One step hot wax application to factory new chains. What a time saver, and I am very happy with the results.
I was going thru chains and cassettes with an unsatisfactory level of frequncy. I also hated all the time I was spending on wiping, applying, and often getting rags full of dirty grime. With the wax system...my chain purrs...and I can wipe my chain with fingers and they come off clean! Before ordering, I actually went to the ZeroFrictionCycling website...where I was shocked to find the lubricant I was using was proba ly the worst choice of anything they tested. It is no wonder I was burning thru hardware. Silca products are amongst the best...and I am very enthusiastic about switchi g to a cleaner running driveline and being able to get a huge increase in driveline lifespan. A good investment in longer term savings.
A decision to use this product comes down to how you feel about degreasing chains. I've never considered it to be all that difficult, and so I'm neutral on this product.
I bought StripClip when I converted to wax on all my road bikes a few months ago. I put 3 new factory-greased chains through the process and StripChip seemed to work well. Wax adherence was good, and the chains have a fairly consistent look to them. I used the recommended 1 StripClip per 2 chains. After degreasing the factory chains, I waxed a dirty used chain and StripClip didn't work at all. Maybe it works better on other lubes, but the Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Dry Lube that I had been using seemed to be totally unaffected. I then stripped that chain with solvent/scrubbing and the waxing process worked fine after that.
One more consideration. StripClip increases the melting point of the wax, so subsequent waxing needs to be done at a higher temperature than is required for straight wax. Since higher temperatures degrade wax faster, through trial and error I adjust the temperature to the lowest that will melt the wax. I suppose at some point the StripClip is diluted to the point where this isn't an issue, but maybe I should just dump my "StripClip'd" wax and start over. It's not a huge deal, but it does take some of the simplicity out of the actual waxing process. Since in the future I see myself waxing a mix of new and used chains, I won't buy this product again.
I added a StripChip to a Crockpot with half a bag of Silca wax pellets. I used one with a chain that had a few thousand miles on it and was getting dirty. It seemed to help extend the life of the wax on my chain. I used another chip in the same batch of wax with a brand new chain. Seems to have worked great, the wax adhered well and performed great on the first ride.
For me, this product makes waxing significantly easier. Cleaning new or used chains with solvents is a huge pain, and I don't like dealing with stinky and potentially toxic solvents. Probably a bit more expensive, but so much less hassle than 5+ rounds of solvents and rinsing.
Seems to work as described. I did wipe down the new Force chain with brake clean prior to the Hot waxing and strip chip bath. The Hot wax stuck well and the chain links were definitely stiff after cooling. 600 miles on the new chain with 3 added drip wax applications. The chain has never made noise regardless of stretching a re-drip to 220 miles once. Chain stays clean and smooth running. I will remove at 1000miles de-wax and do another hot wax application. 2 more drip waxes first.
Well, I assume it strips old lube and grease off. Why do I say that? Well, I truly forgot when I was getting ready to wax a new chain I had these chips. I degreased my chain with a citrus degreaser then rinsed under the water spigot. It was stripped then as I could feel it. But when I loaded the pot with wax I remembered these chips and placed one in the pot for great measure. The chain in the final result was very much silent and shifted like a dream. We know from the directions that these chips are for stripping a new chains lube/grease. But I bet with a dirty chain and de-greasing it with a citrus degreaser then dropping in the Silca pot of wax it is primo again! Time will tell as I took my dirty chain and performed this to have a second wax chain on stand-by. Would I buy these chips again......sure, unless something comes to light to suggest they don't truly work.
The theory behind these make sense, and if it helps to keep my wax pot free of oil/grease contaminants then it's worth a try. Do they work as advertised? It's hard to say without any visual evidence of the chemistry taking place. I'm going to continue to thoroughly clean new chains before waxing, and wipe down used chains to get rid of dirt. I used a couple of squares during my most recent waxing since I use an old crock pot and it's completely full of wax. Certainly nothing detrimental occurred and the chains came out ready for use.
Just FYI, if you ride on a wood/panel velodrome like I do, make sure to WIPE your chain down thoroughly immediately after removing it from the wax. Don't ride with a chain caked with wax as it will flake off and deposit itself on the track.
Super simple instructions.
Drop a chip in when the wax pot is ready - then drop the chain in after the chip melts.
Costs about the same as the bottle of the Silca chain stripper but I didn't want to filter and drain because I'm lazy so I went with the chip.
I had 6 Factory chains and 3 on bikes to wax. It took me ~1.5 days to do 9 chains instead of almost a week of cleaning and then waxing for several different bikes. Used all the 6 chips allowed per bag of secret wax and finished off cleaning and then waxing the three other bike chains. Saved other bikes for another day. Not having to clean a bunch of factory chains is a huge time saver for as many as I had to do.
This is by far the easiest way of getting rid of factory grease on a chain. No more overnight mineral spirit baths and 90% rubbing alcohol. If you wax, just do yourself the favor and buy this product.
Definitely stripped my new chain of it's factory grease when used with the Silca system and wax! Love it!
Strip chip is the only way to wax a new chain. Cuts the process down to thirty minutes total.
That is from taking the chain out to sizing then into the wax. Hang to dry and go ride.
