And yes, that year-old chain is stretched to hell and actively destroying my brand new cassette. Don't shame me for it - look how shiny it is!
this post was submitted on 18 May 2026
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Honestly, I think waxing is LESS work. I spend 2 minutes taking the chain off and popping it in to the wax, then another 5 minutes freeing the links and reattaching it. I do that maybe 2 or 3 times a year. Compare that to spending 10 minutes hunched over the chain, individually lubing each link then wiping off the excess once a week. You have to include the time spent deep cleaning every few months or so too.
It's just no contest for me.
Why did you lube each link? Why not have the bike upside down, drip a few drops of chain oil on while cranking the pedal with the other hand?
Because that gets lube everywhere. You only want lube on the internal pins of the chain. If you just dump it on, you end up wiping off what you just put on. If you don't clean it up correctly you pick up a ton a dirt that just makes things worse.
I find it makes absolutely no difference whether you go link by link or just douse the entire chain. It'll attract dirt just as much either way.
I consider this one of those biking trends everyone follows because they've seen others do it, but nobody ever questions what the point even is. Like aligning your valve stem with the branding on the tire - don't be ridiculous.