Preserving a chain in poor weather

downfader

OK, sometimes the roads here get a bit.. well.. dirty. And if its been raining I get a fair bit of grime all over me chain and rear of the bike. My mother seems to have the same problem and she has mudguards - the lot.

I was just wondering if I could coat the chain and rear sprocket with the turtle wax or if it would just clog everything up. :?

Infact, can you get titanium or carbon rear sprockets and chains yet? Something more rugged that doesnt need lube.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Despite its cost, that's why I invested in a Wippermann 10S1 stainless steel chain last year, which finally got fitted on Wednesday. As my Felt has been a deluxe commuter, I decided to try and minimise corrosion while not over lubing the chain. Incidentally, it runs so much smoother than the old original KMC

downfader

Yeah the chain on the Kona Jake is pretty dismal. The frame is where the quality is really, as the sprockets have worn already... I do need a new chain this one is prone to a little rust and the bike has been oiled and cleaned properly since I had it.

Well until today when the wind took it and knocked it over as I was fetching some water. Bar tape now torn and the front brake has gone a bit stuck.. weirdly the wheel how seems untrue. How the hell did that happen...? :shock:

Rich158

I tend to use two chains and swap them on a weekly basis. That makes it easier to keep the chains clean, plus it prolongs the life of the drive train generally.

Bhima

I wax my chains in the winter. It means you can just take them off after every ride and give them a good wash under the tap, leaving the wax intact.

dazzawazza

I regularly clean my chains with a paper kitchen towel that has been sprayed with GT85. Then lube. It takes about 5 minutes.

biondino

Cotton buds! Gets all the crap out from inside the links.

downfader

biondino wrote:

Cotton buds! Gets all the crap out from inside the links.

..dont you get cotton jammed in the links?

Bhima

I've been cleaning the bike "dry" recently. Simply because I can't be bothered getting wet.

Get a toothbrush and just scrub away. Most stuff comes off easily. I'll only use a little bit of degreaser (in a spray-on bottle I have) on the chainrings/cassette - it's suprising how little you can get away with!

I've now got a seperate harder toothbrush which I use exclusively for the chain. Just a quick scrub down sorts it out quite well. I still need to spray on a bit of degreaser ever 5 or so sessions, when the oil and grime starts to really build up.

Cotton buds are amazing for the gaps inbetween the cassette sprockets - although you have to pour a load of hot water on the thing afterwards because you will leave cotton behind when you do it. They're also great for the insanely-solid muck which builds up on the ridges of the jockey wheels.

Nowadays, I just dont bother wiping the frame down, I only concentrate on the moving parts, although the frame only takes a minute or two with folded up tissue paper (doesn't even have to be wet).

kingmho

Even on bikes with mudguards, I find that the factory-fitted mudflap on the front wheel is always too short to protect the chain from spray flying tangentially off the front tyre. Presumably, this is to avoid warranty claims on the front mudflap, as it would tend to catch on bumps and tear if it was long enough to protect the chain.

So I make my own long mudflaps, saving on chain cleaning, at the lesser cost of having to replace the mudflap when it tears.

dav1

regular cleaning and relubing is all there is to it really.