It’ll be hard to convert anyone that just lets their bike run into the ground before they start taking care of it, but they’re also probably on bikes that are sub $500 and aren’t looking for efficiencies or endurance performance.

I think that's probably pretty accurate. If I had a bike kicking around that I may or may not use, I don't even think I'd be waxing that chain.

I also think that a good number of people are simply scared away by "all the work" that goes into waxing.

I'm almost looking forward to the winter, where I can really compare my experience between wax and wet lube.

Yup! Even drip wax will give better results vs. wet lube. The cleanliness blows me away every time!

I was at a group ride and showed some of the guys how clean the chain was... wiped it with my bare hands, and nothing. That was after like 60km of riding! LOL

I don’t like maintaining my bike much and the waxing seems like it’s something for people that do.

For me, it's the opposite. Maintaining a lubed chain required far more time and patience than waxing. In that sense, I can focus more on riding my bike (or maintaining it in other ways, if I choose to).

And I feel like the nasty black chain is mostly a thing if you used too much oil?

That black is metal + dirt + oil. Basically, a grinding paste between the pins of your chain + all the crap that stuck to your chain.

I was using a single drop of wet lube, and my chain would be forever dirty after each ride. I could attempt to wipe it clean with 2 or 3 large microfiber rags, and still not get it "clean". But wiping doesn't actually clean the dirty parts where wear is occurring, so it was a never ending battle with degreasing, solvent baths, re-lubing, wiping.

I mean, sure, I could just wipe and re-lube and call it a day, but for the amount of riding I do, I'd either have to be replacing chains every month, or more expensive components a few times a year. That's not in my budget! LOL

We’re supposed to be lubing our chains?

Here's the problem:

The parts of the chain that wear out are on the inside; you can't wipe it clean.

When you use a standard lube, it attracts dirt inside the chain, and creates a grinding paste (i.e. that black crap), which will degrade the chain quickly.

As the chain wears, it wears on other components, so it cascades to the point where you'll get issues with shifting, chain skipping, etc., and components will need to be replaced.

Waxing fills the gaps where those inner components of the chain wears, effectively providing a buffer that dirt does not stick to.

You may not notice wear unless you are checking with a good quality chain checker tool, or when you start to experience issues.

How often you ride will also be a factor. Someone who rides 2000 km a year may not notice chain wear issues for 2 years. Someone riding 20,000 km might notice these problems every month.

And the more gears your bike has, the less chain wear you can get away with before it starts chewing through other components.

To me, it's an easy way to ensure longer-lasting, cleaner, quieter components, so I'll stick to it (no pun intended)!

Same. When it rusts I replace it

Even easier is not caring or even knowing that you are supposed to do anything.

You lost me at 10-second chain swaps

Wipperman connex master links. No tools required. Can be reused "for the life of the chain". Takes a second to remove and re-connect. 10 second chain swap!

and boiling water.

Unlike with traditional bike chain lube, which require some rather harsh solvents to remove. Wax can be boiled off the chain when needed. You can go back to bare metal on a waxed chain without any solvents.

Not sure if there is a lighter weight version, but I used to run wax on motorcyles, it came as a spray can and went on almost like a clear plastic coating. Game changer for chain maintenance

If you use Silcas hot melt, then you can actually just boil the bag and put the chain in there. I haven't used it like that, but instead just got an inexpensive slow cooker (most are <$25 or nearly free if second hand).

It doesn't really "ruin" the pot, but I would dedicate it to wax only.

Interestingly enough, I've discovered wax melting pots designed specifically for melting waxes (i.e. for candle making), and while they might be a little more expensive than a slow cooker, they offer finer temperature control and may be slightly more convenient to use. With a cheap slow cooker, I'm quite happy!

Thrift stores are full of old crock pots. We used to get them for candle making.

I use a small wax heater for removing body hair. 20$ and gets the job done. If you plan to do more than one chain at a time though, it's too small. I'll probably buy a used crock pot or instant pot at some time to wax more than one chain at a time.