CHAIN LUBE solution

Old Dale ...started riding the trail with all the hi tech lubes out there TEFLON-TRI FLOW and everything the bike shops told me to use..But then after arriving at the end of my first day I noticed a toxic gooball concrete mixblob had grown on my chain and gear system. It was truly alive absorbing everything from the trail. I bought a new chain and had a shop install it. Next day the same atomic gooball blend came back.
SOLUTION--I bought a can of brake cleaner ( safe for plastic) from an auto parts store and put cardboard under the rear gears and blasted the entire can untill it was clean. I waited untill it was dry and then blasted it with ICE WAX. This is so old school reminding me of the old days touring where people would melt candlewax and apply it to there chain. Nitro-cling limedust does not attract or stick to a parifin base lube. Many rides later I have not had to remove the chain or do any special gooball chain service. ICEWAX is the trail riders only lube. because it does NOT ATTRACT -the nitro-atomic powered gooball (concrete limestuff). Old Dale is a slow learner... but this stuff works for many trips with little to no build up. -ICE WAX- the BEST ( ANTI- lime concrete gooball gear and chain) system lube. Its is truly made for this lime powder- Katie trailride. Got to go... I need a drink of water just thinking about that wonderfull lime dust. Dale Cannon

I too am a fan of Pedro's Ice Wax...it works well for our riding style. A good investment tho is a chain cleaning kit. Pedro's makes a nice one that contains all the runoff degreaser and it does a nice job of scrubbing the chain when used with their Oranj Peelz Degreaser.

I too was wondering about this ICE WAX???? I have been reading about it and hearing people saying that you have to re-apply after every ride, or it will start to effect shifting, is this true????? Can you switch back and forth from regular chain lube, to ice wax??? I live a ways from the KATY and it seems that ICE wax may be a pain for everyday riding. Can anyone help?????

After every ride seems to be overkill.....something that I've not had to do, nor have I heard of anyone having to do that. The exception has been after a few very dusty rides and one 80 mile ride in the rain on the Katy. I would have cleaned the chains and relubed after those rides regardless of what type of chain lube I was using. I'm sure there are other lube types that others swear by. I started using it a few years ago upon the recommendation of a friend that was Cat 5 racing. I've used other lubes after degreasing the chain good so the lube types aren't mixed. I always seem to migrate back to Ice Wax though.

Planet Bike fenders help keep the drive, as well as the whole bike clean; and help prevent the destruction of a good chain.

TO BEN -MEADVILLE MO. (ICE WAX UPDATE)- Ice wax comes in (very small)containers and I always take a little from a started container on the day rides. NO we (can not switch) back and forth from regular lube because regular lub is an (oil base) and Ice wax is a (parifin) type of product and drys to a (dry condition) that does not seem to absorb the lime dust. I like a bike that shifts sharp and crisp because ol Dale does not have a lot of power and shifts a lot to keep the (2 leg motors) at full power during a long 50 or 60 mile day. CLEANING the Ice wax chain after a few rides is where people get messed up. You can buy a chain cleaner kit but I use liquid speed wax (anything works) the kind you use on your car for a quicko wax. I put cardboard behind the gears and BLAST with this liquid car wax. EVERYTHING falls off the gear system till sparkely clean....then I dry the chain and gears and reapply the ICEWAX. Bike shops do not seem to like ICE WAX because if they do not know it is on the (chain.gears) and put it in TUNEUP rack mode they get a really thick nasty oily parifin mix that is really hard to deal with.I use Triflow on my roadbike but my hybird and mountain bikes I always use ICEWAX ...The other thing I remind folks -there are no toxic fumes- from Icewax and is real easy to apply .I have done this in my living room with a trash bag under the gears...no toxic lube smell, no spray, and very easy to apply. PLEASE BEWARE --this lime dust is not to be taken lightly, it gets absorbed and sticks like (concretegluemix.) *new word just for the Katy Trail* This special lime stuff is atracted to (anything) with an OIL BASE-LUBE. Nothing else works.(GO ICE WAX) you will love it. Old Dale needs a glass of water just thinken about that magic CONCRETEGLEMIX....

Where can I get ice wax and how much will a person riding the whole trail need to take with them to keep their bike from jamming up for a week.

You should be able to find it at your local bike shop...if not Dick's Sporting Goods has it....or online, click on the Performance Bike or Nashbar links on this website.

Here's a direct link to Ice Wax products at Performance.