Eating chains for breakfast?

[Brakepad]

Dry Lube never worked for me neither did all this silicon based "clean" lube stuff
​since i use oil based chain lube my chain sometimes looks blackish but it lasts longer

[Dicky DQ]

# 64

 

I have a Dura Ace clad road bike - 7900 series. I rode 21,000km on ONE chain, ONE set of chain rings and ONE cassette. Not a single skip, jump or problem. 

But that is a road setup. This is why I never understand dudes riding on the road with MTB's.

 

Road bikes are buy and forget for almost forever. MTB not so much. Granted on bthe road the groupset will also last a lot longer, but the tyres. Ho my goodness the cost per km on this is even worse than on the groupset.

[Pah Bear]

I would argue that the store was wrong. The chain wears by the inner plates scratching a groove into the pins. The rollers around the pins are the part that contacts the cassette teeth. My logic says that the dirt on each tooth of the cassette forms a grinding paste that eventually wears it out. A cassette wears faster when a chain is stretched. Therfore a harder chain(one with harder pins) would actually wear out the cassette slower than a softer chain.

Make sense and tend to agree with you.

[Fox3]

I would argue that the store was wrong. The chain wears by the inner plates scratching a groove into the pins. The rollers around the pins are the part that contacts the cassette teeth. My logic says that the dirt on each tooth of the cassette forms a grinding paste that eventually wears it out. A cassette wears faster when a chain is stretched. Therfore a harder chain(one with harder pins) would actually wear out the cassette slower than a softer chain.

OK thanks. I will use this as a rebuttle next time. It also makes sense

[Brakepad]

(almost) no more chain eating...   1x14 gears   

https://www.rohloff.de/en/products/speedhub/

[Reghardt van Rensburg]

That wear is not normal, unless you have been riding submerged in mud.

 

You have damaged the chain with degreaser. The manufacturer dips the chain in a bath of hot molten lubricant so that it gets between the pins and the rollers. If you go crazy with degreaser, you wash it out again and it is almost impossible to put it back.

 

I keep a record of my chain mileage and wear on my MTB. I measure the wear with a vernier calliper. Currently it is just shy of 6000km on my MTB with 0.2% wear. This chain has never been taken off the bike or washed with a chain washer.

 

All I do is clean the chain with a dry brush to get rid of excess wax, dust and dried mud. It used to get an occasional spray of clean green on the outside and rinsed with water, but now this city has run out of water, I hardly bother with that any more. Then I let it dry and lubricate with Squirt as per instructions (don't wipe off the excess, let it dry on the chain).

 

Next time you are tempted to wash the bike, just put the bike away dirty*, then go ride it again next day before you noticed it was never clean.

 

* But "dirty" means wipe your shock stanchions clean, brush the chain off, and maybe lube these items if they look dry. Keep your pedals clean - especially if you ride with cleats. Water is optional and degreaser is for special occasions.

[Reghardt van Rensburg]

Dude that is some solid advise right there. My first chain lasted 2700KM that was from a new bike I bought. So I guess it was a entry level chain (2X11) shimano XT.

 

So how I approached the maintenance was completely wrong. I used that vile degreaser from Finish Line on the chain, and lubricated with Squirt also as instructed. Oblivious to even knowing about how to check for chain wear, left alone know about it. I just kept cleaning with degreaser often - and kept on riding.

 

When the chain broke at 2700KM all the bike shops gave me the same answer, my drivetrain needs to be completely replaced. And that 500KM is when the chain needs to be "recycled"

 

Now with my 2nd chain, I have not yet used any degreaser on it, I simply use a spray bottle and a rag, cleaning the black chucky bits of Squirt off the chain along with the sand. Then let it dry and add Squirt - let it sit over night and ride the next day.

 

New chain has done 770KM with the chain checker not yet going into the chain at the 0.75 wear indicator. But I now considering replacing the chain. I once again opted to put SHIMANO XT casette and chainring on (coverted to 1X11)

 

To put things into perspective for the OP - Riding my normal routes here in Tygerberg costs me R1 per KM alone just on chains.

 

I've shower-thought together since my experience the idea of replacing my chain only for a 3rd time then I'll go at it, till it's completely ******. And switch to a single speed.

 

I'll look into the reality of SS'ing further when that time comes. Because R1/KM - and that's just chain wear - not even the rest of all the other wearables!

[Johan_Kleynhans]

Disclaimer: This is my opinion.

 

I use a toothbrush to clean off most of grime and use a dry rag afterwards. Then I apply lube. I admit that I spend 60% of my training on the road and I have a piece of plastic deflecting most of the dust and mud away from the chain which helps.

 

A lot of wear takes place (here is where the disclaimer kicks in) when you shift the gears when the chain is under maximum tension.

 

Had a guy behind me yesterday on an serious hill and I could hear his gears being changed under maximum tension. Yes you loose a split second but I always try to ease off when I change gears. I believe this is also contributes to chain stretch.

[Reghardt van Rensburg]

If you get into what your bike costs you per km , you're never going to enjoy mtb for what it is

[Reghardt van Rensburg]

I know, one shouldn't look at running costs per KM. So you recon these NX11's will be compatible with the SHIMANO XT, and is it not going to do more damage at only R300+/- normal price vs R600 for the SHIMANO 11's chainz?

[eccc whippet]

a fat guy grinding up a hill compared to a fat guy spinning up a hill...less chain wear...but still eat chains.

 

a skinny guy grinding up  a hill compared to a skinny guy spinning up a hill...makes no difference still no chain wear...chains will last forever.

 

moral of the story be the skinny guy riding a bike less stress on the bicycle components like wheels chains etc...climb hills easier....ride faster and be more aero