Stop Wasting Your CHAIN LUBE! Know the BEST Way to Apply It!

Tl;Dr: shift to big-big, backpedal, apply one drop wax lube to each roller right before it engages a cassette tooth. Then shift through the gears once or twice before letting the chain sit to dry. Ideally 12-24 hours. Watch the other 14:50 if you want to know "why" in addition to the "how".
Josh's teachers gave the rest of his peers a minimum page count for all writing assignments. For Josh they had to give a maximum page count.

Youve converted me to a silca wax man just purely from the fact you educate. So over being "marketed" to. Explain it to me so I can make an informed decision! Thank you Josh.

I have been a professional mechanic for almost 40 years, learned something new today. Thanks!

Only Josh could put 15 minutes to 'how to apply chain lube' and prove to you it was worth it. 😄

Interesting video. However, in our shop, we have demostrated that with the chain in the smallest chainring/smallest cog that application of lubricant drop by drop to the lower chain (between chainring and pulley wheel) once around and then working then pedaling the chain backward about 20 times allowed for excellent penetration. We did this by coloring the lubricant yellow, applying, working the chain backward and finally wiping off the excess. We then disassembled the chain and found excellent penetration around pins and bushings. We looked at several dry lubricant such as Finish Line Dry and few more as well as several wet lubricants. We did not look at Silca lubricant or wax lubricants. I think the method of coloring the lubricant and disassembly of the chain gives good proof of penetration and you may want to consider this technique in addition to your observations before recommending your method as the best for all chain lubricants.
We have also shown that placing chain lubricant - at the cassette - can result in contaimination onto the cassette cogs and derailleur and would caution viewers that contaimination of rotors and brake pads can occur if one is not extremely careful.
These are just our observations for what it's worth.

It's really cool and helpful to actually _see_ how it works. That close up of the lube getting pulled in via capillary action and then pumped through was great! Also nice that the super secret is white, that really helps show it happen. Thanks for recording this video (and making the lube ;P) 🙌🏾

I have been lubing chain like this for a long time. I am happy Josh proved me right.

As soon as Josh said where to put the lube I was like, "Oh duh, that does make sense. I can see how that'd work really well."
Then he demonstrated it under the microscope and it still blew my mind with how well it worked.

Thank You. Scientific explanation with illustrations. That's what I like. No corporate BS.

Awesome video Josh we have started selling your product in your shop and absolutely loving it , I’ve also been sending a lot of our customers to your channel to get educated! Thanks and keep them coming

After every ride i dismantle every link of my chain, slow cook, individually lube, reassemble and in 6 weeks time ready for my next bike ride.

That's where I always applied lube for decades and when I switched to wax, I switched to the bottom because of your video. I love that you did the work though and corrected your information. Back to the place I've always done it. BTW, love the secret/super secret combination.

Yes to Science! Yes to Josh!

Josh, this video is clear evidence why you (and Silca) are the best, no doubt

Josh, you are one of the really good guys in cycling! I always enjoy your content, and it is always very well thought out, thank you Sir excellent video!

Fascinating to see the lube drawn up into the links BEFORE you even started moving it! Now I gotta go lube my chain again - with Super Secret of course!

been riding for 30+ years as an adult and have tried everything and every method and I just learned something new, great video.

Very nice, Josh! A solid contribution of useful, practical knowledge for routine bike maintenance. Loved it! So few cyclists understand what's going on w/chains. This really adds a nice refinement to the knowledge base. Keep on, bro! Also, appreciate your humility regarding the past advice and why it was given. Admitting a mistake is a great credibility builder. Keep on with that, too!

That was masterful. Simple, yet genius. A *Big Thanks* to you Josh!
I've never done that before! On my former teams I followed the advice of our mechanics by applying a single drop on top of each pin-roller interface all the way round, then ran entire the gears through top to bottom on inner and outer chainrings 2-3 times (just to create that super-light initial coating), but never at that precise location you've so cleverly demonstrated :-)

Thank you so much for validating how I have applied chain lube over the last three decades! I learned this from my Dad at Parker Bikes in the late 1980s. This really does answer the question "Why".

