chain breaking *in*?!

[landotter]

This is a new one to me. My Redline 925 fixed gear I got this fall has been
a delight, a virtual Frigidaire of a bike. I've put around a thousand
miles on it. Here's the weirdness: the drivetrain was slightly noisy when
I got it, but has gotten quieter and quieter, and is now virtually silent.
There's still some meshing noise when I fixie brake a bit, but not much.
Not done anything but lube a couple or three times with White Lightning
(usually an oil guy, but got a bottle for cheep). I've dialed in the chain
tension to spot on of course, it's just almost binding in the tight spot
of the rotation.

What gives? Did KMC make the chain just a bit tight and it broke in? What?
It's very palpable, especially when standing. Now I can stand and rip and
there's no drivetrain noise.

Not like I'm complainin', it's just odd!

 

[A Muzi]

landotter wrote:
> This is a new one to me. My Redline 925 fixed gear I got this fall has been
> a delight, a virtual Frigidaire of a bike. I've put around a thousand
> miles on it. Here's the weirdness: the drivetrain was slightly noisy when
> I got it, but has gotten quieter and quieter, and is now virtually silent.
> There's still some meshing noise when I fixie brake a bit, but not much.
> Not done anything but lube a couple or three times with White Lightning
> (usually an oil guy, but got a bottle for cheep). I've dialed in the chain
> tension to spot on of course, it's just almost binding in the tight spot
> of the rotation.
>
> What gives? Did KMC make the chain just a bit tight and it broke in? What?
> It's very palpable, especially when standing. Now I can stand and rip and
> there's no drivetrain noise.
>
> Not like I'm complainin', it's just odd!

"Almost binding" is pretty tight. Maybe too tight. Rapid wear would have
turned down the volume at 1000 miles.

http://www.yellowjersey.org/chainchk.html
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Werehatrack]

On Fri, 2 Feb 2007 06:41:01 +0100 (CET), landotter
<[email protected]> may have said:

>This is a new one to me. My Redline 925 fixed gear I got this fall has been
>a delight, a virtual Frigidaire of a bike. I've put around a thousand
>miles on it. Here's the weirdness: the drivetrain was slightly noisy when
>I got it, but has gotten quieter and quieter, and is now virtually silent.
>There's still some meshing noise when I fixie brake a bit, but not much.
>Not done anything but lube a couple or three times with White Lightning
>(usually an oil guy, but got a bottle for cheep). I've dialed in the chain
>tension to spot on of course, it's just almost binding in the tight spot
>of the rotation.
>
>What gives? Did KMC make the chain just a bit tight and it broke in? What?
>It's very palpable, especially when standing. Now I can stand and rip and
>there's no drivetrain noise.
>
>Not like I'm complainin', it's just odd!

I think it's the sprockets that have worn in, not the chain. I'd
check the chain for wear just to be safe, though.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

 

[Mark Hickey]

landotter <[email protected]> wrote:

>This is a new one to me. My Redline 925 fixed gear I got this fall has been
>a delight, a virtual Frigidaire of a bike. I've put around a thousand
>miles on it. Here's the weirdness: the drivetrain was slightly noisy when
>I got it, but has gotten quieter and quieter, and is now virtually silent.
>There's still some meshing noise when I fixie brake a bit, but not much.
>Not done anything but lube a couple or three times with White Lightning
>(usually an oil guy, but got a bottle for cheep). I've dialed in the chain
>tension to spot on of course, it's just almost binding in the tight spot
>of the rotation.
>
>What gives? Did KMC make the chain just a bit tight and it broke in? What?
>It's very palpable, especially when standing. Now I can stand and rip and
>there's no drivetrain noise.
>
>Not like I'm complainin', it's just odd!

I've found that the "goop" that they put on chains doesn't keep them
very quiet. I had some gear noise on the Campy 'cross bike I built
until I lubed it the first time. Then it was totally silent. I would
imagine White Lightning would take longer to reach the point where the
chain goes silent.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

On Feb 1, 10:41 pm, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> This is a new one to me. My Redline 925 fixed gear I got this fall has been
> a delight, a virtual Frigidaire of a bike. I've put around a thousand
> miles on it. Here's the weirdness: the drivetrain was slightly noisy when
> I got it, but has gotten quieter and quieter, and is now virtually silent.
> There's still some meshing noise when I fixie brake a bit, but not much.
> Not done anything but lube a couple or three times with White Lightning
> (usually an oil guy, but got a bottle for cheep). I've dialed in the chain
> tension to spot on of course, it's just almost binding in the tight spot
> of the rotation.
>
> What gives? Did KMC make the chain just a bit tight and it broke in? What?
> It's very palpable, especially when standing. Now I can stand and rip and
> there's no drivetrain noise.
>

I'm betting that at the 'tight spot' it was too tight and it has
stretched to now being not too tight.

