Swapped to wax chain lube and almost ruined my drive train

I was using wet lube for years because I ride in all weather but after reading a forum I switched to a wax based drip lube. First 2 rides were fine but by ride 3 my chain was DRY and squeaking like crazy. I didn't realize you need to strip the factory grease off completely before switching. Had to buy a new chain and cassette because the old one wore down in less than 100 miles. Anyone else had this issue with wax lube? Maybe I should have just stuck with what worked.

2 comments

2 Comments

linda62617d ago

Had a buddy who did the exact same thing with his mountain bike. He spent a whole weekend degreasing and scrubbing that chain, thought he got it all. First ride after waxing, chain sounded like a dying cat. By the time he checked it, the cassette was toast too. He ended up just throwing the whole drivetrain in the trash and bought a belt drive bike. Now he just hoses it off with water and calls it a day. Honestly makes me wonder if wax lube is more trouble than it's worth for most people. I stick with my old wet lube and just reapply every few rainy rides.

val_wilson16d ago

Had the same exact thing happen to me last year. I followed all the YouTube tutorials about stripping the chain and thought I did a thorough job, but by the third ride my chain was squeaking like a haunted house door. Ended up replacing the whole drivetrain too and went straight back to wet lube without looking back.