After a hard two months of putting it to the test, I am a firm believer in WEND Waxworks, WEND chain wax. It is easy to apply and keeps my chain clean even out on the mountain bike trails. The wax is a perfect chain lubricant. No noise as the chain spins around the drive-train and no mess of a lubricant slinging around, getting on other parts of the bike or myself.
It comes in some flashy colors. I like the colored versions as I can tell where the product has been placed.
It works hand and hand with the WEND chain WAX OFF, a chain cleaner and lubricant itself. I have been using it on a towel to not just clean older wax off the chain when fully cleaning, but rub in the WEND wax that is on the chain just after applying it, helping work the wax in the chain’s pins and rollers.
Often I find myself wanting to lock my bike up, leaving it on my car’s rack, to go into a store and grab something really quick. This Amazer 35 inch cloth covered chain with lock is the perfect solution. The easy “no need for keys" when you can create your own, easy to remember, four digit combination. It’s pretty hefty weighing a little under two pounds, so keeping it in the trunk rather than on my bike is where it stays. The cloth cover over the chain protects it from scratching your bikes frame or even your car. It’s strong to keep your bike or other belongings safe.
*As with any lock or chain, if a thief wants something bad enough, nothing is really going to stop them, this chain and lock however can slow them down in their attempt.
Regular bike maintenance will increase the life of your bikes parts. Washing, adjusting and lubricating are all must. Pedro’s makes this easy to use chain cleaner. With it being easy to use, it makes doing the maintenance less of a hassle. I have had other chain cleaners in the past. Not very good ones, that’s for sure. Not only were they terrible to use, but really didn’t do a good job. For both my road and mountain bike, I recently started using the Pedro’s Chain Pig. I am extremely satisfied with it so far. Easy to use and I think does the best job cleaning the chain over all the others I have used in the past. Of course the best way to really clean the chain, would be to fully remove it. Attach the Chain Pig to the lower part of your chain.
Then fill it with your favorite degreaser through the port on the top of the Pig, there is a “fill line” on the Pig to show you how much to fill it with. It can be used with any degreaser or bike wash. To work this cleaner your chain will be running backwards, or counter-clockwise. The Chain Pig lets you leave the chain on your bike the way it is. As your chain rotates around, the wheels inside with brushes hit your chain from all angles, scrubbing it for you inside the pig. The chain exits the Pig through a sponge, cleaning off the solution on the sides and bottom of the chain but not in between the links. A feature I love of this chain cleaner is the hands-free part. The other chain cleaners I have used in the past, you had to hold your left hand on the cleaner, keeping the cleaner in place, while rotating the chain with the pedal of your right hand.
The hands-free of this cleaner comes into play with a derailleur hook, or in this case the Pig's tail. It simply hooks around the lower bottom bracket pulley wheel on your rear derailleur. This keeps it in place, so your left hand is now free while still using your right hand to rotate the chain around. I rotate the chain around until a dirty foam has formed on the chain, then undo the Chain Pig, scrub the cassette with the included brush or other brush, then rinse off with light pressured water.
You could go back again, of course, and scrub certain links or areas that did not get the grime out. I do this simple and easy cleaning of my chain and cassette about every three or four rides, depending upon how dirty the chain gets from the dusty trails.
The chain did become cleaner, there was s few links and in between some links needed to be scrubbed a lot better. Keep in mind that the lubricant you put on the chain after cleaning will lubricate the metal on metal parts while attracting dirt from the road air.
Keeping your chain in great shape is very important, as your chain is constantly moving when you are riding (unless you are coasting). Regular maintenance of your chain and bike will make it last along longer. The Terra-Ride’s R1 Racing Lubricant made by KAEPS Sports is an eco-friendly bike lubricant not only for chains but for cables, derailleurs and shifters. After a good washing of your bike, protect its moving parts with an application of the Terra-Ride R1 Racing Lubricant. It was developed for extreme conditions. The lube creates a good bond with the chain after applied and does a great job of repelling water. It can be used on both mountain bikes and road bikes. Not to mention it is great for cyclocross bikes, as those courses tend to get a little muddy. Simply apply to the chain as you run it backwards and wipe off the excess.
KAEPS SPORTS is the manufacturer of eco-friendly bicycle care products and lubricant.
Their products are biodegradable and are packaged in recyclable material.
KAEPS SPORTS TERRA-RIDE DUAL-1 advanced natural cleaner and lubricant is formulated protect and effectively lubricate bicycle moving parts. It cleans as it protects. It's very simple to apply and wipe off the excess. The lubricant resists rust and prolongs the life of your chain. KAEPS SPORTS DUAL-1 is made from a renewable source.
KAEPS SPORTS also has a bike protectant they called TERRA-RIDE P-7. The protectant is an eco-friendly wax designed to protect your bike frame as well as metal parts (rims, hubs, forks, cranksets). It is safe for all types of paints, metals and even carbon fiber. It is very easy to use by just rubbing on and buffing off. KAEPS SPORTS TERRA-RIDE P-7 offers protection from sweat, energy drinks and rainy wet conditions. I love how it handles repelling dirt and dust and the shine it brings to my bike.
So lets face it, you spend enough money on good bike equipment (chains, gears, carbon frames) so why not use the best stuff out there to keep it working properly and looking great. Prolink Chain Lube is a thin lube reduces friction for smooth shifting and quiet chain operation. The lube does not build up or become sticky while shedding dirt and mud. The Prolink Chain Lube I find great on lubricating cables with their Luber Pens for precise applications. Find yourself out on dusty or muddy mountain bike trails or putting in a lot of miles, then you need to use Xtreme Chain Lube. I use this on both my road and mountain bikes. It bonds to metal surfaces and also does not build up or become sticky and also sheds water. After getting your dirty from all the miles out on the road or on the trails ProGold's Bike Wash is great for cleaning your frame, spokes, and components. It is safe for carbon frames too. Find yourself with your bike just a little more dirty in between uses with the Bike Wash. I use the Degreaser+Wash to work on getting that extra grime off just a little easier. When your all done fixing and lubing your ride, ProGold has Pro Towels, an 8"X12" dual textured disposable towel is your answer to clean up your hands and get out on the road faster. The lightly scented towels, come in canister with 90 of them inside. Keep your ride clean and lubed properly.
After sitting down last week, I found out I am two weeks ahead of schedule on my training program. How did that happen? I guess I started the program two weeks early I was so excited to get it going. More long rides and runs then for the next two weekends, thats for sure. Anyway, last weekend I had two of my best training sessions, all keeping my heart rate in Zone 2 using my Mio Watch Quest with GPS. An open water swim for just over 1.5 miles and a 40 mile ride. The ride had a few hiccups with a flat tire, then when I was changing it realized I had worn the back tire down to seeing threads in the tread. Both tire and tube have been changed and while I was at it slapped a new chain on the ride too. I have been meaning to swap out the old chain for awhile and had just a little extra maintenance time over the weekend. I now have a few weeks to break the new gear in before race day, which a quick ride after the installation was smooth.
