RE shorter cranks: cranked down to 155mm. Eliminated my knee pain, increased my overall comfort. Then paired it with low gearing. Magic mindful cycling. The Rivendell State of Mind.
I think crank length should be just as adjustable as frame size, seat post height, seat width, and handlebar geometry. In other words, everyone has different geometric needs for their own body.
Mike Burrows RIP reckoned 140mm was optimum. Anyway came back to cycling August bought a cheap bike, with 175mm was watching about MB, did some more research and when to 150mm on another bike, and way better going back to the cheap bike 175s my knees hurt, yeup I’m old 69 🎉
I've done the opposite with cranks, at 6 foot with 33 inside leg, I've gone from 170 too 175. I've done this because I have taken the electric assist ( which I installed after knee surgery ) off my bike, so now rely on myself again. The slightly longer cranks give me a little extra leverage when crawling up hills, and this has happily not caused any issues with my knees. I too have a wide gear range with a low of 19 inches, I run a two by with a Granny gear ( OK, a triple ) and I'm happy to have gears for all occasions. It's so nice to be back cycling without electric assist, I now feel like I have my independence again. Thanks for a great channel, always a pleasure to watch.
@@Emolokz Sometimes it's all about personal preference and not science, especially in cycling. I am 6'4" and ride mostly 180mm cranks on my mtb's. I have used 170mm cranks on the road and I like the smaller pedaling circle for the spin factor. Shorter cranks may get up to peak power more quickly but it's not always possible to spin that quickly, off-road. Getting enough leverage in a single pedal stroke, to say, clear an obstacle while ratcheting the pedals, can be easier with longer cranks.
@@oterocanyon4224 again, the leverage difference you're talking about simply does not exist. You're more specifically talking to an issue that is addressed with higher hub engagement.
Great little synopsis of how to make your bike life easier! Long live low gears, short cranks and supple 650b tires! Hope that you can make it over to Woods Cyclery in the UK at some point. Also thanks for some great ideas over the last few years as well!
Woods is such an awesome shop. Great coffee, friendly staff and such a nice range of interesting parts and bikes. Highly recommend anyone who can get there to visit!
You make a very valid point about really wide tyres on a 700c wheel changing the fork geometry! It is a shame that 650b seems to be on the decline especially when for smaller frames, by using 650b and not 700c, the ludicrously steep seat tube angles needed to accommodate 700c can be avoided!! Great channel. I’ve subscribed.
My wife is 158cm height and after watching your videos and few more by other people and bikefitters specifically, I ordered custom 155 cranks (down from 165-170s she rode earlier) for her and it was a game changer. She basically went from constantly rocking her hips on the saddle and heavily pointing her toes down in the bottom position of the crank to being really stable and comfortable with shorter cranks.
I’m slowly becoming a convert of 2x drivetrains. I’ve recently converted my 2x speed Brompton to 5x2 speeds with a FD. This has inspired me to also convert my 1x gravel bike to 2x. For me the smaller jumps between gears, and more optimised chain-line really make a difference in pedalling efficiency. Also I find 1x drivetrains tend to ‘vibrate’ when on outer most and inner most gears. I think the vibration comes from the extreme chain-line and the narrow-wide chainring teeth. The widest range rear derailleur I can find right now is the CUES U8020 and I am planning to pair that with a 46-30 sub compact chainring combo. Yes, I can go lower and smaller in the front, but I am limited by my crankset and chainring availability for the SRAM 8bolt dub system.
No apologies for anything you like. I'm 74 but started using lower gearing in my 20s. I smiled going up every steep climb I could spin up. My old Sugino 46/36/26 triple with 165mm crank arms has served me well for many years as has my 42/28 double. Riding should be fun unless you're racing. Next project is finding ALT bars.
This is one of your most useful videos. I'm about to replace my cranks with shorter having had a successful experiment, and I'm confident shorter cranks will help me. There is no doubt that wide supple tires are a plus, and I'm glad to see this trend of using the widest tire your bike can fit. I've been staying away from chain wax, but since YOU say it's a win over the long term, I'll consider it. So now, have you done a video on the pluses and minuses of tubeless tires? I'm far from being convinced to try going through all the trouble. I'm sure I will love the ride, but I'm not eager to get a compressor or deal with sealant.
Shortened cranks from 175 to 165 on my Pinion hardtail. Yes to better comfort and less pain. Also less pedal strikes on single track! And Pinion has great GRANNY gear!
Waxing is a double edged sword. I like it and do it currently however, now winter is here in the Uk I went for a really wet dirty ride the weekend. Wiped the chain down when I got back and it was starting to rust the next day and squeaky 😅 had to spend ages cleaning it and rubbing with soft iron brush and put quick wax on it to retrieve it from the edge of corrosion. I think it’s brilliant for drier climates and summertime. Ironically my chain and drivetrain was working brilliantly when it was caked in wet sloppy mud, best lube ever 😂 PS: still can’t believe you were a two pack of smokes a day man! Damn Russ! 😂
Thanks so much for the discussion. Especially about the low-gearing ability to ride when carrying bike touring equipment. Keep up the great work you do. We really value the videos you publish. We also agree that riding should be fun.
I'm all about this! I've got 165mm cranks, gravel bike gearing for the road (40T chainring w/50T cassette) 30 mm road tires and chain wax too. Its made riding my bike more fun - so I'll do it more often. Keep up the good work.
What improved my cycling experience? Rollers. I found a set of rollers at a thrift store for free, and I took them home. I set them up to fit my bike, and started using them. I suffered a few fumbles and falls, but after 20 or 30 minutes, I got the technique down, and spend about an hour on them. I then went for a ride around the neighborhood on my bike, and the improvement in my balance and pedal stroke was eerie. No other bike or gear has made such an improvement in my cycling.
Glad you've converted to the shorter cranks. 150 or 155mm would probably be ideal. At a 37" inseam, Ive gone from 175 to 180mm and it feels better, I go faster, and get less fatigued. Most people are on too long cranks. My leg length is longer than 99.9% of riders so 180mm for me is really not very long. I tried 200mm for a while, but the 180;s feel better, they're lighter, have a lower q-factor, and fit any frame really. Slightly older Dura-Ace, XTR, Record and some SRAM cranks (Apex and Rival) came in 180mm crank lengths. Maybe also TA Specialities and Lightning Cranks.
Russ, love the channel. Such great content.I adopted many ideas including 2x low gears, Crocs, and all in on mechanical. Decided on recent build of Surly Grappler to go Microshift 1x10 and race face cinch to easily go to 22t if needed depending on the adventure. Time will tell
About your hip pain. I had it to, along with lower back pain. I bought a muscle massager, the kind that has one head that moves in and out and pounds the muscle into feeling good. You might check one out. Great vid!
