Ultegra 6700 chain full of 'glitter'

champson
champson Posts: 57
edited May 2013 in Workshop
I've done about 300 miles on my Defy Advanced 1 with Ultegra 6700 and whilst it's been performing very well I have noticed that the chain has started to look a bit grey, and upon closer inspection the oil in it has tiny bits of what look like glitter. It's only noticeable if you look really closely and the drivetrain isn't noisy.
I have been very careful not to cross the chain and it's adjusted perfectly.
The black paint(?) has been worn off the large chain wheel, I don't know if this is excessive wear, or it's supposed to happen after a few hundred miles?
My question is: Do I need to worry? Won't the tiny metal fragments rapidly wear the drive train? Should I clean the chain with a Park cleaner I have?

Cheers,
Charlie.

Comments

  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Yes, it's normal for the chain to wear the paint off the chainring teeth. Could well be that's what the glitter is. Since you have the chain cleaner you may as well clean and relube the chain.
  • champson
    champson Posts: 57
    Many thanks for the reply, I will clean and re-lube.
    Cheers,
    Charlie.
  • speedymoto
    speedymoto Posts: 30
    I think new chains should be broken in & cleaned more often during the first few hundred miles until they have mated to the chainrings/ cassette - recently I bought a new bike & I used a heavy duty chain oil, the chain would be caked in thick black grime after a few rides. I cleaned & re-applied the oil several times, and then switched to a 'dry' lube which I find performs really well and is far less gunky. If you go this route just make sure you clean the chain well and dry it thoroughly before applying the dry lube.

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