Technical > Transmission

Chainglider feedback

<< < (4/9) > >>

JohnR:
A cautionary note regarding a Chainglider and the Mercury: I've taken the Chainglider off my Mercury ready for the bike's rehoming and noticed that the Chainglider had worn all the paint off a small part of the seat stay. I knew it was a tight fit and had cut a piece out of the Chainglider where there was minimal clearance (and had put some duct tape over the hole in the Chainglider) but clearly there had been some rubbing. I've put a couple of layers of primer on the affected area (this looks rough but it's very difficult to get a smooth finish with a little touch-up brush). There had been earlier concerns about the Chainglider rubbing on the Rohloff hub shell but there's zero problem in that area.

If I were refitting the Chainglider I would wrap a piece of thin aluminium around the relevant part of the seat stay to protect the paint from being rubbed off. Another alternative would be the Open Chainglider which I've fitted on my new bike because it has a chain tensioner. However, I feel that this is creating more friction than the full Chainglider which meeds further investigation - a pending test is to remove it and see if I go faster (which will need several tests to allow for other effects such as the wind).

Andre Jute:
Even those of us who give the bike a casual wipe-down with a piece of dampened kitchen roll every six months or so, work at the back of the bike at least once a year for the Rohloff oil change. That would be a good time to add a close inspection of the frame tubes thereabouts for rubbing damage to the minimum list of tasks like inspecting bolts and brake blocks and electrical connections. As it happens, I'm doing an oil change right now in preparation for a glorious summer full of rides, and I'll take a look at the tubes through the spokes and over the Rohloff.

***
I've wondered about the Open Chainglider whether it carries crud into its tubes from the open section. Do let us know as you gain experience, JohnR.

martinf:

--- Quote from: Andre Jute on March 27, 2022, 06:18:11 pm ---I've wondered about the Open Chainglider whether it carries crud into its tubes from the open section. Do let us know as you gain experience, JohnR.

--- End quote ---

Having used my old utility bike in some fairly dirty conditions last winter, the muck I wipe off the outside of the chainglider is concentrated in 3 places, in decreasing order:

- the top of the upper Chainglider run near the tyre. This collects muck that comes off the tyre, and some muck and water dislodged from the rim by the brake pads.

- the front of the chainglider. A lot of muck that would otherwise collect here is stopped by the fairly low front mudflap. But I don't want this too low, as there is then a risk of picking up debris that might lock the front wheel.

- the top of the lower Chainglider run near the tyre. This is cleaner than the upper chainglider run, as the latter and the chain stay intercept quite a lot of the muck.

So I reckon that even though it can't be as effective as the traditional version, the Open Chainglider might be worth having, so long as it doesn't add too much friction.

Andre Jute:
Thanks Martin.

My lanes are all tarmac and clean, so only light dust settles on my bike, but the pattern on my Chainglider is the same as on yours; the rear of the Chainglider is clean. In wet conditions the Chainglider on my bike doesn't get much opportunity to prove its worth because the mudguards, SKS P65, are fitted closely over the 60mm tyres with only 1mm clearance, the lower ends of the mudguards are below bottom bracket level, and in addition the front one has small but very effective SKS "mudflap" (more like hard rubber aero device) fitted to direct water downwards. I cycle in sandals well into the winter and don't particularly notice that my feet become either wet or cold.

John Saxby:
Thanks, John, for this heads-up on the 'glider and the Mercury.  I'll bear your advice in mind when I set up the 'glider on my new Mercury in May.  I'll have to do some plastic surgery on the 'glider in any case, because I plan to run a 36T chainring; and, from my experience with the Raven, had expected to nip off a corner from the rear section in any case.

The Mercury will have a pair of Velo Orange fluted Zeppelin mudguards, 650B x 52mm.  These have worked well on the Raven, and the tires on each bike are 1.6" Marathon Supremes.  Photos on all that to come in due course (i.e., late spring/early summer).

Am writing this from Down Unda--the Gold Coast in Queensland, where we're visiting our son and his family.  I've brought my derailleur bike for some day rides, but over the last 36 hours we've had some 400mm of rain (no typos pls note!), so no riding just yet.

Cheers,  John

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page