I'm using straight paraffin melt wax with periodic drip wax refreshes. I'm in Korea and just starting to see the first of the icky mud and road salt slush; so far, so good. At age 70 and 6' 2", I've moved to lower gears and wider tires but hadn't considered crank length yet. For me, it's all about comfort: being able to quietly and smoothly enjoy my ride, and with minimal faff when I get back home.
I'm all in for lower gears, below 1:1! I started down that slippery slope (up that slope? ;) about 15 years ago and today my road and gravel bikes all are sub 1:1 thanks to oversized cassettes made possible by Wolftooth RD hangar extenders, and thanks to undersized chainrings made possible by GRX and CX :) I have always liked to climb, and rode MTB, so the road gearing never made sense to me. And I think that guy who won the yellow jersey is rocking some low ratios :)
Yup! I agree. I'm 80 yo, just got 165 cranks on my Jamis GG. I've been waxing for years, just the wax you can get for sealing jelly, found at grocery stores. I use a small crock pot. Wide tires on my road bikes, 28 mm, 2.8 in on my MTB. Most of my bikes are 2x, but my Trek Roscoe is 1x. I like it and it has a 50t cog. Enjoy your videos. Blessings.
Could you tell me what brand the double crankset you show in the video is? I'm tired of the mono crankset on my Ritchey Outback and want the double! Thanks for your videos!
I like aero, Russ, on my commute on an alloy 26" MTB. Aero means, in that context, simply bending low to coast farther and faster whenever the road offers free speed without pedaling. And big picture, I like your content and think that many of us are both, competitive and non-competitive, just depends on the ride. And just so you know, I'm taking notes so I can roost my rivals and win a trophy in the over-60 class at a gravel event. 😀
RE shorter cranks, I had knee problems until I switched to a longer crank on the left side to make up for my left femur being an inch longer than the right. Being six feet tall with a 35-36 inch inseam makes me a bit of a freak of nature so I optimally ride with 175 mm on the right and 180 mm on the left. 170 mm cranks definitely feel wrong and give me slight knee problems. The three biggest changes that made a huge positive difference for me at age 67 were: 1. Changing from drop bars to Jones alt bars (upright style bars with 45 degree sweep back) 2. Ditching the derailleurs for a Rohloff hub 3. Ditching the Brooks saddle for a Selle SMP Drakon - that definitely won't work for everybody! I tried six different saddles to finally find something a lot more comfortable than the well broken in Brooks nutcracker.
Currently training/riding on 165s, down from 172.5s, and loving them! My inseam is only 30” while being 5’ 11” - definitely short-legged for my height. The 165s are easier to spin with less fatigue after a long ride. I’ll stick with them.
A combination of Path Less Pedaled, Bicycle Quarterly (and RH website) and Riv Bike have led me to shorter cranks (currently 150 mm), supple wide tyres (Humptulips Ridge, best 26" tyre ever) and low-wide gearing (44-34-24 driving 11-43 10-speed). Highly unfashionable but very comfy and goes almost anywhere. I've not tried chain waxing but the lack of grease stains is the best argument in favour, I'm just a bit worried about using under wet conditions.
I like chain waxing it takes a bit of work to get the chain prepared for wax but it is worth it for regulars bikes. however it doesn't work well with middrive motors in Canandian winters it freezes which makes the chain skip.
I see some SKS Speedrocker fenders back there. Have two sets of those myself, love 'em. Maybe not the most perfect coverage compared to a full wrap permanent fender set, but the easy on and off is SO nice.
I noticed that too, have one set myself. My only complaint is that the sliding extension on the rear fender doesn't go down the seat tube far enough, I ended up cutting up a water bottle to extend it to where it should be, which makes the on/off a little more cumbersome but still much better than more permanent fenders.
WIDE RANGE BRIFTER FRONT DERAILLUERS Russ, I''m a long time Patreon supporter who has learned much from you. I'm old, with busted lungs, but still want to climb hills regardless of how fast. I ride mostly on the road and don't worry too much about my rear mech, B screws and Road Links seem to do the trick. But I have a really hard time finding a Frankenbike solution to a brifter/FD combination that can do a range lower than shimano 50/34[/30]. AND I really hate black mechs 🙂 although I can live with dark brifters. So might I suggest a deep dive into front derailluer/brifter options, including how to make a choice and what to look for? Thanks
Agree about low gearing. I run 1X for simplicity but it is tougher to get lower gearing. I have 165 and 170mm cranks. I do not have problem with pain with 170 even though my height is only 5'7". I think key is having low enough gearing to maintain high crank speed like 85-95rpm. Since I use 1x drivetrain, and have limit on small chainring I do not want to try smaller cranks which require lower gearing to go up steep hills. Obviously this is less worry with flexibility of 2x drivetrains.
If I think.....then I'm having similar experience. 165mm cranks, one bike lubed chain, other waxed chain. Both pretty low gear for SS and FG. Only thing I can add is a physio - stronger legs and butt have made my riding much more enjoyable, more than other upgrades. And cheapest digital watch so I don't have to drop my phone trying to know time.
I wish frame designers would catch on to the shorter cranks trend. Even just goung down from 170mm to 160mm crank length makes it really obvious how the bottom-bracket ends up being too high. And the high bottom-bracket makes bike-fit really annoying, because the saddle ends up too high, for aesthetics, for ease getting on and off the bike, and it you often have to raise the stem quite a bit.
4 things that improved my cycling: Wider. taller tires. 29x2.4-2.8 on a mountain bike and 700x45-56 on a gravel bike. 1x drivetrain with a 10-52 cassette and a small chainring. 28T chainring on a mountain bike and 32T chainring on a gravel bike. A more upright riding position. Say no to the stooped over aero position. Get that handlebar up. Use a steerer tube extender, also called a stem riser. Any kind of suspension. Could be a flex stem and a suspension seat post or all the way up to a full-sus long- travel mountain bike.
I've loosely tracked wear on chain/cassettes way back over 20 years ago (Boeshield then White Lightening showed up in the market). I can't remember specific data - the overview take away was a little hard to believe. Chain wear tools were new and my chains indicated so little wear that I only replaced chains because shifting deteriorated. My guess was the chain's links edges were wearing at the contact points were cassette ramps engaged. Now I see there's a tool that gauges side flex "wear" or give. That could be the cause of sift performance decline I experienced. Largely no one cared about any of the benefits like wear and cleanliness and still now may not. Recently with the addition of ingredients that lower friction attention refocused. So again competition moved the needle. I can say shop mechanics hated the stuff. I worked in shops and stood out for accepting the downside - dripping it on leads to a mess as it accumulates. In the beginning there was no cleaner (Cleanstreak arrived later). Asking around years ago, I realized those who cared made frequent chain changes. That's a reasonable strategy since even now they are relatively cheap when bought online in bulk. All the reasons for waxing are legit but even so I don't melting melting setup.
