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How do you keep your chain from being black?

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How do you keep your chain from being black?

Old 06-10-09, 12:27 AM
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How do you keep your chain from being black?

??

Last edited by ddac; 07-20-09 at 05:25 PM.
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Old 06-10-09, 12:54 AM
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Don't bother trying to prevent this from happening.
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Old 06-10-09, 01:25 AM
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ride it with pride.
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Old 06-10-09, 01:29 AM
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buy a black chain

"that's the way it's supposed to look"

but in all seriousness, it will get dirty no matter what. the only people who will give you s*** for a dirty chain are people on this forum
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Old 06-10-09, 01:39 AM
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I read in Zinn's book that after lubing the chain, you should wipe it down with a clean dry cloth.

He said you want grease in the recesses of the links, on the outside of the chain there is no need for the grease, also, grease is sticky so that dirt will accumulate. And that dirt can work it's way in between the links and cause wear.
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Old 06-10-09, 01:40 AM
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Do what 99% of this forum does. Don't ride your bike.
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Old 06-10-09, 01:47 AM
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Are you implying that some people do actually ride their bikes?

I thought this forum was all about how to build up a nice track bike to mount on the wall. The road forum is for people who actually ride isn't it!
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Old 06-10-09, 01:48 AM
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Just keep wiping the excess. Do it everyday!
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Old 06-10-09, 04:36 AM
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Nah, the road forum is for people that cosplay on weekends when the weather's nice and think they are the only real cyclists.
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Old 06-10-09, 04:58 AM
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Dry wax lube, but it'll still get dirty, just won't rub off as much
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Old 06-10-09, 04:58 AM
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Try a different lube.
Personally I like the rock and roll lube.

I only have to reapply it after a ride through heavy rain, plus it cleans and lubes the chain.
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Old 06-10-09, 06:35 AM
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Originally Posted by ddac
Ok, sorry for the confusion.....

To clear things up, I'm not worried about the aesthetics.

I want to prevent my fingers from being dirty when I lock up the bike. I use a Krypto NY Chain. And the final step is putting the disc lock through the chainring. It gets my lock all greasy (in additional to my fingers).

I also want to prevent the chainring tattoo on my pants/leg.

I'll post a picture of the way I lock up and you'll see why I'm annoyed with a dirty chain.
You ask for the impossible.

I suggest you don't put the lock through the CR and get a chain guard. Disposable nitrile gloves also work well.

If you find a lube that doesn't get black after 30 miles and actually works, let everyone on this forum know about it. You will instantly have 1000's of friends.

You could go to a belt drive. This is a major advantage belts have over chains.

Last edited by captsven; 06-10-09 at 06:40 AM. Reason: forgot ****
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Old 06-10-09, 06:51 AM
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the dry lubes may help a little bit, but road grime is pretty much unavoidable.
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Old 06-10-09, 07:15 AM
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Wax lube (white lightning) works ok in this regard. The idea is that when it gets dirty it just flakes off.

Now, it won't work as well as real wet lube, but you'll avoid some of the chainring tattoos and such.
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Old 06-10-09, 07:53 AM
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Do you think it is necessary to lock up that thoroughly? Maybe it is where you live ... but it sounds like it could possibly be excessive.
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Old 06-10-09, 08:47 AM
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+1 to wax.

i use pedro's ice wax. dob on, wipe off, dob on, wipe off... at least once a day. is there grit on my chain? yes. but does it still look nice and shiny and new after three months? you bet!

there's lots of discussion on ice wax at https://www.mtbr.com/cat/accessories/...47_131crx.aspx
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Old 06-10-09, 09:02 AM
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Originally Posted by ddac
My finger turns black. WTF?

Did the lube turn black due to usage? Or is it just crap in the air that was picked up? Any idea how I can prevent this from happening?
Black is ok, it happens.

Don't want to get things dirty? Don't touch your chain. It's probably not necessary to lockup your chainring.
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Old 06-10-09, 09:34 AM
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The chain is a very vulnerable and important component on the bike and therefore requires regular maintenance (cleaning and lubrication) to remain relatively trouble free while performing all its tasks. The alternative is frequent replacement but that in and of itself is maintenance. Maintenance (or in your case just touching such a component) is frequently dirty work especially when that component is positioned down near the souce of grime stirred up by the wheels riding on the trails, roads, etc, and having some sort of grime attracting lube to help it run more smoothly for a longer time. But in your case you might carry a pair of latex gloves.
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Old 06-10-09, 09:39 AM
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About the gloves, I think he worries also about his actual lock getting greasy, which will transfer grease to whatever he is holding his lock with.
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Old 06-10-09, 11:30 AM
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dont lock your chainring.
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Old 06-10-09, 12:29 PM
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i just switched to ice wax for the drier summer months...it works really well and the chain doesn't get nearly as gunked up
i was using 'chain j' before

so, just get the right lube for the conditions you ride in
 
Old 06-10-09, 12:39 PM
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Get an enclosed chain case.
They are very popular in England.
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Old 06-10-09, 12:45 PM
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Originally Posted by rudetay
Wax lube (white lightning) works ok in this regard. The idea is that when it gets dirty it just flakes off.
It works beautifully in SoCal weather, not sure about you Northerners
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Old 06-10-09, 12:45 PM
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did you bother to clean all the crap that collected on your chaingring and cog when you cleaned your chain? thats like cleaning a white shirt and rolling around in the mud again wondering why your shirt is still dirty.
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Old 06-10-09, 12:59 PM
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After you clean and oil the chain, grab a copy of War and Peace and start wiping it down.

You should be bored out of your skull and a few hundred revolutions of the crank is not excessive... just make sure you stay clear of the chain ring and rear cog as we know how nasty that can be.

The chain should feel dry when you are done and then do this again after you have ridden some miles as the oil from the inside will work itself out.

Under most riding conditions, 800 miles is too long to go without giving your chain a really deep cleaning.

I know many folks who run two chains and swap them at regular intervals to even out the wear... the unused chain gets a solvent bath while the other is at work and this appears to greatly extend chain life.
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