It's one thing for folks to say "Yeah yeah, THIS is the best method!" - but it's another thing to actually SEE the effects. Mind = blown! 😲

No marketing bs here, just a guy talking about his awesome product ❤

EXCELLENT EXPLANATION OF GREAT VALUE TO ALL ENTHUSIASTS! This is the best and most plausible explanation I have ever seen. All the best, Rob in Switzerland

You had me at lateral articulation of the chain.

Since I switched to chain wax, I applied it on the bottom side of the chain (where the front derailleur is, this I did so already with oil-based chain lube when I started cycling over 30 years ago), hold a several times folded good quality kitchen cloth (it does not dissolve in a washing machine when by accident left in a pocket) below it, and then put the wax very generous on the chain, and then I twist the chain and also bend it a little bit. After about 40 links, the kitchen cloth itself as absorbed a certain amount of wax, so I can also wrap it around the chain and can create a kind of "wax bath". When all links are waxed, I do a second run,wrap the chain on the length of about 10 links and squeeze the cloth a little bit. When the drivetrain gets noisy, I know its time to rewax (after about 200km/125mi).

Brilliant. Well done. Love these functional details, very helpful!

I’ve been tweaking and fussing with my drive train for years trying to get the noise down. My first application of Silca Super Secret and POOF! The noise is gone. Riding is such a joy with this stuff.

Always used that spot but just from observation how much ended up on the ground…..and you can use a spoke to stabilise your hand

I was genuinely excited to see that capillary action as you bent the chain back and forth. :D

Very nice Josh!
I liked that you questioned, about common assumptions, and get to the bottom of things!

Used this strategy couple of years now..... didn't know about the capillary action thought.
One day on my 12 speed ebike when putting the chain back after washing and cycling through gears I found that I could "see" the pin when the chain was leaving the biggest cog and i thought to myself - "I think this is the best place to put a drop of lubricant". So I did and I've been very happy with the performance...

Great video, beautifully articulated, and like all the best ideas it seems so obvious afterwards ! Thanks Josh

Thank you Josh. I generally clean my chain using the Park Too chain scrubber and Simple Green after 1-2 rides. I’ve been using dry lube spray from WD40, well because I’ve had good success keeping a quiet chain. I’m now trying to Muckoff dry lube and I’m excited to put each drop on in the correct place.

I have two questions.
1. I put on a nitrile glove and massage the excess lube into the rollers. Good idea or not?
2. There is still quite a bit of excess wax on the exterior of the chain so once the chain is dried, I sometimes hit it very quickly with a heat gun. I can see the wax turn from solid to liquid and it appears to soak into the rollers. Is this helping or hurting?

I've started recently to lightly tap on my pedals frequently when applying my lube. When chain engages and disengages a few times it helps with caplilary action to get lube insode rollers

Now I have a great view of what is going on every time I hang my chain from my home made coat hanger hook to clean my chain and lubricate it. I always would "twist" the chain as I lubed it because it just looked like it was getting better coverage. Now I know for sure. Good job.

you give a thorough description of how and show it applied off the bike but what I want to see is an actual demonstration of how to apply the product on the chain ON THE BIKE.

Why not have a little tray about 2 cm in length that you fill with lube. You put that underneath the chain and you pull lightly outwards while you spin the cranks. The chain deflects a little while it runs through the tray, soaking up the lube.

Josh makes it really hard to argue with using his products. I can say, this wax does last the longest, has the least sound, and has helped all my chains last so long. I just checked a chain with a digital gauge after 2000km, and I couldn't even get my gauge to read 0.01. I have replaced cogs sizes, replaced chainring sizes, or crashed my bikes before replacing my chain. I had one with about 8000k on it and I had 0.16 wear, so around 25% use, as I generally switch around 0.6.

