Chain
#1
8speed DinoSORAs
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Oxford, UK or Mountain View, Ca
Posts: 2,749
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Chain
Snap, crunch, Ow my plums, ooooeeeeeeeyyyy, Phew!
That was what went through my mind about 3 sec after trying to pull away from the traffic lights on the way home last night. My chain snapped whilst standing up to get a good getaway.... Luckily no serious damage to me or bike and I was not far from home. My consolation prize was that I was right outside the best chippy in town, so I had a great dinner
The chain was an Sram PC48 and failure was due to a split in one of the side plates - about 18 months to 2 years old with a good few thousand miles on it. On inspecting the remainder of the chain I found another split that looks just ready to "let go". This is annoying, since I was hoping I could nurse this chain and cassette through the winter and fit the nice shiny new one when the weather improves next spring.
Thanks for listening,
Cheers,
Ed
That was what went through my mind about 3 sec after trying to pull away from the traffic lights on the way home last night. My chain snapped whilst standing up to get a good getaway.... Luckily no serious damage to me or bike and I was not far from home. My consolation prize was that I was right outside the best chippy in town, so I had a great dinner
The chain was an Sram PC48 and failure was due to a split in one of the side plates - about 18 months to 2 years old with a good few thousand miles on it. On inspecting the remainder of the chain I found another split that looks just ready to "let go". This is annoying, since I was hoping I could nurse this chain and cassette through the winter and fit the nice shiny new one when the weather improves next spring.
Thanks for listening,
Cheers,
Ed
__________________
Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it, if you live.
Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it, if you live.
#2
aspiring dirtbag commuter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: philly
Posts: 2,123
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
you probably could if you had some spare links to repair the broken ones.
it sounds as though if your chain is coming apart in a couple places, it may be so stretched that it could use replacing anyway though.
replacing a 15 dollar chain frequently could save ya from having to replace the whole deal (cassette and rings) with the chain cause they wore down too much under a stretched chain.
apologies if i am repeating previously learned knowledge.
it sounds as though if your chain is coming apart in a couple places, it may be so stretched that it could use replacing anyway though.
replacing a 15 dollar chain frequently could save ya from having to replace the whole deal (cassette and rings) with the chain cause they wore down too much under a stretched chain.
apologies if i am repeating previously learned knowledge.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: London, England
Posts: 72
Bikes: On-one Inbred, On-one Il Pompino & Shonky Singlespeed hack
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Ed Holland
...about 18 months to 2 years old with a good few thousand miles on it.
#5
8speed DinoSORAs
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Oxford, UK or Mountain View, Ca
Posts: 2,749
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks for the input folks
....actually dinner was £4 - a close call considering the chain. I have a new SRAM PC68 chain and cassette ready for action. Yup, I definitely got my money's worth from the chain - it has a noticable elongation (about 3/32" over 12") and I'd been watching it carefully. It was a matter of hoping to save the new gear until after winter.
Considering the price of cassettes for my beloved Sora groupset, it is not economically viable to replace chains more frequently. The flip-side is that I don't need to save hard for replacement parts, so a new chain and cassette every couple of years is not so bad to swallow. I don't believe that these things last as long as they ought to though
Cheers,
Ed
....actually dinner was £4 - a close call considering the chain. I have a new SRAM PC68 chain and cassette ready for action. Yup, I definitely got my money's worth from the chain - it has a noticable elongation (about 3/32" over 12") and I'd been watching it carefully. It was a matter of hoping to save the new gear until after winter.
Considering the price of cassettes for my beloved Sora groupset, it is not economically viable to replace chains more frequently. The flip-side is that I don't need to save hard for replacement parts, so a new chain and cassette every couple of years is not so bad to swallow. I don't believe that these things last as long as they ought to though
Cheers,
Ed
__________________
Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it, if you live.
Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it, if you live.
#6
aspiring dirtbag commuter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: philly
Posts: 2,123
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
IMHO, a nice wide spread of 5 gears in back and three in front with 1/8" wide chains cogs and rings would last way longer and be just as good. i'd buy one for all my bikes!
but who wants to build a drivetrain that would never need replacing?
but who wants to build a drivetrain that would never need replacing?
#7
Steel is Real.
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Lakeside, CA
Posts: 967
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
You can frequently buy Dura Ace chains, or Sram PC89/99's, for < $20. Considering a tank of gas for my CRX ran $18 the other day, I could replace a chain a week and still save money over using the car. If I had an SUV, I could replace a bike a month on the gas money. Those things are costing $50-60 to fill and most people I know fill once a week.
#8
8speed DinoSORAs
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Oxford, UK or Mountain View, Ca
Posts: 2,749
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Max - I agree entirely, those things used to seem to last forever, the sprockets were 'ard as nails.
Mark - where are you finding such high quality chains at those prices? I'd be interested to know as I'm often over in LA. The gas comparison is no use to me, I don't have a car
Again cheers for the replies,
Ed
Mark - where are you finding such high quality chains at those prices? I'd be interested to know as I'm often over in LA. The gas comparison is no use to me, I don't have a car
Again cheers for the replies,
Ed
__________________
Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it, if you live.
Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it, if you live.
#9
Right calf grease tattoo
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Alpharetta GA
Posts: 200
Bikes: '02 Alpe D'Huez
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Ed Holland
Snap, crunch, Ow my plums, ooooeeeeeeeyyyy, Phew!
At the bottom of a steep hill 1/3 of a mile from home. The guys at the bike shop (to which i walked the next day) said it probably happened because of a dirty chain. Also, the bike was in a gear too high at the bottom of the hill. There was definitely pedal-mashing happening when the chain broke. Fixed it with a repair link.
#10
Steel is Real.
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Lakeside, CA
Posts: 967
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Ed Holland
Max - I agree entirely, those things used to seem to last forever, the sprockets were 'ard as nails.
Mark - where are you finding such high quality chains at those prices? I'd be interested to know as I'm often over in LA. The gas comparison is no use to me, I don't have a car
Again cheers for the replies,
Ed
Mark - where are you finding such high quality chains at those prices? I'd be interested to know as I'm often over in LA. The gas comparison is no use to me, I don't have a car
Again cheers for the replies,
Ed