London Fixed-gear and Single-speed

Hello there,

Im rebuilding my fixie bike for some commuting.

IN its last incarnation during the cold winter. I ran it as a single speed with a 1/8 gold kmc chain wrapping around 38-14 gearing if I remember correctly.

The salty spray off the winter streets basically totally destroyed the chain within a couple of weeks.

I wanted to run it as fixed anyway, so i thought Id just bung it in the shed for a

while. (plus I had a puncture!)

So I am now have some road cranks with 52t on em, and a 19-20 flip-flop track wheel.

So I need a road/mtb length chain to wrap around all of that. I imagine?

Im looking at these chains to deal with rust issues:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=25653

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=25425

I think I would benifit from the strength of a 1/8 chain as im running fixed, but will any of these be long enough?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=11284

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=11287

Im not looking for anything fancy or lightweight here, just wanted advice on what would work best and any other suggestions. Cheaper would be better!

If anyone knows of a GOLD rust proof chain it would be awesome though as it would match the colour-scheme of my bike!

did the chain really get destroyed in a couple of weeks?

i've run my KMC for over a year, haven't even cleaned it, it's fine.

Ignore me, I read something about NY into this.
I don't know how.

Indeed it was, well it was rusted solid at least.

it was perfectly oiled with some decent quality mtb stuff.

Rode it for a couple weeks, in which it started to "look" a little tired despite me maintaining it - but still ran perfect.

Then one friday after riding through the gritted carpark of my Uni, and forgetting to wipe off my bike once i got home.

Coome monday morning its all bright red completely totally siezed.

do you leave it outside?

leave it in a little mini bike shed i built.

3 walls and a roof - bikes stay dry.

but the damp gets in still

Do you store your bike in a bathtub full of salty water?

I've never had a chain do anything like that and I ride in all conditions..


Anyway, you need to know the width of your chainring and cog before choosing a chain. If you have 3/32 chainring and cog you need 3/32 or 1/8th chain. If either chainring or cog are 18th you need a 1/8th chain.

KMC do a line of chains they claim are extra rust resistant. that's about the best i think you hope for, unless there is a chain made out of tungsten or some rust-less metal that would cost more than the bikes' worth lol.

p.s.

salt is never a good thing. the chlorides oxidise almost anything. Blame the salt not the chain :)

tungsten is a fairly soft metal

maybe it's tungsten carbide or some other compound.

i say get any chain, they're all the same to me.

+1

Never had a chain seize or rust, clean + oil every now and again.

You might be thinking of the KMC KOOL Chain SL Ti-Nitride - which is gold as it is coated in titanium Nitride - which makes it super hard wearing.

why do they use it for drill tips then ? or is that an alloy of tungsten or something totally different ?

tungsten carbide

i think you're doing something wrong. i'm not sure what, but clearly something.

+1

I just GT85 regularly if winter riding through crap and leaving bike outside and I douse the whole drivetrain before leaving the clunkatron under it's cover for extended periods outside.

It's good enough for tank tracks

http://www.atsh97.dsl.pipex.com/gt/w...co.uk/reme.jpg

Its a bit ironic for me to say so, but Isnt GT85 like WD40? A sort of thin spray grease ? - thats "de-greases" chains?

Oh and in reply to everyone else,

Im not making any complaints about the kmc z chain, Ive ran one on my bmx for perhaps 8 years solid, and its been perfect.

But I didnt ride my bmx everday on rainy winter streets.

They gritted very frequently where I am this winter, and I just dont want the faff of having to clean & oil my chain EVERY time I ride it.

I think leaving it in an outdoor bike hut has nothing to do with it either, as theres other bikes in there plus Ive seen other peoples bikes left fully exposed all year round outdoors which look fine.

- My main query which I was seeking advice for was if any of those rust-proof chains I posted links of above^^ are long enough to wrap around 52-20 or 52-19 gearing.

I have a wheel with two cogs, one for 3/32 and one for 1/8

I could be wrong, and I am basing my opinion of it on the 2% thoriated tungsten we use for TIG welding

AFAIK - GT85 contains graphite, a better lubricant. WD40 does lube too, but contains no graphite - more a general purpose spray.

I use a KMC Silver chain on a road frame designed for 27" wheels with 52x20 gearing and its long enough to have a couple of links to left over.

Naaa wd40 is not a proper lubricant, it's a water displacer/penetrant really. I've seen a thread on a BMX forum where people got quite heated over this issue. Use it on damp spark plugs or something, but not your phat gold chain.

You really need to clean and re-lube the chain every time you've been out in the wet if you're using an aerosol type spray (GT85 etc). You could use a heavier oil like 3 in 1, but then you'd be riding around with a load of dirt stuck to your chain

Jeez you guys talk some crap.
If the chain is rusted, oil it. If its got crap on it, wipe it down with a rag, then oil it. I get at least a year out of cheap SRAM PC48 chains with no maintenance other than a quick squirt with WD40, then a wipe down with a rag about once a month. I use Finish Line chain lube, the stuff for wet mountain bike races, but Phil's tenacious oil would also be good.
WD40 is a dispersant, but it's also a lubricant, go google it. It's just not a good lubricant in this application.
Remember, someth ing has to wear out in any application where you have loads of friction, by all means put on a super tough titanium nitrided chain, but then don't come crying back on here when it wears out your £35 chainring and £20 sprocket. Treat the chain as disposable and swap it regularly, at £4 a pop the PC48 has to be the best deal going. I pay more for my chain lube!

I agree with all your points,

thats why I only intend to buy a cheap chain.

Like I said, Ive ran a z chain on my bmx for 8years!

I know exactly what WD40 is and what its good for, - definteley not for "oiling" chains. (I use MTB graphite oil for that)

It is however good for helping to loosen rust.

My chain was really rusted soild, I did all manner of stuff trying to clean it (wd40, teflon spray, petrol, parraffin, soft wire brush) it would work now, but its brown & lumpy!

Without the stresses of gear shifting, any chain should last a couple years of hard riding in my opinion. Not 2 weeks.

I know if id remembered to clean the standard gold z chain, it wouldve done the job.

But like I said, its a total faff doing it so often.

So I expect these chains to be at least a little better.

just want to get the right length! - preferably in a 1/8x1/2 aswell.

Great thats what I needed to know,

can I just make sure that you are on about a 1/8x1/2 - BMX/singlespeed type chain?

there's this internet maintenance site telling people not to use WD40 and GT85 lol. i disagree cos the oil acts like flypaper does to flies, dirt sticks to the chain. so, all in all, spraying your chain with a solid lubricant dispersed into the solvent oil, such as teflon or graphite is the best way when done frequently. dirt does not stick and your chain stays clean.


http://bicycletutor.com/no-wd40-bike-chain/

I think ive seen that site before.

Spray stuff like WD40 sort of "dissolve" and clean away "real" thicker bike oil.

I use WD40 to clean away grease, after wiping of the thing is bone dry (WD40 evaporates)

Best oil practice is to wet the whole thing, spin cranks work it round, then get a rag and wipe off all you can. this leaves the contact points lightly but adequateley oiled (too much can cause chain stretch) but the exposed part mostly dry so no crap sticks to it.

indeed

In a word - Yes.

GT85 contains PTFE aka Teflon and works well for surface rust prevention. Use in addition to a proper chain lube.