I applied Ceramic Speed UFO Drip lube to my previously waxed chain. I was under the impression that the Ceramic Speed UFO Drip was wax based, but now that my chain is black and grimy, I’m not sure and the packaging doesn’t say. Does any one know if this chain lube (see photos) is wax based?
Pretty sure UFO drip has always been wax-based. There’s a big difference visibly between oil-based lube and wax-based lube. The wax-based drip lubes I have tried all have this whitish color when being applied onto the chain.
Curious. How long of a time interval was there between application and your first ride with it?
Yes that’s definitely wax-based. The usage instructions also confirm.
That said, I don’t think it’s unexpected for a waxed chain to become black, especially on the inside (the side that faces the rear wheel). My immersion waxed chains often look clean on the outside while the inside is black and grimy looking.
Personally I just throw it back in the pot like this without bothering to remove it. I appreciate this decreases the life of the wax in the pot but I don’t really want to bother with dedicated cleans every time I re-wax or a two-pot method. If I’ve been riding in wet/grimy conditions I’ll give the chain a boiling-water rinse to get the majority of the grit out.
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I don’t recall the time between application and ride, but at least over night.
Thanks. I’ve just never seen my waxed chain that dirty before, but it was also a rainy ride along some industrial roads with big nasty trucks which isn’t usual for me. Sounds like a quick hot water rinse and re-wax is all I need.
I’ve found the time for the emulsion to become ‘just wax’ can vary considerably based on ambient conditions. Sometimes it’s still pretty liquid even when left overnight.
UFO is a bit sticky too, it picks up a fair bit of grime compared to immersion wax.
I think you’ve uncovered the dirty secret of “drip on waxes”—they don’t really work at all and do leave the chain a black, sticky, grimy mess. And the crazy thing is: that first gen UFO you are using there is, by my estimation / testing, the absolute best of the lot & closest to actual hot waxing.
But as I said to Dave Rome the other day: there’s a reason why all of these drip on wax lubes now sit unused in my closet…
How would you define “don’t really work at all”?
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UFO drip works just fine for me. Most crucially, it reduces friction, so it definitely does “work”. And it doesn’t leave my chain a mess. There’s quite a lot of superficial grime on the chain for sure, but it’s completely different than grimy chain grease. You can touch it with your hand, for one thing.
I agree. Among the wax-based drip lubes I have tried, including Tru-Tension all-weather and Silca super secret, UFO all condition is the cleanest. Is it as clean as immersion wax? No, but it’s definitely not sticky or gummy. From the service records for my chain in the ProBikeGarage app, the average mileage per UFO all condition treatment is about 160 miles.
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Same for me. I like UFO the best and its white in colour even after use.
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Are you starting with a completely cleaned and stripped chain? I immersion wax my road chain and only use UFO AC drip wax on my gravel and MTBs and have excellent results. In fact the results are so good I question the need for immersion wax really, but I continue to do it out of habit.
That early UFO drip was pretty notorious for making a bit of a mess compared to other drip waxes - and of course immersion waxes. Just have to wipe down after application and a bit more regularly - nearly to the level of a drip-on petro lube. And allow the curing period before riding.
I’m finding the same with Rex Black Diamond drip-on, which I use when I’m lazy about re-immersion.
Doesn’t dry hard like an immersion wax. Leaves a soft gunky gummy paste on the chain that seems to attract dirt just like oil does (and worse, physically builds up on varying surfaces).
That’s not been my experience if you give it the full 24h to dry. If you don’t, the chain stays gunky until the next application for me.