My vat of Putoline is looking a bit worse for wear, and I could do with buying another tub. Been using it for years, and happy with how it functions. Only downside is it can be a bit grubby to work with.
Has anything similar come along which is better? Or shall I just commit to another 10 years of Putoline 😅
I would sign for the 10 year extension as most of the options appear more expensive.
Define 'better'?
I was an early convert to Putoline but was eventually tempted away by the cleanliness of the hardwax type systems.
I've eventually ended up with a relatively expensive blend of Silca + Endurance chip+ 1/3rd bottle Synergetic which seems to achieve the holy grail of cleanliness and durability.
I don't really trust any wax system to last and perform much past approx 100km of really filthy off-road conditions, I've been let down equally by Putoline, GLF, MSW and Silca. The current Silca/Endurance chip/Synergetic blend seems to be the best do far, I managed a very sloppy 100km gravel ride last week starting with a half hour solid downpour and chain was still smooth and quiet by the end
Anything which prevents rust is better as Putoline does nothing to protect against rust in my experience of using it for a couple of years in filthy, read mountainbiking conditions.
Someone will be along in a minute to disagree 👍
I've given up on it and gone back to a wet lube and using a chain cleaner.
It's not really taking any longer to do that weekly than Putoline a chain every 2-3 weeks in deep winter filth.
I use GLF and really happy with it. The biggest benefit for me is the cleanliness.
Do any of these new waxes such as GLF last like Putoline though? I get weeks of winter riding out of each waxing sesh.
I've been using up Putoline on our commuters while I switch to GLF. Only I could do with some more last few times I've looked it's been out of stock so not sure if they're still going. The guy is on here but I've forgotten his name and too lazy to look through my emails (so far).
Not sure if GLF lasts quite as long, but it's cleaner. I did find it got really stiff in subzero temps though - to the point my chain started skipping.
Zero Friction Cycling is the place to look for what might be "better". I like Silca as it runs cleaner and lasts well in the block 6 extreme conditions test they run. I found Putoline just a bit too gunky for me.
Zero Friction Cycling might well get around to testing Putoline as I know he has a tin waiting to go.
Squirt hot wax seems to be doing well in testing so far. It broken records in the single application longevity test.
I’m going to have a bit of a play with melted candles this summer. Like people did a decade or more ago before chain waxing got adopted by “big wax” 😉
Back before I got a tin of putoline I did some similar experiments with old an old pan some candles (paraffin wax) a glug of fork oil (mineral) and a dollop of molybdenum grease and, while it was nothing like as tenacious as putoline, that did actually work for a bit, arguably shedding more dirt/dust than putoline would in the dry.
Plus I’m also not rich enough for Silca’s ‘system’ and every time I go to look at the GLF site it’s out of stock (and I already have putoline so it’s never a big worry anyway).
I reckon some melted down paraffin wax (candles) with just a couple of dollops of putoline added might be good enough for summer, come winter I will probably go back to rhe “full fat” version.
I gave up on Putolene a year or so ago. it seemed to be a one and done in the FoD winter slop and applying it is a right faff. I also got fed up of the chain rusting. I recently cleared out my garage to make space for a motorbike and I ended up taking the DFF to the tip.
I use Trutension Tungsten lube these days. It's also one and done in the winter but sooooo much easier to apply.
I’ve been thinking the same. I overcooked my putoline (gas stove) so moved on to GLF wax (slow cooker) but found in winter it barely lasted a wet road ride. Fell back in love with it in summer though, but thought I’d give the SILCA stuff a try this winter. Using it in the cold has been pretty bad TBH, when the chain cools it goes so hard, it feel like the chain is rusted solid, you have to break every link and whizz it round a broom for ages. Now summer is on its way I think I’ll stick with it, but next winter I’m going to get some fresh putoline.
Thanks for sharing experiences with other waxes.
From reading above it looks like I'll just order some more Putoline then - the advantages for me seem to outweigh the slight gunkiness. And I ride all winter, so can't be doing with a wax that goes solid in the cold...
ZFC's recent review of Squirt's Hot Wax is very positive (so much so I'll probably switch to it from current Silca when it runs out, although that might be a while). It's softer to than most others so should be less susceptible from going brittle in the cold (that said down to around freezing I never had issues with this from Silca wax, it's more wet rides that just destroy it - even with 2 x endurance chips and 1/3 bottle of synergetic in the mix)
I was in the same position, do I replace my (8?) years old can of Plutine now a bit contaminated and looking a bit shabby.
I did buy a new replacement as well like you after some thought ,as it works for me and value wise pretty good.
I use it on the bikes which are used more off road and washed more often ,or the less well used ones ( my wife's for example).
I find it lasts really well and works well topped up with squirt after a very wet ride.
For my main road bike I use Silca Hot wax and try and reapply every 200 to 400km as it has an expensive drive train and I am making it last as long as possible.
After a wet ride I top up with squirt or when the mileage starts going over 200 km ish .
I also use Plutine on my audax bike because it usually rains when I ride it.! Top up with squirt as reqd.
I was chatting to ultra riders who use a "longer lasting hot wax" but we did not mention brands or anything. It sounded expensive ?
Ps
Squirt do sell a winter version for lower temps which I have not used yet. It maybe good for winter top ups?
I recently had my bike serviced , he waxed the chain said would be good for 200 miles , I'll wait and see .
So looking at Putoline you just heat the whole tin pop the chain in for a few minutes then hang to dry , have I got that right ? No need for a separate slow cooker or similar? Then when it cools it solidifies in the tin ready for next time ? How long can you keep doing that for?
I think the guy who did mine had wax pucks he put in an old rice cooker .
