Chainglider feedback

[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]

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.

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

[in4]

Oh you have to visit 5B2F Bakehouse @ Southport for some divine sausage rolls and a myriad of other healthy bakes and cakes. 😊 

[julk]

This may not be relevant to this thread, but...

Andre posted
"I cycle in sandals well into the winter and don't particularly notice that my feet become either wet or cold."

I feel responsible for starting this thread with my 9 year chain glider checkups.
However, I also ride in sandals, but bare foot. I gave up on socks some years ago - not sure how many.
My circulation seems to cope, I have no frostbite yet.

Feel free to comment on Andre’s and my reckless footwear behaviours.
Julian

[John Saxby]

you have to visit 5B2F Bakehouse @ Southport for some divine sausage rolls

Thanks, Ian -- will check it out.  The rain has finally stopped. 

Feel free to comment on Andre’s and my reckless footwear behaviours.

Well, guys, whatever turns your crank; or, there's winter and there's winter...A friend in Ottawa said that Monday night was around -14, windchill -23, and this was near the end of March. 'Twas the 40 kmh nor'westerly that did it...

You're more than welcome to come visit betw early December & early April, and we could even rent a fatbike to ride.  You could probably manage w really thick sox under your sandals and a big strong plastic bag over the lot; but there are real winter boots that are reasonably flexible & suited to a fatbike. (And a PS: no-one need ever know  )
 
Cheers,  J.

[JohnR]

Continuing on the sandal digression, I attach a photo of my favourite cycling footwear: Clarks "Wavewalk" which work well with flat pedals as they are extra thick under the ball of the foot. They get used for at least 6 months of the year and waterproof socks provide some protection against colder conditions but for winter I use oversized walking boots with room for two pairs of socks.

Back on topic, I'm planning to check inside the open Chainglidger when the next spell of warm weather shows up. I think the main source of muck on chain is that carried round by the back tyre. Some splatter is intercepted by the top part of the Chainglider but some lands on the bottom part of the chain.

[Matt2matt2002]

Nice sandle John.
My UK Clarks web search does not reveal them.
Any further info?
( sorry to dilute the thread )

I'm a big Chainglider fan - so interested to hear above comments.

I've found that it holds water after a good soaking / cleaning.
It's as good as keeping water out - as keping it in!

So now I am very careful when cleaning my Raven - and remove the 'glider after every power clean - and wipe the chain down.

[JohnR]

My UK Clarks web search does not reveal them.
Any further info?

Those sandals are evidently discontinued. The pair in the photo are my 2nd (backup in case the 1st pair suffer plastic fatigue) and were found last week in a Clarks Outlet shop - probably been lurking in the corner of a stockroom. The Clarks Outlet website lists a couple of other sandals with "wave" in the name and should have a similar structure but probably different sole pattern.

I've found that it holds water after a good soaking / cleaning.
It's as good as keeping water out - as keping it in!

Is the drain hole in the bottom of the chainring cover blocked?

[Andre Jute]

Matt: With or without a Chainglider, I wouldn't wash a steel bike with a power wash. A safer way is soapy warm water applied with a bushy soft brush kept only for that purpose.

JohnR: That "drain hole" in the Chainglider is a pinhole that I expect will form a skein of water between its edges. It's a decorative feature, not a water exit. I wouldn't make it bigger either, for fear that more water would ingress than be expelled through it.

[Matt2matt2002]

Yes, Andre, I never power wash. It was just a hosepipe wash. But point taken. A hand job with soapie warm water is the way to go.

Nope, drain hole was nae blocked. I think the water just hung about inside.

I look upon the 'glider as very good protection from outside muck n water. Not 100% but enough to extend my chain life ( not proven ) and my trouser leg turn ups life ( proven / verified by Mrs. Matt ).

Best

Matt

[JohnR]

An update regarding the Open Chainglider which I took off a couple of weeks ago to see if the bike would go faster without it as there were times when it was feeling a little draggy. I noticed after removal that there was a small build-up of muck at one point on the inside (by the end of the screwdriver in the attached photo) which could explain the slight friction between Chainglider and chainring. As only half the chain is protected by an Open Chainglider I did apply a bit of lube from time to time. The chain itself was a cheap KMC Z1 (narrow) and proved to be somewhat filthy when given a good scrub with a chain cleaner.

I then thought I would try, for the summer, using a chainguard to provide a little protection between me and the chainring and the chain was treated with Weldtite TF2 ceramic chain wax. It ran very sweetly for a few days. However, my first outing after a trip in rain revealed that the TF2 lube had all washed off and the chain was making unhappy noises with some signs of rust. I'm not accustomed, after using a Chainglider, to having to dry and re-lube a chain after cycling in the rain. This experience highlighted that while the Open Chainglider only covers about half the chain, it probably provides 80% protection because a major source of water and muck is that thrown up by the front tyre. The spray situation was not helped by me fitting short clip-on mudguards for the summer so I've now added Brompton mudflaps https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/mudguards/brompton-front-mud-flap both front and back to reduce the spray (see photo).

It's a matter of how long, not if, before the Chainglider goes back on the bike but trying without it reveals the benefits. I'm also planning to try a half link to see if that provides a suitable chain fit without using the tensioner, in which case a full Chainglider would work. Changing the 42T chainring to 41T is another option to improve the chain fit but I'm not sure how well a Chainglider designed for a 42T chainring will sit on a 42T ring.

[Andre Jute]

Super update, John, very useful, especially your estimate of 80 per cent of the benefit for half the chain coverage.

Changing the 42T chainring to 41T is another option to improve the chain fit but I'm not sure how well a Chainglider designed for a 42T chainring will sit on a 42T ring.

This is an interesting variation of an experiment we’ve been through before, when Hebie themselves misled forum member Frank Revelo with a claim that a 38T Chainglider is suitable for a 36T chainring. It isn’t. Frank supplied a photo of an ugly mismatch.

Putting a 41T chainring in a 42T Chainglider may be less of a mismatch but I think it will still be an eyesore and a route for inducting dirt into the chain. However, if you already have the 41T chainring, I’d be delighted to be proved wrong when you fit it up.

John Saxby had a more successful carve-your-own-Chainglider session, which also left a part of the chainring uncovered but more tidily than Frank’s Hebie-inspired mismatch.