Muc-Off Dark Energy

Chain wax is a bit different from traditional chain lube in that it is designed to form a drier film than most typical lubes. Chain wax also requires a more involved procedure to apply it properly. Now, this may all seem like a bit too much for us average mountain bikers who are as likely to skip cleaning our bike after riding for hours in rain and mud as we are to remember lubing the chain every now and then, but we still thought it would be interesting to give this one a spin, especially since Muc-Off put so much effort into developing it.

Muc-Off Dark Energy Highlights

• Plant-derived, inherently biodegradable wax
• PFAS and PTFE free
• Tested to independent ASTM coefficient of friction standards
• Chain Wax Cleaner formula removes factory grease, residual oils and old wax build-up
• 50ml Dark Energy Chain Wax MSRP: £15 / €20 / $15
• 120ml Dark Energy Chain Wax MSRP: £23 / €30 / $25
• 500ml Chain Wax Cleaner MSRP: £22 / €25 / $25

Initial Impressions

4 years of development, more than 90 formulations, 8500 hours of advanced lab testing and over 100000 kms ridden by testers and professional teams involved in the project – that’s what it took Muc-Off to come up with the product before us today. That sounds like a lot, but since this chain wax is also (or is that primarily?) aimed at road cycling, that’s what’s required when turning over every stone in search of precious watts and reduced drivetrain wear.

So how deep did they go during the development process? Inside the Muc-Off lab, formulations were subjected to tribological screening set to the independent ASTM standards which benchmark the coefficient of friction (CoF) and wear properties consistently across formulations. High performers were then progressed to dynamometer efficiency testing in both clean and contaminated states over extended periods. Wear was then quantified using Muc-Off’s own white-light interferometry equipment, enabling high-resolution 3D surface profiling which allows microscopic wear scars to be measured with precision. This white-light interferometry equipment—which can measure down to 0.1 of a micron (700 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair)—is mounted on an active air isolation table to reduce micro-vibrations (which even the human voice can create) in order to deliver the highest level of accurate and repeatable results under controlled conditions.

Or in layman’s terms, pretty deep then eh?

In addition to the advanced lab work, a lot of field testing was carried out. Some road cycling teams got involved of course but also the shredders from Commencal // Muc-Off and Specialized Factory Racing, much closer to the hearts of our little MTB community. At the end of all this work, Muc-Off was able to meet their goal of creating a dropper wax that achieves high levels of efficiency, durability, and low wear. They also developed a new Chain Wax Cleaner, designed to be able to remove factory grease, residual oils and old wax build-up from the drivetrain before applying fresh wax. This is a crucial part of the equation as the wax needs a clean and dry metal surface to adhere to.

On The Trail 

To put the new stuff to the test, we pitted it against a drivetrain composed of a new chain and very much not new cassette and chain ring. The Chain Wax Cleaner did a great job helping us to get rid of all the old oil, grease, and dirt that had built up on the derailleur pulley wheels and the chain ring. After rinsing off the gunk, we used a small air blaster that Muc-Off also supplied to really get everything dry and ready for the next step.

The chain wax should then be applied to each roller – yes, it’s a bit tedious but if you’ve come this far you might as well keep it up to the end eh? Once the wax solution is uniformly applied and you’ve cycled through all your gears to spread it out over the whole cassette as well, you need to let it cure for at least 12 hours – or longer if you are in a cold and humid climate. You should not wipe down the drivetrain even though it looks as though there’s an excess of wax at this point. When it dries out, the carrier solution evaporates, leaving only a thin layer of the actual wax to adhere to the metals.

Heading out to ride the next day, we found a drivetrain that feels essentially dry to the touch, but with a certain “waxy slipperiness” to it. The drivetrain was indeed smooth and quiet under the pedals, and over the course of a couple of rides we found that it resists dust and dirt build-up really well too. We also crushed our PRs and took 3 KOMs…no wait, that part happened during the afternoon nap actually.

Muc-Off does say that the wax is primarily intended for dry climates, so keep that in mind, but if you do ride in the dry, each application should last you a few rides at least. If the drivetrain is not too contaminated at that point you can then simply wipe it down and reapply a coating of wax without having to clean it all again first, so the upkeep is not too tedious although over time it is more involved than just slobbering lube on and calling it good.

What’s The Bottom Line?

A chain wax this advanced may seem like complete overkill for people who ride in the dirt all the time, and if you’re not pedaling on the clock you probably don’t really care about a couple of watts here or there. There are some advantages though, chief of which the fact that it leaves the drivetrain pretty much dry to the touch which also means it’s a lot less susceptible to collecting dirt and turning into a gooey paste like many lubes do. All in all, we understand that a product like this provides marginal gains at best for the average mountain biker, but if you do want to go the extra mile it really does what it says on the box.

For more information head on over to muc-off.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 52 // Years Riding MTB: 20 // Weight: 190-pounds (87 kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos by Johan Hjord