Threading da'Chain
 

After a year of weekly (not weakly) chain cleaning and re-lube off the bike I have finally become somewhat comfortable with the 'threading it back onto the chain ring and cassette'. Questions for all you pro's out there. I'll value all techniques......

1. Is the process painless?
2. Do you start threading at the cassette or chain ring?
3. Is it fun?
4. Can you do it in the dark blindfolded?
5. Does your wife, kids, and pet go hide?

If anyone has advise I'm all ears........

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...beb1a916bd.jpg

I start at the top of the chainring, through the FD, over top of the cassette, snake through the RD, and join the chain with a masterlink at the bottom. For added fun, I don't let the freshly waxed chain cool down after coming out of the crockpot, so it's a 220º affair. Leather glove on one hand, a shop towel in the other. You get really good at installing the chain quickly and efficiently when making mistakes you know... flings molten hot wax on you.

The only really tricky part is that many rear derailleurs have a tab on the back side of the derailleur arm that you have to thread the chain under. If you overlook that little tab you'll get the chain all reconnected only find you have dragging when you try to crank it. Then you get to do the job all over again.

I, of course, would never be so stupid as to make such a silly mistake but some of the other guys...

First I was going to say what a nice clean bike, then I noticed the rest of your shop. I wish that I could be that tidy. ;)

Been there, done that ... twice.

Dang Tournament has come a long way, that looks great.

• Start at the lower derailer pulley.
• Not really "fun" but whatever floats your boat
• I avoid it by not having to clean chains. Cleaning chains "weekly" is far more painful than putting the chain back on.

My chains...on all bikes...gets cleaned exactly once. I clean it when I install it, use wax based lubricant and never take it off again until it is worn out...about 3000 miles later. With 7 bikes in rotation, some can take a couple of years to get to the point of needing a new chain while others can take far longer than that.

Chains are cheap (or you should be using cheap chains) and not worth the effort of constantly cleaning them. All you have to lose is the time wasted on cleaning chains.

[QUOTE=cyccommute;20348604[list]

• I avoid it by not having to clean chains. Cleaning chains "weekly" is far more painful than putting the chain back on.
  
  
  Chains are cheap (or you should be using cheap chains) and not worth the effort of constantly cleaning them. All you have to lose is the time wasted on cleaning chains.[/QUOTE

cyccommute,

You are correct about the 'cleaning'. But being an old dirt motorcycle rider that has gobs of time available and being slightly 'anal' it is kinda fun at this point in time. I ride road Monday thru Friday 20 miles in the morning. Down here in coastal Florida my chain gets coated with the salty sugar sand. With the weakly cleaning I hope to help extend my cassette and chainring life.

By the way, last year your gave me some good advise on double butted spokes and where to purchase them. I built up two DT-Swiss rims with Shimano hubs and the spokes. 3,100 miles later no more broken spokes. Thanks again......


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...70c6c5931d.jpg

High gear (small) on the rear and low gear (small) at the front. Makes install much easier

I confess to being an unrepentant chain slob.

When my chain starts making a little noise, I wipe it down with a little WD40 on a rag, wait for it to dry, and drip on the least amount of commercial chain lube (currently ChainL) that I can manage. I wait for a period of time and try to wipe it completely off. Then I wait for it to start making noise again which normally takes a few weeks or so. I do occasionally get chain marks on my legs or arms, but that's what Tub of Towels are for.

I have toyed now and then about becoming a hot waxer but, since becoming a recumbent rider, that's off the table. My chains are 3 times as long as a conventional bike and have to be threaded through chain tubes. Removing the chain for cleaning and re-waxing sounds like way too much trouble.