I’ve got a 200 mile old X0 Eagle T-Type Flattop chain. Brand new it was stripped using Silca’s chain stripper, and then hot waxed using Silca wax. Then ridden 200 miles on gravel. No rides in the rain. I did hose down the bike a few times after some dusty/muddy rides.
Is this rust?
It’s gear tooth shaped. It doesn’t appear to be dirt, as dragging a metal pick over it doesn’t dislodge it. None of the links are frozen or stiff.
It’s only present on one side of the chain inner plates. Here’s a view of the other interior surface.
No big deal? Possible counterfeit chain?
First SRAM drivetrain for me. I’ve had Shimano Ultegra 11sp for years and have been waxing for a few thousand miles on that Shimano drivetrain with Ultegra chain and haven’t seen rust there.
Flash rust.
Web:
It is a surface corrosive process that occurs rapidly on metal substrates exposed to moisture, triggering an immediate reaction with oxygen and compromising the quality of the metal treatment and finish. Unlike generalized corrosion, this phenomenon manifests itself as a reddish or orange-colored surface rust layer that can appear in a matter of minutes or hours.
I have found this to be quite common with waxed chains after rinsing chain with water. No big deal, can be wiped or ridden away. Also high air humidity and dirt particles may cause this in some cases.
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After writing this the other day, I immediately thought to myself it must be the fact that I washed the bike without thoroughly drying it. By thorough I mean wiping it down and then blowing water out of the links of the chain using compressed air.
I swapped in a brand-new chain with a fresh coat of wax yesterday, washed it down today, gave her a thorough drying, and we’ll see what tomorrow brings.
This is also my first bike with RideWrap installed. It makes washing the bike INCREDIBLY easy. Spray it down and pretty much every bit of dirt comes off, nothing sticks to that ride wrap. So now I have an incentive to wash it more often, but then I have to dry it more often, too…
