a cool wee £3 bell for the karate monkey made by m-parts which attaches by an O ring so you can mount it to any diameter bar or as i did headset spacers- nicely out the way, no more coming up behind walkers freewheeling the clicky hope hub and coughing hopeing they hear it...ring a dingding and keep the flow going!...
and a new chain for the pugsley...
the 3rd at 1550 miles,the chain has took some abuse,look at the stretch...
im impressed at the slight wear on the truvantiv blaze chain rings (22,32) now on the middleburn cranks and the shimano SLX cassette after 1500+ miles...,remmember proberly 2 thirds of this has been on sand...,ive never had mileage out drivechains like this on my glentress bikes,VERDICT; sand and salt water isnt as bad as wind dust allweather tracks (but they are fun!)
first 2 chains have been shimano dura ace (XTR) which are zinc plated- which does eventually rust..., road salt and salt water will eat through the zinc over time,rusting is only an issue if you wash your bike and chain and dont dry and lube the chain and leave it wet...,how ever i have now found a quick spin around the street to help dry a chain then airline it before lubing it after washing seems to work well,i have found the perfect chain lube for the beach... i used to swear by squirt dry lube,and it still is good,no dirt sticks to the chain and cassette, but it is bio degradable and to be so is water based and does wash off after riding through salt water puddles on the beach leaving that dry crunch feeling through the pedals,so i think squirt is perfect for trail centres where even if raining your only out riding 2-3 hours but for the beach with salt water and freshwater crossings and sand and longer ride times im now using castrol motorcycle chain wax..
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this is what i coated the inside of the pugsley frame with,i used it for years on motorcycles as it didnt come off and go over the rim and tyre like most spray grease does,it does attract a bit dirt so unlike when i used squirt lube where i just re applied some after a bike wash i now clean the chain,air line it dry and re-lube it after every beachride,so far so good...,
so i didnt buy a dura ace xtr chain this time as there now £32!!!,so ive bought the shimano HG73 at £13,it isnt zinc plated so will rust quicker but i dont expect as many miles out it as the first 2 chains now the drive chain is starting to wear,
oh check what happend to the XT shadow mechs lower wheel...
the teeth are gone!,ive never seen that,i have one on back order but it is still working ok...
the way i fit a new chain is with the bike on its wheels with chain on smallest front and rear rings to get most slack,i recommend 2 things.., a workshop chain tool and a bent spoke to hold the chain to make the join on shimano chains...
people go on about how hard shimano joining pins are to use..,i dont know what the problem is..,with the chain held with a bent spoke and a workshop chain tool instead of some small multi tools it isnt an issue..,chill..., take your time,if you turn the pin through the links a bit too much and it goes tight you just use the inner holder on a workshop tool and a light pressure will be enough to free the link..job done easy..
the last thing you want for riding on sand is the greased condition a new chain comes in so i had to de-grease it..,if i had any parrifin (kerosene if you live USA/canada)then i would have soaked it in a bath of that then dried it and waxed it but having none i used the chain cleaner with TFR costic cleaner (undeluted)
heres the other tool you should have if you ride offroad...
it will save you money long term,i paid £23 for a park tools chain cleaner as you can buy replacement wheels and foam as a kit though mines 3 years old and still ok,you could buy there bio degradable cleaner (pricey) but i just use costic TFR, parrifin is really good but you shouldnt wash it down the drain..,i pour it into sawdust which then goes onto my open fire-burns well!, note; NEVER use petrol as it will melt the brushes on most chain cleaners!..,the chain is the most neglected part of the bicycle..,we are all guilty-but when you can and do look after it and your bikes gears change as smooth as silk on a bike YOU BUILT and YOU MAINTAIN well that is a really satisfying feeling...-so go clean your drivechains...
The main appeal of my single speed is that it 'apparently' doesn't need much maintance. To give the bike it's due the chain is still running fine, even though I never touch it. However, my headset, bottom bracket and brake calipers are all in serious need of replacement.
ReplyDeletewhy i want to get the alfine hub gear on next year (now)as a straight chainline the way to go,i need/want gears though for the soft sand /roads to the coast, there is a few SS pugsleys around though!
ReplyDeleteHave a go using a Sram chain next time. The "no-tools-required" power-link makes cleaning a breeze as you can take it off the bike in a couple of seconds. I put mine in an empty ice-cream container with a little turpentine (cheap) and brush it with an old paint brush. Even when it started out looking clean there's always lots of sand in the bottom afterwards.
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