 

[landotter]

On Feb 2, 7:34 am, "Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email protected]>
wrote:

> I'm betting that at the 'tight spot' it was too tight and it has
> stretched to now being not too tight.

I'm betting you're wrong. There never was a "tight spot" only the spot
with less slack. Been riding fix and single speed for years and years,
and I'm rather obsessive about chain tension and centering the
chainring and such. Even in the tightest spot of rotation, I'll never
ever have a chain under any tension, at the loosest spot, you could
probably derail it...with a screwdriver. All three of my LBS's, on the
other hand, insist that a fixed gear bike should have the chain *under
tension*, which just goes against common sense.

I'm gonna write this one off as a "lube and polish" issue. The White
Lightning, for all its warts, is doing a better job than the initial
lube, and the machining on the chainring contact surfaces has gotten
worn in.

 

[Zog The Undeniable]

landotter wrote:
> This is a new one to me. My Redline 925 fixed gear I got this fall has been
> a delight, a virtual Frigidaire of a bike. I've put around a thousand
> miles on it. Here's the weirdness: the drivetrain was slightly noisy when
> I got it, but has gotten quieter and quieter, and is now virtually silent.
> There's still some meshing noise when I fixie brake a bit, but not much.
> Not done anything but lube a couple or three times with White Lightning
> (usually an oil guy, but got a bottle for cheep). I've dialed in the chain
> tension to spot on of course, it's just almost binding in the tight spot
> of the rotation.
>
> What gives? Did KMC make the chain just a bit tight and it broke in? What?
> It's very palpable, especially when standing. Now I can stand and rip and
> there's no drivetrain noise.
>
> Not like I'm complainin', it's just odd!

The sprocket wears, and you'll probably find a new chain is quieter than
the old one was to begin with. Some sprockets start much quieter than
others; EAI are the best I've tried.

I don't know how a new fixie setup with perfect chainline and even a
bushingless chain can be noisier than a derailleur setup, but it often is.

 

[landotter]

On Feb 2, 12:27 pm, Zog The Undeniable <[email protected]> wrote:

> I don't know how a new fixie setup with perfect chainline and even a
> bushingless chain can be noisier than a derailleur setup, but it often is.

I've noticed that as well. Could the lateral stiffness of a SS chain
be an issue with the noise? One of my single speeds has an 8 speed
chain on it, and it's really quiet compared to the SS chains I've used
on it.

No worries really, I'm being silly and complaining that I don't have a
complaint. Even my 30 y/o women's Sports, which has a vintage
bushing'ed chain, has a silent drivetrain. Good stuff.

I'm glad as I was considering springing for a nicer cog to silence the
thing.

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

On Feb 2, 7:39 am, "landotter" <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Feb 2, 7:34 am, "Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> > I'm betting that at the 'tight spot' it was too tight and it has
> > stretched to now being not too tight.
>
> I'm betting you're wrong. There never was a "tight spot" only the spot
> with less slack. Been riding fix and single speed for years and years,
> and I'm rather obsessive about chain tension and centering the
> chainring and such.

OK, easy there, be sure to write Andy also, he also thought it 'might'
be too tight.

Even in the tightest spot of rotation, I'll never
> ever have a chain under any tension, at the loosest spot, you could
> probably derail it...with a screwdriver. All three of my LBS's, on the
> other hand, insist that a fixed gear bike should have the chain *under
> tension*, which just goes against common sense.
>
> I'm gonna write this one off as a "lube and polish" issue. The White
> Lightning, for all its warts, is doing a better job than the initial
> lube, and the machining on the chainring contact surfaces has gotten
> worn in.

 

[A Muzi]

> <[email protected]> wrote:
chain noise

>>"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> I'm betting that at the 'tight spot' it was too tight and it has
>>> stretched to now being not too tight.

> <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I'm betting you're wrong. There never was a "tight spot" only the spot
>> with less slack. Been riding fix and single speed for years and years,
>> and I'm rather obsessive about chain tension and centering the
>> chainring and such.

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
> OK, easy there, be sure to write Andy also, he also thought it 'might'
> be too tight.

> <[email protected]> wrote:
> Even in the tightest spot of rotation, I'll never
>> ever have a chain under any tension, at the loosest spot, you could
>> probably derail it...with a screwdriver. All three of my LBS's, on the
>> other hand, insist that a fixed gear bike should have the chain *under
>> tension*, which just goes against common sense.
>> I'm gonna write this one off as a "lube and polish" issue. The White
>> Lightning, for all its warts, is doing a better job than the initial
>> lube, and the machining on the chainring contact surfaces has gotten
>> worn in.

Not seeing the bike, I still think it was the most reasonable
explanation. Of course we aren't there, either.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971