ZFC Note on Ceramic Speed Drivetrain Clean.
Ceramic Speed Drivetrain clean and Silca Stripper are currently the two recommended products for prepping chains for either immersive waxing or top wax drip lubricants (as well as any top drip lubricant, however they are more focussed on wax base).
Traditional solvent cleaning method works fine (refer chain prep guide – instructions tab). However – using solvents typically involves multiple baths of solvent cleans, followed by alcohol baths to ensure no film left behind from cleaning so that wax can bond to clean and clear chain metal.
So whilst these fancy new chain prep products appear expensive, they will often work out cheaper as so little is needed (very powerful solvents, that are also eco friendly). You are simply looking at a single bath soak of 10 mins, shake, remove and then rinse with boiling water, dry and yeehaa. So not only does this compete well (in fact usually much better) vs solvent method on price, it is a lot less steps, a lot less faff and time – and simply extremely easy to do a perfect chain prep for your upcoming lovely super low friction and wear wax / wax drip lubricant chain.
For those who like to go all out and use ultrasonic – Both  Ceramic Speed Drivetrain clean and Silca Stripper have strong cavitation / ultrasonic cleaning power. Traditional solvents have very low ultrasonic cleaning power and so need long degas and then run times across multiple baths – In short 10 mins degas and 10 mins ultrasonic run will achieve a brilliant clean into all tiny nooks and crannies and fissures with Stripper or DT clean that would take traditional solvents multiple baths and well over an hour ultrasonic time to try to match (and still may not).
If you are looking to prep on bike for a top wax drip lubricant as you do not wish to remove chain, the very powerful  Drivetrain clean and silca stripper are the go to vs traditional solvent. It is hard for the chain to hold more than around 5ml of actual solvent – the rest will drip onto the floor. Most traditional solvents are simply not powerful enough / able to absorb enough grease / oil to effectively clean on bike without that being quite a process. Many think they have cleaned using degreaser spray or solvents, but typically the clean will be poor, wax will not be bonding well to chain, and things can be a bit of a gunky mess as wax is still mixing with residual grease / oil.
Drivetrain Clean or Stripper give those not wishing to do the recommended off bike soak in container the best chance of prepping chain well for ultra low friction and wear waxed life. Spray on liberally (have old towel underneath, excess will drip off), allow that so work for 10 mins, spray a bit more through to flush, then rinse with hot water (not boiling if on bike), dry (hair dryer is great to help that) – then lube with chosen top wax drip and allow that wax drip its required set time (normally overnight) before riding.
***IMPORTANT NOTE*** – For prepping new chains with factory grease, or existing chains with WET lubricant – both Silca Stripper and Ceramic Speed DT clean will be brilliant. However Silca stripper has been specifically designed NOT to work on waxes. So if you are looking to do flush clean maintenance on a wax drip lubricant chain, or to clean that chain ready for immersive waxing, Stripper will NOT break down that wax, you will want to use Ceramic Speed Drivetrain Clean which works on wax AND grease and oils.
Zero Friction cycling has tested Drivetrain Clean (refer YT vids on stripper and UFO DT clean testing) and can highly recommend this product.
Ceramic Speed Product Info:
UFO Drivetrain Cleaner is an eco-friendly cleaner specifically designed to remove grease and grime from drivetrain components. It features unique properties that effectively dissolve wax from internal rollers and clean all surfaces of chain links.
To use UFO Drivetrain Cleaner, follow these steps:
- Shake the bottle well before use and ensure it is kept out of direct sunlight.
- DO NOT APPLY UFO Drivetrain Cleaner to disc brake pads.
- Spray UFO Drivetrain Cleaner onto your chain, cassette, and chainrings. Ensure that all drivetrain components are coated with the cleaner.
- Scrub the drivetrain components with a brush to break down surface contaminants, waxes, or grease. Use the brush to thoroughly clean all areas of the chain, cassette, and chainrings.
- Let the UFO Drivetrain Cleaner sit on the drivetrain components for 3-5 minutes to allow it to work effectively.
- Rinse the drivetrain components thoroughly with water. As you rinse, the UFO Drivetrain Cleaner will activate with water and initially turn milky white. Once the chain is clean, the water will become clear again.
- It is important to fully rinse all the UFO Drivetrain Cleaner off the drivetrain components. Ensure that the chain is completely dry before applying a UFO Drip chain coating.
- Store the UFO Drivetrain Cleaner out of direct sunlight.
UFO Drivetrain Cleaner can also be safely used in an ultrasonic cleaner within a temperature range of 40-60 degrees Celsius.
By following the included instructions, you can effectively use UFO Drivetrain Cleaner to remove grease, grime, and wax from your drivetrain components. Always refer to the specific guidelines provided by the manufacturer for best results.