What I like about this - he spoke of other wax lubes. Didn't bash them, referred to them as high end.

What an awesome video. Normally I would just skip to the the to see what the “answer” is, but this was super interesting. Thanks for showing under the microscope, that was awesome.

Brilliant! No more drop cloth under the bike when I lube and regrets from all that wasted lube. And one more reason to buy Silca.

Aces.
Fantastic thought process.
Love that you give credit to other companies.
I’m sold.
Silca in the basket! 👌
Away to buy some!

Thanks for the close-up video. A convincing demonstration.

I swear this is how I apply it since my first time without anyone showing me how to do it actually thinking exactly about what you have explained although not as in-depth.
I was actually pushing the chain with the finger a bit to bend it whilst as I spin the cranks backwards and slowly pump

My one and only chain lube and has now completely changed how I reapply. Thank you SO much! Have shared everywhere!

I finally figured it out. It's as though Quentin Tarantino owned a bike company.

Good to know
I actually go from the top on the back sprocket and to the front sprocket, I do let it sit for 24 hours which is perfect since I switch up walking and riding to work.
Love the chain demo.

Great video and informative. I always lubed my chain from the top and not the bottom, and I never realized that it is more efficient lube the chain right before it enters/ touches the cassette.

I love nerding out on drive train stuff and this got me excited. Now off to the garage to apply some Super Secret to the top of my chain as Josh detailed. Thanks again for the best info on the internet. Oh and your Gravel Pro mini pump is the very BEST by far of the 7 mini pumps I own.

Loved the description of the chain coating “hates water loves oil”…..I thought it was more descriptive of the customer base I deal with …..filthy bikes and chains like a sump tray.

What happens to the drip wax on the chain when you go to re-hot melt the chain? Does it exit the chain when melted in the pot, but then after X# times, change the make-up of, or "contaminate" the hot wax to be reused in the future (since you do not clean a drip wax chain before hot melting)?

I freeze my wax based lube, perfect drop with ease. Melts in perfectly, just shake and freeze works for me. All The Best!

Hi josh i have a question, since the cross chaining is key why dont we put the chain in the small chainring in the back and front where the cross chaining is even better?

You’ve changed the way I will lube my chain in the future! Thanks!

Done it this way since i was a kid. Grandad told me to rest my hand against the spokes while back pedalling. Thought this was how everyone did it but turns out we was ahead of our time 😂

Hey Josh - when switching from oil based lubricants to a fresh new chain with wax based lubricants, is it necessary to also use Chain Stripper on the cassette and chainring to fully remove any old oil based lubricant residue or will a standard degreaser work fine for that?

Back on the synergetic. Wax is great but I've noticed a fewer rusty patches on the outer plates.

9:30 woah

Why Super Secret has that strange consitency ? Every chain I have behaves like "Silca-fobic" (silca super secret doesn't stay on it, however other waxes/lubes don't have that problem) ? even after cleaning them, or should I clean in some specific spirit ?

? So are putting a drip on each joint ?
? You are back peddling also correct ?
A brief video clip of the correct process would dispel the incorrect processes…

Wait 8-10 Hours to dry I agree with you but Then you Don’t suggest to dry the excess With a cloth?

I can’t back pedal in that low of a gear without the chain coming off due to my chain line.

The whole video can be summarized here 13:31 in 10 seconds.

Why do we apply lube to the top of the lower chain span? Argumentum ad antiquitatem...because we've always done it that way.
I worked in a bike shop for many years and we always did it that way. Nobody even thought to question the technique. However, a vital piece of doing it right was to cycle through all movements of the drivetrain for a bit while the lube was still wet to ensure full penetration before allowing for dry time and removing any excess. We would also hold a shop towel beneath the application area to keep the floor clean. But drip through always seemed preferable to accumulating excess in the cogset, which is a bit more difficult to clean.