What's the fender set you have on your Sklar, and how do you like it? I've been looking for a fender set for a bike that doesn't have typical fender mounts, preferably a more full coverage fender set.
Good to hear someone actually say leg length optimised cranks not insisting short, irrespective is size. My 84cm legs appreciate my 175mm cranks. Given how long my legs are compared to many people it’s amazing the “standard” was concluded to be 172.5mm for years. Ah yes and being female means I don’t fit the “shrink it and pink it” mould anyway haha
On the subject of low gears, I’ve always been a roadie (specifically a climber) who cares about uphill performance. I don’t race anyone but myself, but I try to go as fast as possible. Back in the day, even running Super Record, I used to use Campagnolo’s Racing T triple, with a 52/36/28 and a 13/28 (I think that’s right… it’s been a while; the cassette might have been a 12/27). I was plenty strong enough to push a 48x20 uphill at decent speeds, but small gears made me much faster than big ones. Having said that, I do enjoy humiliating “roadies” who criticize my 1-1 gear ratios (currently I run a 46/29 x 10/29, although I rarely use anything smaller than a 1.6 ratio since my bikes are light). Okay I lied, I guess I am competitive, but only with rude people. 😂
I concur on shorter cranks, lower gears, no opinion on waxing. But 650B. Where I live, Canada very broadly, 650B by any manufacturer, any 'model,' and any size is more expensive than its 26" or 700C version. I looked at a couple bikes I considered buying, then looked at long term costs of ownership (roughly 6,500 km of commuting/year) and 650B was more expensive, lower availability in every case. Your mileage may, of course, vary. YVR
Totally agree with the shorter cranks. I'm 5'8 that's all torso and short legs. My cube touring ebike came with 175mm cranks so went down to 165mm and wow what a difference. I'm convinced it isn't just a placebo. I would like to try even shorter and also put shorter cranks on my analogue bikes too but that's a way more complicated and pricy endeavour compared to just swapping crank arms on an ebike.
Short crank, Low gear, and chain wax, exactly things that improve my cycling experience. Since I'm using old 26" mtb frame, not really sure about "wide and supple" tires since I can't find perfect rim yet. Right now I'm using 32mm (rear) and 35mm (front) tires for daily city commuting. I didn't really do offroads/gravel rides, but my city roads sometimes almost as good as that. I'm using the cheapest and thicker one, evenmore tire liner also added inside. Can't really complaint much for the ride quality since it can hold up without any issues/ punctures for 2 years and still rolling. That low gear also actually not that "slow" as long as you have small cogs like 11 or 12T. Pulling 90-100 -ish gear inches would makes you fast for sure. If there's any, I think you should also try "reverse mullet" setups.
Most short people use short cranks..track bikes had 165’s so you could avoid pedal strike when cornering.. shorter cranks will let a short person ride a frame that is actually too big ideally for them.
Will you win a yellow jersey with shorter cranks? Not until endorphine-based racing is introduced. It's a race where the winner is the one who got the most satisfaction from a ride.
@@PathLessPedaledTV If/when you do it, I'd love to see another shoes video. I've found wide toe box & low drop (not necessarily zero drop) to be a good combo, w/ 25-30ish mm stack height, and medium firmness mid/outsole.
Waxed chains are the best but I bought into the super duper Silca wax hype and was not impressed with the product at all. Because of the colour, the chains come out looking filthy and I don't think it works any better than what I used before. I'm going back to my previous home made blend of paraffin wax, lamp oil and PTFE which yields a fantastic looking chain that functions at least as well for next to nothing. I do, however, really like the Silca waxing pot/stand so I'll stick with that at least.
I think the only option would be to do it "ghetto" MTB style with gorilla tape or a split inner tube on the rim and standard tyre, but the reason we could get away with it for off-road riding but never did it on road bikes was the pressure, anything above 40psi and the bead would "blow off" the rim if you "burped" it. I think Brompton's are like 60psi minimum, and most people run close to 100. TPU tubes are available in 16 inch though and in spite of their thin/light, look and feel they are a bit more puncture resistant than Butyl and you get about 90% of the performance benefits (if you care about that kind of thing).
@ Cheers for taking the time for the detailed reply. I only ask because when you do get a puncture on a Brompton, it’s a bit of a pain taking the wheel off to get at the tyre (especially the back wheel). I’ve heard of the Gorilla tape method for tubeless but I didn’t take into account the tyre pressure.
The more I look at it 650B seems to have been a concerted effort by the bike industry to make 30 years of MTB spares obsolete, because it's about a cm bigger on radius, so there's no measurable difference in performance, but they're completely incompatible, so suddenly all the random spares in my garage will no longer get friend's bikes back working. 650B has been around right from before the start of MTBing because tyre availability was the limiting factor in building the first bikes to work well off road, and the fattest tyre out there were 650B beach cruiser tyres, so many of the early frames used this size in the 1970s. 26" were also available at the time, and once MTB got big enough that making their own tyres was an option, 26" became the industry standard and stayed that way for decades. The bike industry waiting 30 years before deciding 650B was the correct answer all along was shitweaselry of the highest order and definitely marks the point where I lost the limited trust I had in the bike industry caring about cyclists rather than profit. I should mention I run 26", 27.5" (650B), 29" and 24" wheels on various bikes, and the only ones where there is no discernable difference are the 26 and 27.5" wheels. 29ers roll better on rough surfaces and float slightly better on soft ground because the contact patch gets longer noticeably more quickly as a 29er sinks than a 26". By comparison my 27.5" and 26" bikes feel more lively and are a lot more flickable through tight turns and pop more easily onto the back wheel than the 29ers, so they have benefits depending on the trails I'm riding.
For those who afraid or just think about waxing chains I want to share a bit of my experience: used squirt for half a year, not bad, but still dirty and last bottle that I bought - something strange happened, it lasts literally 50-60km, one my working shift. So I bought candle wax from AliExpress, something like 10 euro per kg, saved plastic box from marmalades. Boiling water in frying pan, put some wax in plastic box and put this plastic box in slowly boiling water. (It's like automatic temperature control to not burn the wax). And put chain in the same plastic box with melted wax. Few months after I started to add regular chain oil into melted wax and mix it). It doesn't take a place, almost no cost for equipment. Also with time dust and dirt from the chain settles on the bottom of the plastic box, in the lower layers of wax. Since the plastic is flexible, you can take the cooled wax out of the plastic and cut/scrape off the dirty part of the wax with a knife (the dust is always at the bottom), add a little new and continue using. It this case it's even better than special heaters with iron vessels. Results: now with my amount of rides it lasts week or a bit more, chain is clean, only some chips of wax as you install chain back on a bike and spin pedals for couple first turns, but it's easy to clean because they are dry (or just do it outside/put list of paper below) And finally no black stains on a floor.
