[proletariandan]

I was on OG NFS for a minute - it was great for road but can't stand up to dust if you ride off road. You don't have to use much at all but it works a lot better if you deep clean or even completely strip the chain before applying.

For off road/all-road, get 2 chains, pre-waxed so you don't have to strip them yourself (although Silca now has a quick-stripper solution - not sure how well it works). Hold Fast Cycling has good deals on pre-waxed chains and Molten Speed Wax sells too.

Then, get a bottle of the Silca Drip Wax.

Either apply the drip on wax 12+ hours before a ride or if you forget/are too tired/lazy to do so well before or fight after a ride - as I often do/am - apply right before a ride and then swap the chain out - you just have to always make sure you have your back-up waxed and ready to go.

I actually apply less than Silca recommends (a tiny drop per roller) and work it into the chain with my fingers before it hits the drivetrain so that there isn't enough residue on the drive train to have to worry about cleaning off. It doesn't last as long as if you really doused the chain but I prefer this.

For what it's worth, I've used a 12sp Eagle quick-link probably a dozen times now and it still snaps closed and open nicely, so I don't worry about swapping chains every few rides, which will also extend your drivetrain life (I'm running an X01 cassette, not cheap).

I was crock-potting for a while but I feel like the drip wax actually works better/longer and is much easier. You can also take it with you on multi-day trips to top off!