Which chain?

[Hawk]

Thanks for the reply Andrew, ill be putting the new chain and cassette on when it arrives midweek and probably wont get to ride much until then anyway.

Another question if anyones still reading, Ive read the factory grease is good, but should i try to wipe it off the exterior of the chain as its already attracting filth from a 7 mile very slow ride with family.

It's not grease you want. You need an appropriate oil which is liquid enough to penetrate in to where you need it - in to where the links are - then thicken up and stay there. You don't need any lubrication on the outside (any visible part) of the chain because it isn't lubricating anything and is just picking up dirt, which then makes everything dirty and increases chain wear.

http://www.cyclorama.net/blog/advice/51/ is definitely the method to go for.


If you run a chain and cassette in to the ground, you will also destroy your chainrings (front gears). I learned this the expensive way. Trust me, learn to measure chain wear and do so fairly regularly. When your chain is worn, change it. This is £10-15. Replacing a chainring and cassette would be in the region of £35-50 if you're lucky. It's just not worth causing that extra damage to your whole transmission by trying to run a chain (or even chain and cassette) to the ground

 

[MrJamie]

It's not grease you want. You need an appropriate oil which is liquid enough to penetrate in to where you need it - in to where the links are - then thicken up and stay there. You don't need any lubrication on the outside (any visible part) of the chain because it isn't lubricating anything and is just picking up dirt, which then makes everything dirty and increases chain wear.

http://www.cyclorama.net/blog/advice/51/ is definitely the method to go for.


If you run a chain and cassette in to the ground, you will also destroy your chainrings (front gears). I learned this the expensive way. Trust me, learn to measure chain wear and do so fairly regularly. When your chain is worn, change it. This is £10-15. Replacing a chainring and cassette would be in the region of £35-50 if you're lucky. It's just not worth causing that extra damage to your whole transmission by trying to run a chain (or even chain and cassette) to the ground

Probably bad terminology on my part, but ive read on here before the lubricant that comes with the chain is far superior to anything youll put on afterwards so you shouldnt try to replace it for a couple of hundred miles, because its applied in the factory to the individual parts or something. Its just that the outside of the chain is rather sticky with it and i wonder if i should "dry" the outside as i would usually with the "method" you linked. Ive been using both finish line wet and dry lubricants

I think the problem has been that theres a lot of very sandy routes near here, good hills and nice trail riding but leaves my drivetrain sounding awful and must be eating into the lifespan a lot.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

I know what you mean. The soil round here is also quite sandy and lots of it gets on the roads where I ride so plenty of chain wear.

With my bikes the chain got gritty very quickly so I wiped it clean and applied oil only a few rides after fitting the new chains (say 50 to 70 miles for the sake of argument). Whether this is the right thing I don't know but I couldn't leave a chain for 200 miles with the amount of grit that was building up.

Personally I'm using chainsaw oil at the moment which seems to be working fairly well - capillaries into the chain well and doesn't seem to attract too much dirt.

 

[Hawk]

Probably bad terminology on my part, but ive read on here before the lubricant that comes with the chain is far superior to anything youll put on afterwards so you shouldnt try to replace it for a couple of hundred miles, because its applied in the factory to the individual parts or something. Its just that the outside of the chain is rather sticky with it and i wonder if i should "dry" the outside as i would usually with the "method" you linked. Ive been using both finish line wet and dry lubricants

I think the problem has been that theres a lot of very sandy routes near here, good hills and nice trail riding but leaves my drivetrain sounding awful and must be eating into the lifespan a lot.

Oh sorry, I misunderstood.

Nonetheless, any oil on the outside of the chain isn't doing anything except picking up dirt. Yes, I'd wipe it as you say

 

[Andy_R]

Personally I'm using chainsaw oil at the moment which seems to be working fairly well - capillaries into the chain well and doesn't seem to attract too much dirt.

+1

I've always used chainsaw oil...

As for new chains, leave the wax/grease in for as long as you can and use the mickle method(TM) to clean outside of chain. You can't clean the inside of the chain without using a parrafin/white spirit dip, and to be honest, you can't always tell if you've lubed it sufficiently afterwards, so just in the words of John Lennon, let it be.

 

[MrJamie]

Just thought id update since i got so much advice on here

New cassette finally arrived from CRC today, I used the old chain as a chain whip, just stood on one end and wrapped the other round the old cassette, popped off the lockring with a £3 tool from wiggle, slid off the cassette, had a bit of a clean and put the new cassette and chain on. The drivetrain feels better than new now, it shifts fast and smoothly, and is totally silent so im very happy. Hopefully will give it a decent ride tomorrow.

Thanks for all the advice

 

[MKat]

Hello.. hopping on this thread rather than starting a new one, as I have the same question - which chain?
I don't really know a great deal about bike mechanics but I suspect my chain needs replacing, given the number of miles I've done on it and the vague grinding noises it makes on each rotation of the front chainring (despite being well-lubricated). I do have a chain measuring tool (given to me by a well-meaning friend), but I don't know how to use it
Assuming it does need replacing, I am baffled by what information I need to inform which chain I should be buying. I have the 2011 model of this:
http://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en/bike...ls?url=ca/en/bikes/town/fitness/fx/7_6_fx_wsd
Please can someone help? can get 'im indoors to fit it, I just need some help on which chain to buy in the first place
Thanks!

 

[black'n'yellow]

buy a KMC X10 - the basic silver one will do - should be able to get one for around £15 on ebay.

 

[MrJamie]

I think the chain measure tools usually are just a piece of metal that shouldnt fit in the chain, but will once its worn enough and needs replacing. I found the best way of measuring it was mentioned by Sheldon Brown and someone here i think, measure 12 links of the chain with a ruler or measuring tape (start at 1" to avoid the metal end bit on the tape) and at the 12th link see how much more than 12 inches it is, roughly 1/16 over should be okay 1/8 over might need a new cassette too.

This one looks alright http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KMC-X10-93-10-Speed-Chain-Road-Mountain-bikes-/330747289319#vi-content its one up from the basic one which is only about £1 cheaper, next one up is reduced at wiggle http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kmc-x10-l-silver-10-speed-chain/ so id probably opt for that myself. Full list of 10 speed chains and specs here http://www.kmcchain.eu/?en/products/multiple_speed/10_speed_derailleur/ Seemed to me the more you pay just gets reduced weight and better protection from wear/rust. I think most of the KMC chains come with a quick link too.

For fitting it youll probably need a chain breaker to take the old chain off and to adjust the length of the new chain. Theres calculators to figure out your chain length, but i just shortened it to the same number of links as the old chain (not same length because the old one was "stretched" longer so need to count or pair them up side by side). Its pretty quick and easy though, break old chain, set correct number of links in the new one then wrap it around (careful around the jockey wheels and derailleurs not to go the wrong way around things), and join with the quick link. Someone also said the factory lube is awesome, so not to try to replace that with degreaser or anything.

I felt like i understood what i was doing, despite starting this thread fairly cluelessly, but im sure others are better to advise