Sorry next time could you do a video with a little more detail? I have no idea what speed or torque to apply to the chain while rotating the chain

Great educational video! I was watching another video by Josh that mentioned three applications. The first is after clearing the chain and letting it sit for 24 hours, the second is after the first ride, waiting for another 24 hours, and the third is after the second ride to achieve at least 90% of the wax or something close to a hot wax. Is this still the recommended process now?

I use Boeshield spray. It cleans, penetrates and lubes. It doesn't attract dirt. I hated having to clean of old, dirty wax.

So it does need to be cross chained for this method to work?

isn't there a chance that the chain lube drips directly on the disc brake when i put it on this way? I have an e bike so i have to use my bike rack + walking mode to apply the lube and at this way i have to tend my bike a little more so i think it could get on the disc brake.

Super needy video. Fascinating - I loved it!

Thank you for clearing this up as I have always hated the excess lube that would fling off the chain and all over me and the bike.

Another great video from Silca! As a cyclist & vintage vanner id love to order that t-shirt!!

When you lowered the chain into that drop, it touched both side plate junctions and wicked up. Do we need to lay two narrow beads (left and right side plates) to get both sides lubed with minimal waste? If so, maybe a more needle-like cap would be a good idea. Also, am I right in thinking that running through the gears on the big ring cross-chains in both directions, thus pumping lube into first the even-numbered pins and then the odd-numbered? Or is just moving in one direction and then back to neutral all that's needed? Of course, dousing the chain renders everything but cost moot.

Answer: clean chain with dryed up Baby wetwipe, by rotating pedals backwards a while.
Apply Dripon WAX by same rotation. Both on the inside AND the upside. Even on outside (inside is tricky).
Now run chain backwards and take thumb and index finger pinching chain to spread the wax on all four sides!.
Let dry for a few hours. Done!!

Can this technique be used to supplement a chain that has been waxed and not stripped?

The only thing is that this method will result in lube dripping all over the cassette. is that an issue/concern?

I smell a tool in all of this. Something that looks like those Park Chain Cleaners that laterally articulates the chain and has a reservoir for lube? Hmmm.

All: What do you all think about lubing chains for tourers? Not “road riders?” Not racing “want to be’s”? Just people who ride 100 km/day. Over and over again? People that do not want to carry around a lubricant that they have to use every 100 km - or every day(!)?
What would you recommend?

When I use up my current supply of Squirt then I will give Silca SS a try. Thanks for an informative video.

I definitely need to try this. Been using about a year on my road and gravel bike with great results but an application on my mtb as a supplement of being hot waxed only last about 15 miles before getting loud.

Doesn’t getting and distributing the lubricant on the cassette cogs go against the seemingly broad based practice to avoid lubricating the cassette cogs? Seems like a recent GCN Tech video chided viewers to avoid lubricating the cassette,

So simple, remove the chain and clean and dip it, having a second chain ready and dipped makes the chore of ‘on bike’ chain maintenance a breeze, plus you get to clean up and lube the removed chain at your convenience

Will the wax lubricant flow the same if the chain was already hot waxed?
in a very long ride (months) cleaning the chain will be difficult so, using this type of wet wax lube looks ideal but wondering if chain should be waxed if still some previous hot wax particles.

I put it there too. Why: I need to drip down, so that limits it to applying it from above. so, that leaves 2 choices: above or below the chain stay. I chose below, because any spills drip on the floor, not on my bike. That's the only reason I have always done it that way. curious too see if it matters.

I'm using waxed chains with a Rohloff internal hub shifter - so no cross-chaining, no "pump" effect. Should I be rocking the chain laterally to simulate that effect? Does it matter where I apply the lube?

Is it better to carefully drip lube one link at a time or to drip less precisely onto the chain while slowly pedaling backwards?

What am to do on my eMTB with a freehub in the motor that makes it so I cannot backpedal the chain using the cranks? Should I just rotate the tire backwards instead? Also of note is that the eMTB is heavy and putting on a stand to do the drip wax is a pain, so I tend to put them upside down and drip it on at the bottom (now on top) derailleur pulley. Using the pulley does help keep the lube from all just running through and if you run it fast, most of the lube stays on until it hits other cogs (cassette, pulley, and chainring).

