Silca

Very expensive BUT these drip wax options let me run a chain for an entire season (>5,500 miles) on one chain. I use the Silca wax melter, let the chain soak (after thorough cleaning) and then let it dry.

The first 2-3 rides are quiet, then it starts getting loud enough to hear. That starts the drip wax routine. My normal tempo is 2-3 times a week. Here's how to avoid the mess:

1. Buy 100 pack of nitrile disposable gloves

2. Put one glove on each hand, place a rag on the floor under the chain line while the bike is in the stand.

3. Use a rag with some isopropyl alcohol to clean the surface gunk off (dirty wax, dirt, mud, etc). Do NOT soak the rag or pour alcohol over the chain. You are not deep cleaning -- just removing the caked on dirty wax.

4. Let the chain dry. Come back a few hours later, put the gloves back on, grab the drip wax. Find the connecting link to mark the start point. Drip the wax along the TOP of the chain in small drips, and use your glove-protected hand to catch the overflow and smear it on the chain. The idea is to place just enough to get wax solution on the roller.

5. Continue this all the way around the chain.

6. Let the chain dry overnight. Sure, you can do this an hour before your ride, but I can't attest to the efficacy since I always re-apply wax in the evening.

Note: this is a procedure for a road bike that is only ridden in dry conditions (my days of slogging in the rain are over -- that's what Zwift is for!)

I used the Silca Super Secret 2.0 Chain Lube on my race bicycle and it works exceptionally well for my drive train! I was most impressed with the quietness and silky shifting of my SRAM red chain on extreme configs. (48x28 and 35x11). I did follow the curing time recommended by Silca. Got a great price from BTD also.

I bought and love my portable electric pump earlier this year, but I struggled with how to carry it with me on rides. My current flat bag was too small even after removing my CO2 cartridges and inflator. The Mattone is NOT a huge bag, but it is big enough to hold the pump along with a mini tool and a TPU tube. The BOA closing mechanism makes it easy to open the bag to top off tires before each ride, and it is quick to close and secure to the point where it cannot move or rattle. It's a little expensive, but highly recommended.

I mounted the RCG-1's by hand on Enve SES 4. 5 (25i) inflated them without removing the value core. They weighed 450 & 470 . After riding a mix of road and class 2 gravel, using the Silca PSI guide set for the RCG-1 tires, they are sitting at 45.6. The RCG-1's have an extremely supple and soft feel, even more so than the Caracal race 45's which are extremely supple and smooth. I took them out for a ride on a route I regularly ride with a power meter. It's mostly class 2 gravel with about 20% rolling paved road. . On the road section the RCG-1 makes a bit of a whirling noise compared to the Caracal Races however my power meter and speed showed a very slight speed increase with the RCG-1's. Turning onto class 2 gravel, the tires showed how well the compound absorbed vibration. Even with a narrower tire, (45.5 vs 48.5 for the caracal race 45) the RCG-1 was smoother and had a luxurious damp and planted feel with excellent grip on punchy 7-10% climbs I had no issues with loose corners and loose over hard sections and the added vibration damping was much appreciated. At the end of the ride, my avg speed was about . 5-. 7 mph faster than my normal speed on this route. I did ride ~8 watts NP faster, but even taking off . 3mph for added watts, the RCG- 1's were still faster! More rides and testing ahead. Although the Caracal Race is still and excellent tire, the added speed, 200 grams savings for the silca and the next level ride quality make the Silca a better overall choice.