FAQ | mountainFLOW

Frequently Asked Questions

Wax protects your bases from abrasive snow crystals, prolongs the life of your equipment, and provides a fast and smooth glide in all snow conditions.
You can ride without using wax but it will be more difficult to turn and the performance of your equipment may be erratic, changing from fast to extremely sticky with varying snow conditions.

Wax acts as a buffer between the snow surface and the bases of your skis/snowboard.
As you're gliding along, the snow crystals are actually pulling wax particles out of your bases. If you visualize a deck of cards as the layers of wax on your bases, the snow is constantly pulling the bottom card off the deck.
If you have dry, unwaxed bases, the snow is grinding directly against your skis/snowboard, resulting in an inconsistent “grabby” feeling.

All the wax that you put on your skis/board goes directly into the snowpack and then into the local watershed.
Nearly all the ski wax in the world is made from petroleum.
Worldwide there are ~400 million skier visits/year. This equates to millions of pounds of wax being introduced into the environment every year.

mountainFLOW’s Hot Wax, Quick Wax, + Skin Wax Rub-On are made entirely from plant-based waxes. Our wax is biodegradable and non-toxic.
The Skin Wax Spray is water-based, non-toxic, and non-hazardous.

Our [Rub-On Quick Wax](/content/products/quick-wax-2-temps "Biodegradable Rub-On Ski Wax"/index.html) is the easiest way to get into the waxing game. It doesn't require any special equipment or knowledge. Just rub some wax onto the base of your skis or snowboard and you're good to go!

The Hot Wax lasts for 4-6 days depending on the snow conditions.
The Quick Wax will last for one day, which is the standard for any rub-on wax.
The Skin Wax lasts for one day. We have put in some really long days in the backcountry, like 40 miles long, and have not had any icing and have not had to reapply the skin wax.

Yep! We ran a series of speed traps to prove that mountainFLOW is just as fast as a conventional wax.
We ran the tests on multiple courses, with different skiers, and in different snow conditions. Feel free to reach out if you would like more details on the methodology.

The skin wax spray provides slightly better glide and it also maintains a strong kick. This spray has to be applied in advance and allowed to dry before hitting the skin track.
The rub-on skin wax is slightly more durable and can be applied in the field. We recommend keeping a bar of the rub-on skin wax in your pack at all times. When you need it, you'll be glad you have it!

Welcome to the future! We have developed what we believe to be the world's fastest eco-friendly race wax. In fact, based on extensive field testing, we found that our race wax is competitive with any non-fluoro race wax on the market.
mountainFLOW's exclusive Ceramic Nanotechnology is extremely hydrophobic and durable, very similar to the characteristics of the infamous, and now banned, fluorocarbons. The important difference is that mountainFLOW's race additive is biodegradable and completely non-toxic.

Did you ever wonder why you need to reapply bike lube after a few rides? Well, either when washing or riding your bike the lube is being pulled off the chain and into the environment.
On an individual level, it may seem inconsequential but in aggregate it can be a significant source of pollution.

It depends…

Wet Lube: Best for wet or rainy conditions. This lube is a medium density oil that binds well to the chain even when it's really wet.
All Weather: Great for everyday riding. It is a lighter density oil that does not accumulate dirt/debris but is more prone to wash off in wet conditions.
Wax: Rad for dusty desert riding. This lube dries completely and leaves a slick but non-tacky coating on the chain.

Yep! The Bike Wash/Degreaser is safe on carbon fiber and can be used on all surfaces and components on the bike.