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Thorn General / Re: Bike identification
« Last post by geocycle on May 15, 2026, 03:03:11 PM »Looks like a Raven Sport Tour, probably 537L. The colour and lack of stickers suggest a respray.
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... I am still deeply suspicous of the performance losses associated with "one-bye" (single chainring) drivetrains in all but the middle cogs of the cassette. The variations between smallest and largest cogs on the cassette occur at the most extreme chainline angles and the difference in cog diameters is also extreme (i.e. 10t vs 40t+). Perhaps sheer convenience in shifting and relatively greater simplicity accounts for their popularity. I'm not yet sold, preferring to run my derailleur triples (three chainrings, front mech) and shift to keep my chainlines as straight as possible to minimize friction while maximizing component life. ...
If you ask a hundred bicyclists what the best chain lube is, you will get 150 different answers. Neglecting different efficiencies from different chain lubes, ... ... ...
With the proponents on this forum for chain gliders, that is additional friction.
Bottom line, I often leave my dyno powered lights on in daytime, even when I am on a bike trail where there are no cars to worry about because I can't feel the extra lost wattage from that, so I don't worry about it. That is several extra watts lost, probably a bigger loss than the extra friction at the worn drive train.
In the common game of comparing derailleur efficiencies with those of hub gearboxes, there's a bedeviling factor: The derailleur transmission in a real life comparison on the roads is not statically efficient: it declines dynamically from perfectly clean and tuned at the outset of the test as the chain and gears pick up dirt.
In the common game of comparing derailleur efficiencies with those of hub gearboxes, there's a bedeviling factor: The derailleur transmission in a real life comparison on the roads is not statically efficient: it declines dynamically from perfectly clean and tuned at the outset of the test as the chain and gears pick up dirt.
One thing that doesn't seem to be have discussed :
- What effect does using a worn chain sprocket, chainring have on the transmission efficiency ? To me, a new chain and sprocket "feels" more efficient than a worn transmission, but some of that is probably psychological.
Neglecting different efficiencies from different chain lubes, ... ... ...
[GEORGE, HAVING QUOTED MARTIN, OFFERS AN IMPRESSIVE ANALYSIS OF HOW VARIOUS FORMS OF TRANSMISSION WEAR, EACH SMALL ENOUGH TO REQUIRE SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT AND METHODS TO MEASURE, MAY OR MAY NOT ADD UP TO SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT.]
With the proponents on this forum for chain gliders, that is additional friction.
Bottom line, I often leave my dyno powered lights on in daytime, even when I am on a bike trail where there are no cars to worry about because I can't feel the extra lost wattage from that, so I don't worry about it. That is several extra watts lost, probably a bigger loss than the extra friction at the worn drive train.
One thing that doesn't seem to be have discussed :
- What effect does using a worn chain sprocket, chainring have on the transmission efficiency ? To me, a new chain and sprocket "feels" more efficient than a worn transmission, but some of that is probably psychological.
