Here’s a short little video demonstrating proper technique. https://www.instagram.com/p/BjsjRJYBRCn/?taken-by=wendbike
Our only additional notes would be:
Be sure to clean the chain thoroughly before hot waxing! We recommend an ultrasonic clean. :)
Yellow – Banana
Green – Lime
Blue – Grape
Orange – Orange
Red – Cherry
Pink – Bubble Gum
Original scent is Cherry - keep your eyes peeled for a car air freshener and a candle in this scent!
The wax really does excel in dry conditions being a dry lube….it does still perform well in the wet and mud however you will need to clean and reapply after each wet ride.
Compared to our rub on formula this chain will stay lubricated approximately twice as long. Our test data shows 1600 km at 270w with no wear or squeaks. Weather and environment will effect these numbers, water reduces longevity significantly. Once the original wax coating wears off, you can simply reapply with our rub on formula.
The main point of difference is it provides a Clean, Quiet, Efficient, Dry drivetrain with a rub on application.
For the initial cleaning a Heated Ultrasonic Cleaner loaded with water and simple green works best and is most cost effective for multiple chain cleanings. This process works well for waxed chains too as long as the temp is 55c. Followed by this application method. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NahOIR-4lwM
Our Wax-Off formulas is actually a sophisticated blend of citrus based solvents, waxes, and other key ingredients to cut wax quickly while leaving behind a trace amount of wax. This is the preferred method to clean if you don’t have a heated ultrasonic cleaner.
Before waxing, please begin with a CLEAN and DRY chain!
Low melt temps are key…the wax should never go over 230F so crock pots are ideal. Hot waxing is by far the best way to wax… just make sure you degrease the chain fully before. On our test rig the hot waxed chains are running 1000 miles silently.
A little bit of wax build up is normal, you can try & limit this with the amount of wax you apply. The wax-off product that should do the trick when applied to the microfiber towel and running the chain through the saturated towel. If there is still build-up on the chain and bike, personally we like to use a stiff nylon brush to clean pulleys or even a brass brush to clean the cassette. The warmer the wax the easier it is to clean.
Yes you only need to apply to the chain…and focus on working the wax deep into the rollers. The deeper the wax penetrates the better the performance. Here is another technique I like to use on a clean dry chain for the initial application. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NahOIR-4lwM
The absolute best way is to hot wax the chain….you can order up one of our Hot Wax Kits online…or just get the 10oz tin and carefully melt the wax and dip your chain yourself. If you use this method, just leave the factory oil on the chain and submerse into the wax for a few minutes while agitating. For the rub on wax method, it’s best to clean the chain from all factory oils prior to waxing. I recommend using this technique for the initial application to ensure proper chain saturation is achieve.
WEND works great on MTBs! Being a dry lube WEND really excels in dusty environments. For MTBing it’s crucial to get proper saturation of the chain so I recommend using this method. The way the wax is designed to work is to shed dust and dirt, while leaving a coat of wax on the chain. Of course, if you’re getting caked in mud, your chain will too. But it should be easier to clean with WEND applied first, and should keep your chain lubed longer in MTB environments.
We offer a WAX-OFF cleaner specifically for our system. It cleans the wax off beautifully. Degreasers will tend not to work since the wax will need a solvent based cleaner to cut….our cleaner has a citrus based solvent in the formula that works very well. We’ve also had customers brush off the cassette with a brass brush which is soft enough to not damage the cassette but strong enough to brush away any wax residue.
Yes this is normal for WEND….the wax is designed to SHED as it’s being used…this helps rid the chain of contaminants as well as reduce wax build up. If you would like to see less shedding you can try this application method using less wax.
This of course will vary depending on conditions and drivetrains. With SRAM RED 22 chains we have reports of people riding 300-500 miles between application….same with 11speed shimano dura ace chains. Personally, we like to apply wax every 5 hours of ride time. Since no two chains are the same it’s difficult to assess over the internet…however we do have some more aggressive application methods to help the wax penetrate into the chain for those stubborn rollers. We always say to use sound as an indicator of needing to wax again.
Call us for information on the local rep closest to you or to order direct!
WEND® Manufactured by Wax Research, Inc.
1212 Distribution Way
Vista, CA 92006
Toll Free: 800.9000.WAX(929)
Call: (760) 607-0850
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Our WEND Performance Wax is natural and biodegradable. It is derived from Hydrocarbon molecules that occur naturally in the environment. Hydrocarbons are eliminated in the environment through microbial populations. They are degraded primarily through bacteria & fungi. Unlike PFOA’s that never biodegrade, Hydrocarbons disperse and emulsify into the environment to speed up the biodegradation process.
Since the wax is derived from fully refined vegetable oil, allergenic proteins aren’t present.