@soylentgreen326 I did used just wax from the beginning, then read somewhere that just wax is not working as lubricant and started to add oil. So wax is acting as gap filler and (I believe) contains some oil that i mixed in to lubricate. Week for me usually about 200 to 350km, depends how much I work, if I'm using same bike on weekends and etc.
I’ve started mtb/riding bikes seriously when the call for was 175mm was the norm, more length more power output. Moved to the US and 175 were just not it, Started 170 and liking it, but sometimes theres issues but not al the time, I’ll take 165 either 5 years from now or 2-3 years from 2024. I already have 165’s but I don’t ride them cause it’s still alien to me, but I’ll try them out again maybe start of 2025. 😅
I’m an old curmudgeon and have been waxing my chains for 30 years. Here’s the good news you can get all the benefits you listed just by using boring old paraffin wax. No need to spend all that money on the Silca nonsense unless they sponsor you then full steam ahead.
No disrespect intended, friend, but I’ve also used both paraffin and the Silca stuff (as well as Rex Black Diamond), and the Silca / Rex stuff is dramatically better. I have decades of data (16,000 km + / year) and there is no comparison - since I started using Rex and then Silca (about a year), I have yet to wear out a chain due to pin-to-pin wear (lateral wear due to cross chaining still happens, wearing out the chains after about 6x the amount of kms). Paraffin is good, but that’s not what keeps chain wear down. It does keep your chain clean, which has a side effect of reducing chain wear, but the additives in a bike chain specific chain wax make a *HUGE* difference. I am the kind of nut who likes the stupid expensive “enthusiast” level parts like Campagnolo Super Record 12 speed, so the amount of money this saves me is quite significant.
There's no way I'm wasting time and money on chain waxing. I use Squirt and wipe the chain every 100 km or after a dusty ride. Frequent application and wiping cleans and lubricates in one step. Squirt can occasionally flake off black spots on the floor, but just put a door mat under your bike and it will protect the floor. Also, wipe off the excess after application.
@@chintanjadwani When I was switching to Squirt I cleaned my dirty chain with bike chain cleaner and brushed a lot! Then dry it with a cloth and then I've put it into small container with brake cleaner and shake it hard. I repeated this process until brake cleaner with chain with was clean. Last step was to leave it to dry, or you could use compressor to blow moisture out. With new chain I'd just use brake cleaner and shake to remove factory grease.
@@chintanjadwani I never did. Campagnolo chrous and record chains are chrome plated. They do have some oil from shipping, but just rode it and then solvent cleaned with a chain cleaner. After that continued with Squirt. It is really the pins and rollers that matter, so I actually wipe off excess and only apply a single drop to each roller. The plates are essentially not lubed.
@chintanjadwani I used degreaser and a hard brush, then washed it off in hot soapy water. Then repeated this again. Rinsed it all clean in clear water then used hair dryer to dry the chain. Alternatively, during summer, hung the chain out in the sun. Then applied Squirt to each roller.
I wax my chains simply for the clean drivetrain. I’m less interested in performance of drivetrain longevity. I run a cassette and rotate through three chains for ~3 years/20k miles then replace the lot. I don’t obsess about chain wear any more then I obsess about car tire tread depth - I run them until they need replacing and then I replace
Your opinions on cycling remimd me of so much of the rhetoric these days......a common sense, experienced, and practical approach to things regard3d as somewhat radical lol
Chain waxing can be CHEAPER than oils - a $15 bottle of graphite powder will last several lifetimes and cheap, white tea candles (paraffin is too stiff!).
RE shorter cranks: cranked down to 155mm. Eliminated my knee pain, increased my overall comfort. Then paired it with low gearing. Magic mindful cycling. The Rivendell State of Mind.
I think crank length should be just as adjustable as frame size, seat post height, seat width, and handlebar geometry. In other words, everyone has different geometric needs for their own body.
Same. 5'9", 32" inseam, changed stock 170 -> 155mm, very happy.
@@RedBeardedRabbit Where did you buy your 155s?
@vaquerosupreme3189 Which crankset and cassette did you get? Any links would be appreciated
Hope does 155 cranks…
What a relief; a cycling channel not shilling the new Wahoo computer today..........
I came here to ask when he was going to review it and you beat me to the joke!
Mike Burrows RIP reckoned 140mm was optimum.
Anyway came back to cycling August bought a cheap bike, with 175mm was watching about MB, did some more research and when to 150mm on another bike, and way better going back to the cheap bike 175s my knees hurt, yeup I’m old 69 🎉
RIP Mike Burrows indeed. I miss it when he’d pop in on velo-ad’s channel
Or disc brakes, aero and e shifting trash
I mean...DC Rainmaker isn't. His review was pretty negative (and the only one I trust).
im a bike commuter. its low gears, 165 and 650b for me. still have much use for 26 and hope industry would continue to to support it.
I've done the opposite with cranks, at 6 foot with 33 inside leg, I've gone from 170 too 175. I've done this because I have taken the electric assist ( which I installed after knee surgery ) off my bike, so now rely on myself again. The slightly longer cranks give me a little extra leverage when crawling up hills, and this has happily not caused any issues with my knees.
I too have a wide gear range with a low of 19 inches, I run a two by with a Granny gear ( OK, a triple ) and I'm happy to have gears for all occasions.
It's so nice to be back cycling without electric assist, I now feel like I have my independence again.
Thanks for a great channel, always a pleasure to watch.
That's interesting to hear, with so many people taller than you, with longer inseam trying 165mm theses day, and loving them. Especially for climbing
@@ToddAshley-u2u that's basically me. I found the 175s caused some knee pain and went lower with better effect.
There is evidence that longer cranks have absolutely no benefit to leverage going uphill, sometimes exactly the opposite of that.
@@Emolokz Sometimes it's all about personal preference and not science, especially in cycling. I am 6'4" and ride mostly 180mm cranks on my mtb's. I have used 170mm cranks on the road and I like the smaller pedaling circle for the spin factor. Shorter cranks may get up to peak power more quickly but it's not always possible to spin that quickly, off-road. Getting enough leverage in a single pedal stroke, to say, clear an obstacle while ratcheting the pedals, can be easier with longer cranks.
@@oterocanyon4224 again, the leverage difference you're talking about simply does not exist. You're more specifically talking to an issue that is addressed with higher hub engagement.
