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Chains are supposed to bend, right?
Feb. 18th, 2005 09:11 amLast week I broke spoke #31, this week, #4. I gotta build a new rear wheel soon. C'mon nashbar, let's see a big sale on rims!
So while putting the wheel back on, I noticed that the chain was... a little dirty. OK, it was encrusted in salty road mud. It was seriously NOT BENDING without really working on it in places.
I started to go for the in-place chain cleaner, but then thought, this is way dirtier than that. Luckily I put an SRAM chain on last time, so it comes off with just a pair of pliers. It took 4 hot water and degreaser baths before I could see through the inch of water afterwards. So now I have a (relatively) clean and freshly oiled chain on.
I gave blood yesterday so I took yesterday and today off riding and haven't tried it with this chain, but hopefully having a chain that actually bends and stuff might help the effort a bit.
But it'll just get grimed up again pretty fast. I think I'm just going to get used to cleaning the chain once a week or so (once spring comes and I'm riding more than once a week) unless they pave the gravel roads around here, which will probably never happen (they'd have a LOT of resistance from residents).
Observation: dorky as they look, full fenders and mud flaps ROCK.
So while putting the wheel back on, I noticed that the chain was... a little dirty. OK, it was encrusted in salty road mud. It was seriously NOT BENDING without really working on it in places.
I started to go for the in-place chain cleaner, but then thought, this is way dirtier than that. Luckily I put an SRAM chain on last time, so it comes off with just a pair of pliers. It took 4 hot water and degreaser baths before I could see through the inch of water afterwards. So now I have a (relatively) clean and freshly oiled chain on.
I gave blood yesterday so I took yesterday and today off riding and haven't tried it with this chain, but hopefully having a chain that actually bends and stuff might help the effort a bit.
But it'll just get grimed up again pretty fast. I think I'm just going to get used to cleaning the chain once a week or so (once spring comes and I'm riding more than once a week) unless they pave the gravel roads around here, which will probably never happen (they'd have a LOT of resistance from residents).
Observation: dorky as they look, full fenders and mud flaps ROCK.
