Combining Wax and Petroleum products on chains

Tech Tech Help
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So here is an interesting conundrum. I use Silca wax for my chain in the US. But I also bring my bike to Italy for extended periods of time. I apply Silca Secret Sauce regularly, and haven’t had problems with it. Here’s my problem. I recently took my bike to a shop in Pistoia, Italy for new brake pads. The chain was dry (albeit with Silca wax on it, just needing more Secret Sauce). I was really specific and asked the tech to NOT put ANY petroleum based lubricant on the chain. Well, he cleaned the bike (nice guy, and it was dirty), and then he said the chain looked awful and he felt petroleum lubricant was better than nothing, so he applied it. Ugh! Doing my english-based research, it seems wax and petroleum shouldn’t mix, and that I should completely clean the chain, then start over. But I don’t have my Silca wax system here in Italy. So I took it to my favorite store (Traguardo Volante) in Verona and ended up in a long conversation. Bottom line, they don’t use Silca. They use the Tunap system. The instructions are to clean the chain, then put a small amount of petroleum based Tunap lube on the chain, then use their Tunap chain wax. The mechanic at this store takes care of lots of racers in the area.
I am NOT a pro racer. I’m an apprentice bike mechanic during the summer in Idaho, and I love my bikes. I switched to the wax system a couple years ago and love it. No mess moving the bikes around. My wife doesn’t get grease on her leg on rides (just wax - heh heh). Bit more noisy, but no problem.

So what do I do now? I was surprised that the local intel is - no problem mixing. In fact with the Tunap system, they don’t ever soak the chain in wax, as with the Silca system. But the Italians have been racing bikes for a long time.
I was trying to figure out how to answer this question, and in addition to emailing Silca, I thought perhaps there was some expertise here to help. So, any thoughts?
Thanks and Grazie Mille!! Jamie

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It doesn’t look you have many options until you get back to Idaho. I would go ahead and use the Tunap system while you’re in Italy, then reset back to the Silca system when you get home. And if you have concerns that the chain is somehow permanently diminished by using the Tunap system, then just throw a fresh chain on once you get back to the homeland. Either way, enjoy riding in Italy!

1 Like
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Agree with above. Switch to oil temporarily and reset it with a full clean when you’re back. Not an unusual thing to do to be honest—I do the same on trips (I find drip wax to a crappy product that never really dries / gunks everything up and it’s too much hassle to bring a second chain).

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I could potentially remove the chain, soak in a jar with boiling water and small amount of detergent, or just isopropyl alcohol, then dry completely, and just use Silca Super Secret and hope that applies enough wax for lubrication. Hate switching systems back and forth

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I too wouldn’t worry too much, go with the flow and save the tinkering for the time you get back home to your proper workshop. (Had a similar thing happening to me, I had told the mechanic to not do anything with the chain. And when I came back to pick it up he proudly declared hed waxed it with a motorola drip lube. It was aupposed to be a wax drip, but within a few days it looked and felt like oil… → reset needed. )