Donzie

Hi all,

After some twenty years now, my chain has bitten the dust. I'm concerned now, for two reasons: one it's a vintage (read, old) Mavic setup, and the chain and cassette and front rings have all worn in together for all that period of time.

My local bike mechanic is suggesting a DuraAce chain, but I read on the Shimano details that Shimano is only compatible with their own stuff. I do have a replacement Mavic-to-Shimano cassette hub which I've never used. But it would be my preference to not have to buy new gears for it. The bike is total Mavic. (Although the reason is more of an expense issue, not so much the purist issue.)

So..

Would a Campagnolo chain be a better match? Is the issue really chain width (for the numbers of gears), or are there other compatibility issues? Or is a 7-speed (I think) setup pretty much not an issue either way?)
Would the overall system wear now require me to buy new chain, gears (and possibly front rings as well)? Or is the Mavic "wave" style of teeth not so much of an issue? I have always lived in flat lands, so I don't shift the system hard, and often in the same one or two gears.
Is there a possibility of simply removing a link or two, to squeeze a little more life out of this system? (I don't know if that's possible, but it would seem to me if one could remove a link or so, it would maintain a whole-system wear compatibility.)



Thanks much for advice on any of the above issues.

Don

sch

Shortened chain will not help. My rule of thumb is 2 chains equal new cassette, 3 chains means
replacing most used CW. Some cassettes have replaceable cogs and you may get away with
replacing the 'most used' cogs. You need to check the chain for wear with a chain checker or
careful measure of the length (see Sheldon Brown or the Parktool site). Manufacturer of chain
is immaterial in a bike of your vintage. New 5-6-7spd chain is $10-20. Duraace or Campy is
gilding the lily, unnecessary expense.

Donzie

Thanks, sch. I appreciate the response.

This will be my first new chain since I got the setup in 1992. Perhaps I could have been more diligent to change the chain more often; but simply did not have that level of mechanical understanding at that point. I did do the Sheldon Brown measuring test maybe a year ago, and it didn't come up that bad (I want to say 1/16th" or less over the 12 links.) So perhaps I'll be OK on the gears. One of the challenges is that this equipment is now vintage. Finding Mavic gears might be a challenge.

The mechanic put on some kind of chain-checker and read it off as "100% stretched". I don't know what that means relative to, say, Sheldon Brown's 1/16, 1/8th of an inch. But either way, it didn't sound good. And in any event, one of the links was about to break open -- clicking on my rear cassette as it went around.

So all of them, relative to Sheldon Brown's thing, are 1 link per inch? So really doesn't matter which brand? Why would the DuraAce site say "only Shimano compatible" then? Simply a brand and advertising thing? Is the compatibility thing then more related to the width of the chain, such that it shifts more or less smoothly between gear widths? And if so, would I understand then that the 7-speed's large distance (relative to say a 10 or more speed) would fit most anything?

Thanks again for the reply.

dsbrantjr

Measure your chain with a steel rule (per Sheldon Brown) to be sure of its condition; chain checkers are often inaccurate. If your chain measures worn try just replacing it. If it works OK with your cassette (no skipping) you are done. If not you will need a new cassette. Your chain rings are likely still OK, if they skip with a new chain and cassette they will need replacing also. But try just the chain first.

Any brand of chain which matches the number of cogs on the rear of your bike will work fine, yours will likely use a 5-6-7 speed type; I strongly recommend that you get one which closes with a master link; SRAM, KMC and Wippermann use them. Shimano chains require a special joining link be pressed in with a chain tool. You will still need a chain tool to shorten the new chain to the same number of links as the old one.

Donzie

Thanks. Tell me, ds, what is a "master link"? Is that one that is designed to poke out the rivet on a repeated basis, say for the purpose of chain cleaning? Or is there another reason for your recommendation for this?

dsbrantjr

A master link (also variously known as SRAM Powerlink, Wippermann Connex and others) is a link which is designed to be able to be easily opened and reclosed, not by moving a rivet but by unclipping a pair of half-links and hooking them back together. KMC has a slightly different approach which uses a separate retaining clip which I do not prefer.

This eases such tasks as chain cleaning, derailleur replacement, etc. No tools are required although I have and recommend a Park Master Link Tool for unlinking them quickly and easily.

Bianchigirll 

In the last few years most all multi spped chains now have a 'master link' just like on a BNX bike when you were a kid. that allows you to remove your chain for cleaning without needing a chain tool and thereby making a link too tight when reinstalling it.

I suspect if your chain is as old as it is you will not have one in your current chain.