I've been using Maxima chain lube (available from Amazon) which is a standard type wet lube followed by Maxima chain wax.. The lube penetrates deeply into rollers, pins and plates then the chain wax seals this lube in so there's no fling off or mess.. 1,500 mi. on a bafang ultra motor and 9 speed cassette still shows zero wear on two different chain stretch gauges. I think I found the holy grail for chain maintenance. YRMV but having had bicycles and motorcycles for the last 60 years, this is the best way to lube a chain that I have found hands down
Magic (not real magic) chain lube for outstanding lasting performance and virtually no wear
- Thread starter DDBB
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stompandgo
Active Member
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- USA
I used to use it on my Harley's chain. Stinks like hell for a while until the volatiles gas off. I never used it on my racing bikes because I preferred a lighter lube and cleaned my drivetrain weekly. It should be great for e-bikes.
smorgasbord
Well-Known Member
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- USA
You've posted this in like 2 threads now, but you're using chain checkers that are themselves unable to measure chain wear accurately, and not at all below a 0.5% threshold (and then nothing additional until 0.75% is reached).
Using those checkers, you can't honestly say "zero wear" since you're using tools that can't measure that. A caliper-based checker (see this EBR thread) can tell you incremental wear quite accurately.
Yes, o.k.. my chain checkers are junk. I've used them on other chains that show wear and they seem to work o.k. My point was with chain lube applied first and chain wax applied second, I'm not seeing any measurable wear but when using just oil based chain lube on other chains, wear is quite apparant at the same mileage. I never pretended my results were scientific and feel free to ignore my findings. It works great for me and thought I'd share is all. I also don't think your assesment of the park tools chain checker is accurate. I can easily see wear between .5 and .75 with it but you're right, I can't honestly say zero wear when I don't have the ability to measure precisely. .You've made a point of saying my chain checkers are no good in like two threads now 
Just ignore my post and use whatever works for you
Just ignore my post and use whatever works for you
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mschwett
Well-Known Member
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- USA
this is a very strange result - among the billions of words spent by cyclists debating wax and lube i have never heard of using both - it's widely acknowledged that wax and lube don't mix. they literally don't mix.
the idea here that the wax would stay on the outside of the lube and keep the lube in there is really strange, it's not like the wax is shrink wrap. each link is rotating around the pin and the wax on the exterior of the chain doesn't form a complete seal. the wax works for the same reason the chain lube you describe works, it gets into the spaces between the plates and pins and rollers.
i think the result you're seeing is probably just a durable chain combined with decent lube, not all that much load/time, and a chain checker which won't tell you much until you hit .5
the idea here that the wax would stay on the outside of the lube and keep the lube in there is really strange, it's not like the wax is shrink wrap. each link is rotating around the pin and the wax on the exterior of the chain doesn't form a complete seal. the wax works for the same reason the chain lube you describe works, it gets into the spaces between the plates and pins and rollers.
i think the result you're seeing is probably just a durable chain combined with decent lube, not all that much load/time, and a chain checker which won't tell you much until you hit .5
stompandgo
Active Member
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- USA
Maxima is different as it's made for motorcycles. It's very thick and sticky. How well it penetrates into the rollers of a bike chain, I can't tell you. It is hard to clean off as it's designed not to be cleaned off.
At least that's my experience with Maxima, in the gold can.
At least that's my experience with Maxima, in the gold can.
kevinmccune
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
seems like a major poster hereabouts uses basically parafin wax,wax is a fairly good lube in its own right very useful on sticky drawers and a carpentry,I use to make wood preservative from pwax and kerosene seemed to work pretty good anything that keeps metal surfaces from actually contacting is better than nothing,after about a century and a few score of years I marvel at how reliable the stinky ICE has become,due in a large part to lubrication science,everyday someone or some group makes an improvement on electric motors if electric motors had been persued with such diligence hard to tell how good they would be today,the hybrid or compound systems coming on the market now are simply amazing.
smorgasbord
Well-Known Member
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- USA
In my mind, it’s more the large number of variables involved and the difficulty of rigorous testing that will make this search never ending.
From metallurgy of the chains to how lube is applied to conditions it is operated in to the time it takes to do a long enough term test, etc.
There is no magic.
From metallurgy of the chains to how lube is applied to conditions it is operated in to the time it takes to do a long enough term test, etc.
There is no magic.
Jeremy McCreary
Bought it anyway
- Region
- USA
- City
- Carlsbad, CA
Agree. But if homo sapiens survives another 50 years, the debates will be over stone tools.
smorgasbord
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
That's not what I said. I said they don't enable measurement of incremental wear.
Sure, they work for Go/No-Go of wear at 0.5%, some of them also at 0.75%
Your point was that the combo of these products is "Magic" and resulted in "virtually no wear."
Right not scientific, just magic, lol. Feel free to ignore my bringing this down to earth.
