Jim’s Tech Talk
By Jim Langley
Almost a year ago I reviewed Event Gear’s Simplyfast hot wax, which I’ve been using on my Trek SL 5 gravel bike ever since. Here’s the review, which includes my video showing how to hot wax the chain.
The Simplyfast hot wax has worked really well. The chain runs smoothly, stays clean and the wax lasts over 200 miles for me between hot waxes.
Tips for Optimizing Hot Wax
The key to getting the most miles out of each hot wax job is ensuring the wax fully covers the chain and that it really sticks too. For these to happen, it’s all important that the chain is clean and dry before immersing it in the hot wax. And that it’s waxed correctly. Here are some of Event Gear’s tips to maximize the life of the hot wax:
- Most of the chain cleaners have solvents that keep the wax from grabbing onto the chain as firmly as possible. If it is petroleum-based solvent it will not allow a good bond between the wax and metal. You have to clean this from the chain. (I use alcohol to remove it, which evaporates quickly too.)
- Also, rinse the cleaned chain in water and let it fully dry before placing it in the hot wax and “cooking” it.
- Stir the chain around in the crock pot and flip it over 2 times – this lets the Simplyfast hot wax get in between the link plates and onto the rollers. This movement also opens up the links for the wax to get in.
- When riding the hot waxed chain, rinse off the chain every couple of rides with water – this helps keep the accumulation of grit out of the system so it doesn’t abrade the wax off faster. [NOTE: I haven’t actually tried this yet so I can’t say if it would extend my mileage.]
A Wax Lube that You Can Use Even on Rides
Many of the companies that make hot waxes make a compatible bottled wax drip lube that is applied in-between hot wax treatments. That lets you keep riding on a hot waxed chain until you can remove and re-hot wax it – extending the life of your hot wax job basically. When Event Gear sent me their Simplyfast hot wax last year they said they would be coming out with one of these in-between waxes too.
I assumed they’d send me a wax drip lube like the other companies. So I was surprised when I opened the package and saw two white blocks of wax inside, labeled Simplyfast Cube. It was obvious that they were not drip-on lubes. Instead, Cube is designed to be rubbed onto and into the chain.
Each Cube is 50 grams of wax ($9.99 each) in a 2 x 2 inch square block that’s 7/8ths of an inch thick. It feels just like a small brick of candle wax to me. It’s hard and doesn’t compress when you squeeze it.
Cube comes in a small zip-lock plastic bag and the instructions say to return it to the bag and keep it in the bag for carrying it to prevent it from drying out or staining items that could otherwise come in contact with Cube’s natural oils and lubricants.
No Waiting
The beauty of Cube is that unlike drip lubes that you must wait on to dry (usually overnight) and thus can’t really use them during rides, Cube can be applied anytime it’s needed and ridden on immediately. And it’s so small that it can easily be carried in a pocket or pack ready for use whenever it’s needed.
I think that’s huge since you never know what conditions you might encounter on a ride – especially a long one. With a Cube onboard you can ensure your chain stays lubed and your drivetrain remains efficient regardless of the weather or conditions.
Application
You should start with a clean chain or previously hot-waxed chain. Be sure to wear hand and eye protection. Then position Cube between the cassette and crank, and place an edge of the block onto the pins/rollers below the chainstay, and rub Cube into the inside chain surface. Next gently rub Cube on until the chain is coated with lubricant on that section of chain. When one section is complete, lift the Cube block and rotate the chain to a new position. Repeat the application as noted until your chain is fully coated with lube.
The way Cube works is, once it’s on the chain, as you ride, pressure from the teeth on the cassette and chainring distribute Cube’s lubricant around the inside of the chain, so you enjoy smooth pedaling and quick shifts.
Environmentally Safe Too
According to Event-Gear, “Cube uses a blend of waxes, with a natural oil component to help distribute the wax into the chain, without a greasy or oily feel. It’s also clean as in eco-leading clean! It’s made of all naturally derived ingredients, no petroleum or refined paraffins, no chemicals, no particulates, no solvents!”
For more information and to order:
https://www.event-gear.com/simplyfast-s-cube-an-all-new-way-to-lube-your-chain
Conclusion
I’m excited to give Cube a try and to have it with me on rides. I bet I’ll make some new friends if someone on the ride has a squeaking hot waxed chain too. Also, since it’s not necessary to remove the chain and no waiting is required, Cube is much easier to apply than hot waxes. Which makes me wonder if you can just go with Cube and stop hot waxing? Event Gear even offers Cube in a Team 8-pack, meaning you can get 400 grams for $49.99, which makes it less expensive than their Simplyfast hot wax, which is $39 for 300 grams.
Overall, I think it’s an ingenious new wax lube and I am looking forward to seeing how it works.
