Who knows why a chain gets lube on the outside?

[usxorf]

Slow day, eh.

 

To add to the discussion, the lube applied to the rollers are mostly displaced to the plates by the teeth on the chainring or cassette. So the rollers end up with very little lube but the lube has to go somewhere, explaining the buildup on the plates.

[carbon29er]

snip

maybe some chemical guru can explain the adhesion forces between the fluid and metal, also fluid creep on surfaces .. yada yada ....

snip

 

That's what I was after.

 

But in typical hub fashion almost everybody is quick to post pure cow manure and hope it sticks. Like to a blanket.

[Eugene Brown]

Yip, these short weeks are wreaking havoc on the Hub's ability to solve issues of global importance!!!!

Roll on May so that the sanity can return

[Jewbacca]

It lands up dirty on the SS as well..

 

I would suggest that liquid stays in constant motion and the chain is up and down, so the liquid would 'run' to the outside of the plates, much like that little bit of fluid that runs down the glass after you have a sip sometimes.

[porqui]

A mix of capillary action and surface tension.

 

 

Hairy stay away from my chain.

[Fat Boab]

It lands up dirty on the SS as well..

 

I would suggest that liquid stays in constant motion and the chain is up and down, so the liquid would 'run' to the outside of the plates, much like that little bit of fluid that runs down the glass after you have a sip sometimes.

 

Exactly what I was about to ask to test the shifting theory espoused by others.

 

Let me ponder.....

[Hairy]

Does not explain the why but does change the subject to how to reduce.

just to add, seeing as tomorrow is Friday....just remember that this is a chain and not a Landrover, so you need not drown it in oil/lube to get it to move or work 

[Odinson]

Just spitballing here.

 

The link receives the grease from the link in front of it, as the force of the forward motion of the chain forces any excess fluid backwards on the chain.

 

And Carbon, don't be get all sassy when you don't like people's answers. You posed a question. People answered.

[Hairy]

May I also suggest you don't look down whilst cycling. This will prevent you see the dirty chain?

 

[nonky]

That's what I was after.

 

But in typical hub fashion almost everybody is quick to post pure cow manure and hope it sticks. Like to a blanket.

 

With 2,400 posts, you came HERE for a rational answer?

 

[Popit]

That's what I was after.

 

But in typical hub fashion almost everybody is quick to post pure cow manure and hope it sticks. Like to a blanket.

 

Or like lube to a chainring/cassette !!

[carbon29er]

With 2,400 posts, you came HERE for a rational answer?

 

You make a good point. Is it naive to expect those who don't know to know they they don't know? Please don't anyone answer this, it is rhetorical.

 

Is guessing really worth it if one is clueless about a topic.

 

Maybe we should segregate threads into "Talk rubbish here" and "This is a serious question".

[carbon29er]

May I also suggest you don't look down whilst cycling. This will prevent you see the dirty chain?

 

That's my problem. When I look down the chain I see is clean as all the lube is on the outside where it's not needed but I can't see it.

[Fat Boab]

So a theory.... if we believe that lube is applied inside and works it way outside, and eliminated the sprocket, chainwheel RD/FD route, then it has to flow through a narrow path consisting of roller, pin, and holes in the inner/outer plates. (See diag). And as the lube would have a high viscosity, then capillary action would be significant, so it would be drawn through the path. Add to that the clearance in that route changes as the chain rotates through sprockets etc, it would flush the path, and capillary action would stop the lube being drawn back inwardly so it would migrate outwards.

 

[NotSoBigBen]

I have no idea, sorry 

[karlito]

Well there is pressure and friction between the rollers and the teeth of your ring & cogs which will eventually "clean" the inside of the chain and push the lube out.

 

The outside has little contact with other surfaces so it stays dirty.