Tungsten All Weather Wax Lube and Chain Preparation

I have been reading a lot on bicycle chain lubrication, and it is quite fascinating to learn how the different chain lubes have such big effects on the chain efficiency and durability.

For my "dry" weather bikes, such as the Cervelo Aspero gravel bike and the other folding bikes, I have been using the Prolink chain lube since a long time ago. Not sure why I chose it, but it has worked well so far.

As for the wet weather bikes, such as the chain drive version of the Fabike C3 and the most recent Focus Paralane, I have been using the KMC EPT chain, which is extremely rust resistant. For that chain, I used Finish Line wet lube, which is water resistant and does not get washed away by rain. However, the wet lube does pick up quite a bit of dirt that makes the chain dirty easily.

From Zero Friction Cycling, I came across this new type of drip on wax lube, which is almost as efficient as the full molten wax dip, and yet is easier to apply as it is a drip on type.

Which is why I decided to get this Tungsten All Weather Wax Lube to test it out for myself and see if it is really as good as it says.

Here it is! Let's give it a try and see how it goes.

Apparently good for all types of riding!

Uses tungsten disulphide to reduce friction. Made in the UK.

Unfortunately the 2 bottles arrived with some lube on the outside of the bottles. Seems like the cap was  not really screwed on tight, allowing some leakage during transportatation.

However, Tru Tension responded immediately when I sent them feedback on the bottle leakage. Kudos to them, they sent over new bottles of chain lube, no leakage this time. Now I have lots of chain lube to last a long time...

Label on the bottle

Need to shake the bottle vigorously to mix all contents evenly. After that, need to leave it on the chain for 5 minutes before wiping off excess.

The problem with using wax lubes is that the chain has to be completely degreased before the wax lube can be applied. This is a very tedious process, as many steps need to be done to strip away the factory grease completely. Thanks to the detailed instructions from Zero Friction Cycling, I was able to do it myself.

Here is the chain to be degreased, it will be installed onto the Cervelo Aspero gravel bike as the chain is due for replacement. The bent spoke is to fish out the chain from the bottles later on.

Chemicals needed to degrease the chain, in preparation for the wax lube. Turpentine to degrease it, and isopropyl alcohol to remove any remaining residue.

Dedicated bottles and funnels for this job. 

Glass containers to store used turpentine and isopropyl alcohol for later disposal.

For a start, fill up the bottle with 250 ml of turpentine, and soak the chain inside for 15 mins during the 1st round.

Factory grease coming off the chain, clouding the turpentine.

To complete the first step of the degreasing process, shake the chain inside the turpentine bottle for 2 minutes, for a total of 3 rounds. That's 750 ml of turpentine for 1 chain.

Next, the degreased chain needs to be cleaned of any film due to the turpentine, so that the wax lube or any other lube can bond to the metal tightly. Isopropyl alcohol is recommended for this.

For isopropyl alcohol, also 3 rounds of shaking, with 250 ml each. 

Once these cleaning steps are completed, the chain is almost ready! Quite a lot of work for one chain, but it only needs to be done once at the start of each new chain.

On a side note, it is not realistic or practical to attempt this cleaning on a used chain, as so many rounds of turpentine cleaning is needed to degrease the dirty chain completely. It will be too much effort for too little result, so it should always be done on a new chain only.

Last step is to dry the chain, so that the remaining alcohol is removed from the inside of the cleaned chain. You can hang it out to dry, or accelerate the process using a hairdryer.

Using a hairdryer to dry the chain, after degreasing it thoroughly.

Completely degreased, clean and dry!

A degreased chain feels weird in the hand, as the links feel very loose with no friction or stickiness due to the oil or grease. Feels like a metal necklace.

A degreased chain should be lubed within 12 hours, as there is no grease to protect it from rust You can also wrap it in a cloth or seal it in a bag as recommended by Zero Friction Cycling, but not longer than a few days.

Chain installed on the cassette and bike, ready for wax lubrication.

When the drivetrain is running on the degreased chain, it is very noisy, and a lot of friction can be felt. This is because there is completely no lubrication between the chain parts, except whatever plating and surface treatment that comes with the chain.

Applying the wax lube, drop by drop on each roller. Key is to let the wax penetrate the inside of the roller. Outside of the chain does not need any lubrication.

Leave it for a few minutes for the lube to penetrate the inside of the chain, and let it dry. Then, wipe off the excess as shown here.

From start of degreasing to completing the chain lubrication on the bike takes about 1 hour for me. It really takes quite a bit of effort, but hopefully it saves me time down the road.

On the Cervelo Aspero gravel bike, the biggest problem with chain lubrication for me is actually gravel dust. When riding around Pandan Reservoir, the bike will be coated in a fine layer of white dust. When I rode there previously, the chain because completely black because the dust stuck to the chain and chain lube.

With a dry wax lube, the idea is that dust will not stick to the chain so easily, and so the drivetrain will remain clean for longer. Only way to find out is to test it out!

First impression of the waxed chain is that it rides really smoothly! Ignoring the chain cleanliness or durability, the improved chain efficiency can be felt. Also, I don't hear any gritty or crunching sounds when the chain picks up dirt and grinds it into the drivetrain. The dry wax layer basically prevents most dirt from even sticking to it.

After riding in gravel, the whole bike was covered in white gravel dust. However, the chain still looks clean without much black marks.

Chain is still clean, even though the rest of the bike is covered in white dust.

Chain and cassette remains clean, even though the GRX rear derailleur is covered in dirt and dust.

Based on many subsequent rides, the waxed chain really stays clean despite riding through some dusty areas. Not sure how it would fare on a wet ride, but I suspect it would do pretty well too.

I am very pleased with this Tungsten All Weather Wax Lube, as it ensures that the drivetrain remains clean for a far longer time. The chain no longer turns black after just one ride.

Then, when it is time to clean and lubricate the chain again, what I need to do is just wipe off the dirt, and apply the drip on wax lube again. Good as new!