The chain is a design classic. Although it has some fiddly components it's something that has proven difficult to substitute. In larger systems (cars, motor bikes etc) it's possible to use drive shafts and belts but for as long as bicycles use derailleur gears the chain will be with us. It's a maintenance intensive bit of kit and gets absolutely filthy whenever it's used. This is a bit inconvenient as it works best when clean. Also, when it's dirty, it begins to eat itself and the other parts it comes into contact with. Neglect it's cleanliness and it will cost you money.
The hassle of taking care of it can be lessened by the regime outlined later on. It may seem a drag at first but it will prolong the life of your chain, derailleurs, rear cassette and chainrings. It also makes it a bit easier to clean everything properly . The first sections below will let you see what you're cleaning, where the muck collects and why it's important to at look after a chain before during and after a ride.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN BIKING
ADVENTURES
Trail Tips
CHAIN BASICS
Printer friendly pages to work with at your bike
Chain Anatomy
On the R are the components of a non- Shimano chain. The peculiarities of Shimano chains are covered below
1. Rollers : The contact points which meet the teeth of the chainwheels at the front and the sprockets at the rear.
2 Inner Plates : Carry the rollers on flanges seen around the drillings.
3 Outer Plates : Sit outside of the inner plates and are often chamfered to ease shifting.
4 Link Pin : also referred to as a rivet, it holds all other components together and bears the bulk of the forces transmitted through the system
On the L is an aerial view of assembled chain waiting for the final link to be joined.
When cleaning and lubricating it's important to pay attention to the interfaces between 1 & 2 and 2 & 3
A load of muck can collect between the rollers (1) and the pin (4) shortening its life if not cleaned regularly.
On the R is a chain tool being applied to punch out a chain pin/rivet. The action of rotating the tool causes the tool's pin to advance and push out the pin/rivet. The process is reversed for assembly
A feature of the Crank Bros tool (opposite) is that it cannot drive the rivet right out of the link. Although, on rare occasions it might be desirable to completely remove a rivet in the workshop it's nearly always desirable to leave a portion of the rivet in place as it is almost impossible to fit back in. Anything that avoids this is a boon on the trail when time/cold/heat/ patience and biting beasties may be pressing and you don't want to be searching for a 5mm piece of metal in the grass.
On the trail the chain tool will most often be called upon to split links only to use them for re-joining after one has snapped. Also, when a chain becomes trapped behind a cassette or chainring assembly it may need to be split to be fed through the obstruction before being re-joined. When that happens it's always worth taking the time to look for any other damaged links that need to be replaced.
For thorough cleaning and maintenance checks a chain should be removed. A simple way (avoiding the use of a chain tool) exists for this purpose and also aids the in getting a chain off the bike in an emergency when it has become trapped.
The clever little doofers on the L allow the chain to be joined and split whenever the need arises without the use of tools. Made by SRAM and called Powerlinks they make life so much easier. In particular they allow a thorough cleaning regime to be adopted that will lengthen drive train life and ensure less chain related problems when out riding. They can be effectively applied to Shimano chains.
CLEANING YOUR CHAIN
A chain that is kept clean will last longer, work better and it will be easier to spot any defects on it. Some folk simply add lube to the chain after each ride. While this makes sure it doesn't dry out, any dirt present will remain to create a grinding paste that accelerates wear and tear. So, getting rid of this stuff is a priority.
I now use the Scottoiler AFS which makes life an awful lot easier. You can find out more about it here.
However, if you want to persist with traditional methods you still need things to be clean to work and last. Hosing is not always effective. No matter how careful you are, hosing can spray oily residue onto rims and discs leaving additional work. Unless it's really highly powered (remember that the manufactureres are always on about how their product is immovable!) a hose doesn't do a good job in the spaces between the rollers and link pins or between the plates themselves. Any careless application of a powerful pressure washer jet, on to bearings etc, can force water and dirt into them leading to corrosion.
You can buy cleaning devices that clamp on to your chain while it's on the bike. These contain brushes and clean the chain using a bath of solvents that act on it when you turn the pedals to work the chain through it. This definitely does an acceptable job. However, after a couple of uses the unit itself can need cleaning. Eventually the brushes need to be replaced and parts begin to get broken. You also need to make sure you rinse all the solvent from every nook and cranny. This can be difficult to do but is essential. Most lubes work best applied to a clean & dry chain. Any solvent residue left will weaken the staying power of anything that's applied. It's also worth considering whether or not all the dirt has actually been removed as this will hold on to the solvent too.
Here's a method you might want to consider. It involves the removal of the chain. this actually takes less time than other methods if you're intent on proper cleaning of the chain. It's low-tech and guaranteed to get more dirt shifted than almost any other option. Except the Scottoiler!