Jim Langley is RBR’s Technical Editor. A pro mechanic & cycling writer for more than 40 years, he’s the author of Your Home Bicycle Workshop in the RBR eBookstore. Tune in to Jim’s popular YouTube channel for wheel building & bike repair how-to’s. Jim’s also known for his cycling streak that ended in February 2022 with a total of 10,269 consecutive daily rides (28 years, 1 month and 11 days of never missing a ride). Click to read Jim’s full bio.
I always thought the main areas needing lubrication were inside the rollers and the are between plates. I think the block wax will quiet the chain but may not prevent wear like a reapplication of hot wax. It also seems you want to make sure the chain is very clean where using the block wax so you are not trapping dirt with your wax. Not sure this is a better solution than drip on wax
Thanks for your thoughts Ron. The idea is that you are adding wax to a chain that’s been hot waxed, so in theory, so long as the hot wax job “took,” which isn’t always the case – depending on how it was done – but if it did, then the insides of the chain should still have some hot wax on them when it comes time that you feel you want to add some of the Cube wax.
Regarding trapping dirt in, that’s a possibility for sure especially if the riding conditions tend to get dirt on the chain. In their hot wax instructions Event Gear recommends rinsing the chain every now and then to remove any surface dirt. You could do that with your water bottle on a ride if you were worried about the Cube wax trapping dirt inside. But, I’m not sure you want to get the chain wet because you’d probably want to dry it before applying the Cube rub-on wax and as easy as it is to wash the chain with water, I don’t think you’d be carrying an easy way to dry it – though some cyclists do pack rags and that would do the trick.
The problem with drip wax is that you can’t put it on during a ride or even at the start of a ride unless you have the time to let it dry, which varies depending on the way, but is long enough that you probably wouldn’t want to wait. If you don’t let it dry and just ride, then the stuff gets flung over your bike as you ride.
Thanks,
Jim
I use Silca’s hot wax lube. Is the SimplyFast Cube compatible? It would definitely be easier than using Silca’s Super Secret drip lube between waxes.
Hi Tony, I asked Event Gear about this and will let you know what they say,
Thanks!
Jim
Hi Tony,
I reached out to Event Gear, the makers of Cube and they said:
“It will work on top of Silca, molten wax even though they are paraffin-based. CUBE is not like an oil or something with a chemical carrier that attacks the base wax already on the chain.”
Thanks,
Jim
This is actually nothing new. I have some “Lumpy’s Crack Wax” chain lube that’s probably 20 years old. The problem with these products is that they don’t penetrate the chain and consequently don’t provide lubrication where you really need it. Lumpy’s is/was more of a paste than a block of wax, so it’s likely better, but it still suffers from that issue.
Thanks Brian. I used “new” as in new from Event Gear. I know of another rub-on wax but you have to wait for it to dry so it can’t do what this Cube lube can. I am pretty sure that way back in the late 60s early 70s cyclists were using paraffin to rub on in between melting it for hot waxing, but I could have that wrong. In any case, you are right that rub on wax isn’t new. But until you try Cube you can’t say it works the same as what you’ve tried before. It’s its own product and designed to complement Simplyfast hot wax.
Thanks,
Jim
You are absolutely correct, Brian.
See my reply, David.
Thanks,
Jim
Jim, do you know if the SimplyFast cube is compatible with Silca wax? That’s what I currently use on my chain. Looks like it would be easier than using Silca’s Super Secret drip lube between waxings. Thanks,
Jim, I’ve been using Silca’s Super Secret Wax chain lube for 2+ years with great results. It’s a smoother, quieter, cleaner ride for me. I initially applied it on a chain degreased with an ultrasonic cleaner. You didn’t mention the use of a UC. That surprised me.
The Cube, you said, can be applied to both a clean chain and one that’s hot-waxed. How many applications do you estimate from one Cube? I might try it instead of Silca’s for my next if it’s more cost and use-effective
Thanks for the comment Seth. To explain not mentioning my ultrasonic cleaner and using it to clean the chain, this Simplyfast CUBE can be used however you want to, but its intended use by the company is to rewax or add wax to a hot-waxed chain. It’s not intended to be applied to a bare chain, though you could certainly try that if you wanted to. But the idea is to use it as a refresh wax and it’s an Event Gear Simplyfast wax so it’s made to complement a Simplyfast hot waxed chain.
It’s a big hunk of wax, about 2 x 2 inches and almost an inch thick. It doesn’t appear to have worn out much from waxing a chain. It’s just a guess but I bet it could wax 50 chains. I don’t think the best use is on a clean bare chain. I think the idea is to add wax to a chain that still has some remaining hot wax on it and ideally it would be Simplyfast hot wax.
Event Gear didn’t say that Cube wasn’t compatible with other hot waxes. But I expect Silca wants you to use their refresh wax product and the same for other hot wax makers and the same probably holds true for Event Gear.
Thanks again,
Jim
Jim, I equated “clean chain” with “bare chain” and that’s the option I thought you meant when applying Cube. What’s a clean chain then?