Dural 'v' Zicral

[Mick F]

That LPS3 stuff sounds interesting. I'd often thought the best sort of lube would be something which sprayed or dripped on with a solvent to make sure it went into all the nooks and crannies and then dried like a wax to fill up said gaps and prevent grit from getting inside the chain links.

I keep plucking up the courage to order a can.
http://www.lpslabs.com/product_pg/corro ... /LPS3.html

http://www.cromwell.co.uk/LPS7271170P

[niggle]

Well looking back many years later.

The Stronglight Dural middle ring did 5,000 miles which was two chains and one cassette.
The TA Zicral which replaced is getting retired at 12,000 which is two cassettes and 5 chains.
The outer ring is a Dural and still not worn.

The TA is a very nice ring and it has worn with a beautiful polished finish but it needs replacing.

Financially it was about a draw. However now the Zicral is relatively more expensive.

The next ring to be tested should be a steel Sora ring, so that may take a very long time for the results to come in.

My Sora triple chainset is still functioning OK at about 11000 miles, just fitted third new chain and first new cassette. The steel middle is looking similar to the "Getting a bit worn" one pictured by DoctorRad, but the alloy outer is less worn. The 30T inner ring was replaced with an Onza Buzz Saw stainless 26T at 5000 miles so not really able to comment on the durability of that one (BTW the Onza 26T is a complete and utter bargain at £2.99 plus £3.50 P+P, as well as an easy way of lowering the gearing on a Shimano road triple: http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/onza-buz ... 25051.html) the Onza looks pretty much unworn. I clean the chainset with a toothbrush and kerosene if there is any gunge on it when I take the chain off to clean it, it is a lot easier to do with the chain off.

[Brucey]

IME the thing that really beats the poop out of chainrings is running them with worn chains. In second place comes riding them dirty (which of course also wears the chain at high speed).

On IGHs steel chainrings can last 30000 miles, easy. More than that (a lot more than that) if they are inside a nice chaincase.

cheers

[niggle]

IME the thing that really beats the poop out of chainrings is running them with worn chains. In second place comes riding them dirty (which of course also wears the chain at high speed).

On IGHs steel chainrings can last 30000 miles, easy. More than that (a lot more than that) if they are inside a nice chaincase.

cheers

I have a 40T Thorn single speed chainring on my Carrera Subway 8, which has done about 8000 miles with no obvious sign of wear, I have been running an 1/8" KMC chain and 1/8" SA 19T sprocket since about 4000 miles and keep it fairly loose, they have done some quite dirty off road rides lately but plenty of life left in them as well, unlike the best bike I just wipe and re-oil the chain when it looks like it needs it. Previously I was using a 3/32" sprocket and chain (single speed type) and that wore a lot quicker.

[reohn2]

........ The 30T inner ring was replaced with an Onza Buzz Saw stainless 26T at 5000 miles so not really able to comment on the durability of that one (BTW the Onza 26T is a complete and utter bargain at £2.99 plus £3.50 P+P......... .........http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/onza-buz ... 25051.html) the Onza looks pretty much unworn.

Do you know if these are 74BCD

I clean the chainset with a toothbrush and kerosene if there is any gunge on it when I take the chain off to clean it, it is a lot easier to do with the chain off.

Have you tried a chain scrubber with the chain insitu?
I've used one with this stuff:- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200824525632? ... 1497.l2649
and am pleased how quickly it cleans and degreases

[DoctorRad]

Have you tried a chain scrubber with the chain insitu?

I may be wrong, but I am convinced that while these devices get the outside of the chain very clean, they cannot ever get the inside of the chain - where the grit-as-lapping-compound lives - properly clean. This is why I always remove the chain, soak in citrus degreaser and then rinse until the water runs clear before refitting.

With a chain cleaning device, you're surely just effectively cleaning the chain in its own bathwater, with no rinse to carry away the dirt and grit?

[niggle]

Do you know if these are 74BCD

Have you tried a chain scrubber with the chain insitu?
I've used one with this stuff:- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200824525632? ... 1497.l2649
and am pleased how quickly it cleans and degreases

Yes 74mm BCD 5 arm so fit Shimano road triple.

I remove my chain to clean and immerse it in kerosene (about 80p per liter and can be reused over and over). I clean the outer crud off with toothbrush and agitate it in the kerosene, then rinse and agitate in white spirit (again can be reused). I don't believe this takes any longer than the chain scrubber if you take into account set-up and removal and cleaning time for that device, plus I think it is more effective as there is always a little silt left in the second rinse with the white spirit.

[reohn2]

Yes 74mm BCD 5 arm so fit Shimano road triple......

Thanks for that Niggle

[reohn2]

With a chain cleaning device, you're surely just effectively cleaning the chain in its own bathwater, with no rinse to carry away the dirt and grit?

It depends how mucky the chain is,if it's really bad it gets the full treatment in a jar of WS

[Mick F]

Now, I never thought of that!
Seriously.

I imagined a chain scrubber thingy taking the place of a proper clean in a jar etc.

I never thought of using one (say) weekly to keep the chain clean. Keep on top of chain cleaning, and the chain may go for few months between being pulled off and given the "Jar and Gunk" treatment.

Food for thought.

[Brucey]

Mad thought;

surely what we need is something that, on a perfectly clean chain, penetrates into the links and bushes and provides long-term lubrication.

Then, over the top of that, we have 'something else' to lubricate the rollers, prevent short-term corrosion etc, which doesn't mix with the first lot, and can be washed off at intervals, taking all the dirt away with it.

In use you would use solvent A (water? In a chain scrubber? weekly?) to remove the 'top coat' and all the dirt on the outside of the chain. Then at greater intervals, use solvent B to clean the chain properly, then replace the bushing lube.

well...?

[531colin]

I can see a bijou snaglet with a water-soluble chain lube......

[reohn2]

Mad thought;

surely what we need is something that, on a perfectly clean chain, penetrates into the links and bushes and provides long-term lubrication.

Then, over the top of that, we have 'something else' to lubricate the rollers, prevent short-term corrosion etc, which doesn't mix with the first lot, and can be washed off at intervals, taking all the dirt away with it.

In use you would use solvent A (water? In a chain scrubber? weekly?) to remove the 'top coat' and all the dirt on the outside of the chain. Then at greater intervals, use solvent B to clean the chain properly, then replace the bushing lube.

well...?

I think that's got legs
Finnishline green or chainsaw oil for the inner bits(applied then wipe off any surplus when it's"soaked" in) and TF2 for outer,maybe worth a try
I think someone has suggested that before and I said I'd give it a go,but this colander that I laughingly call a brain has let it slip through one of the holes

[Brucey]

the problem is that the solvents in most thin spray lubes also dissolve the heavy lube. What we need is a pairing that isn't like this.

cheers

[jb]

Chain cleaners - a salesman's dream, they make the outside shiny nice whilst pushing all the grit inside. Their also good at replacing the chain lubricant with chain cleaner which then takes a couple of rides to be replaced with oil.

Ether take them off & clean them regularly, or apply oil often & leave them alone letting the dirt sit harmlessly on the outside.

As a rough test, If you twist a chain between for-finger and thumb a clean chain will be silent, a still contaminated dry chain will crackle.