Originally Posted by
datako
I like the idea of shaftdrive or belt.
Of course we could have all that if manufacturers would simply go back 100 years and give us full enclosed oilbath chaincases. It should not be beyond modern science to keep them oiltight, make them out of light material, and give us a lighter chain system that would last forever.
That's true and with modern materials like plastics, it wouldn't add much weight. You wouldn't even need to carry sloppy oil in the bath either. Just spraying some solvent based grease onto the chain every few months would keep it pristine, I should think. I suspect that most of my chain wear is caused by the abrasive crud that surrounds it all the time. Even when you steep a part worn chain in solvent and hang it out to dry, you can hear the grit inside it when you bend it side to side. My dad had an old Raleigh Superbe in the mid 1950s with a chain case on it. At times he was riding it about 15 miles a day and as far as I know he never did a thing to it except mend the odd puncture.