I was stuck for wax went to decathlon bought their wax lube - cheaper and doesn’t drip nearly as much, just as quiet and lasts longer.

So I started waxing using your dip wax and I missed how well it rides. I do have a question for my application. I ride a lot of mtb and gravel on my xc bikes and I just recently waxed the chain which has about 30miles on it since waxing. Should I use the super secret drip wax after every ride or os that overkill?

showing results through a microscope to the suited management peasents has always been the best argument as a R&D engineer in my own experience

This is pure genius.

Thanks Josh for this video. I have an e-bike that I cannot back pedal. Do I then apply prior to the derailleur? What do you recommend?

Would using a heat gun lower that 8 - 24 hour drying period? Thanks, Josh!

I apply up close to the cassette and then I apply right by the chain ring too right afterwards. It really seems to work good that way.

Why not drip onto the lower pulley wheel while cranking in the drive direction?
I just really hate lubricating cassettes. I’m a full time bicycle mechanic at a very busy shop, and the amount of disgusting cassettes that after being cleaned, are in totally usable condition, is bonkers.
My normal way of applying is along the lower span of the chain, as questioned initially, except I crank in the normal drive direction, so the chain gets pulled up through the derailleur.
I have kept it in the smallest cog and largest chainring, because I hold a rag against the chain, under where I’m dripping lube, so that I keep the lube drips against the chain, and big x small (front x rear) keeps my hand further away from the spinning wheel.
I’m going to keep applying low, though I’ll apply at the pulley wheel, and I’ll have the gears set as recommended (big chainring x second largest cog).
I’ll give that a try, but I actually expect I’ll likely end up back at my regular; slightly flushing the chain by dripping lube through the chain into a rag. I do find it flushes chains.
This recommended technique may be good for chains that are nicely cared for, regularly lubricated, and therefore don’t have much gunk in them.
I take a good few minutes.
Flush the entire chain while dripping against the rag. Then once the whole chain has had lube applied, continue to run the chain through the wet rag to both collect the gunk that’s being washed out, as well as to keep the fresh lubricant hopefully continuing to be pulled into the chain. Then I use clean sections of the rag to continue to run the chain through the clean rag to keep picking up gunk, and to now remove excess, until the chain is mostly dry at a glance (since leaving some is great, since as mentioned, some lubricants need to set, and dry).
(Oh, and I understand that the way I do it, wastes more lube than necessary, so that’s a fair point. I guess I’m just coming at it from a pro perspective, not from the target of this technique; someone who is more carefully applying lube, only to their bike [not to hundreds of random bikes in all different conditions. So I don’t even advise doing it the way I do. ✌🏼❤️])

Should we wax e-bike chains for the longevity of the components? What would be the re-wax interval, assuming using melted wax with topping up via drip wax?

Hi Josh, I'm in Ireland (wet climate). Wax doesn't inhibit rust like a wet lube does. How can I wax my chain and prevent rust. At the moment I spray my chain with gt85 after a wet ride.

Somehow on my (DA) chain, I apply liberally to the top of the bottom run of chain, pedalling forwards, and it doesn't drop through the chain. Have I failed to clean properly? Or is it sticking better because I'm applying over wax, not over clean chain?
It goes through all the derailleur pulleys and cassette a moment later anyway, and then after I finish applying (enough lube that half or more links have a "bridged" deposit of lube in them) I use my fingers to work it in, as well as using them to form two few very tight bends in the chain, and to bend it laterally to its limit, both ways, all while running the chain at 30-60 RPM by hand, so I can only imagine I'm getting a good spread of lube inside as well. Far more articulation than you get out of the chain running on its own through the drivetrain.
Thoughts?

By experience this works even better if I do it directly after washing the bike. If I do that, the chain is really stiff like hot waxed the next day. If I let the bike dry for a few hours first, the effect is less. Any thoughts on that?