Great little synopsis of how to make your bike life easier! Long live low gears, short cranks and supple 650b tires! Hope that you can make it over to Woods Cyclery in the UK at some point. Also thanks for some great ideas over the last few years as well!
Woods is such an awesome shop. Great coffee, friendly staff and such a nice range of interesting parts and bikes. Highly recommend anyone who can get there to visit!
You make a very valid point about really wide tyres on a 700c wheel changing the fork geometry! It is a shame that 650b seems to be on the decline especially when for smaller frames, by using 650b and not 700c, the ludicrously steep seat tube angles needed to accommodate 700c can be avoided!! Great channel. I’ve subscribed.
My wife is 158cm height and after watching your videos and few more by other people and bikefitters specifically, I ordered custom 155 cranks (down from 165-170s she rode earlier) for her and it was a game changer. She basically went from constantly rocking her hips on the saddle and heavily pointing her toes down in the bottom position of the crank to being really stable and comfortable with shorter cranks.
I’m slowly becoming a convert of 2x drivetrains. I’ve recently converted my 2x speed Brompton to 5x2 speeds with a FD. This has inspired me to also convert my 1x gravel bike to 2x. For me the smaller jumps between gears, and more optimised chain-line really make a difference in pedalling efficiency. Also I find 1x drivetrains tend to ‘vibrate’ when on outer most and inner most gears. I think the vibration comes from the extreme chain-line and the narrow-wide chainring teeth. The widest range rear derailleur I can find right now is the CUES U8020 and I am planning to pair that with a 46-30 sub compact chainring combo. Yes, I can go lower and smaller in the front, but I am limited by my crankset and chainring availability for the SRAM 8bolt dub system.
No apologies for anything you like. I'm 74 but started using lower gearing in my 20s. I smiled going up every steep climb I could spin up. My old Sugino 46/36/26 triple with 165mm crank arms has served me well for many years as has my 42/28 double.
Riding should be fun unless you're racing. Next project is finding ALT bars.
An "alt stem" allows me to comfortably use shallow drop bars. I use a Velo Orange high rise stem.
This is one of your most useful videos. I'm about to replace my cranks with shorter having had a successful experiment, and I'm confident shorter cranks will help me. There is no doubt that wide supple tires are a plus, and I'm glad to see this trend of using the widest tire your bike can fit. I've been staying away from chain wax, but since YOU say it's a win over the long term, I'll consider it. So now, have you done a video on the pluses and minuses of tubeless tires? I'm far from being convinced to try going through all the trouble. I'm sure I will love the ride, but I'm not eager to get a compressor or deal with sealant.
Ross your beard looks amazing! Also hell yeah love all these practical changes to biking!
Shortened cranks from 175 to 165 on my Pinion hardtail. Yes to better comfort and less pain. Also less pedal strikes on single track! And Pinion has great GRANNY gear!
Waxing is a double edged sword. I like it and do it currently however, now winter is here in the Uk I went for a really wet dirty ride the weekend. Wiped the chain down when I got back and it was starting to rust the next day and squeaky 😅 had to spend ages cleaning it and rubbing with soft iron brush and put quick wax on it to retrieve it from the edge of corrosion. I think it’s brilliant for drier climates and summertime. Ironically my chain and drivetrain was working brilliantly when it was caked in wet sloppy mud, best lube ever 😂
PS: still can’t believe you were a two pack of smokes a day man! Damn Russ! 😂
Top up your waxed chain with squirt cold weather formula in winter
I'm 5'8" with a 29" inside leg too, my crank is a 52.5 which is sold as a kids crank, I love it, feels great. thanks Russ
I gotta look into getting shorter crank arms, I'm same height/ inseam. Stand over height is so hard to get for us lol
@@shalakabooyaka1480 you won't regret it, happy trails
Thanks so much for the discussion. Especially about the low-gearing ability to ride when carrying bike touring equipment. Keep up the great work you do. We really value the videos you publish. We also agree that riding should be fun.
I'm all about this! I've got 165mm cranks, gravel bike gearing for the road (40T chainring w/50T cassette) 30 mm road tires and chain wax too. Its made riding my bike more fun - so I'll do it more often. Keep up the good work.
What improved my cycling experience? Rollers. I found a set of rollers at a thrift store for free, and I took them home. I set them up to fit my bike, and started using them. I suffered a few fumbles and falls, but after 20 or 30 minutes, I got the technique down, and spend about an hour on them. I then went for a ride around the neighborhood on my bike, and the improvement in my balance and pedal stroke was eerie. No other bike or gear has made such an improvement in my cycling.
Glad you've converted to the shorter cranks. 150 or 155mm would probably be ideal. At a 37" inseam, Ive gone from 175 to 180mm and it feels better, I go faster, and get less fatigued. Most people are on too long cranks. My leg length is longer than 99.9% of riders so 180mm for me is really not very long. I tried 200mm for a while, but the 180;s feel better, they're lighter, have a lower q-factor, and fit any frame really. Slightly older Dura-Ace, XTR, Record and some SRAM cranks (Apex and Rival) came in 180mm crank lengths. Maybe also TA Specialities and Lightning Cranks.
Russ, love the channel. Such great content.I adopted many ideas including 2x low gears, Crocs, and all in on mechanical. Decided on recent build of Surly Grappler to go Microshift 1x10 and race face cinch to easily go to 22t if needed depending on the adventure. Time will tell
About your hip pain. I had it to, along with lower back pain. I bought a muscle massager, the kind that has one head that moves in and out and pounds the muscle into feeling good. You might check one out. Great vid!
Thanks Russ. I'm with you on all 4 points, in addition to or maybe because I'm the same dimensions as you, based on tried and trued experience.
Nice one Russ. Thanks for that.
I'm using straight paraffin melt wax with periodic drip wax refreshes. I'm in Korea and just starting to see the first of the icky mud and road salt slush; so far, so good. At age 70 and 6' 2", I've moved to lower gears and wider tires but hadn't considered crank length yet. For me, it's all about comfort: being able to quietly and smoothly enjoy my ride, and with minimal faff when I get back home.
I'm all in for lower gears, below 1:1! I started down that slippery slope (up that slope? ;) about 15 years ago and today my road and gravel bikes all are sub 1:1 thanks to oversized cassettes made possible by Wolftooth RD hangar extenders, and thanks to undersized chainrings made possible by GRX and CX :) I have always liked to climb, and rode MTB, so the road gearing never made sense to me. And I think that guy who won the yellow jersey is rocking some low ratios :)
The trains in Spain require a waxed chain 🚂🇪🇸🕯️⛓️
in the rain
@@nlphd1 That's insane!
C‘mon guys don’t be lame!
Let me re-frame the brain.
TALGO.
