Should you be waxing your chain?

Are wax based lubricants ousting their oily counterparts? Rachel Sokal investigates...

Getty imainge of clean chain
(Image credit: Getty Images)

“There are very few situations where wax isn’t the better option from a performance standpoint,” says Travis Vehoff, at Silca. “Maybe even more importantly for most riders, it keeps your chain lasting longer.”

Silca, who manufacture wax based bike chain lubes, clearly have a vested interest in praising their performance. However, it’s a general consensus too, that wax products dominate the efficiency and long-term cost league tables of independent testers Zero Friction Cycling (ZFC), consistently outperforming traditional oil-based products. 

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