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A chain question


smudge
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Do some chains have rollers that are tight no matter what? I always notice the rollers on my other chains really loosen up after a cleaning, but the chain on the Hei Hei has rollers that never seem really free. It's a good chain, so I don't know what to think.

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44 minutes ago, smudge said:

Do some chains have rollers that are tight no matter what? I always notice the rollers on my other chains really loosen up after a cleaning, but the chain on the Hei Hei has rollers that never seem really free. It's a good chain, so I don't know what to think.

I've heard of single "tight" links, but never a chain full of them!  I  never really clean my chains anymore - just wipe them down after a lube to get the excess off, so I'm not too familiar with how much a "full" or good cleaning would do.

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4 minutes ago, denniS said:

How old is it? How often do you lube it? What kind of lube do you use? Twist it side to side. Are you getting chain suck?

You could just replace it. 

Or swap it between bikes?  If it is just one chain and just the one bike, it could be either causing the problem?  Of course, it may not really be an "issue" as much as an "observation" and she's just wondering why it is behaving differently.

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1 minute ago, Razors Edge said:

Or swap it between bikes?  If it is just one chain and just the one bike, it could be either causing the problem?  Of course, it may not really be an "issue" as much as an "observation" and she's just wondering why it is behaving differently.

Kona Hei Hei is a mt bike. Dirt, grit, chain suck, wear. Any or all could be issues. You need to look at the chain ring, cassette, rollers and chain wear. 

I've never swapped a chain between bikes. I have 10, 11, and 12. All are different lengths. 

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35 minutes ago, denniS said:

Kona Hei Hei is a mt bike. Dirt, grit, chain suck, wear. Any or all could be issues. You need to look at the chain ring, cassette, rollers and chain wear. 

I've never swapped a chain between bikes. I have 10, 11, and 12. All are different lengths. 

I'd just buy a new bike, but that might just be me???

But, yeah, it seems important to know if this is "new" behavior tied to the different chain - ie nothing else new in the drivetrain, not noticed with prior chains, and not due to wear on other parts. 

This thread has me thinking I need to remeasure my chain on the Tarmac.  I don't remember ever changing the chain on this bike :frantics: and my maintenance log is back home in VA where I can't verify that :o

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9 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I'd just buy a new bike, but that might just be me???

But, yeah, it seems important to know if this is "new" behavior tied to the different chain - ie nothing else new in the drivetrain, not noticed with prior chains, and not due to wear on other parts. 

This thread has me thinking I need to remeasure my chain on the Tarmac.  I don't remember ever changing the chain on this bike :frantics: and my maintenance log is back home in VA where I can't verify that :o

I go through a lot of chains. I replaced three last year and one so far this year. On my old SS commuter, I would go through two a year. But I ride year round in crappy conditions and I don't like to spend a lot of time cleaning chains etc. 

I bet Smudge has had this bike at least three years. Chain suck, chain wear, the entire drive train can get gummed up. If the cassette and chainring is good, I'd replace the chain and call it good. 

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8 minutes ago, denniS said:

I go through a lot of chains. I replaced three last year and one so far this year. On my old SS commuter, I would go through two a year. But I ride year round in crappy conditions and I don't like to spend a lot of time cleaning chains etc. 

I bet Smudge has had this bike at least three years. Chain suck, chain wear, the entire drive train can get gummed up. If the cassette and chainring is good, I'd replace the chain and call it good. 

On my road bike, I lube, wipe, ride (100 miles or so), lube, wipe, ride.  On my gravel bike, I lube, wipe, ride (60+ miles or so), lube, wipe, ride. On my MTB, I lube, wipe, ride (40 miles or so), lube, wipe, ride. But, darn it, I don't replace a lot of chains (or cassettes or chainrings).  I assume salt on roads is awful for chains.  I'm gonna see how sand on roads plays into things.  I don't think the current chain will last as long as it normally would in VA.  But we'll see...

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12 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

On my road bike, I lube, wipe, ride (100 miles or so), lube, wipe, ride.  On my gravel bike, I lube, wipe, ride (60+ miles or so), lube, wipe, ride. On my MTB, I lube, wipe, ride (40 miles or so), lube, wipe, ride. But, darn it, I don't replace a lot of chains (or cassettes or chainrings).  I assume salt on roads is awful for chains.  I'm gonna see how sand on roads plays into things.  I don't think the current chain will last as long as it normally would in VA.  But we'll see...

Sand, grit, muck all get in the pulleys, chain, and rings. It's a mess. BBs get gritty. Brake pads. I replaced four sets of brake pads and three BBs last year. 

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9 minutes ago, denniS said:

Sand, grit, muck all get in the pulleys, chain, and rings. It's a mess. BBs get gritty. Brake pads. I replaced four sets of brake pads and three BBs last year. 

You need a new hobby :D

But, yeah, I wonder about brake pads and their life span.  On the road bike, a rim brake pad can last 20k, 30k, more???  I'm nowhere near a pad replacement on the Tarmac, never did one on the Roubaix, and even on the MTB, only replaced them because the rubber was getting hard.  But on the gravel bike, I wonder if the disc brake pads will see far shorter lifespans.  The braking is so phenomenal, it is likely worth the price, but sort of an interesting twist on it.

 

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7 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

I'd just buy a new bike, but that might just be me???

But, yeah, it seems important to know if this is "new" behavior tied to the different chain - ie nothing else new in the drivetrain, not noticed with prior chains, and not due to wear on other parts. 

This thread has me thinking I need to remeasure my chain on the Tarmac.  I don't remember ever changing the chain on this bike :frantics: and my maintenance log is back home in VA where I can't verify that :o

Ok. One Pivot Mach 5 with full Shimano coming up!!

This chain has always felt like this. Reputable bike shop put it on maybe two years ago.

I keep my drivetrain on my bikes in good shape. I'm just gonna say I have a funky chain. The bike moves fantastic. I say it's like a puppy; half a turn of the pedals and it's all reved up and ready to play. 

This stupid little issue does frustrate me. I may just get a new chain so it stops driving me crazy!

Thanks for the input and interesting discussion!

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30 minutes ago, smudge said:

Ok. One Pivot Mach 5 with full Shimano coming up!!

This chain has always felt like this. Reputable bike shop put it on maybe two years ago.

I keep my drivetrain on my bikes in good shape. I'm just gonna say I have a funky chain. The bike moves fantastic. I say it's like a puppy; half a turn of the pedals and it's all reved up and ready to play. 

This stupid little issue does frustrate me. I may just get a new chain so it stops driving me crazy!

Thanks for the input and interesting discussion!

Grasp the chain on each side of the tight link.  Apply bending pressure sideways in both directions.  Check if link gets more loose.  

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8 hours ago, denniS said:

I go through a lot of chains. I replaced three last year and one so far this year. On my old SS commuter, I would go through two a year. But I ride year round in crappy conditions and I don't like to spend a lot of time cleaning chains etc. 

I bet Smudge has had this bike at least three years. Chain suck, chain wear, the entire drive train can get gummed up. If the cassette and chainring is good, I'd replace the chain and call it good. 

Just replace it. Chains are cheap compared to other components.  Of course if you waited too long you may have the other components worn too.

 

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