This afternoon , out for a blast, union canal heading toward lithgay ! Chain chucks it ! Only once in 40 years cycling has this ever happened to me ! So, out with trusty tesco emergency kit, and manage to snap the link removal tool ! remember to take decent tools with me in future ! Thing is, what do we all recomend as a lube ? I used to swear by 3 in 1 oil, never a problem , now use a wet lube stuff cause other was supposed to do evil stuff. What do we recomend ? my chain looks pretty poor, quite thin metal on links, doesnt seem even, is this a new design, like the supposed "ramps" on thye cogs or is it just pants ? Prob need my gears adjusted but would have expected more than 13 months of use ! even with poor lube !
scott
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help
chains !
(17 posts)- Started 12 years ago by splitshift
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Posted 12 years ago #
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carltonreid:91k $100 full-sussers with weak chains recalled in US. 14k Spesh bikes recalled also. Not $100 each. http://t.co/B4VKLe8O
Original Tweet: http://twitter.com/carltonreid/status/117275945349545984
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Posted 12 years ago # -
I just use Halfrauds bike oil or car engine oil. You get a lot of car engine oil for not much money and there is usually some left in the bottle after the car has had it's fill.
I can wear out a chain in a month. It depends a lot on where you use it, time of year and type of machine.
I don't have any fancy blocks so I use ordinary /Sachs 3/32".
Posted 12 years ago # -
I like Muc-off wet lube. It doesn't attract too much dirt and smells nice!
Posted 12 years ago # -
Sounds like you need a new chain. If your freehub has an 8 speed cog then 3/32" chain will do the trick. If it's a 9 speed cog, better check with your LBS as it depends, they sometimes need a thinner chain.
Oh I use bike specific "all conditions" lube. Red oil, comes in a wee bottle from LBS. Not the cheapest, but does the trick.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I use same as Amir. No complaints and also the smell is quite appealing. Nice shade of blue, so when applying you can easily see which links you have already applied it to.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I use a bike specific wet lube, can't remember the name (oh sod it, hang on while I go and look...)
"Finish Line Cross Country" is what I am using on the commuter, my chain maint is limited, I lube it if it is dry, and when something goes wrong I replace it. That seems to mean about 1k miles of pretty rotten abuse, my commute involves the canal towpath and the old railway in all weathers generally with heavy pannier/s so it's very hard on chains, brakes etc.
My current one has started to display a bit of chain suck during some gearchanges so I'm aiming to have a look this weekend, I suspect it's approaching new chain and cassette time again :-/Oh and I use one of these clip on devices to apply the lube, knocks the worst of the mud off the chain and ensures a good coating of lube with minimum effort. Def reccomended(sp?)
Posted 12 years ago # -
There was research at Heriot Watt [possibly copying original work by member of this electronic commuting cult] showing lube to be 1% more effective than water. I imagine purified water rather than tap water.
Does anyone do that 3 chain system? One on bike, one ready to go on bike, one in bath of degreaser? Increases the shelf life of your drive train front and rear mech, cogs etc. Reduces the time you have in your life to do anything else.
Sheldon Brown of course very funny on how to clean a chain.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"One on bike, one ready to go on bike, one in bath of degreaser?"
As I'm a few thousand miles into my current chain/cassette it's probably too late to start. Hopefully the next replacement will fall due during a flush month so I can maybe try two chains.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"..quite thin metal on links, doesnt seem even.."
Yes, that seems typical of 9 speed chains especially. When you get your new one, you'll see the side plates on the links are a pretty complicated shape, presumably to help with the unnatural act that is de-railing.
I use the Finish Line "wet" variety, don't find the "dry" stuff much good.
On the MTB, a hose down after a ride and then spray with water displacement spray (Halfords "Cycle Maintenance" cheap and effective) seems to help and Truvativ seems to outlast Shimano.
Commuter has hub gears and I don't expect to change the chain for a very long time...it hasn't worn measurably over a full year of use.
"..lube to be 1% more effective than water.."
Maybe I should change to washing with oil then spraying with oil displacing water after a ride!
(Except for the water+steel+air -> rust issue...)Posted 12 years ago # -
The ScotOiler guys say that about water too. The snag is that it promotes rust.
Posted 12 years ago # -
thanks guys, yes old chain does indeed have complicated shapes on outers.reckon i might get back into engineer mode and just use engine oil, if you want nice smelling oil, go for Kent Cams cam lube. its used for racing engines, as your actually building the engine, red, thick and smells of......lovelyness !On my old GT palomar today, 15 years old, same chain !now running 700 skinnies, frame brazed/welded around bottom bracket, cheerfully expecting it to snap any day, so will prob last another 15 years ! Front derailuer (sp ? ) is home made, spring broke ages ago, so spring of car rear brake system is wrapped around seat post, sometimes needs a dunt with my foot but , hey ho !
rock on.....scottPosted 12 years ago # -
Mine was just in the shop for a wheel true and the mechanic advised chain already worn and needing replaced. I was surprised given it's probably done <1500 miles, but going by Smudge's comment above that actually seems about right as we commute on a similar route. Hey ho! Will just have to add regular chain replacement into the maintenance regime
Posted 12 years ago # -
@Shachgen, when I did the same just before summer cycle camping, was advised chain and rear mech were looking worn. Also recommended getting new chain every 500 miles or so! Mine has probably done less than 1000 as it was replaced in the winter after previous one snapped going up a hill.
I have a replacement rear cassette standing by for when I replace current chain, probably after the winter has thrown its worst at it...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Crow,
You can get tools to measure the wear on the chain. 500 miles would be what I expect from a Brompton in the worst of the winter. A cumbersome should get a good deal more. I'd expect 3000 or so at least.
I'm not sure how a rear mech looks worn. The jokey wheels don't need any teeth on them, unless this is some new hell created by Shimano. My oldest mech is a 1950s Cyclo and the jockeys are completely gumsy.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Sorry, not the rear mech, the cassette cog teeth were apparently looking a bit worn. This is on the Globe hybrid, which used to be my sole bike until a sudden and recent proliferation of steeds. The original chain was in use for about 18 months and maybe 2000 miles approx. before it snapped. I use the hybrid less these days, as the cheap folder is now my (mixed mode) commuting bike and shopper. It (the hybrid) has probably done 500 miles or so over the past 9 months, still on the original cassette. I'll probably wait until the start of next summer before replacing the chain, will fit the new cassette at the same time.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Ahhh, though you might have fallen foul of a new version of the "Your shocks are worn missus".
Folder chains wear out faster as they're nearer the ground and moving faster.
You can get simple go/no-go chain checkers for a tenner.
Posted 12 years ago #
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