior choice to traditional lubing.
Equipment needed
A good crockpot (I bought this one but wish I had gotten a little better, though the size of this one is good)
One bag of Silca wax
One bottle of chain cleaner
A few old spokes bent into a big J
These things cost about a total of $100 ($70 without a crockpot), but this is a year's supply or more if you just keep the system clean. I have about thirteen months now on my first bag of wax and am about to start a new bag.
The system
Chain prep
This only has to be done the first time on a new or used chain; once done, the chain will not need to be cleaned again unless you use oil or grease lubricant.
Find an old water bottle and mark it DO NOT DRINK! Place your new or used chains in the bottle. I can fit three in a smaller bottle, but you can do this one at a time, also.
Add the chain cleaner to the bottle, put on the cap, shake, and let sit overnight. Don't toss the chain cleaner bottle; in the morning, without taking the lid off of the water bottle, squeeze the liquid back into the chain cleaner bottle. This is really easy to do, and you will see that once the liquid sits in the chain cleaner bottle, the grease it stripped off will settle to the bottom. This makes it easier to keep reusing the cleaner when you do more chains.
Store the chain cleaner; you can do 8-10 chains with the same cleaner following this system.
Waxing chains

Dump the cold wax into a crockpot, turn it to high, and allow the wax to melt. It will take about an hour, so do this ahead of time.
Take a clean, dry chain and loop it a few times over the J-shaped spoke so it works as a handle (see picture).
Once the wax in the pot is fully melted, dip the chain in it and let it sit on the bottom, fully submerged. You may see bubbles coming off of it; this is the wax penetrating. Swirl it around, flip it over, move it back and forth for about a minute; you want to move the links and let the wax really get in there.
Turn off the crockpot but leave the chain in there. This is the bonus part that people miss. Now that the pot is off, leave the lid off and let the pot sit till the top begins to cool and develop a film (but not harden). This takes me about 20-25 minutes, so I just go do something else but set an alarm on my phone. I usually wax after a ride, so I turn on the pot before I go out every other Thursday, wax after the ride, and shower while things are cooling. Why do this step? The cooler the wax when you take the chain out, the more will stay in the links, which makes the chain last longer. If you take it out when everything is really hot, the wax just runs out of the links. I let the wax surface really start to form a clearly visible film before I pull mine out. If you wait too long and the wax is too hard, just turn the pot back on for 5-10 minutes.
Hang the chain over a rag or bucket (it will drip some) and let it harden overnight, 8-12 hours at minimum.
The chain will be solid once dry. You'll need to work the links a little over a trash can (wax will fall off as you do this) and just make it loose enough to get on bike. Then put it on the bike, spin it for a minute, and be careful in the first few kilometers (especially 1x cranks), as it may skip a little as it loosens up.
Now that I figured out the cooling time in step 4, a chain lasts me three weeks (two weeks on gravel), and I ride more than you. I still have not replaced a cassette since starting to wax, and my current one has around 12,000 miles on it.
Rewaxing Chains
Just wipe the chain, take it off the bike, and repeat the wax process. As long as you do not get grease or oil lube on the chain, you'll never really need to clean a chain again. I own no chain cleaning solution or little tool.
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Thanks for the recommendation and guidance!
How often would you recommend rewaxing a chain?
How much can a liquid wax emulsion treatment extend the time interval between successive chain removals and needing to redo the hot rewaxing procedure?
Can hot waxing be avoided altogether by using a prewaxed chain, and periodically topping off the wax with a liquid wax emulsion?