1. At the end of the ride remove the chain and place it in a coffee jar (or can with a lid) that contains solvent.
2 . Once the chain is off it's very much easier to effectively clean the chainrings, sprockets and derailleurs. Thus, time is saved and you're less likely to allow a build up of filth in these areas.
3. Clean the bike to your satisfaction
4. Replace thoroughly cleaned, dried, and lubed chain.
With the Powerlink this is dead easy, it's just a matter of twisting the link to open the chain. What works for many riders is to have 2-3 chains which are alternated between rides. A clean chain can be waiting to put on the bike and the dirty one cleaned at your leisure. Here's one option for the actual cleaning of them.
(a) The chain gets get a good soak in the solvent (see 1 above) to loosen and dissolve everything. An energetic shake will help the process (be careful if it's a glass jar).
(b) Chain is removed from the solvent and wiped with a rag to take off residue before being washed in mildly soapy warm water.
(c) Soap is rinsed off in very hot water to remove soap and the salt it contains. Chain is run through a folded clean rag to take off the bulk of the water. Residual heat helps it air dry quickly.
(d) Fresh lube is then applied to clean metal and the chain kept ready.
The solution can be re-used and any particles of grit filtered out by straining it through a cloth. Old contaminated solvent should be disposed of at your local authority's facility for oils etc. This isn't traditional Scottish thrift creeping in here, it's got an environmental side to it too. When you actually see the gunk that comes off you should think of the damage caused if you just rinse your chain off into the drains. This is another reason I favour the Scottoiler as the solutions used are water based and inherently biodegradable.
However, using a Scottoiler system means a gentle hosing cleans up the drivetrain with absolutely no fuss, gunk or additional hoo-hah. Now, for a tired cold rider that's got to be a big bonus. Also, it takes seconds to re-lube the chain. A quick squeeze of the squid and a few turns of the pedals sees it done. No link by link palaver or slobbering on far too much when you're in a hurry or not enough and finding it rusted on the next ride.
Whatever you opt for, you should consider using 2-3 chains on a rotational basis to prolong your drivetrain. You can usually get them cheaper when bought in threes.
Shimano Chains
In use, these work exactly the same way as any other brand of chain. The difference is in the way that they join. You cannot repair a Shimano chain using its standard links. They require special joining pins that need a bit of patience and care to insert and then require to be trimmed using pliers.
Shown on the L larger than life size, the portion to the L (1) is slightly thinner than the holes in the chain plates. This section of the link is designed to act as a guide and aid insertion. Once the guide portion is established the actual link (2) is driven through using a chain tool. The grooves designed to contain the plates can be seen @ (3).
The guide portion is then snapped off aided by the deep groove seen @ (4)
The resulting join is probably stronger than most but cold fingers, darkness, grass & heather, need of a special component in the 1st place introduces too many variables for many peoples' liking. This is a pity as Shimano chains work really well and tend to be slightly cheaper than their SRAM counterparts. So, if you have a Shimano chain fitted remember to carry spare pins and a Powerlink or similar for when you run out of them!
Lubricating Your Chain
Again it has to be pointed out that the Scottoiler AFS is an answer. If it's not for you, a bike-specific lube should be used. Except for trail emergencies lube should only be applied to clean metal. A single drop applied in the area of each joining pin is best. Slobbering on huge quantities will just see it being flung off and/or attracting loads of dirt. Once applied, a couple of turns of the cranks should make sure it's worked its way into the gaps between the plates and rollers etc. The chain should then be wiped of any excess lube.
Dry lubes coat the system in a waxy film which actually flakes off as it's being used. Designed initially for dry conditions, they avoid many of the problems of dust adhering to lubricant for arid conditions. Some dry lubes are now suitable for use in wet conditions but I've yet to try them so can't make comment. The majority of general needs, in typical Scottish conditions, are served by Finish Line Cross Country. This is a universal lubricant that does the business on the chain and is sufficiently versatile to serve emergency duties elsewhere.
Checking Chain Wear
Dirt and lack of lubrication badly affect the performance of your drivetrain but, no mater how clean you keep it, wear and tear are facts of life. Failure to address a worn chain will speed up the rot! Chain links, chainring teeth and rear cassette sprockets all mesh perfectly when new. As the chain wears it lengthens. This adversely affects its interaction with other components and the chain will jump, stick and generally misbehave as it begins to wear and then damage other parts.
The easiest way to check for wear is to get one of the tools on the L. All you need to do is insert (1) into the link so that recess rests against the roller. The tabs at (2) measures the wear.
If the side labeled 1.0 falls between links the chain it must be replaced immediately. If the side labeled 0.75 falls between links you should replace it before long as it has lengthened and will be adversely affecting other parts.
There are other methods to gauge wear such as measuring links with a rule or checking to see if you can pull the chain away from the front rings but using the Park CC-3 (chain checker 3) is clean and dead easy.
