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See the following link to read about peoples opinions about new chain wax/lube (and when to remove it):

New chain is pre-lubricated, should I clean it before use?

Can we buy this chain wax/lube that Sheldon Brown(see Carson Reinke's comment in link above for quote) says we should not be removing from our new chains? Is there a perfect lube?

I do realize there are different lubes for different weather conditions and environments.

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    Only slightly factious answers are "It's a Religion", followed by "How much profit is made selling lube and chains, what happens if they made a perfect chain lube"
    – mattnz
    Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 23:49
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    typo should be "facetious" of course
    – Armand
    Commented Oct 8, 2020 at 3:49
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    +1 I'd been wondering this same thing. Given Sheldon's proclamation that factory lube is the best, some people take that as gospel. But if it was true, that lube would be the easiest thing to sell to cyclists, marketing is already done for you! Its absence is pretty conspicuous, so makes me doubtful. but maybe the method of application is advantageous? Don't know
    – Swifty
    Commented Dec 23, 2020 at 21:34

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You can see the accepted answer in the question you've linked to mentions that the chains are waxed. It is quite possible to use wax on your chains yourself and some people do. However, it is a more involved and time consuming process than the typical process of using chain lube.

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  • Thanks! I have heard of waxing your chain but didn't really know if it was the end all. Checked out this video from GCN(youtube.com/watch?v=yvJ7aAUWBz8) and helped a little. I guess a waxed chain is somewhat loud?
    – love2phish
    Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 15:33
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    @coder a Q&A on the advantages of paraffin wax vs standard drip lubes is here: bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/51188/…
    – Weiwen Ng
    Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 15:36
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    Both Shimano and SRAM 8-9 speed chains that I've purchased in recent years have a lube that doesn't seem to be wax on them. In addition, a book on chains by a supposed expert claims that wax lube is pressed out from the wear points very quickly (as shown by the chain starting to make noise) and thus is not a good choice for chain lube. Book is in my answer by Johan Bornman
    – Armand
    Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 22:20
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    The claim about factory chain lube being wax is from 9 years ago, and according to the author seems based only on his guess. We shouldn't pass on this claim without better evidence imho.
    – Armand
    Commented Oct 7, 2020 at 22:39
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    @Armand factory lube is a not paraffin wax, it is likely a grease or wax mixed with oils. My guess is grease. I have empirical data which shows the lower wear rates (also have expanded data). Yes the wax can get pushed out but this can take hundreds of kilometers with a meticulous prepared chain. Maximizing wax adhesion is key. Chain material or coatings can negatively impact adhesion (e.g., high end KMC). There are a lot of places to go wrong, but when you get it right it’s really good.
    – Rider_X
    Commented Oct 8, 2020 at 16:11
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I'm currently reading this book with much much much info about bike chains, their construction and how they wear: Everything you need to know about Bicycle Chains: A book of special insights for expert mechanics Kindle Edition by Johan Bornman (currently available to borrow for free if you have the Kindle Unlimited package)

The book isn't perfect, but seems to have substantial technical basis for its conclusions and recommendations, unlike (imho) most comments one reads online. In particular, the author recommends against wax lubes as quickly being squeezed out from wear points and thus rapidly losing effectiveness and increasing chain noise.

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  • Thank you! I will make sure to give that book a try!
    – love2phish
    Commented Oct 8, 2020 at 14:00
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    There is a difference between wax based lubes with a carrier that evaporated and hot waxing a chain that has been stripped of all lube back to bare metal (I.e., solvent baths). For the latter, high quality paraffin will tenaciously adhere to the bare metal. It can take hundreds of kilometers to squeeze or wear the wax from contact points, so I think the point is overstated. For carrier based lubes (i.e., you put the wax on as a liquid), the squeezing out of the wax is a real issue.
    – Rider_X
    Commented Oct 8, 2020 at 18:32

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