Putoline solid chain wax, who uses it?

I know TJ raves about the stuff and I’ve just decided to give it a go. Just wondering if anyone else out there has tried it and what you’re thoughts are. Seems to work well on the road bike but I’ve only had five or six rides out of the mountain bike chain before I feel it needs redoing.

Also seems to leave a lot of wax on the cassette and rings after the first ride as it sheds the excess. Not a problem in terms of function but I do like my bikes looking cleaner than that.

That was pretty much my experience too. Yes, its better than most dry and wax lubes, but not so much that it was worth the hassle of application.

TJ is pretty evangelical about it, but, by his own admission, he doesn’t ride off-road much.

Onzadog – Member
I’ve only had five or six rides out of the mountain bike chain before I feel it needs redoing.

Is it actually dry/noisey?

I use it, same experience, and when it gets properly shitty it still washes off, although it does last longer than most.

As for the mess, just ignore it, the only place it bothers me is arround the wheels on the mech, but then its probably doing a good job of shielding the bearings.

Makes more sense the more bikes you have, doing four or 5 chains once a month isn’t much effort, especialy when you considder most people remove the chain anyway to clean it in a jar of solvent with a similar frequency.

TJ claims ‘several hundred miles’ between lubes, so about once a week (or fortnight max) then.

I guess if you’re a low mileage rider it may be once a month, but if you do ride that low a mileage then cost of bike specific lube wouldn’t be an issue in the first place.

I’m thinking it needs a relube as there’s quite a bit of movement on the rollers. Maybe it would go longer.

I was wondering if it would work as a base for squirt lube to go on top. It looks like if I keep using it, it will become a monthly job. Best get a camping gas stove on the cheap then.

Right, talk to me about camping stoves, what do I need to know?

Yup I am pretty evangelical about the stuff but it does have drawbacks.

It does still wash off in mucky conditions – but takes a while – two or three hundred wet offroad miles perhaps maybe abit less in wet peat. Might take me a month or two to cover that real offroad Remember its not the wax on the outside that lubricates – its the wax in the rollers and around the pins that yo cannot see. Even whenthe chain appears dry on the outside you can still feel there is wax in the rollers if you twist and bend the chain.

Seems to work well on the road bike but I’ve only had five or six rides out of the mountain bike chain before I feel it needs redoing.

How many times would you have oiled it in that time?

I think it last 3 or 4 times as long as conventional bicycle chain lube – maybe more. I believe chain life is far far greater

Doing the chains is a faff. smelly messy pot of boiling wax – I always wipe all the excess of the outside which helps keep a claen drivetrain keep a clean drivetrain but its still horrid messy stuff.

so for me the faff of applying it is worth it for two reasons – less chain wear and longer between applying chain lube. all my bikes run on it. When checking a bike out for a ride its nice to check the chain and have a nicely lubed chain. Crisp shifting balh blah blah

I won’t use anything else.

Onzadog – try twisting the chain to see if its still got lube – I bet you could leave it for a good long while yet

I think the real strength of this is one less thing to worry about when you take the bike away for a long weekend or a week in the alps.