We Lab Tested A Dirty Chain, How Much Slower Was It?

We put a very dirty chain head-to-head against a best-case scenario waxed chain at Ceramic Speed HQ to measure the real-world difference in drivetrain efficiency. The results will blow your mind, as the biggest factor for watt loss wasn't dirt or a lack of wax, but something all cyclists do every time they ride: changing gear and sprocket size. See the full experiment and learn the surprising truth about how to save a huge amount of power on your bike!

Chapters: ⏱️
0:00 - Intro: Dirty Chain vs. Clean Chain
00:42 - We Visited Ceramic Speed
01:46 - The Full Load Watt Tester Machine
04:15 - Waxed Chain Baseline Watt Loss
06:47 - Testing the Horrible Dirty Chain
09:43 - Adding Water and Sand to the Chain
12:27 - Explaining "Chain Stretch"
14:23 - The Shocking Effect of Gear Choice
17:02 - Recap and Biggest Takeaways

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Which result shocked you more: how little a dirty chain slowed the rider down (about 1 watt slower than waxed in isolation ), or how much more efficient the biggest sprocket on the cassette was compared to the smallest? Let us know in the comments! 👇

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📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sprint Cycling Agency

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