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2 Daft questions

*Scott**Scott* Posts: 39
edited February 2008 in MTB beginners
Excuse my noob ignorance...
Why do we not use stainless steel for chains?
Why use bigger (7or8") disc rotors? Is it just for heat dispersal? or?

Posts

  • supersonicsupersonic Posts: 82,708 Lives Here
    You can get stainless steel chains (ie Wipperman) it costs more.

    Bigger rotors provide larger leverage, and more stopping power for less lever effort. Plus heat is dispersed better too.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • *Scott**Scott* Posts: 39
    Ahh, so if stainless chains are available is it good value long term? or will a regular steel chain break from fatigue long before corrsion.
    Thanks for disc rotor info.
    Sorry for dumb ?'s
    We all gotta learn.
  • supersonicsupersonic Posts: 82,708 Lives Here
    No probs, keep asking! Chains shouldnt rust if maintained correctly - but the reality is that we all can be a bit lax. Also riding on the road in salty conditions (from grit) can eat parts quick, so a stainless chain can be a good investment ffor some.
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • dirtbiker100dirtbiker100 Posts: 1,997
    good question about the chain. i've got a whipperman chain but by the current look of it, its not stainless :wink:
  • *Scott**Scott* Posts: 39
    Thanks for replies.
    Expect more daft questions soon.....
  • ride_wheneverride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    i have a stainless one on my singlespeed, currently nothing is wearing on it, which worries me.
    Neeermad
    Carbon 456
    456 lefty
    Pompino
    White Inbred
  • BoardinBobBoardinBob Posts: 697
    *Scott* wrote:
    Why use bigger (7or8") disc rotors? Is it just for heat dispersal? or?


    Imagine your wheel spinning really fast and you have to stop it with your hand.

    It's easier and quicker to grab it by the tyre than it would be to grab it nearer the hub. It's to do with "moments"

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moment_(physics)

    The further you are from the centre of rotation, the easier it is to stop.

    As another example, imagine you're trying to remove a very stubborn nut from a bolt. You've got a standard wrench and socket on it but it's not budging. However if you put a large breaker bar on the end of the wrench you'll find it a lot easier to remove it
  • dirtbiker100dirtbiker100 Posts: 1,997
    give me a lever long enough and i could move the earth

    or something like that?
    ah ha:
    Archimedes wrote:
    Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I can move the earth.
  • batch78batch78 Posts: 1,320
    'Regular' steel chain is more likely to wear out before it breaks from fatigue, unless you constantly use it badly, small ring to small ring etc.
  • *Scott**Scott* Posts: 39
    Hmm, maybe my reasonable mechanical knowledge should have figured that one out, maybe I should think more before posting questions :oops:
    Thanks for descriptive posts, kind of embarasing for me to read...
  • ceecee Posts: 4,553
    dirtbiker100 wrote:
    give me a lever long enough and i could move the earth

    or something like that?
    ah ha:
    Archimedes wrote:
    Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I can move the earth.

    erm.....provided you have a place to stand and another place to put the fulcrum :wink:
    Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.

    H.G. Wells.
  • BlackSpurBlackSpur Posts: 4,228
    ...and a material strong enough so that the lever would not bend.
    "Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling." ~James E. Starrs
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