After a year of waxing my chains here’s why I’m going back to oil

At the core of my job is trying things out. Testing. Working out what works, and what doesn’t so that I can help you make more informed decisions with what you want to do with your bikes, or what gear you want to spend your money on. Technology in the bike world moves at quite a pace, and while oil-based lubricants have been around since the invention of the chain, immersion wax is now The Done Thing for performance oriented riders. 

I took a while to swap over to wax. It seemed like a pain in the ass, and I was always relatively good at keeping my bikes clean anyway, but a year ago I drank the Kool-Aid, bought a slow cooker and various solvents and began my waxy journey. A year on, and many miles ridden in all conditions on both road and gravel, I remain unconvinced that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. I’m ditching the wax and going back to drip lube, and here’s why.

If you are a drip lube fan, or want to improve your lubrication game without committing fully to an immersion wax, then my colleague Tom has put together an excellent guide to the best bike chain lube to point you in the right direction. If you already think I’m some sort of greasy luddite and waxing your chain is a hill you’re willing to die on then he’s also put together a sister guide to the best bike chain wax, so everyone’s a winner!

It’s not easy