11 Speed Chain Maintenace
 

After riding about 200 mile on my"new" built up Serotta with campy it is time for some chain maintenance. I really prefer to remove the chain and clean it in mineral spirits then re-install and lube. But this will ot be practical with the Campy 11 speed chain.
SO what are you guys doing for 11 speed chain maintenance?

Get a KMC 11s master link.

Depending on your riding style and terrain and weather, you might be able to flush dirt out with frequent lubrication. I've had pretty good luck using ATF. My car mechanic tells me that ATF is designed to hold particles in suspension, i.e. away from solid surfaces.

Unless money is no object, don't even think of using a new Campy connector for each removal/ installation and absolutely don't reuse the same pin. The KMC master link referred to by Shimagnolo is one viable option or, better yet, clean the chain without removing it.

Has anyone had any experience with using a KMC Master link with a Campy 11 speed chain?

This is crazy stuff. All this extra care to have a few more gears? I think I'll stick with 8-speed and similar. The new stuff is so cantankerous.

Remove the original joining pin and the other pin on the same pair of outer plates. Replace with KMC or IRD master link. Either one will work fine.

Don't forget all the extra money. 8-speed here too.

Yes. I have one on my Athena drive train, and a friend of mine has it on a Chorus setup. Works fine.

It's a road bike so the chain shouldn't need that much service. Dry wipe it to remove as much loose stuff as possible, then lube it with whatever you prefer. Be aware that many of the after market lubes aren't nearly as good as what Campy uses, so you might want to wait a bit longer before using a solvent laden oil.

If you have an ultrasonic cleaner you can thoroughly wash the chain while it' still on the bike. Slip it off the cranks, and let it dangle from the chainstay and wash half the chain. Then advance it and wash the other half. Let it dry completely before oiling it.

Park's on the chain cleaner devise, and their cleaning fluid; is convenient,
to use frequently.. a good shop tool..

myself , I use an IGH and use the 8 speed [and less] chain..

For Derailleurs, for myself, I got off the trend bandwagon at 7.

...bad-tempered or argumentative? Not following you there.

I started riding in the mid-80's with 6-speed downtube friction shifters and, over the years my road bikes gradually progressed through:

7-speed indexing downtube shifters
7-speed brifters
8-speed brifters
9-speed brifters
10-speed brifters

From 7-speed on it was all Shimano and the 10-speed stuff is both Shimano and Campy. Along the way my rain bike saw 8-speed barends, Kelly Take-Offs and the Retroshifts now on it.

The upshot of all of this is that each step "up" was no more difficult to install or adjust then the one before it and no more trouble prone or unreliable. I may never get to 11-speed because of the cost and, as you say, at some point, more gears serve no purpose but 10-speed has been just fine.

The new stuff doesn't impose any new maintenance requirements, and functions as well or better that the stuff that cam before. Yes, more speeds means narrower chains, and therefore shorter chain and sprocket life, but otherwise it's no different.

Whether you find that added gearing options is worth the extra dough or not depends on where you live and how you ride. If you live in the plains or along the east coast and ride in flat to lightly rolling terrain 7s or 8s is fine. OTOH if you ride long distances on the road, and/or live in very hilly areas, you'll appreciate every added gearing option.

In any case saying "I'll stick with 8s" is fine, but you may not have any choice in the matter. Eventually parts wear out and top quality 8s is no longer being made. I'm currently riding 7s freewheels on my commuter, and concerned about my future options. Some time soon my rear rim will wear through, and I'll need to decide whether to rebuild on the same hubs, or do an unnecessary and expensive "upgrade" to cassette system with 8s or 9s.

Just an add; ATF fluid and auto brake fluids, while probably pretty effective to clean a grimmy part with, are both excellent paint removers....not sure they have a good place around a nice painted bike. Even as paint removers, there are much better, cheaper and safer products to do that job with.

Brake fluid may damage paint, but ATF is just an oil that shouldn't bother paint. There's nothing similar about the two.

With the current (cheap) price and availability of 7-speed parts, I'm finding it hard to resist stocking up. I ordered 3 more cassettes and one spare freehub body this weekend and still came out under $100. Someday, I'm sure I'll "upgrade" to 10/11/12/13-speed, but why not buy some time? ;)

Is this about how to take care of an 11 speed chain or a debate on if 11 is too many gears to have? I have had a 11 speed chain since early in the year. Have 3300 miles on it and have not taken it off the bicycle yet. I lube it with a high quality lube and wipe the side plates dry. By wiping the side plates dry I remove any grime or junk. This is the same technique I have used since I started with 5 speeds years ago. For me there is no need to break the chain down.

Amen brother!

If this was a new chain I wouldn't clean it just yet. You should be able to get almost 1000 miles on the factory lube.
http://draco.nac.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8d.2.html