First time chain replacement
02-27-26 | 05:19 PM
#76
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02-27-26 | 05:31 PM
#77
Facts just confuse people
Joined: Jul 2017
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From: Mississippi
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
That's what they call it. But it looks pretty much the same to me. Perhaps there was a difference BITD when the forum was younger. Maybe some of the long time members will know. Although sometimes there are options to delete your entire reply in the advanced. Though the questions and checkboxes you have to go through to actually delete a reply can be thwart that effort if one just hits the button without answering them. That's saved my but a times being able to do that.
Though I also suspect you may have meant that comment more as humorous sarcasm! <grin>
Though I also suspect you may have meant that comment more as humorous sarcasm! <grin>
Last edited by Iride01; 02-27-26 at 05:36 PM.
02-27-26 | 06:02 PM
#78
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03-01-26 | 04:38 PM
#79
Thread Starter
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Joined: Mar 2024
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From: Washington, DC metro area
Bikes: Trek Verve 3 Hybrid, Brompton C Explorer, six-speed; had a Serotta titanium Hors Categorie once
Just a wrap-up posting to note that since the old chain ran smoothly and passed the large/large and small/small test, what I finally did was to lay the new and old chains beside one another, link by link. This led me to remove only one link from the new chain and after putting it back on the bike, it works just fine and the position of the derailleur in both configurations looks perfect to me.
Thanks for everyone's patience and for all the great tips and links to relevant sites.
Thanks for everyone's patience and for all the great tips and links to relevant sites.
03-03-26 | 12:54 PM
#80
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From: Washington, DC metro area
Bikes: Trek Verve 3 Hybrid, Brompton C Explorer, six-speed; had a Serotta titanium Hors Categorie once
The chain on my previous 11 speed bike only lasted about 4000 miles. I partly credit the longer life of my new bikes chain to the fact I have Di2 and have set it so that I can never shift to the two rear sprockets with the most teeth if I'm in the big ring. It'll shift to the small ring automatically if lower ratios are needed. Others don't believe that helps. But it's the only thing different, except for the bike and maybe 5 less pounds of weight. On the other bike, I did tend to use the big big combo a lot instead of shifting to the same ratio I could get in the small ring.
I don't remember what your bike is. But if it's 1x, then you have no choice. However if it's 2x or 3x, I'd encourage you to never use the big big combos since there are close to the same ratios with another combination of middle or small front ring and the rear sprockets that will keep your chain line straighter. If it's a e-bike, I'd further encourage you not to accelerate from a stop in a high ratio gear. Even if the motor seems to handle it. That is just putting undue strain on the chain. More strain, more wear. Simple as that. And you can probably accelerate just as fast in a lower ratio if you can pedal a faster rpm.
All IMO, and I'm probably in a minority or even solely of that opinion.
I don't remember what your bike is. But if it's 1x, then you have no choice. However if it's 2x or 3x, I'd encourage you to never use the big big combos since there are close to the same ratios with another combination of middle or small front ring and the rear sprockets that will keep your chain line straighter. If it's a e-bike, I'd further encourage you not to accelerate from a stop in a high ratio gear. Even if the motor seems to handle it. That is just putting undue strain on the chain. More strain, more wear. Simple as that. And you can probably accelerate just as fast in a lower ratio if you can pedal a faster rpm.
All IMO, and I'm probably in a minority or even solely of that opinion.
03-05-26 | 01:06 PM
#81
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From: CA
However if it's 2x or 3x, I'd encourage you to never use the big big combos since there are close to the same ratios with another combination of middle or small front ring and the rear sprockets that will keep your chain line straighter. If it's a e-bike, I'd further encourage you not to accelerate from a stop in a high ratio gear. Even if the motor seems to handle it. That is just putting undue strain on the chain.
Second part of the above quote actually contradicts the first: all other thigs being equal it is specifically big-big that puts less strain on the chain (than the equivalent small-
Last edited by AndreyT; 03-05-26 at 04:56 PM.
03-05-26 | 01:47 PM
#82
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From: Washington, DC metro area
Bikes: Trek Verve 3 Hybrid, Brompton C Explorer, six-speed; had a Serotta titanium Hors Categorie once
First part of the above quote just discards the last couple of decades of bicycle drivetrain development: the Holy Grail of big-big. The entire drivetrain design in 2000s was focused on one single purpose: enabling big-big and what comes with it, e.g. reduced sifting, increased efficiency, reduced chainring-sprocket wear, reduced chain strain.
Second part of the above quote actually contradicts the first: all other thigs being equal it is specifically big-big that puts less strain on the chain (than the equivalent small-bigger combination).
Second part of the above quote actually contradicts the first: all other thigs being equal it is specifically big-big that puts less strain on the chain (than the equivalent small-bigger combination).
03-05-26 | 02:03 PM
#83
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From: NW Oregon
Bikes: 1982 Trek 930R Custom, '91 Diamondback Ascent w/ XT, XTR updates, Fuji Team Pro CF road flyer, Specialized Sirrus Gravel Convert, '09 Comencal Meta 5.5 XC, '02 Marin MBX500, '84 Gitane Criterium bike
First part of the above quote just discards the last couple of decades of bicycle drivetrain development: the Holy Grail of big-big. The entire drivetrain design in 2000s was focused on one single purpose: enabling big-big and what comes with it, e.g. reduced sifting, increased efficiency, reduced chainring-sprocket wear, reduced chain strain.
Second part of the above quote actually contradicts the first: all other thigs being equal it is specifically big-big that puts less strain on the chain (than the equivalent small-bigger combination).
Second part of the above quote actually contradicts the first: all other thigs being equal it is specifically big-big that puts less strain on the chain (than the equivalent small-bigger combination).
the recent engineering changes revolved around improved shift speed, shifting under load, and increasing available wrap to allow ever-wider gearing choices..
that improved tech. always filters down to the lower ranked parts groups, over time.
those changes began well over a decade before your proposed time.
and sometimes, the major improvements get publicly tested on lesser groups, like Shimano's Mega-Range Tourney and Altus groups.
03-05-26 | 04:10 PM
#84
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From: Mid Willamette Valley, Orygun
Bikes: 87 RockHopper,2008 Specialized Globe. Both upgraded to 9 speeds. 2019 Giant Explore E+3
03-05-26 | 05:04 PM
#85
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From: CA
As for "top-level road bikes", it is actually the other way around: top-level road bikes often have shorter chainstays (e.g. rear wheel pushed forward under the seat), meaning that they experience much larger chain skew in big-big configuration. But even these bicycles today have no issues whatsoever with big-big. Meanwhile, your Verve 3 is not even remotely like that - being a "comfort" bike, it has relatively long chainstays. For this bike big-big would not be an issue even if you put some ancient groupset with some ancient chain on it.
Every time you read something about "avoid big-big" or similar nonsense, it is just some nostalgic individual trying to create a reality distortion to bring back the "spirit of the 80s" into our era. You know, those times when there was still some bounce in their bungees and when their drivetrain expertise was still applicable...
Last edited by AndreyT; 03-05-26 at 05:08 PM.
