Tourister

You guys aren't going to agree and quit are you ?... I still have some popcorn left :-(

cyclezealot

I am a little fussy , I know. 2500 miles might be on the low end, actually. More like 3000 miles plus. What once influenced me, I saw a friend's chain break during an ascent. Somehow, He maintained control ( while standing) put it was scarry. So I change chains a little early. I figure changing chains early might cause them to be more reliable and reduces wear on the rear cluster; causing that to last longer. His chain was a little on the worn side, but chains can break when brand new?? / Usually at about 3000 miles, I find using my chain checker; the chain is a least over half worn . Chains are not that expensive. Makes me feel better.

neil0502

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tourister

You guys aren't going to agree and quit are you ?... I still have some popcorn left :-(

Years ago -- based on some suspicion of indoor allergies -- I purchased an ozone generator. It did a reasonable job of cleaning the air, but ... those allergies have passed.

But -- in an effort to get more value out OF that ozone generator, I had an idea.

I built a giant tent-like pyramid out of PVC piping and plexiglass. I put the pyramid OVER my bike at night, with the ozone generator plugged in underneath, and its 'emitter' pointing directly AT my chain.

Not only is the chain ab-so-lute-ly sterile before every ride -- no lube required -- but any previous chain stretch is miraculously reversed.

My dry chain has only squeaked once in 15,000 miles (since starting this regimen) and -- on that occasion -- the "squeak" was 30 seconds of Herbie Hancock's "Rockit." I have witnesses.

Y'all do what you will. I HAVE found THE answer in pyramid power and ozone.

Out.

Wordbiker

Hmmmm....


Can you hook that up to a hub dynamo? That'd be sweet in the rain.

neil0502

In the immortal words of Frank Zappa:

"I stroked and poked 'til my wrist got numb
but I still couldn't get no Dynamo Hum."

I dunno' if that answers your question, but ... it's all I got.

Wordbiker

Why yes, that not only answers my question, but many others as well. Excuse me while I enjoy my epiphany with another cup of coffee.

Deanster04

Thanks it needed to be said.

OneTinSloth

so, if i spray my chain with solvent (out of a spray bottle) and then wipe it down with a rag, it's not going to do the same thing? a good dry lube with a liquid carrier is going to flush out the bad stuff when applied properly anyway, which is why i never use a solvent unless the chain is ridiculously dirty, in which case, the whole drivetrain should be removed and cleaned separately. if the chain is dirty enough to want to use a cleaning machine, the rest of the drivetrain is probably dirty enough to immediately contaminate the chain as it exits the machine. simply lubing and THOROUGHLY wiping down with a rag on a regular basis is all that is necessary.

i'm done trying to convince you. i thought i'd try to help you save a few bucks but whatever. you clean your chain your way, and i'll clean mine my way and we'll both end up replacing them at the same 2,000 mile intervals anyway. and i'll use the $30 i saved by not buying a chain cleaning wundermachine to buy burgers and pitchers for my co-workers at the brewery where we will eat the burgers and drink the beers and discuss matters of great importance...such as the rack on the waitress' bike locked up outside. i thought it's a jandd, but all my buddies thought it's a gordon. turns out we had it all wrong, it was a tubus.

Wordbiker

I'd be glad to join you.

gcl8a

Are those the names of plastic surgeons?

matthew_deaner

Terrain, riding style, and maintenance affect chain life. Strong and/or heavy riders or riders that do a lot of climbing can expect to change their chain more often. Riding in the rain significantly reduces chain life because of grit that gets washed into the chain, and lube that gets washed out.

Example:
My 11-year old son gets huge mileage out of chains and tires. I am lucky to get 1,500 miles out of the chain on my commuter/touring bike, and 2,000 miles out of the chain on my road bike. I clean the chain by immersing it in solvent every 300-miles or so. There are lots of hills here, I'm a masher, and my weight is a little above average (170lbs). Your maintenance interval isn't going to align well with those of other riders because riding conditions differ.

DMF 

For someone with so many important things to discuss, you're spending an awful lot of energy on this. Who are you trying to convince?

If it's me, I could give a flying F what you think about chain machines. Get down off your god-complex horsie and quick crapping on the thread. We need neither your permission nor approval.