Do Recumbent Trike Chains Suffer Less Road Muck?

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Psamathe
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Do Recumbent Trike Chains Suffer Less Road Muck?

Post by Psamathe »

Do chains on recumbent trikes suffer fewer road muck issues?

What made me wonder was that a significant portion of the chain is in-front of wheels, plus the front wheels are not in-line with chain so muck thrown-up misses chain? But is this how things work in practice or do other factors cancel any benefits? Do recumbent chains last more miles (though maybe that's a separate issue)?

Ian
UpWrong
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Re: Do Recumbent Trike Chains Suffer Less Road Muck?

Post by UpWrong »

They certainly last longer because there are more links to take the wear. Chain tubes help keep the muck off but lubrication gradually turns to grime regardless.

PS. A rather nice Sprint RS has come up on eBay located Exeter if you haven't already committed.
Psamathe
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Re: Do Recumbent Trike Chains Suffer Less Road Muck?

Post by Psamathe »

UpWrong wrote:....
PS. A rather nice Sprint RS has come up on eBay located Exeter if you haven't already committed.

Many thanks but I have. But long lead times so a wait ...

So now running through what else I need to consider (e.g. bags, clipless/heel-slings, etc.) as I've got time to consider and decide.

Ian
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Tigerbiten
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Re: Do Recumbent Trike Chains Suffer Less Road Muck?

Post by Tigerbiten »

It depends ............
Above about 10 mph, if you hit a puddle then the spray off the front wheels starts to hit the back of your legs.
So any exposed chain below the seat will also get wet.
If you've a 20" back wheel then in certain gears the chain is only a couple of inches off the ground, so it's easy to give it a bath in a deep puddle.
So somewhere in the range roughly the same to slightly less would be my guess.

Luck .......... :D
KM2
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Re: Do Recumbent Trike Chains Suffer Less Road Muck?

Post by KM2 »

If you make the chain tubes stop as close as possible to the cassette sprockets and rear jockey wheels, it won’t get as dirty, so less wear.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Do Recumbent Trike Chains Suffer Less Road Muck?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Small rear wheels often mean more muck at the back, but less up front.
The tubes help a fair amount, but also there is less 'action' seen by each link between the time they get mucky and the time they can be cleaned (since they go round the system less than half as often, and there isn't any wear caused by just being in tension, it's bending round that grinds stuff).
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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pjclinch
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Re: Do Recumbent Trike Chains Suffer Less Road Muck?

Post by pjclinch »

Psamathe wrote:Do chains on recumbent trikes suffer fewer road muck issues?

What made me wonder was that a significant portion of the chain is in-front of wheels, plus the front wheels are not in-line with chain so muck thrown-up misses chain? But is this how things work in practice or do other factors cancel any benefits? Do recumbent chains last more miles (though maybe that's a separate issue)?


On my bike I get a lot less chain degradation from crunge, mainly from not being in the path of throw from the front wheel.

Lasts longer generally as more links... but you do have to buy 3 at a time when it's finally time!

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
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