Yes. Our competitors have attempted to follow the natural, biodegradable route for Performance Snow Wax. There have been efforts to use soy-based & other vegetable waxes in the production of ski/snow waxes. However, these alternatives performed poorly lacking durability and glide. Like many products in the “Green Revolution,” initial attempts of creating a natural snow wax were sub-par. There is currently no comparable natural additive to WEND natural Meadowfoam Snow Wax to achieve efficient speed and strength. If you don’t believe us, try it yourself!
There are no concerns with skin or eye irritation on the material we use in our Meadowfoam Snow wax.
We use a classified Non-Hazardous blend that if used properly, ie: low heat melt, mask, & proper ventilation, produce negligible side effects.
PFOA, or Perfluorooctanoic Acid, is a fluorocarbon molecule present in fluoro-wax. It is a non-naturally occurring substance. It is the most effective method for increasing durability, speed and hydrophobia in ski wax. Yet, it also has the most environmental impact. Fluoro waxes release harmful gasses when melted into skis. They are the most persistent synthetic chemicals known. Once large quantities are in the body, it takes decades to get them out-if you were exposed to no more. They are toxic to humans with health effects from stroke to cancer to bloody noses and desiccated respiratory passages. PFOA’s pose potentially harmful risks to environment when shed from the base of skis into the snowpack, carried down watersheds in the spring as a non-biodegradable, toxic molecule. PFOA’s will not be released into the environment from the finished products of WEND Meadowfoam Snow Wax, or from the manufacturing process of the WEND Meadowfoam Snow Wax.
Our natural Meadowfoam wax does not contain PFOA’s. The liquid oil in Meadowfoam has a flash point greater than 300°Celsius (572°F), so there isn’t any acute hazard relating to heating. The hydrogenated Meadowfoam Oil should have a smoke point of 456°F and a flash point of 510°F. If the oil does begin to degrade, anything released will be comparable to the degradation products released during cooking or frying, so there aren’t concerns. The wax is composed primarily of triglycerides of arachidic acid and behenic acid. These materials are present in common food materials and are used broadly in personal care and industrial applications.
We suggest using a temperature gun for a precise reading on the iron. You can get these at most tool supply stores, like Home Depot or Grainger.
We suggest the temperature of the iron to be around 250°F, and no hotter than 275°F. You should not heat the wax to the point where it is smoking, and always work in a well-ventilated room. The wax on the base of the skis should not exceed 225°F to get the saturation penetrated into the skis. Wax should then be scraped off the skis at room temperature.
We have various waxes for different air temperatures. When in doubt, Universal should always be a safe default.
NF Waxes Contain a small percentage of Meadowfoam for increased durability and penetration, resistance to dirt, and better glide.
MF Waxes Contain a high percentage of Meadowfoam which works similar to Fluoro, yet is bio friendly, resists dirt, and conditions your base significantly better! These waxes perform better than a Low Fluoro wax and are closer to the performance of a High Fluoro. They are best suited when snow humidity is above 50% or when snow starts to stick together like when you make a snowball.
HF Waxes Contain High Fluoro to give optimal glide in high humidity snow. These waxes are a must for race day.
WEND’s NF & Natural MF wax blends are different compounds in comparison to the regular paraffin waxes. We use our exclusive Meadowfoam waxes to create a proprietary blend that is classified natural, biodegradable, mountain/stream/soil friendly, and non-toxic.
Our waxes vary with lower melt temps of 60°C/140°F on the softer waxes like Base Prep Saturation/Warm/Mid up to higher melt temps of 75°C/167°F for the harder waxes like Cold & XCold. In using our Meadowfoam waxes in the harder formulas we are able to achieve lower melt points.
It is truly unreal how there is a visible difference in wax absorption with the Meadowfoam products. There is an action of “transferring” wax into the pores. For example: When WEND MF Natural Liquid Hot Box is used, and skis are left base up, you can see the oil levels penetrating deep into the pores. Often times there will be some areas of deeper penetration where the oil has completely absorbed into the base. Increasing the amount of Liquid Hot Box creates a more consistent look to the base. You can also visually see when a base is burned, as the oil does not penetrate and it leaves a glossy area in the base. When wax is applied over any MF liquid oil product, the molten wax heats the oil and lubricates the wax. This process enables the wax to get deep into the pores as the oil rises to the surface. This transfer provides deeper penetration as well as more wax absorbing into the base.
WEND Meadowfoam Snow Wax is derived from the seeds of commercial Meadowfoam flowers (Limnanthes alba) grown in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Meadowfoam Seed Oil is a fully refined triglyceride composed of over 98% fatty acids with chain lengths of 20 carbons or more. The wax is a light-colored, odor free product prized for its exceptional oxidative stability and functionality in a wide range of products and formulations. WEND has exclusivity of Meadowfoam—it meets the industry standard & company standard for durability and repellency in quality snow wax.