What 9 Speed Chain?

dry664

Looking to replace a KMC X9 chain on my Whyte 19C. Had some major problems with it last night on the trails at Swinley and it took me half an hour to repair. Any suggestions on a worthy replacement? Thx

FunBus

KMC X9.

.....what problems did you have? Normally a top chain

dry664

Chain came off and got wrapped around my bottom bracket so badly that I had to split the chain to get it out. I appreciate that it could have happened with any chain but it then took me 30 mins to get it back together. It just really pi**ed me off and now I feel it needs to be punished!

FunBus

Understandable, but go easy on it. The X9 would always be my recommendation, just make sure it's set up properly - the quick link normally allows the chain to be split and re-linked really easily so not sure how you passed 30 minutes?

29 minutes rampant rage on the trail, screaming, shouting and cursing KMC + 1 minute to sort chain = 30 mins?

cooldad

So the chain was the innocent party, and you still want to puinish it?
I suggest KMC X9 and medication.

dry664

FunBus wrote:

29 minutes rampant rage on the trail, screaming, shouting and cursing KMC + 1 minute to sort chain = 30 mins?

This

Ok, X9 is staying. But on a serious note I was a little alarmed at how badly wedged the chain was between the smallest ring and the frame. If it were a steel/alloy frame I wouldnt have though twice about using brute force to get it out but as its carbon I had to be far more delicate. I really dont want it to happen again. So what are the suggestions? Chain device? I know absolutely nothing about chain devices.

cooldad

What crankset do you have?

dry664

Its an FSA Afterburner 44/32/22 w/BB30.

Also looking for advice on that medication, particularly interested in your input Cooldad :-)

cooldad

BB30 is a PITA.
With and without proper tools
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/w ... ets-29544/

Proper tools
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-hel ... nd-removal

cooldad

Medication

dry664

Ooh that does look like a PITA. Any advice on a suitable chain device?

cooldad

This one. Tiny, better than my big toolbox one.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Park-Tool-CT5 ... vi-content

Chunkers1980

That's a tool, not a device. But probably what he wanted.

dry664

Lol, dont call Cooldad a tool, he was only trying to help!!

Ive got a chain tool. Actually I meant a chain device like the ones that stop your chain falling off. Like I said before I know nothing about them so was hoping for some education.

cooldad

Device, tool, just words.

Chain devices I am clueless. My son has Blackspire I think which seems to work fine, but I think you are a bit restricted running three rings. Bionicon do one, and I think there was a thread recently.

I try and keep everything adjusted properly and never had any problems.

anj132

It just seems wrong to me to have a chain device on which is effectively a XC race bike. It happened once, maybe don't worry too much unless it happens again.

Nice bike though.

supersonic

SRAM PC951 or 971.

Giraffoto

dry664 wrote:

Any advice on a suitable chain device?

Not a device for keeping the chain on the rings, but you can get a chain catcher that stops the chain getting caught between the inner ring and bottom bracket shell if it does come off. Very effective it is, too. It's a little plastic clamp that goes around the bottom of the seat tube and it has a projection on it to catch the chain - probably more common on road bikes, it looks like this

njee20

Sort your front mech out so it doesn't drop off the granny?

dry664

njee20 wrote:

Sort your front mech out so it doesn't drop off the granny?

I will have another look but I thought I had it pretty much dialled in. Like I said if it were steel I wouldnt be worried but as its carbon I definitely dont want it to get wedged in there again. I was giving it large on an incline whilst trying shifting front and back at the same time

njee20 wrote:

Not a device for keeping the chain on the rings, but you can get a chain catcher that stops the chain getting caught between the inner ring and bottom bracket shell if it does come off. Very effective it is, too. It's a little plastic clamp that goes around the bottom of the seat tube and it has a projection on it to catch the chain - probably more common on road bikes, it looks like this

That is exactly what I need! Will order one up asap.

njee20

Very good chance a Dog Fang won't fit on a carbon MTB with a triple - they're designed for road bikes. Check what the profile of the tube is behind the granny ring, but I'll wager it probably widens or changes shape to be sommat other than round, in which case it won't work.

I was giving it large on an incline whilst trying shifting front and back at the same time

Serves you right then, learn how to change gear and maybe you won't trash stuff.

dry664

Please educate me. Im cycling up to a hill using the middle ring at the front and the big ring (9) at the back. According to my maths the next ratio down is granny front, 7 back. Using 8 back is ok but leaving it on 9 back is too big a change. Bearing in mind that the hill is already pretty steep at this point changing one then the other will take too long. So what is correct technique? Go granny front before reaching the hill and shift the rear accordingly?

anj132

dry664 wrote:

Please educate me. Im cycling up to a hill using the middle ring at the front and the big ring (9) at the back. According to my maths the next ratio down is granny front, 7 back. Using 8 back is ok but leaving it on 9 back is too big a change. Bearing in mind that the hill is already pretty steep at this point changing one then the other will take too long. So what is correct technique? Go granny front before reaching the hill and shift the rear accordingly?

If you know it's a steep part get in the granny earlier and run it in the middle of the cassette avoiding going too high up the cassette (1-3), giving plenty of range when needed (it better be steep though!). Or except you'll have to spin a bit more when going into granny when in (9) and click up to desired cadence after you've dropped to granny (doesn't take long to do this anyway). There isn't a perfect technique and different hills and terrain require different types of attack and it's a matter of pre-planning, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, learn from mistakes.

Just don't expect it to work well trying to shift front and back at the exact same time. *CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH*

other option is don't use the granny.

cooldad

dry664 wrote:

Please educate me. Im cycling up to a hill using the middle ring at the front and the big ring (9) at the back. According to my maths the next ratio down is granny front, 7 back. Using 8 back is ok but leaving it on 9 back is too big a change. Bearing in mind that the hill is already pretty steep at this point changing one then the other will take too long. So what is correct technique? Go granny front before reaching the hill and shift the rear accordingly?

It's called anticipation.
So your next shift would be gack to middle ring and up to second smallest cog?
That's just crazy, you don't try and use consecutive gears by shifting between chainrings. Pick a ring for the terrain and shift the cogs.
This is not a hard and fast rule, but is right 99% of the time.

dry664

I was in middle front and 9 back and was trying to shift to granny front, 8 back. I would then go to 9 back as it got even steeper. I appreciate its bad technique but had been doing it for a while with no problems.