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Now the lubricant sponsor and supplier for Visma Lease a Bike and Team UAE Emirates XRG, Silca can lay a decent claim to being the choice of chain wax for those that desire speed and efficiency. For those of us that want to emulate the pro setups, Silca provides the Chain Waxing System.
Construction and specifications
The system is built around the Electric Wax Warmer, essentially a chain waxing specific crock pot. This plugs in via a US or UK charging cable and heats the internal 600ml reservoir up to the desired temperature to melt the wax and submerge chains in it. Buttons on the front and an LED display allow for tailored temperature setting. A range of 75-125˚C is given, which according to Silca allows for the optimal temperatures for its various waxing formulations.
There is also a clear plastic ventilated lid so you can keep an eye on progress without the system overheating.
This system sits on the drip stand arrangement; a metal two-piece stand which at the top includes a chain holder to allow the excess molten wax to drip off the chain to avoid and large solid chunks of wax being left deposited on the links.
I opted for some environmentally friendly de-greasing which cleaned out an already oiled chain very well
(Image credit: Future – Andy Turner)
The Silca Waxing System does not come with wax as standard, that needs to be purchased separately or as part of a package. On the one hand, this is a little frustrating, but on the other it does mean you can use whatever wax melt formula you want; you are not restricted to Silca. For this testing however, Silca supplied a mix of wax additives.
There is the Secret Chain Blend, which is the stalwart of their waxing products, the SpeedChip for lower drivetrain resistance, and the EnduranceChip for greater longevity. The StripChip aims to take away the need to degrease or clean a chain, while the Chain Stripper is an environmentally friendly alternative to standard hardware store chemicals used to strip grease.
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None of Silca’s products include PFAS chemicals, the forever chemicals that have been banned from use in waterproofs now. Silca claims the wax can save 8 watts compared to factory greased chains, with this amount becoming proportionally greater as oiled chains pick up dirt. It is also claimed that waxing can increase a chain lifespan to 25000km. An independent verifier, Zero Friction Cycling, has confirmed that proper waxing does increase chain life and reduce drivetrain resistance losses.
The StripChip is designed to be dropped in with the wax, with 10min at 125˚ C, then the rest at 75˚ C. It removes the need for a chain stripper and degreasing, but there is no mention of impact on drivetrain losses, but Silca claims there is no drop in performance.
Finally, the additives. The SpeedChip claims to increase efficiency by 0.4% for one chip, and 0.6% for two chips. Meanwhile the EnduranceChip increases single wax use to 550km with one chip, and 750km with two.
Super Secret Chain Lube can also be used as a top-up waxing agent without the need for full re-immersive waxing.
Performance
I’ve already covered the various pros and cons to chain waxing in a previous article, so for this review, the focus is going to be on the performance of this specific waxing system and how it works. And the short answer is, wonderfully.
It’s a very intuitive system, with simple control buttons for on/off, and temperature adjustment. For a pretty novice waxer such as myself, the various online guides provided by Silca as to best use the waxing system were intuitive and easy to follow.
Cleaning a chain can be a faff, but the StripChip addition removes this step for you. Simple adding that to a heap of the wax and whacking it up to 125˚ C resulted in a gloriously malevolent-looking potion of metallic speckled wax.
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The chain hanger is a bit of faff, though. It works well, with a threaded end to the wire to attached to the solid bar that keeps the chain suspended once hanging. However, I require a long chain on my Large and Extra Large frames. The size of the Silca Waxing System pot is not massively large, and it require both a full vat of wax and a good amount of folding and manoeuvring to get the chain fully submerged while fitted on to the chain holder. It just needs to be a little bit larger.
Then we have the hanging itself. The hanger fits into a divot where it remains positioned, but it is not secure and sits precariously. I had a couple of occasions where it was knocked and fell back into the wax. Some form of a clip would remove this issue and result in a far more secure hold.
This whole process does not take long. The wax melting takes the longest but can be done while you get on with your day. Then you submerge the wax in for 10 minutes, then hang until you have time to fit the chain, or the wax is dry. Using the Silca wax, it does result in a chain that requires a good amount of manual manipulation to loosen up and be ready to fit. You then need a good 10 minutes of pedalling to get the chain to really loosen up, and initially in this period it is stiff and makes the drivetrain drag. But after 10 minutes, and a lot of wax chippings flying off, the chain runs smoothly, quietly, and without any issue.
