Swapping chains

dan1502

I own a Kona Kula Deluxe 29er with a Shimano HG73 chain which it came with. I've probably done a couple of hundred mile on it.

I've just bought a Kona Big Kahuna 29er for my wife second hand and it has a few minor upgrades and was only a few months old with little use.

Anyway, it is probably a far better bike than she needs so I'm thinking of swapping a couple of bits to mine. The inner tubes are lightweight Schwalbe ones so I think I'll have those and the chain is a Mavic chain which I understand to be made by Wipperman. Anyway the seller believes Shimano chains to be poor and the Mavic to be much better.

Is is ok to swap used chains from one bike to another? Or do they bed in such that I should leave them be?

Thanks

Anonymous

dan1502 wrote:

Anyway, it is probably a far better bike than she needs so I'm thinking of swapping a couple of bits to mine.

what a cnut! :shock: :shock:

thelonegroover

Doesn’t your current chain work?

dan1502

You say that she'll probably only go along flat trails with me and canal paths etc it's true.

I just happened across a Kona 29er similar to mine and bought it for her. A £200 bike would have been fine for her but I spent over £500 on a bike that was nearly new and over £1,000 new. And not only that, she's still not excited about riding it!

Anyway, I've given her my pedals (and bought myself some mags) added a quick release seat clamp and may be changing the bars, seatpost and stem so I'm not being that bad really.

Apart from the chain and the tubes (and I might take the newer tyres too :-) ) everything's higher spec on mine and I go up hills so I need all the lightness I can get!

dan1502

Thelonegroover wrote:

Doesn’t your current chain work?

Yes, just that I'm cleaning them both and the guy who sold the bike who does cyclocross racing had lots of bad things to say about Shimano chains and as I will use my bike in tougher conditions I thought I might as well have the better chain. No big deal really.

joec1

for the price of a chain, i would just buy a new one, and leave hers be to be honest.

Chains pull (stretch) and also wear (get loose in the joints)

they also wear with the rear cassettes (the cassettes teeth get pointy er etc)

i would just buy yourself a nice shiney new Cassette and a Nice New Chain (about 15 for achain, and 20 for a Deore Cassette)

dan1502

I'll probably leave it then. My Shimano LX casette should be fine as it's done hardly any miles yet and I thought the bearings wear in chains causing lengthening rather than strectch.

I simply thought I might as well put the better chain on mine as I use it more and on more challenging terrain. I'll probably leave it then and just upgrade mine once it wears out.

cavegiant

Are you a better rider than your wife?

If so, if you want her to ride with you, she needs a better bike than you.


However you have done a MILE better than most, the amount of guys on £2000 race bikes cycling with their wifes on halfords specials makes me cringe.

My wife has an awesome bike, therefore she is keeping up with me and we are learning together.

dan1502

Hers didn't cost a lot less than mine and it's only after getting hers I've realised just how good mine is. I think it's partly due to exchange rates being better at the time mine was built (2008) and getting more for your money.

If I told you the type of bike she actually wanted you'd probably laugh. I persuaded her to have a go on mine and she reluctantly admitted it was ok. When the bike came up on ebay I thought why not go for it. At least now when I go on local rides along the river banks and the Penine Way she can come with me. She has said she definitely won't be going on proper mountain rides with me (and has had knee operations which don't help) but you never know and at least we could do some flat trails around the lakes etc. And at least she can't say the bike's not up to it. I wonder whether we're the only couple with his and hers 29ers ;-)

njee20

It's not worth the hassle to change, there's nothing wrong with Shimano chains at all!