This was Traka

The main topic at the biggest gravel event this year? Hot wax. A few years ago, hot wax was still considered niche. Something only a small group of cycling nerds was talking about. At Traka, it felt completely different.

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Hot wax is becoming mainstream

Dusty gravel roads, fast group rides, coffee stops, race bikes everywhere… and one topic that kept coming back over and over again:


Hot waxing your chain.


Everywhere we went, people wanted to talk about clean chains. Not just pro riders and mechanics, but amateur cyclists too.


Questions about:

  • how long wax lasts
  • how often to rewax
  • how to travel with waxed chains
  • the new Performance Wax Heater
  • Race Wax vs oil lubricants

It honestly felt like the conversation around chain maintenance in cycling has shifted. More and more riders are realizing the same thing: A clean chain simply is just better. It's clean, it's fast, your chain last so much longer and it's low maintenance.


photo Cyclowax Spool

“The new Performance Heater makes hot waxing so easy, hot waxing has become a no-brainer for every cyclist, amateur or pro."

- Freddy Ovett, Pro Gravel Rider

The Clean Chain Club® in Girona

A few days before the race, we went out for a ride with some members of what we call the Clean Chain Club®. Olympic champ, Greg Van Avermaet. Freddy Ovett. Angelo Mendoza. Alberto Viciana. Jelle Vandamme. Lawrence Naesen.


World-class athletes, amateur cyclists, content creators, ex-pro soccer players… all connected by the love for riding your bike and having a clean chain.

Why hot wax makes so much sense for gravel

Why hot wax makes so much sense for gravel

Events like Traka are probably the perfect example of why hot wax is growing so quickly. Gravel races are dusty, dry and brutal on chains.


That’s exactly where hot wax shines.


No dirt sticking to your chain. No drivetrain wear. No mess. And a drivetrain that stays smooth for much longer. When riders see that difference in real conditions, it clicks very quickly.


What stood out most in Girona was how normal hot wax suddenly felt. Not experimental anymore. Not niche anymore. Just… part of modern cycling. And honestly, that’s pretty cool to see. Because when Cyclowax started in 2020, that world looked very different.


Now it feels like the entire cycling industry is moving in the same direction. And we’re very happy to be at the forefront of that movement.

Isadore photo

The best way to wax your chain

If you want to experience the best way to wax your chain yourself, you can get the Performance Wax Heater here:

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