We’ve seen the Lidl-Trek team using a prototype automatic chain waxing machine at the 2024 Tour de France.
The device – made by Belgian brand, Cyclowax – is claimed to be the “holy grail” of submersible chain waxing, as it can wax a chain without removing it from the bike.
The machine, which looks somewhat like a smart trainer, holds a bike in place via the rear wheel and slowly pulls the chain through a compartment containing molten paraffin wax (and other friction-reducing additives).
According to Cyclowax, the device is being used by the Lidl-Trek team at this year’s Tour de France, alongside more traditional chain waxing equipment (two hot ultrasonic cleaners), to enable the team to run waxed chains for every phase.
In theory, this could offer the team a performance advantage over riders and teams using more traditional chain lubricants.
Ahead of the race, we spoke to Cyclowax about how the rig works and her ambitions for the car.
A bike chain waxing revolution?
Chain waxing is often regarded as a watt-saving, consumption-reducing gold solution for bicycle chain lubrication.
However, according to Cyclowax, one of the biggest hurdles riders face when using waxed chains is the need to remove the chain from the bike for re-waxing.
Waxed chains usually last about 300 to 400 km in dry conditions before they need to be re-waxed.
After moving into wet conditions, waxed chains should be dried immediately and re-waxed to prevent corrosion.
For professional riders or keen amateurs, this may require removing the chain from the bike for re-waxing after almost every ride.
Not only does this require a significant investment of time and effort – which is difficult for professional team mechanics who have dozens of bikes to clean and maintain every day in races such as the Tour – but the cost of Replacement chain or quick links can easily be added over time.
With its automatic chain waxing device, Cyclowax is looking to solve this conundrum.
How does the Cyclowax chainsaw automatic waxing machine work?
A bicycle is mounted on the prototype device in a manner similar to a smart trainer or bicycle stand.
A portion of the chain below the non-directing side chain is then placed within a compartment that is clamped around it.
According to Cyclowax, this compartment contains a small ‘valley’ of wax, a heating element and a mechanism to slowly pull the chain through the valley.
When turned on, the heating element melts the wax, then the chain is automatically pulled through it.
As the chain exits the slot, the wax hardens on the chain as it cools to ambient temperature.
After about 30 minutes, the entire chain will be waxed and relubricated. The waxing compartment will then automatically open to release the chain and bike.
At this point, the rider simply needs to walk through the bike’s gears (on a work stand, for example) to loosen the hardened wax bonds and allow the chain to articulate properly before riding.
Cyclowax says the device is only designed to rewax chains that have already been waxed or completely stripped of all factory grease.
It’s not like Silca’s Strip-Chip and Ultimate Chain waxing system, which allows a chain to be wiped and waxed in one fell swoop.
However, for riders who don’t want to degrease their chains at home, Cyclowax sells ready-to-ride waxed chains for a variety of gear, 10- to 13-speed, and track bikes.
Chain waxing at the Tour de France
As an official partner of the Lidl-Trek team, Cyclowax has supplied the team with pre-waxed SRAM Red AXS chainrings for the 2024 Tour de France and the equipment for the mechanics to re-wax them.
Since the automatic device can only do one chain at a time (we saw Giulio Ciccone’s bike being put into the machine after his last pre-Tour training ride), Lidl-Trek’s mechanics will also use more traditional methods to re-waxed the chains team.
Cyclowax provided the team with two heated ultrasonic cleaners to be used in a two-step process.
The first ultrasonic cleaner contains its “Basic” blend of waxes and aims to clean the chain of contaminants.
The second step then involves dipping the chain in a special ‘Performance Pro’ wax, which is mixed with additional friction-reducing additives (Cyclowax is concerned about its specific formula).
After that, the chain is removed and the strong links can be broken and the chain reinstalled on a bike.
How much does Cyclowax chainsaw automatic waxing machine cost?
Since it’s currently in prototype form, Cyclowax told us it couldn’t estimate an eventual price for its automatic chain waxing machine.
Given that the brand’s standard off-bike waxing kit (which consists of a 500ml wax warmer with a built-in holder) costs £101, we suspect it won’t come cheap.
Regardless, Cyclowax says its sights are set on making the device appealing to individual riders rather than just local bike shops.
At a glance, we think this is an ambitious goal, but we can certainly see it as a way for bike shops to offer quick and easy chain waxing services to their customers.
Either way, we’re intrigued.
Cyclowax says it went to great lengths to prepare the prototype device for use on the Tour, so it doesn’t know when a final, production-ready version will launch.
As always, though, when it does, you can be sure we’ll bring you all the details.