Mid ride top up of washed out drip-on chain wax

I’ve been using Effetto Flowerpower for a few years, very happy with it. Runs clean, lasts fine for at least 30km winter rides and 40km summer. Reapplied every ride in winter after rinsing the drivetrain with water.

However now on an eMTB and the wet winter ground it’s not lasting the whole ride before becoming noisy which I assume means it’s been washed out. The rides are up to about 50% longer and I’m riding up climbs I’d have previously had to push up, so not really surprising. This is a lite eMTB and mostly in eco (100W) so not huge additional load.

If I’d top up with drip-on wax mid ride I expect it’s just going to wash off quick as it hasn’t had time to dry, maybe attracting and circulating grit before it does.

Silca have an FAQ entry here on this very topic (for waxing generally), which recommends Synergetic which is the cleanest running wet lube. But if topping up with that, might I be better off just running that on its own?

Or has anyone found an alternative drip wax which lasts well in wet conditions? Zero Friction Cycling has this video for CeramicSpeed Wet, incredibly long winded so I haven’t watched it and he hasn’t updated the website with it.

I’ve found Smoove to be a good weather resistant drip wax. Adam made similar comments in one of his videos but did caveat that with initial penetration issues.

I use Silca Hot wax and when on holiday take some Silca drip wax to top up in the evening but on an upcoming holiday, I plan to carry Silca synergetic in my pack for just such an eventuality

I’ve stopped using wax on any bike where I can’t be absolutely sure of the wax lasting a whole ride, which sadly seems to limit its use to the summer road bike only!

I think topping up a waxed chain with synergetic is just going to get messy isn’t it? Or do Silca suggest that’s possible?

I’ll be switching to Synergetic soon I think but purely for the ability to top up mid-ride on long gravel outings, wax just doesn’t cut it and Fenwick’s needs to set overnight…

Yep, Josh offers synergetic over what little wax might be left as an option for things like dirty kanza.

I think topping up a waxed chain with synergetic is just going to get messy isn’t it? Or do Silca suggest that’s possible?

I use Silca SuperSecret on summer road bike, essentially a drip on wax, and Synergetic on the gravel and mountain bikes. I wouldn’t mix them, but maybe it would work if there was little or no wax left…

Yep, Josh offers synergetic over what little wax might be left as an option for things like dirty kanza.

Oh yeah, totally, I’ve topped up a waxed chain with 3-in-1 in the past, but wouldn’t you need to go through all the faff of stripping the chain clean again when you got home, before re-applying wax? i.e. you wouldn’t want to drip on wax on top of the old wax/Synergetic mix.

I use Silca SuperSecret on summer road bike

I use Supersecret to top up my immersion wax (MSW) on the summer road bike, but I wonder how much of it actually gets into the rollers, it just seems to sit on top of the roller then dribble off the bottom! Almost behaves like water on a waxed surface as if it’s immiscible or something.

I accidentally bought Ceramic Wax, rather than Ceramic Wet (Finish Line) – took it with us for the KAW. Where I’d normally be re-oiling at the end of the ride, I did need to do it after 30 miles, then again at the end of the day. It did run very clean despite the mess (the chain already had ceramic wet on there).  I’m running the wax on the commuter at the moment – very clean, but it really doesn’t last long.

I’ve gone through a small bottle of drip on wax quite fast (in 6 weeks), where a ‘wet’ bottle lasts ages.

Don’t use a drip-on wax mid-ride as it needs time to get in and set, so go for any chain oil and when finished the ride, give it a good clean and reapply wax and allow it to dry.

In the summer in Spain you can drip wax on before lunch, bit here at this time year I’d just top up with Stihl Synthetic Sawchain Oil.

I asked Effetto. They said a double application, letting it dry in between helps.

And if you top up with oil and don’t clean it off before rewaxing, the wax won’t adhere.