My assessment of the chain checkers is accurate. The checkers are designed to know when the chain stretch is more than 0.5% and sometimes more than 0.75%. So, below both, above both, or in-between.
Only because you posted about this "magic" in two threads now. Someone needed to stop you posting in a third.
You can try to ignore my posts, but ignoring the truth isn't a good practice. This isn't personal and I'm sorry the truth hurts your feelings.
Hey man, I found a combination that works for me and thought I'd share it. You seem to revel in taking it down... Carry on if it gives you joy. My feelings aren't hurt, I'm just appalled you'd put so much time and energy into debunking everything I've said. Now as far as chain lube and chain wax not mixing, all I can say is after applying the lube and then using a top coat of chain wax, there is no fling off or strange separation of the products. It may well be that I can't see it I don't know but to get 1,500mi. from a 9 speed chain that runs a bafang ultra motor with my park tools chain checker not showing any wear is impressive and if you can't agree with that then we can continue to argue here for all to see and enjoy. I gave you the option to ignore what I've said about my findings (of course everyone has that option) but you come back scolding me for ignoring "the truth" really? Anyway, I'm grateful for you being an expert on these subjects and maybe now I'll go back to regular chain lube for fear of hurting YOUR feelings. Or you could even try it and see if it works for you but somehow, I doubt that would ever happen. As a disclaimer, the combination of maxima chain lube and maxima chain wax isn't "magic".. that word was used as an attention getter and not meant to be taken literally. I might even post a THIRD thread about this in the future once I hit 3,000mi. just to upset smorgasboard unless I go back to regular chain lube for fear of being mocked and ridiculed. FWIW, I posted ONE thread about this. My other post was replying to an existing thread, I didn't start two threads.
Or you could even try it and see if it works for you but somehow, I doubt that would ever happen. As a disclaimer, the combination of maxima chain lube and maxima chain wax isn't "magic".. that word was used as an attention getter and not meant to be taken literally. I might even post a THIRD thread about this in the future once I hit 3,000mi. just to upset smorgasboard unless I go back to regular chain lube for fear of being mocked and ridiculed. FWIW, I posted ONE thread about this. My other post was replying to an existing thread, I didn't start two threads.
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smorgasbord
Well-Known Member
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- USA
Yes, really. You are way over-hyping with terms like "magic" and"no wear" and "not showing any wear", and people need to be aware that your hyperbole is not factual, and your claims of "top coat" and "sealing" have no theoretical support (which was not pointed out by me, btw). You also haven't provided your lube regimen. How often do you clean your chain and re-lube? Do you ride on dry pavement or in muddy trails? What brand/model chain are you using? So many variables, as I pointed out, that claims of lube superiority are not believeable.
I didn't say you started two threads. I said you "posted in two threads," which is the actual, factual truth. That you try to call this out is only further indication that you're taking this way too personally and not looking at it all clearly.
You are more than welcome to post again at 3,000 miles should your chain checker indicate that wear still hasn't reached the 0.5% threshold.
Gionnirocket
Well-Known Unidentified Member
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- USA
- City
- Y. O.
¡Absolutely Fuckiń Hilarious!
Just won't let it die eh smorgasboard? o.k.. you win, my chain checkers are crap, my system of lube then wax is crap, my posting in two threads is crap. Thanks for being so diligent in pointing out the actual factual truth. If anyone is taking this personally, it's you. Looking forward to your next post. We are providing the forum with much needed entertainment
kevinmccune
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
My chum apparently uses 90 weight gear lube( talk about a stinky gritty mess!) I finally managed to clean up one freewheel most of the way,i discarded a wheel and hub motor so contaminated,standard lube oil has a such a propensity to attract and hold grit,it couldnt be a good idea,one freewheel in a place where I rode held up pretty good with chain lube,while the tire wore out in 500 miles,I bow to the experienced ones,what they say i pretty much follow(as an afterthought,I was working on a contaminated freewheel from a bike I got from a friend,I was using an impact to spin it free and the dang thing cut down into my knuckle,it was late didn't seek medical help till the next day,the urgent care doctor refused to spread and clean the cut after many months of Ortho visits I think I finally had all the 90 weight gunk removed from finger joint it healed finally still a bit stiff at times-moral keep things clean and wear gloves when messing with things that could spin and I love your chain lube regime 'Pedaluma has a good discipline on chain lube.
It works for me. I love the maxima chain wax so I bought a can of their chain lube and then I thought, hey, if I spray the wax after the lube, it might give me better results and for me, it seems to be workingl YRMV. but don't post anything about it unless you have a caliper based chain checker and don't talk about it in any thread but this one!
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smorgasbord
Well-Known Member
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- USA
talk about not letting it die...
smorgasbord
Well-Known Member
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- USA
Your words, not mine.
If you weren't taking this personally, you wouldn't be trying to put words into my mouth.