He used to be the tech editor for a bike magazine so knows his stuff .
I've just bought a new tin of putoline as I was down to the dregs of the old stuff. Probably overheated it in the old days too so interested to see if the new batch that I'll be a bit less gung ho with will perform better, and to be fair I've always been pretty happy with the old stuff. Only real faff is cleaning up the jockey wheels from time to time.
(that said down to around freezing I never had issues with this from Silca wax, it's more wet rides that just destroy it - even with 2 x endurance chips and 1/3 bottle of synergetic in the mix)
Yeah... Longest ride in a while yesterday, 120km/ 6 hrs riding although 8hrs elapsed. Very heavy rain at the beginning and generally wet and muddy overall. Drivetrain was making some very distressing noises by the end 😭
So looking at Putoline you just heat the whole tin pop the chain in for a few minutes then hang to dry , have I got that right ? No need for a separate slow cooker or similar? Then when it cools it solidifies in the tin ready for next time ? How long can you keep doing that for?
Yes thats it. Run the chain thru a cloth afterwards to remove excess from the outside. don't overheat it or it runs out of the chain again when hung up ( I think this may be one of the reasons folk don't get long life out of it)
No need to clean the chain first, just chuck it in the tin. No need to redo just because the outside of the chain is dry, check for wax in the rollers by twisting it. Use a plated chain or run it thru an oily cloth when the outside is dry for chain protection from rust
My first tin lasted a decade
Zero Friction Cycling is the place to look for what might be "better"
But do bear in mind that he's in Aus, and his idea a "flithy ride" is waaaaay different to anything that a UK based MTB'r would think (especially in the depths of winter) plus of course he sells his own labelled stuff, so y'know - caution. Regardless, I'm yet to be convinced that waxed chains bring anything other than an "alternate" method of achieving the same result you can with a drip lube - for most applications and especially the sorts of MTB that most folks do, i.e. a 20 (or so) mile loop in the woods on a bike with a 'normal' drivetrain, a couple of times a week with a wash/hose down in between. If that's not you, or you're a contrarian, or you're doing something wildly different, then material science and capitalism combine to give you an alternative that will fulfill your needs, be they real or imagined.
If that's not you, or you're a contrarian, or you're doing something wildly different, then material science and capitalism combine to give you an alternative that will fulfill your needs, be they real or imagined.
I don't know about any of the above (well, the first one rings a bell 🤣) but I am finding Scottish gravel riding to be the biggest challenge in chain lubrication, second only to bikepacking or multi-day trips of course. It happens once or twice a year that I'll finish a ride grimacing with a noisy dry chain, it sounded absolutely brutal winching up the cobbles to Stirling Castle yesterday.
I honestly can't recall if traditional wet lubes (last I used was Morgan Blue but before that I was a staunch Finish Line green enthusiast) lasted any better, I rarely did 100km + days in the wet and mud on the MTB so it wouldn't really matter anyway, but I'm absolutely convinced drivetrains wore more rapidly with wet lubes, none of my chains or cassettes show any wear with regular waxing.
I see ZFC raving about Rex Black Diamond drip on but it doesn't sound fundamentally much different from Synergetic, which as a top-up/ get me home lube works brilliant but runs messy. I think I'm just going to start carrying a small bottle of Viking Juice which might not last very long but is relatively clean as a top up/ get me home.
I find longevity astonishing with putoline. Nowadays I am much of a tourer / gravel rider and most of my bikes have IGHs but one bike has 6000+ miles on a chain and its less then 0.5 worn. Even my ebike with a derailleur has 2000+ miles used in filthy salty conditions all winter but its ready for replacement.
Big bike ride it lasted 1500 miles ish used road / gravel including a bit of rain ( IGH) before it needed rewaxing
Peaty soils seem to strip chains quickly
but one bike has 6000+ miles on a chain and its less then 0.5 worn.
but as I said - "if you're something different". IIRC you're on a straight chain line with a gearbox and a cheap chain that has gaps that hold wax probably better than a more expensive chain would. I reckon your set up is probs the ideal for wax, and it's no surprise you're getting excellent results from it.
Agree about Peat soil though, regardless, it'll strip anything from a chain.
I think I'm just going to start carrying a small bottle of Viking Juice
This is the lube I use. It doesn't do well if you apply and ride immediately, as it'll likely wash straight off. Juice Lube recommend that you apply at least a couple of hours before, ideally overnight.
This is the lube I use. It doesn't do well if you apply and ride immediately, as it'll likely wash straight off. Juice Lube recommend that you apply at least a couple of hours before, ideally overnight.
Yeah good point, I did see some instructions somewhere that said wait 4-5 minutes for it to dry, but Juice Lube instructions say overnight. If I'm using it as a top-up it wouldn't need to last long anyway, just the last few miles of a ride, and it would probably be ideal if it has mostly washed off to make the subsequent re-waxing a bit easier 😎
Yes, Adam is in Australia. That's why I pay particular attention to his block 6 test results. An extreme contamination test that not all lubes even make it to.
One thing to note between oil and wax lubes. While oil gets contaminated, it still sounds pretty quiet. When wax starts to sound a bit dry and rattly as it's worn off the side plates, it's still got plenty of wax in the rollers. This is sort of a benefit as it leads me to over rather than under waxing my chains.
Just to say, I tried Putoline for a year. It sounds silly but taking the chain off and getting the DFF out, warmed up etc just ended up being a faff. So for the last 18 months I've been back to standard lube. Quick clean of the chain and re oil after every couple of rides seems less bother to me.
If anyone is in Chesterfield and wants a fully loaded up fryer with Putoline in for free, then ping me a message.