HOT TUB Chain Lubricant

1/23/17 Update. After 3 months and 400 miles its still lubricating. Still clean, no mess, no need to wipe. You can still see the wax clinging to the chain ring teeth. Excellent product. I see no need to supplement with another wax based product although Pedro's came up with a new Slick Wax product. I might try it. Incidentally you can buy this in bulk to refill your wax tub. Tried this on an 11sp Dura-Ace chain and worked well on first ride(50 miles). Chain was silent running, Drive train is now cleaner. I can now hear the other noises like the cable rattling and the hub or the bottom bracket creaking. Had to degrease/soak the chain prior to use using Simple Green 13406 Extreme Aircraft and Precision Cleaner, 1 Gallon Bottle available here at Amazon then soaked in denatured alcohol and shaken inside a small glass jar. According to the creators this is made up of paraffin and some dry lubes, I suspect teflon PTFE and Molybdenum. Excess paraffin will flake off initially. Had to buy the expensive but reusable Connex 11-speed gold link as the wax lube is only good for 500 miles. Manufacturer also recommends supplementing with a wax based lube, I use the Maxima Bike Chain Wax Parafilm Formula Drip Lube, 4 oz available here although Finish Line and White Lightning have their own wax based products. Paraffin was found to be the most efficient anti-friction available and also the longest lasting especially in dry conditions according to friction-facts.com. Incidentally Rock N Roll Gold Chain Lubricant, 4-Ounce came in second if you want the traditional way of lubing your chains. Will try this on the Wipperman Connex 11Sx 11-Speed SS Inner Link and see what happens. Tried it on the Wipperman and works as expected. Might not be as slick as other lubes but keeps your drive train clean and last longer than most. Some people reported that wax based lubes last longer on cold weather than during summer months.

Bought this because I was sick of greasy drive train muck. I was using Teflon dry lube that goes on wet and then dries before riding. It worked to lubricate but the chain would still get mucked up despite not being greasy. Waxing has made the chain noticeably cleaner. The chain can be rinsed Clean with water and dried without rusting the chain. The wax lasts a couple of weeks before needing a new application instead of every few days like before. I commute every day 20 miles plus I do recreational rides multiple times a week so even though the process of waxing takes a little more effort since it lasts longer it actually saves me a lot of work in the long run and also makes my chains last longer in between replacements. Since there's no crud build-up, I'm sure the wear on my cassette is greatly reduced too. I've heard similar results can be achieved with basic household paraffin wax which is the main ingredient in this product, however, most DIY waxers usually add Teflon or tungsten to the wax so if you're in the camp that believes this improves performance then this product already has it added in there for you. It's not that much more than plain paraffin so might as well get the full product here.

This was my first experience waxing a chain. As such, I obviously cannot compare this to other wax products. However, compared to every lube product I have used, and I have used dozens over the years, this stuff is AWESOME! I will note that I watched an excellent YouTube video that emphasized the importance of thoroughly cleaning and degreasing a new chain. The stuff Sram coats their new chains with is heavy and tough to cut. I cleaned the chain with mineral spirits, degreaser, brake cleaner, and then more degreaser. It's important to have the chain as clean and free of all oils as possible so that the wax will properly adhere and soak into the chain. The cleaning took a while. The waxing was super simple. Just put the tub in a pan with about 2 inches of water, let it boil until all the wax has melted and let it soak for a little while. I then took the chain out, hung it up, and let it cool completely. The chain was stiff from the wax, which required working each individual link loose. When all that was done, I installed the chain and run it slowly on the bike for a while to further loosen up the links. While doing that I noticed a lot of flaking from outside was coming off, which is fine and to be expected. Now with the chain in service I am happy to report that it runs smooth and quiet. But what is really nice is the fact that it runs clean. I ride gravel and not having that wet lube soaking up the dust and grit is fantastic. I just rinse my bike, wipe it down and it's good to go. I love this stuff. I'll definitely be back for a refill when it's time to refresh it.

It is a little bit more work to clean the chain and melt the wax and wait to apply, but once you did it, you can feel it works well, smooth and silent, what matters the most, it is clean, no more grease mess, no more black mark. I reapply every 100-150 miles in dry condition (when you hear the noise from the chain, actually you can feel it), but in wet condition it is pretty needed after every ride.

My first time trying chain wax. Cleaned with ultrasonic and then applied. This stuff is amazing! Super quiet drivetrain now and butter smooth shifting. I'm hooked! Will def be buying again! Thanks for a great product at a good price!

You can spend twice or even three times as much for the name brand wax if you're willing to. However, when it comes to performance, ingredients and rational thought, the Runaway Bike Hot Tub brand wax is just as complete and competent when it comes to maintaining your chain and associated parts that the chain runs through/over that I'll never overpay for another wax again! This stuff is so economical, I can wax my chain every 2 weeks and still be ahead financially! Yes, there is a lot of science and R&D in these waxes and yes there are those who claim they can make their own, but why waste your time or possibly damage your bike by making it yourself when you can get the Hot Tub wax for a few bucks? Do yourself a favor, save the money you'd have spent on Silca or another brand and give this one a shot. It's a great product and I'm never going back to oils/greases and I won't ever buy the big name brands again for chain wax. 5 stars all day long. (Pro Tip: Buy an old or cheap crock pot to dump the wax into and melt it in there rather than in the tub with boiling water. It's safer, and once you're done, you just let it cool down and put it away until the next use!) Thanks, Runaway Bike!

This is my first adventure into chain waxing, I have used countless other drip lubes from wet, dry, wax, etc. I have used products from white lightning, finish line, muc off, maxima, and others with usually disappointing results. I race BMX so dirt is a constant issue. Trying to keep a drive chain clean is a nightmare. The best results I have previously had were from wax lubes but they didn’t seem to hold up for long and still tended to get grit into the rollers. I did tons of research and found that wax emulsion was supposed to be the king of chain lubes so I finally decided to try it. To prep the chain it has to be stripped to bare metal, I am an auto mechanic so I have access to industrial sized barrels of brake cleaner. I removed the drive chain and submerged in brake cleaner 3 times until no more filth came from the chain and there was a LOT of filth! Once I had it clean I used a 1.5 quart slow cooker and dipped the chain. It took about an hour for the wax to melt and become liquid, once it did I dipped the chain and allowed the mix to reach 200 degrees. Then I agitated the chain in the wax for 5 minutes and removed it. Completely mess free and very simple to do. The only “aggravating” part was waiting for the wax to heat. The rest of the process is painless. I then allowed the chain to hang and cool over night and the next morning I broke loose the stiff links and installed the chain. 100% honestly I have never seen a chain roll as smoothly and quietly as this one did. After a couple of weeks of riding the chain is still smooth and clean! No more dirt and muck caked everywhere! If there is one single issue with this process it is that the chain is showing some surface rust after a couple of weeks. The bike was washed and I imagine that the water from washing it put a little rust on the outer plate surface and since wax doesn’t prevent rust I’m not sure what to do about it. Otherwise this is a fantastic product and after using it I don’t think I will ever go back to anything else.

Easy chain waxing system to use. I prefer wax to lube because of the cleanliness and long lasting effects. I’m happy with my purchase.

Easy to use