Yup! I agree. I'm 80 yo, just got 165 cranks on my Jamis GG. I've been waxing for years, just the wax you can get for sealing jelly, found at grocery stores. I use a small crock pot. Wide tires on my road bikes, 28 mm, 2.8 in on my MTB. Most of my bikes are 2x, but my Trek Roscoe is 1x. I like it and it has a 50t cog. Enjoy your videos. Blessings.
Thanks Russ. I’m about to replace my chain and cluster, and I will definitely look into waxing.
My hip flexors have been tight all my life, I wonder should look in to this.(my 5"9" and also 29" inseam)
Could you tell me what brand the double crankset you show in the video is? I'm tired of the mono crankset on my Ritchey Outback and want the double! Thanks for your videos!
Spa Cycles
I like aero, Russ, on my commute on an alloy 26" MTB. Aero means, in that context, simply bending low to coast farther and faster whenever the road offers free speed without pedaling. And big picture, I like your content and think that many of us are both, competitive and non-competitive, just depends on the ride. And just so you know, I'm taking notes so I can roost my rivals and win a trophy in the over-60 class at a gravel event. 😀
Justice for 650b(27.5) tire sizes! :'(
RE shorter cranks, I had knee problems until I switched to a longer crank on the left side to make up for my left femur being an inch longer than the right. Being six feet tall with a 35-36 inch inseam makes me a bit of a freak of nature so I optimally ride with 175 mm on the right and 180 mm on the left. 170 mm cranks definitely feel wrong and give me slight knee problems. The three biggest changes that made a huge positive difference for me at age 67 were:
1. Changing from drop bars to Jones alt bars (upright style bars with 45 degree sweep back)
2. Ditching the derailleurs for a Rohloff hub
3. Ditching the Brooks saddle for a Selle SMP Drakon - that definitely won't work for everybody! I tried six different saddles to finally find something a lot more comfortable than the well broken in Brooks nutcracker.
Currently training/riding on 165s, down from 172.5s, and loving them! My inseam is only 30” while being 5’ 11” - definitely short-legged for my height. The 165s are easier to spin with less fatigue after a long ride. I’ll stick with them.
A combination of Path Less Pedaled, Bicycle Quarterly (and RH website) and Riv Bike have led me to shorter cranks (currently 150 mm), supple wide tyres (Humptulips Ridge, best 26" tyre ever) and low-wide gearing (44-34-24 driving 11-43 10-speed). Highly unfashionable but very comfy and goes almost anywhere. I've not tried chain waxing but the lack of grease stains is the best argument in favour, I'm just a bit worried about using under wet conditions.
I’m using 165 mm cranks on my tri bike and they help with reducing hip flexor pain when I hop off to run. I’m a believer.
Hi. Great video. Do you ever go back to the smoking?
What are the cranks he's holding, though? I don't think I've ever seen a double with that much difference between the two chain rings?
Rene Herse?
I use the cyclowax system it’s simple, quick to do and I love it.
Hey, if you can please talk about those fenders on that yellow bike, pretty cool!
I like chain waxing it takes a bit of work to get the chain prepared for wax but it is worth it for regulars bikes. however it doesn't work well with middrive motors in Canandian winters it freezes which makes the chain skip.
Im 6'1'. Went 170 from 172.5 on my new road bike. I like them alright but dont think I want to go any smaller.
Do you use a quick link on the Bromptons now that you wax their chains, and if so which one.
Low gears, love it. Unfortunately, I purchased a high end crank, 1X, that has 170 cranks
so ?? what happen to the fly fishing part of your ridding ??
Would love to see a video about your Bike Parts Bin
The trains in Spain like clean Chains 😃
Is there such a thing as too big a gap between chain rings?
Low gears! Save triples!
...and canti brakes, and pump pegs, and trad QR, and friction...
I see some SKS Speedrocker fenders back there. Have two sets of those myself, love 'em. Maybe not the most perfect coverage compared to a full wrap permanent fender set, but the easy on and off is SO nice.
I noticed that too, have one set myself. My only complaint is that the sliding extension on the rear fender doesn't go down the seat tube far enough, I ended up cutting up a water bottle to extend it to where it should be, which makes the on/off a little more cumbersome but still much better than more permanent fenders.
My inseem is 30" .
Anyone know if a 160mm would be a good fit?
Thanks
With you on all the things Russ. 👍🏼
while you're widening your tires, add some Tannus armour inserts = less punct-stress !-)
Biggest changes for me are super swept bars, 165mm cranks and lower gearing. It’s the secret cause for the aging rider.
WIDE RANGE BRIFTER FRONT DERAILLUERS
Russ, I''m a long time Patreon supporter who has learned much from you. I'm old, with busted lungs, but still want to climb hills regardless of how fast. I ride mostly on the road and don't worry too much about my rear mech, B screws and Road Links seem to do the trick. But I have a really hard time finding a Frankenbike solution to a brifter/FD combination that can do a range lower than shimano 50/34[/30].
AND I really hate black mechs 🙂 although I can live with dark brifters.
So might I suggest a deep dive into front derailluer/brifter options, including how to make a choice and what to look for?
Thanks
Agree about low gearing. I run 1X for simplicity but it is tougher to get lower gearing. I have 165 and 170mm cranks. I do not have problem with pain with 170 even though my height is only 5'7". I think key is having low enough gearing to maintain high crank speed like 85-95rpm. Since I use 1x drivetrain, and have limit on small chainring I do not want to try smaller cranks which require lower gearing to go up steep hills. Obviously this is less worry with flexibility of 2x drivetrains.
If I think.....then I'm having similar experience. 165mm cranks, one bike lubed chain, other waxed chain. Both pretty low gear for SS and FG. Only thing I can add is a physio - stronger legs and butt have made my riding much more enjoyable, more than other upgrades. And cheapest digital watch so I don't have to drop my phone trying to know time.
What is your inseam? I am about 31 inches riding 170's. It works but at 65 years old, my knees are sometimes a problem.
Hi, which bike stand do you use? Which one can be seen behind you on this video?
th-cam.com/video/1uPCxKtgK-U/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4q2wSKW5nD46NzOm
What size cranks on your Brompton?
I wish frame designers would catch on to the shorter cranks trend. Even just goung down from 170mm to 160mm crank length makes it really obvious how the bottom-bracket ends up being too high. And the high bottom-bracket makes bike-fit really annoying, because the saddle ends up too high, for aesthetics, for ease getting on and off the bike, and it you often have to raise the stem quite a bit.
4 things that improved my cycling:
Wider. taller tires. 29x2.4-2.8 on a mountain bike and 700x45-56 on a gravel bike.
1x drivetrain with a 10-52 cassette and a small chainring. 28T chainring on a mountain bike and 32T chainring on a gravel bike.
