Further to my last, since April, I've been experimenting with paraffin wax.
Pros:
Super clean - NO black chain/gears.
Pretty easy to do once you have a "system"
Cheap
Lasts well over 500km of dry riding. (Some people report 1500+km
)
Did I say it was super clean?
Cons:
Need to re-lube after a days wet riding. (but, thus far, never during a ride, even long wet ones). On wet multi-day rides away from home, I wipe dry and top up the lube with "Squirt" lube as needed - this seems to be compatible with paraffin wax, it is clean and thus far seems to work very well.
Need to de-grease chains and clusters before embarking on system. (shake it up in white spirit and let dry)
Need to remove chain to proper re-lube.
System:
I am fortunate to have an Aga and a nice metal jug. The jug is big enough for the chain to be submerged when 1/2 full of simple paraffin wax. The wax expands about 20% when melted and warm.
I have pairs of rotating chains. (I use spare 10 speed and 11 speed chains). When a chain that is in use needs lubing, it is spun through a cloth to get any bits off it, removed from the bicycle (very easy with the nice little pliers made for the job and squeezing the Quicklinks together; no mess since the chain is sparkling clean anyway) and replaced by the other ready lubed chain - actually easier to do than usual since the wax makes it super clean and slightly "stiff" so it is very easy to handle and thread, Quicklinks on, and its done - takes less than a minute. Don't even bother with gloves.
To re-lube the chain, an end chain link is threaded onto a bit of (expertly crafted) wire together with the Quicklinks and plonked in the jug of wax with the end of the wire hooked over the edge. The jug then goes into the bottom oven of the Aga (100C) until the wax melts and is up to temperature - usually about a couple of hours or so but its quite safe to leave it in there overnight! (Some enthusiasts recommend a temperature controlled crock pot - £19.99 from Amazon - if you don't have an Aga) The newly waxed chain is then hung up with the other spare in the garage for the next time it is needed (small splash tray under to catch the initial drips).
So far so good, a couple of thousand km in and I am currently well hooked on this system. It is quick, easy, cheap and very clean with the presence of "Squirt" lube making rare multi-day wet rides away from home possible. The gear train looks spotless all the time.
Before, I had to wipe the chain, clean the cogs of the muck on them, lube the chain, run it for some revolutions and then wipe off the excess oil with a cloth to keep it from getting too gunged up. A dirty process that needed the use of gloves or cleaning hands afterwards - the process used to take longer than to replace a nice clean waxed chain with this system...
YMMV, though.