Replacing Campag 9 speed chain

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GideonReade
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Joined: 4 Jul 2010, 10:46pm

Replacing Campag 9 speed chain

Post by GideonReade »

Hi, I have a default answer to this, but I guess it's worth asking anyway.

I just measured chain wear on my noughties road bike, with low end Campag 9 speed groupset. That works fine, although I may soon regret the lack of a compact double option. Anyway, this is the original chain, cos only the last two summers has this bike seen much use. Chain wear is now in the 0.5-0.75 range. So, time to refresh.

In my box of bits, I have a KMC X9, and a KMC X9L. I'm inclined to fit the latter.

Any advice to the contrary?
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foxyrider
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Re: Replacing Campag 9 speed chain

Post by foxyrider »

which one looks the prettiest? :D
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
GideonReade
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Joined: 4 Jul 2010, 10:46pm

Re: Replacing Campag 9 speed chain

Post by GideonReade »

The L, it's shinier!
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Mick F
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Re: Replacing Campag 9 speed chain

Post by Mick F »

If your chain is THAT worn, you may be needing some new sprockets or a whole cassette as a new chain will jump.
Mick F. Cornwall
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foxyrider
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Re: Replacing Campag 9 speed chain

Post by foxyrider »

GideonReade wrote: 13 Aug 2022, 8:07pm The L, it's shinier!
question answered!
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
GideonReade
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Joined: 4 Jul 2010, 10:46pm

Re: Replacing Campag 9 speed chain

Post by GideonReade »

Mick F wrote: 14 Aug 2022, 12:37pm If your chain is THAT worn, you may be needing some new sprockets or a whole cassette as a new chain will jump.
I thought 0.5 but before 0.75 was the trigger for replacing just the chain? I've been fine with that on wide ratio Shimano setups, is Campag, or close ratio different?
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Mick F
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Re: Replacing Campag 9 speed chain

Post by Mick F »

Having used Campag 9sp and 10sp for many years, if the chain wears, so do the smaller cogs.
Same happens with Shimano too. Been there, done it.

It all depends - I suppose - on how many times you use the smaller cogs.
I tend to use them all, so when my chain wears, so do the smaller ones. The fewer the teeth, the more they wear.

I had a cassette for some years with the smallest sprocket being 11t.
I bought a job lot of spare 11t, and as they wore, I fitted another.

Since then, I've had cassettes with the smallest being 12t, and they wear far less.
The "fashion" for smaller and smaller smallest cogs, and the fashion for smaller chainrings, make it all wear much much faster.

Bigger rings and bigger cogs wear FAR less .............. but there's less money in it for the companies producing it.

New chains are cheaper than a new cassette. Buy three chains - A B and C.
Swap them over every few months, and wear them all out, for only one cassette. The more worn the chain, the more the cassette gets worn.
Mick F. Cornwall
GideonReade
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Joined: 4 Jul 2010, 10:46pm

Re: Replacing Campag 9 speed chain

Post by GideonReade »

Cheers Mick,

That's good info. I'm honestly not sure how, statistically, I use my gears, certainly they're all used but in hours, I dunno. I'm sure the 11T is little used, as I set the FD to tinkle a little if fully crossed, and it does 40mph in toptop. Not sure about its neighbour.

Possibly I mostly use the lower 6 or so, as generally I find the bike* high geared, although I'm sort of enjoying the challenge after decades of 28minus to 28plus tourers &MTBs. In the context, here in the S Downs, few road hills are really steep.

*52/39 11/23. Discussed elsewhere.

Although I do manage to track some maintenance, I don't think I can manage reliable & timely chain rotation across <mumble> different bikes, especially with hers too.

More info?
https://cyclingtips.com/2019/08/bicycle ... ng-for-it/
GideonReade
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Joined: 4 Jul 2010, 10:46pm

Re: Replacing Campag 9 speed chain

Post by GideonReade »

Well, I used the KMC X9L. Gave the transmission a good clean while chain was off. Loads of grot between the cogs. Stripped and regreased the jockeys - no sign of wear but some dried up 20 year old grease.

Only a short ride, curtailed by - gasp - rain. But it glided along perfectly. Interestingly I accidentally crossed it a couple of times, both ways. Completely silent, before it tinkled very slightly (beneficial). Bike got wet, which this one isn't supposed to!

Hard to estimate mileage on the bike. Maybe 3000km this year, similar totalling since 2018, then 500km a year for about 5 other years, err, 8,500km or so. Huge potential error in that figure, but that's just a tad less than I was getting on our heavy tourers, used in all weathers.

In the past I've simply put chains on as bought then lubed as required with dry or wet oil based lube. Got lots of confusing advice from friends about upgrading my lubing process. Surely if we were all supposed to soak in solvent for X process, then dry for X hours, then soak in X lube, before use, the first mfr who introduced a ready to fit chain would totally clean up the market? In the end I followed KMC's advice and wiped off the outside OEM grease, put it in, then lubed with my choice.

Done.
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