A more upright riding position. Say no to the stooped over aero position. Get that handlebar up. Use a steerer tube extender, also called a stem riser.
Any kind of suspension. Could be a flex stem and a suspension seat post or all the way up to a full-sus long- travel mountain bike.
I've loosely tracked wear on chain/cassettes way back over 20 years ago (Boeshield then White Lightening showed up in the market). I can't remember specific data - the overview take away was a little hard to believe. Chain wear tools were new and my chains indicated so little wear that I only replaced chains because shifting deteriorated. My guess was the chain's links edges were wearing at the contact points were cassette ramps engaged.
Now I see there's a tool that gauges side flex "wear" or give. That could be the cause of sift performance decline I experienced.
Largely no one cared about any of the benefits like wear and cleanliness and still now may not. Recently with the addition of ingredients that lower friction attention refocused. So again competition moved the needle.
I can say shop mechanics hated the stuff. I worked in shops and stood out for accepting the downside - dripping it on leads to a mess as it accumulates. In the beginning there was no cleaner (Cleanstreak arrived later).
Asking around years ago, I realized those who cared made frequent chain changes. That's a reasonable strategy since even now they are relatively cheap when bought online in bulk.
All the reasons for waxing are legit but even so I don't melting melting setup.
What's the fender set you have on your Sklar, and how do you like it? I've been looking for a fender set for a bike that doesn't have typical fender mounts, preferably a more full coverage fender set.
Good to hear someone actually say leg length optimised cranks not insisting short, irrespective is size. My 84cm legs appreciate my 175mm cranks. Given how long my legs are compared to many people it’s amazing the “standard” was concluded to be 172.5mm for years. Ah yes and being female means I don’t fit the “shrink it and pink it” mould anyway haha
Have you seen these cranks with adjustable eccentric pedal length? Only 172 to 165 I think.
down with wagon wheels!
Damn thats a beautiful crank (and very functional)
Would shorter cranks be appropriate for a 6'2 rider?
It depends on leg length and not overall height.
@PathLessPedaledTV I'm long in the legs, so I guess that's the answer. Thank you...I really appreciate your channe:)
I'm also 6-2 and 34 inseam. I think I'd prefer a range from 165 to 175.
Nice review 👌
On the subject of low gears, I’ve always been a roadie (specifically a climber) who cares about uphill performance. I don’t race anyone but myself, but I try to go as fast as possible. Back in the day, even running Super Record, I used to use Campagnolo’s Racing T triple, with a 52/36/28 and a 13/28 (I think that’s right… it’s been a while; the cassette might have been a 12/27). I was plenty strong enough to push a 48x20 uphill at decent speeds, but small gears made me much faster than big ones.
Having said that, I do enjoy humiliating “roadies” who criticize my 1-1 gear ratios (currently I run a 46/29 x 10/29, although I rarely use anything smaller than a 1.6 ratio since my bikes are light). Okay I lied, I guess I am competitive, but only with rude people. 😂
...A waxed chain is less of a pain on a train in Spain?
That's correct Eliza
I concur on shorter cranks, lower gears, no opinion on waxing. But 650B. Where I live, Canada very broadly, 650B by any manufacturer, any 'model,' and any size is more expensive than its 26" or 700C version. I looked at a couple bikes I considered buying, then looked at long term costs of ownership (roughly 6,500 km of commuting/year) and 650B was more expensive, lower availability in every case. Your mileage may, of course, vary. YVR
I really need to get shorter cranks
Totally agree with the shorter cranks. I'm 5'8 that's all torso and short legs. My cube touring ebike came with 175mm cranks so went down to 165mm and wow what a difference. I'm convinced it isn't just a placebo. I would like to try even shorter and also put shorter cranks on my analogue bikes too but that's a way more complicated and pricy endeavour compared to just swapping crank arms on an ebike.
im 6'4" with a 35 inch inseam. Went from 175 to 170. much more comfort.
Wow I'm 5 8 with a 32 inch inseam i thought i had short legs
Short crank, Low gear, and chain wax, exactly things that improve my cycling experience. Since I'm using old 26" mtb frame, not really sure about "wide and supple" tires since I can't find perfect rim yet. Right now I'm using 32mm (rear) and 35mm (front) tires for daily city commuting. I didn't really do offroads/gravel rides, but my city roads sometimes almost as good as that. I'm using the cheapest and thicker one, evenmore tire liner also added inside. Can't really complaint much for the ride quality since it can hold up without any issues/ punctures for 2 years and still rolling.
That low gear also actually not that "slow" as long as you have small cogs like 11 or 12T. Pulling 90-100 -ish gear inches would makes you fast for sure.
If there's any, I think you should also try "reverse mullet" setups.
Most short people use short cranks..track bikes had 165’s so you could avoid pedal strike when cornering.. shorter cranks will let a short person ride a frame that is actually too big ideally for them.
Will you win a yellow jersey with shorter cranks?
Not until endorphine-based racing is introduced.
It's a race where the winner is the one who got the most satisfaction from a ride.
Still into wide toe box and/or minimalist shoes?
yes
@@PathLessPedaledTV If/when you do it, I'd love to see another shoes video.
I've found wide toe box & low drop (not necessarily zero drop) to be a good combo, w/ 25-30ish mm stack height, and medium firmness mid/outsole.
I like your videos
Waxed chains are the best but I bought into the super duper Silca wax hype and was not impressed with the product at all. Because of the colour, the chains come out looking filthy and I don't think it works any better than what I used before. I'm going back to my previous home made blend of paraffin wax, lamp oil and PTFE which yields a fantastic looking chain that functions at least as well for next to nothing. I do, however, really like the Silca waxing pot/stand so I'll stick with that at least.
Has anyone managed to make their Brompton tubeless?
I think the only option would be to do it "ghetto" MTB style with gorilla tape or a split inner tube on the rim and standard tyre, but the reason we could get away with it for off-road riding but never did it on road bikes was the pressure, anything above 40psi and the bead would "blow off" the rim if you "burped" it. I think Brompton's are like 60psi minimum, and most people run close to 100. TPU tubes are available in 16 inch though and in spite of their thin/light, look and feel they are a bit more puncture resistant than Butyl and you get about 90% of the performance benefits (if you care about that kind of thing).
@ Cheers for taking the time for the detailed reply. I only ask because when you do get a puncture on a Brompton, it’s a bit of a pain taking the wheel off to get at the tyre (especially the back wheel).
I’ve heard of the Gorilla tape method for tubeless but I didn’t take into account the tyre pressure.
For my 4 things are diet, excersise, consistency and dependable equipment.
