Commuting - 45NRTH Winter chains

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience with the 45NRTH Winter Chains (http://45nrth.com/products/category/chains)?

They are being marketed as hardier than "normal" chains for winter conditions and if so, I'm interested (depending on the price though).

How do you winterize a chain? Just curious.

I'd be interested too. Probably too good to be true.

Hmmm, something to keep an eye on. Despite being a place with generally mild winters, I've been toying with the idea of getting a Surly 1x1 frame, and building it up as a bullet-proof winter commuter.

LOL. I thought they were tire chains for a second. I thought to myself, "Isn't that interesting" then I opened the page and saw they were actual bike chains for the winter.

Steel is probably the same, plating may be added..

just keep yours oiled, and not too gunked up, [wipe it down, often]

and replace it in the spring with a new one .. works for Me.

In googling about the company, my concern has been stirred by their winter tires being touted as 'affordable'. I want my winter tires to protect me in the first place. 'Affordable' suggests that I may need to buy them over and over, due to compromises in making them cheap, and spending more in the end. Still it is good to have another player in the area of winter biking.

In googling about the company, my concern has been stirred by their winter tires being touted as 'affordable'. I want my winter tires to protect me in the first place. 'Affordable' suggests that I may need to buy them over and over, due to compromises in making them cheap, and spending more in the end. Still it is good to have another player in the area of winter biking.

Their "Wolvhammer" boots are $325...see this post (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/841668-New-winter-cycling-boot-coming-this-December-The-quot-Wolvhammer-quot?p=14647649&viewfull=1#post14647649). I wonder if their definition of "affordable" is like how Mercedes is marketing their cars as "Affordable Luxury"...yeah, affordable compared to Ferrari, maybe.

LOL. I thought they were tire chains for a second.+1. :)

Why would one need special winter chain anyway? If it's tougher than your run-of-the-mill chain, wouldn't it wear out the rest of drivetrain more quickly?

+1. :)

Why would one need special winter chain anyway? If it's tougher than your run-of-the-mill chain, wouldn't it wear out the rest of drivetrain more quickly?

I live in the area where 45Nrth is based. Tons of salt are used on our roads in the winter in an attempt to minimize the amount of ice on them. That salty slush is brutal on chains.

45Nrth has supposedly designed their chains to be more resistant to rust than a typical chain.

I've used KMC's "Rustbuster" chains and they do seem to hold up better.

In googling about the company, my concern has been stirred by their winter tires being touted as 'affordable'. I want my winter tires to protect me in the first place. 'Affordable' suggests that I may need to buy them over and over, due to compromises in making them cheap, and spending more in the end. Still it is good to have another player in the area of winter biking.

I emailed them about their tires a while back and was told their tires all have carbide studs with an aluminum base.

They said their chain has a zinc chrom****something coating that they claim will not wear off even after heavy use. Naturally you should still oil your chain regularly but in areas with tons of salt or coastal areas I could see it being a good thing. Especially for a beater bike you do not want to spend too much time maintaining.

I have a similar chain on my bike as my bike is designed for winter. I don't let my bike outside at night.
What i have experienced is that the chain rust but slower than other chains i have used before.
In fact, the chain rust a little bit slower than my chain normally wears so i change my chain every year once it's slack enough and not because of the rust

LOL. I thought they were tire chains for a second. I thought to myself, "Isn't that interesting" then I opened the page and saw they were actual bike chains for the winter.

Me too and I was thinking you could just use zip ties for tire chains but yeah drivetrain chains ok...

Me too and I was thinking you could just use zip ties for tire chains but yeah drivetrain chains ok...

Zip ties? How would that work?

I don't have disk brakes, so I don't know how I'd stop. And what happens if you get a flat tire?

Zip ties? How would that work?

I don't have disk brakes, so I don't know how I'd stop. And what happens if you get a flat tire?

Put one transverse between each pair of spoke holes. Yes it would not be good to get a flat.

Put one transverse between each pair of spoke holes. Yes it would not be good to get a flat.

Sorry to be a dim bulb, Hardy, but I don't get the part about rim brakes and zip ties. Do you have a picture for us slow learners?

Sorry to be a dim bulb, Hardy, but I don't get the part about rim brakes and zip ties. Do you have a picture for us slow learners?

Right you would also need disc brakes sorry

(I'm not proposing this as a serious solution to anyone's winter traction needs, it's just where my brain took me w/ thoughts tire chains)

(although I swear I've seen it done somewhere, just as a proof-of-principle kind of thing, not sure what the final principle was though)

Sorry to be a dim bulb, Hardy, but I don't get the part about rim brakes and zip ties. Do you have a picture for us slow learners?

Like this maybe
http://www.instructables.com/id/Zip-tie-DIY-bike-snow-tires/

These are YBN (Yaban) anti rust chains. They are using the zinc/chrome coating. This coating is seriously bad for the environment and YBN chains are...

At KMC, we've done away with the old coating and are now using a new EPT anti-rust coating that stands up to 1000 hrs in a Salt Spray test (zinc/chrome only 500) and it's way better for the environment. They also look like normal chains and not aluminum spray paint.

^^^^good post.

I'd like more info about the chemical coating used in the chains (i'm a biochemist, so in-depth details don't bother me)

Like this maybe
http://www.instructables.com/id/Zip-tie-DIY-bike-snow-tires/

Yes, I get how you put the zip ties on. What I don't get is what happens to the brake pads when you want to stop?

Honestly, since I ride a fixed gear with only a front brake, I could do this on my rear wheel. But I'm afraid to do it on the front for fear of what it would do to my brake pads. Either they wouldn't have anything to grab or they'd snag a zip tie. It just doesn't seem like it would work. Even in the link one of the posters says it would be better with disk brakes.

And sorry, jrikards, to contribute to the derailment of your thread.