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Wet weather does result in a somewhat claggy sensation, and the wax comes off the chain faster. In terms of dry weather durability, I would say it is around 400-450km before the chain starts to sound a little more metal on metal. This is the sign that the chain needs resubmerging, or the drip lube needs to be applied as a top up.
Given part of my testing included being away in Spain doing around 700km in the week, the drip lube was a fantastic addition to top the wax up. Another huge benefit of waxing, was that the bike assembly and disassembly, which usually leaves me covered in black chain oil, was a clean and mess free process.
Regarding the SpeedChip and EnduranceChip, frankly there is negligible difference and certainly not something perceivable. Anyone telling you they can tell a 0.4% improvement in drivetrain efficiency is most likely lying, while the duration increase is more perceivable and useful for ultra events.
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Although the duration of the wax does wane in wet weather, it does keep the chain cleaner and free from contaminants that would usually stick to the oil. This is the real benefit. As an oiled chain gets dirty, or wet, it becomes less efficient, wears more, and the lifespan decreases. Waxed chains remain as fast with limited drop off in performance, if the wax is topped up. To give a reference to how chain wear has been, my Shimano 105 chain is now on around 4500km and still below the 0.25 wear indicator. It’s done over a year now, whereas previously I would find that a winter of riding would require a new chain.
I’ve not done extensive wear testing across a range of different wax lubricants, the specialists such as Zero Friction Cycling have that covered. But it is clear from my own long-term testing, along with independent confirmations, that the Silca Wax does indeed keep a chain running well for far longer than most oil based lubricants can manage. I also find the entire waxing system a relative breeze to use. There is a good amount of initial setup, but with the StripChip really does make life easier and takes away the chain stripping process.
Value
All these additives and wax Chips however come at a cost. The waxing system itself at £/$99.99 is not cheap, but once you have it you can reuse it regularly. However, the wax is £/$40 for 500g, the StripChips is £/$4 per chip, while additional additives are £/$29 a piece, but can be reused until you need to top up the wax reservoir. Then for travel and easy top-ups, the Drip Lube starts at £/$16 for 60ml and goes up to £/$45 for 240ml.
This all amounts to quite a cost, and of course the wax components are repeat purchases. The longevity is decent, even over mixed British weather, but in the latest wet winter and spring I have require far more waxing than the previous drier summer. But I have not had to replace any components across this period, save for brake pads.
If you use a cheaper chain, and cheaper oil, it likely still comes out cheaper to use that. But you will have to spend more time cleaning. If you use higher end components, such as Shimano’s Ultegra or Dura Ace chains, cassettes, and chainrings, then the waxing does become significantly better value as the rate of replacement for these more expensive parts drops.
Even then, I’d argue that degreasing and stripping a chain fully of factory grease and using a wax drip lubricant will present better overall value. There is an argument that the watt savings will not be quite as high, but the process is simpler, the initial cost far less, and over longer durations it will still likely be a bit cheaper.
In terms of competitors, there are not many. The Dynamic Waxifyer Set is very similar but costs the same and is perhaps not quite as refined. CeramicSpeed has a very different approach. It features a wraparound block for the chain to go around, which is then submerged in the melted wax which can be melted using a pot of boiling water. It is not as controlled for temperature but is impressively mess free and costs £42.99 /$56 for the Kit including wax. Again, this can be topped up with different wax drip lubes, while different waxes can be used in this system. The Ceramic Speed bags of wax are also a bit cheaper at £36.95 /$45 for 400g.
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Conclusion
The Silca Waxing System is the piece of kit that I never knew I needed. Most cyclists like to go fast, and genuine watt savings from waxed chains across a range of conditions are brilliant. Add to that the increase component longevity, and over time it can save you money. However, there is still an initial outlay, and future purchases of wax and additives drive up the cost.
Some may prefer using cheaper chains, oil lubes, and more regular bike cleaning which may be cheaper. But on more expensive components, the waxing makes even more sense. It’s also cleaner, and quieter.
This system is not the best value waxing option out there, but the results are tangible, it will make your bike faster, and the ability to tailor temperatures and keep the whole waxing process confined to one area is useful. As a performance focussed cyclist, I would buy one of these. For others, a good chain clean and wax drip lube may suffice.