I would love to try out Rene Herse tyres. But with my few km a year it makes no sense to change out my 27 euro pathfinder pro 47mm
Low gears saves knee replacements 😂
awesome
Gates carbon belt and Pinion gearbox solves the chain waxing/lubing filthiness. But that's another "ball of wax."
650b has fallen outof fashion! Sad. I like 26ers.
The more I look at it 650B seems to have been a concerted effort by the bike industry to make 30 years of MTB spares obsolete, because it's about a cm bigger on radius, so there's no measurable difference in performance, but they're completely incompatible, so suddenly all the random spares in my garage will no longer get friend's bikes back working.
650B has been around right from before the start of MTBing because tyre availability was the limiting factor in building the first bikes to work well off road, and the fattest tyre out there were 650B beach cruiser tyres, so many of the early frames used this size in the 1970s. 26" were also available at the time, and once MTB got big enough that making their own tyres was an option, 26" became the industry standard and stayed that way for decades. The bike industry waiting 30 years before deciding 650B was the correct answer all along was shitweaselry of the highest order and definitely marks the point where I lost the limited trust I had in the bike industry caring about cyclists rather than profit.
I should mention I run 26", 27.5" (650B), 29" and 24" wheels on various bikes, and the only ones where there is no discernable difference are the 26 and 27.5" wheels. 29ers roll better on rough surfaces and float slightly better on soft ground because the contact patch gets longer noticeably more quickly as a 29er sinks than a 26". By comparison my 27.5" and 26" bikes feel more lively and are a lot more flickable through tight turns and pop more easily onto the back wheel than the 29ers, so they have benefits depending on the trails I'm riding.
Some guy in a yellow jersey who won a local race lol
For those who afraid or just think about waxing chains I want to share a bit of my experience: used squirt for half a year, not bad, but still dirty and last bottle that I bought - something strange happened, it lasts literally 50-60km, one my working shift.
So I bought candle wax from AliExpress, something like 10 euro per kg, saved plastic box from marmalades. Boiling water in frying pan, put some wax in plastic box and put this plastic box in slowly boiling water. (It's like automatic temperature control to not burn the wax). And put chain in the same plastic box with melted wax. Few months after I started to add regular chain oil into melted wax and mix it). It doesn't take a place, almost no cost for equipment. Also with time dust and dirt from the chain settles on the bottom of the plastic box, in the lower layers of wax. Since the plastic is flexible, you can take the cooled wax out of the plastic and cut/scrape off the dirty part of the wax with a knife (the dust is always at the bottom), add a little new and continue using. It this case it's even better than special heaters with iron vessels. Results: now with my amount of rides it lasts week or a bit more, chain is clean, only some chips of wax as you install chain back on a bike and spin pedals for couple first turns, but it's easy to clean because they are dry (or just do it outside/put list of paper below) And finally no black stains on a floor.
Interesting are using wax and oil or just wax? ❤ weekly ? How many miles is that?
@soylentgreen326 I did used just wax from the beginning, then read somewhere that just wax is not working as lubricant and started to add oil. So wax is acting as gap filler and (I believe) contains some oil that i mixed in to lubricate.
Week for me usually about 200 to 350km, depends how much I work, if I'm using same bike on weekends and etc.
Miss spoke, it’s from 170 to 172.5 to 175. The SRM Power cranks. I wish brands would make a few options like this so we can all test a few options.
I’ve started mtb/riding bikes seriously when the call for was 175mm was the norm, more length more power output.
Moved to the US and 175 were just not it, Started 170 and liking it, but sometimes theres issues but not al the time, I’ll take 165 either 5 years from now or 2-3 years from 2024. I already have 165’s but I don’t ride them cause it’s still alien to me, but I’ll try them out again maybe start of 2025. 😅
I’m an old curmudgeon and have been waxing my chains for 30 years. Here’s the good news you can get all the benefits you listed just by using boring old paraffin wax. No need to spend all that money on the Silca nonsense unless they sponsor you then full steam ahead.
Not nonsense. I just works better.
No disrespect intended, friend, but I’ve also used both paraffin and the Silca stuff (as well as Rex Black Diamond), and the Silca / Rex stuff is dramatically better. I have decades of data (16,000 km + / year) and there is no comparison - since I started using Rex and then Silca (about a year), I have yet to wear out a chain due to pin-to-pin wear (lateral wear due to cross chaining still happens, wearing out the chains after about 6x the amount of kms). Paraffin is good, but that’s not what keeps chain wear down. It does keep your chain clean, which has a side effect of reducing chain wear, but the additives in a bike chain specific chain wax make a *HUGE* difference. I am the kind of nut who likes the stupid expensive “enthusiast” level parts like Campagnolo Super Record 12 speed, so the amount of money this saves me is quite significant.
There's no way I'm wasting time and money on chain waxing. I use Squirt and wipe the chain every 100 km or after a dusty ride. Frequent application and wiping cleans and lubricates in one step. Squirt can occasionally flake off black spots on the floor, but just put a door mat under your bike and it will protect the floor. Also, wipe off the excess after application.
How do you clean your chain before the first squiet application?
@@chintanjadwani When I was switching to Squirt I cleaned my dirty chain with bike chain cleaner and brushed a lot! Then dry it with a cloth and then I've put it into small container with brake cleaner and shake it hard. I repeated this process until brake cleaner with chain with was clean. Last step was to leave it to dry, or you could use compressor to blow moisture out. With new chain I'd just use brake cleaner and shake to remove factory grease.
@@chintanjadwani I never did. Campagnolo chrous and record chains are chrome plated. They do have some oil from shipping, but just rode it and then solvent cleaned with a chain cleaner. After that continued with Squirt. It is really the pins and rollers that matter, so I actually wipe off excess and only apply a single drop to each roller. The plates are essentially not lubed.
@chintanjadwani I used degreaser and a hard brush, then washed it off in hot soapy water. Then repeated this again. Rinsed it all clean in clear water then used hair dryer to dry the chain.
Alternatively, during summer, hung the chain out in the sun.
Then applied Squirt to each roller.
Wax 100%. I'll never go back. Durability and cleanliness are way better than any lube I've tried.
I wax my chains simply for the clean drivetrain. I’m less interested in performance of drivetrain longevity. I run a cassette and rotate through three chains for ~3 years/20k miles then replace the lot. I don’t obsess about chain wear any more then I obsess about car tire tread depth - I run them until they need replacing and then I replace
Why are you thanking sram for 600$ cassettes?
irony
Your opinions on cycling remimd me of so much of the rhetoric these days......a common sense, experienced, and practical approach to things regard3d as somewhat radical lol
Chain waxing can be CHEAPER than oils - a $15 bottle of graphite powder will last several lifetimes and cheap, white tea candles (paraffin is too stiff!).