Chain Maintenance

[dvt]

Patrick Lamb wrote:
>>Terry Morse writes:
>>>Hmm. After I ride in the rain, everything ends up filthy. The rims,
>>>the brake pads, the downtube, the drivetrain, me. The chain
>>>especially acts like a crud catcher....

>>>Maybe a full fender with mudguard would help.

> Don't think so. At least it doesn't help the rims, brake pads, or
> drivetrain, particularly the chain, for me.

I have been riding with full fenders plus mudflap for several months
now. I just broke my front fender about a week ago. In the meantime,
I've ridden on a few rainy days. I noticed that my drivetrain gets
*much* dirtier since the fender has been broken.

The key is the mudflap. My mudflap is an old piece of plastic riveted to
the bottom of the front fender, extending the fender's coverage down to
within a few inches of the ground. Since I added that mudflap,
everything stays much cleaner -- shoes, bike frame, cranks, chain, back
rim, yadda yadda yadda. I spend much less time cleaning my bike since I
added the mudflap.

After you've ridden clipless pedals for a few years, it's a pain in the
butt to use a bike with platform pedals. That's about how I feel about
riding in the rain with fenders and mudflaps. I can do it, but I like to
avoid it.

Thanks to the regulars here at r.b.tech for cluing me in on the mudflap
idea. I would have never come up with that one on my own.

--
Dave
dvt at psu dot edu

 

[Chris Zacho The Wheelman]

Peter sait it best. Plain and simple. clean, lubed, and push out as few
pins as possible.

- -

"May you have the wind at your back.
And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

 

[gwhite]

[email protected] wrote:
>
> >> Alas, I have only two more of those
> >> chains that run nicely on my "ultra-six" speed cluster.

I've seen new ones from time to time on ebay. The longer you wait, the less chance you'll have to
get some.

That said, I don't see why a new sleeveless wouldn't function on a 6sp. In fact, they are sometimes
claimed to be 6-7-8sp chains. The pin is shorter than that of the Regina to accomodate the 8sp
spacing.

 

[Tom Nakashima]

"gwhite" <gwhite@hocuspocus_ti.com> wrote in message
news:40D31721.9A8515B5@hocuspocus_ti.com...
>
>
> [email protected] wrote:
> >
> > >> Alas, I have only two more of those
> > >> chains that run nicely on my "ultra-six" speed cluster.
>
> I've seen new ones from time to time on ebay. The longer you wait, the
less chance you'll have to
> get some.
>
> That said, I don't see why a new sleeveless wouldn't function on a 6sp.
In fact, they are sometimes
> claimed to be 6-7-8sp chains. The pin is shorter than that of the Regina
to accomodate the 8sp
> spacing.

The Sram PC 48 chain works fine on a 6sp freewheel.
Price from $8.00-$12.00
-tom

 

[[email protected]]

G White writes:

>> Alas, I have only two more of those chains that run nicely on my
>> "ultra-six" speed cluster.

> I've seen new ones from time to time on eBay. The longer you wait,
> the less chance you'll have to get some.

I think I have exhausted that venue, at least at reasonable prices.

> That said, I don't see why a new sleeveless wouldn't function on a
> 6sp. In fact, they are sometimes claimed to be 6-7-8sp chains. The
> pin is shorter than that of the Regina to accommodate the 8sp
> spacing.

So what do you think I'm riding these days? I have a large box of
bulk SRAM chains. They just don't last long compared to the CX-S that
lasted 20,000 miles through rain and snow. Now I use a new chain
every 5000.

Jobst Brandt
[email protected]

 

[gwhite]

[email protected] wrote:
>
> G White writes:
>
> >> Alas, I have only two more of those chains that run nicely on my
> >> "ultra-six" speed cluster.
>
> > I've seen new ones from time to time on eBay. The longer you wait,
> > the less chance you'll have to get some.
>
> I think I have exhausted that venue, at least at reasonable prices.

What exactly is "reasonable" for a chain that lasts 4x as long as a $10 chain? I thought I so them
go for < $30, but maybe my memory is faulty.


> So what do you think I'm riding these days?

Based on "I have only two more of those chains that run nicely on my 'ultra-six' speed cluster," I
made the obvious assumption.

> I have a large box of bulk SRAM chains.
> They just don't last long compared to the CX-S that
> lasted 20,000 miles through rain and snow.

I rate the issue on price/mile ratio, not just the lifetime. Unfortunately many of the new
bushingless designs are quite expensive and do not live up to the initial low price promise. That
wasn't quite so true at the outset. I have a black sedis still new in the box with a retail $5.95
sticker on it. I simply buy the cheapest chains I can get, and thus rarely pay over $12/chain.

> Now I use a new chain
> every 5000.

Me too.

 

[Karl Nelson]

[email protected] wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> G White writes:
>
> >> Alas, I have only two more of those chains that run nicely on my
> >> "ultra-six" speed cluster.
>
> > I've seen new ones from time to time on eBay. The longer you wait,
> > the less chance you'll have to get some.
>
> I think I have exhausted that venue, at least at reasonable prices.
>

I'd be happy to trade you the two I have for an MA2 rim!

(They're not Regina, and it wouldn't be worth it even so, but gee I'd
like to get some MA2s again!)

Karl.

 

[[email protected]]

Karl Nelson <[email protected]> writes:

>>>> Alas, I have only two more of those chains that run nicely on my
>>>> "ultra-six" speed cluster.

>>> I've seen new ones from time to time on eBay. The longer you
>>> wait, the less chance you'll have to get some.

>> I think I have exhausted that venue, at least at reasonable prices.

> I'd be happy to trade you the two I have for an MA2 rim!

Nice gesture but I can ride with other chains but I don't want to ride
without MA-2's.

Jobst Brandt
[email protected]

 

[Jee Doy]

>I agree that generally cleaner is better, but unless you can devise a
>method to clean it as you go along then chain wear will always be
>sub-optimal so the law of diminishing returns applies.
>
>Andrew Webster

After every ride, hire an illegal (no work permit) to clean and lube. Pay cash
maybe 5 bucks. That way you don't have to fool with it. If you ride 4 time a
week, that will be 5 x 4 x 50 weeks (vacation and sick days) = $1,000 per year.
For an extra 5 bucks have the illegal wipe down the bike and spray a coat of
finish on it as well. So total bill will be about 2 grand.

Just kidding for the anal retentive side of bike owners.