The universal 'long ride' benchmark — a 100-miler in fair weather.
Character. Every region has a century. Not a race, not an ultra, not a stage — just a dedicated long day in the saddle, usually solo or in a small group, on roads you know.
Conditions. Whatever the locals call 'fine'. Usually dry, temperate, mixed terrain. The simplest plausible scenario.
If you wax — ZFC-recommended path. No staged plan needed, just the top waxes doing their job. 160 km is inside every major immersive wax's single-application life. A surprise shower won't change the plan — tarmac rain is just water, and a fresh wax treatment rides through it; 160 km doesn't warrant the post-ride strip that oil-over-wax demands. The baseline scenario for comparison.
If you're on oil — pragmatic equivalent. Pre-ride application of your usual oil is plenty. 160 km is the baseline test of whether your application technique is working — if you're regularly topping up at this distance, your application needs work (more oil per link, longer dwell time, then wipe off the excess).
when: Road riders who want one wax blend that covers training, racing, hot climates, and cold winter rides.
#1 because: dry road is clean riding, so ZFC's Block 1 wear is the only axis that matters. Cyclowax Race Wax is eligible after scenario filtering and its wear (0.000) is the lowest in the eligible set, which — given your priority weights — edges out every other eligible lube.
#2 inside the ±5 % variance band on Block 1 (clean baseline): effectively tied with Cyclowax Race Wax on wear (0.003 vs 0.000). Cost and maintenance scores broke the tie.
#3 inside the ±5 % variance band on Block 1 (clean baseline): effectively tied with Cyclowax Race Wax on wear (0.000 vs 0.000). Cost and maintenance scores broke the tie.
#4 inside the ±5 % variance band on Block 1 (clean baseline): effectively tied with Cyclowax Race Wax on wear (0.000 vs 0.000). Cost and maintenance scores broke the tie.
#5 inside the ±5 % variance band on Block 1 (clean baseline): effectively tied with Cyclowax Race Wax on wear (0.000 vs 0.000). Cost and maintenance scores broke the tie.
#6 inside the ±5 % variance band on Block 1 (clean baseline): effectively tied with Cyclowax Race Wax on wear (0.000 vs 0.000). Cost and maintenance scores broke the tie.
#7 inside the ±5 % variance band on Block 1 (clean baseline): effectively tied with Cyclowax Race Wax on wear (0.006 vs 0.000). Cost and maintenance scores broke the tie.
#8 inside the ±5 % variance band on Block 1 (clean baseline): effectively tied with Cyclowax Race Wax on wear (0.000 vs 0.000). Cost and maintenance scores broke the tie.
#9 inside the ±5 % variance band on Block 1 (clean baseline): effectively tied with Cyclowax Race Wax on wear (0.000 vs 0.000). Cost and maintenance scores broke the tie.
#10 inside the ±5 % variance band on Block 1 (clean baseline): effectively tied with Cyclowax Race Wax on wear (0.020 vs 0.000). Cost and maintenance scores broke the tie.