Hi all, I’m new to waxed chains. Have started with the KMC prewaxed chains and their brand of drip wax. After a wet/gritty ride how does everyone clean their drivetrain? I’ve just been using a stiff brush and cloth but doesn’t seem to shift all of the grit? Cheers!
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I wipe the chain down with microfiber cloth. If it was particularly wet and muddy/messy ride, then I’ll chuck it back in the wax pot after wiping it down.
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If it’s really gross, wipe it down with a wet microfiber and then rewax. Otherwise, straight to the wax pot. I don’t bother cleaning before waxing usually. The wax darkens, but the grit sinks to the bottom and doesn’t seem to affect the quality of the wax. I measure next to no wear on my dura ace 12s chain after 10k miles doing this.
I would recommend using the wax pot instead of drip wax. If you want to keep using drip wax, it might be hard to get the chain completely clean without hot water to dissolve the wax.
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Both of the above answers are suggesting immersion but it sounds like you aren’t set up for that yet. If you want a slightly deeper clean for reapplying the drip lube I would suggest boiling up some water then pouring it over the chain while you backpedal. This will soften the wax and rinse any grit from places you can’t reach with a rag. Blow the chain dry if you can and reapply your drip lube with enough time to set before your next ride. Since most are water emulsions having a perfectly dry chain isn’t critical but will reduce set time.
As above, though, it is true the only way to really reset the chain and tackle any grit that has made it all the way inside is to immerse it in hot wax. I still like to do the above to reduce the amount of dirt I am introducing to my wax pot.
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+1 on rinsing chain with boiling water if it’s really gritty/filthy. I use an old salad spinner, with the chain in the strainer part. Pour boiling water over it, and see the junk that washes off (and not into the wax pot, if hot waxing is your thing).
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Need to get this detail into the wiki…
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For really dirty chains, I do the following.
I chuck the chain into the ultrasonic cleaner filled with tap water, heat the water to around 80°C (175°F) and let the cleaner run for 5 minutes at a gentle setting.
The heated water helps soften the wax, as well as aids evaporation when the chain is pulled out of the cleaner. The cleaner helps the chain shed wax, dirt, debris, etc.
When the cycle is done, I pull the chain out to check on cleanliness. Most times when the chain is especially soiled, pulling it through a microfibre cloth a few times does the trick, otherwise, the chain goes directly into the wax pot.
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How do folks treat the rest of the drivetrain after a wet ride? I am new to waxing, and it is super easy for me to just give the chain a quick clean and drop it back in the pot. And after very gross rides, I’ll use a drivetrain cleaner and then rinse the cassette and chainrings. But the cassette tends to rust—it’s hard to get it perfectly dry. (whereas with oil I would just make sure to add lube, and shift through the cassette to keep it protected.) What’s the best way to treat the cassette while the chain is getting its wax spa treatment?
I hardly touch the drivetrain much, since I started on waxing, although I do strip the bike (mine, and the ones that come through the shop) down entirely for a thorough clean once once a year. The frequency gives or takes a month or two, depending on how inclement the weather had been in the period preceding.
FWIW, I’ve found that leaving the cassette and chainrings untouched during the service period allows the wax from the chain to migrate onto those components, providing some measure of protection. I’ve also found that the rust on cassettes could sometimes be sourced to the chain itself, where rollers, pins, etc might be the key causes. YMMV though, depending on the components you’re using.
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Thanks for the tips everyone. I’ve ordered a pot and wax along with a couple of Connex reusable links. Seems like the best way to go is just to do it properly.
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Plus 1 for Connex, those are great!
Remeber they are directional though. They work fine for the most part backwards but will skip like crazy in 11t of the cassette.
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I’d like to hope I’d remember but that note has probably saved me some hassle if I’m honest 
I use an old rice cooker I got from our “free-store”. Cover the chain with water and boil it for a few minutes. Hang to dry, then into the wax-melt crock pot. Quick and easy and done by the time I fininsh cleaning off the rest of the bike. It helps to have a second chain ready to go.
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Silca’s Break and Drivetrain cleaner gets rid of everything except the wax. I use this when the drivetrain and chain are really dirty, wash of, dry and apply drip wax (hot wax less often). Great product, though it is expensive.
I have a KMC pre-waxed chain on my road bike (because I wanted to test it), and a Ceramicspeed waxed chain on my gravel bike. The KMC wax (supposedly Squirt) is more tacky and attracks a lot more dirt than the Ceramicspeed one. With Ceramicspeed, the chain is absolutely dry to touch, you can wipe the dust down with a microfiber cloth and the chain is clean. With the KMC chain, I honestly do not see a good way to keep it clean, Squirt instruct just to remove the buildup of wax on pulleys and chainrings with a tooth pick. I will replace it with a Cermicspeed waxed chain on the next occasion.
This is what I used to do when using the KMC Go drip wax. Boiling water x2, then Isopropyl alcohol, hang to allow the alcohol to evaporate and re-apply the drip wax once chain back on the bike.
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For the Connex link, which works great for 12s Shimano, I’m always forgetting the link direction. Install with the speed number upright as you install at the bottom of the chain. Also the pointy part always points inward
I try to picture the slight curve of the link should follow the round shape of the cassette as it goes around.
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This is slightly off topic but adjacent and been bothering me. I use silca wax on my MOG for gravel races. About 40 mins to each race, my drivetrain gets super loud from the dust. It gets to the point where 1- it’s a bit embarrassing and 2- I want to give up on wax for gravel. Any tips for the best way to keep noise down? Thank you in advance!
SS drip or hot wax? If drip how long are you allowing it to set for before you ride? A recent GW pointed out that best performance isn’t achieved until as much as 24+ hours depending on storage conditions. Some regions have incredibly abrasive dust so you just won’t ever see the longevity of the tests. If immersion waxing I’d recommend trying one or two endurance chips. Break-in will be longer but you won’t have a noisy chain after under an hour.