Switching from regular chain lube to wax was a proper game-changer in my bike maintenance routine. For years, a few drips of original Shimano dry lube had been the backbone of my drive train. Despite being a bit of a mucky pup, it did the job. I always made sure to lube up well in advance. About two years back, I stumbled upon this little sample of Squirt Chain Wax , chucked in with an online order. Curiosity piqued, I decided to give it a try, sticking religiously to the instructions until my chain was purring smoothly on wax.
I was gobsmacked. But the real deal? After several rides, my entire drivetrain was still spotless! Regardless of the muck I rode through! Chuffed, I ordered a full bottle and have been using that one back since. However, after half an hour of his pitch, I caved in. Partly just to shut him up…. After that ride, he handed me a sample bottle of their Speed Potion Wax and I gave it a proper go.
I followed the guidelines on their website to a T, thoroughly degreasing the chain before carefully applying the wax to each link. Let me kick off by noting that prepping your chain for waxing is a universal saga across all waxes.
It demands a decent chunk of time and elbow grease to properly strip your chain of its factory lube. Two things have quickly caught my attention.
All smoothness dissipates. This wax really holds its ground. With Squirt Wax, I found myself reapplying every to km. Before switching to Dynamics Speed Potion Wax, I pushed Squirt to its limits, riding over km until my drivetrain started to protest loudly. This was under ideal summer conditions and varied riding intensities. Interestingly, after about km, also the Speed Potion Wax reached its limit, with all its initial smoothness evaporated.
