Longer lasting chain ?

[steve216c]

Although hard to say for certain, but your chain doesn't seem that slack in the photo. Therefore you probably don't need to shorten it yet.

As for your teeth, look at my recently replaced chainring and sprocket on the linked thread. I think you are probably good for a long while given how little wear yours shows in comparison. The Rohloff drivechain is incredibly rugged and long-lived.

http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14287.msg109367#msg109367

[swayzak]

Thanks both

To be fair my Thorn does get a bit of a hammering - it's my "bad weather" bike so the poor thing only really goes out when there is a risk of precipitation (that's mostly why I bought it).

I commute up to 90 miles a week in all weathers.

I have commuter (MB sort of converted into hybrid) and a road bike for good weather.

[PH]

Do these look worn & ready for changing ?

Are they giving you problems?  If not then the answer in no. 
BUT - If you try and fit a new chain it either won't sit properly on the teeth, or it'll quickly wear to match them.
I'd give it all a good scrub, a decent lube and run it for thousands more miles.

[swayzak]

Do these look worn & ready for changing ?

Are they giving you problems?  If not then the answer in no. 
BUT - If you try and fit a new chain it either won't sit properly on the teeth, or it'll quickly wear to match them.
I'd give it all a good scrub, a decent lube and run it for thousands more miles.

I use Finish Line Dry Lubricant (for all weathers according to the bottle).

Should I be using something else ?

[PH]

I use Finish Line Dry Lubricant (for all weathers according to the bottle).

Should I be using something else ?

I'm not sure I dare go there, people get even more religious about that than about when to change the chain...
But as you asked 
I'm of the opinion that the specific lubricant used is of little importance beyond it's ability to penetrate into the rollers and stay there as long as possible.  I keep falling for the marketing and buying the latest wonder oil, but I can't say I notice any difference other than how long it is before it needs re-applying.  So, when I said "A decent lube" I meant a good application of whatever you choose,, plenty of time to soak in, then if you have more time wipe off and do again.

[swayzak]

I guess what I am asking is, given that the Thorn gets most/all of the bad weather, should I be using a different lube (and if so, would this prolong the life of the chain) ?

[steve216c]

I guess what I am asking is, given that the Thorn gets most/all of the bad weather, should I be using a different lube (and if so, would this prolong the life of the chain) ?

A dirty chain accelerates wear. I ride all weathers and had an open Chan like yours at the beginning. Most lube will help your chain run smoothly but it also allows dirt and grime to adhere to the chain. So cleaning the chain of crud is part of the maintenance.

I experimented with dipping my chain in candle wax which allowed lubrication which dirt couldn't stick to. This worked well with 800-1000km before reapplication being needed. The waxing was a bit of a hassle especially as the wife sent like me keeping an old saucepan of wax around to heat up on the hob once in a while.

Then I invested in a Chain glider which encapsulated the entire chain keeping the lube of choice cleaner for longer. If you are using your Thorn just as a bad weather bike, the Chainglider might really be a good investment to keep rain and dirt from the chain which will save you needing to clean and oil it more often.

Andre Jute suggests that inside a Chainglider that a new chain on factory lube might never need oiling. Certainly your chain should stay cleaner and wear slower. I am experimenting with Andre's theory although due to a number of health issues this year, I have only managed a measly 60km since fitting a factory lube chain inside my Chainglider rather than my usual 170km a week.

[swayzak]

Thanks

I will definitely look into getting a chain glider then.

[Matt2matt2002]

My present chain stats:

KMC X1 3/32
Put onto Raven Tour July 2021
Covered 3,500 miles / 5,600 Km to date in 22 months

Front ring ( 38 ), rear cog ( 17 ) and Chainglider put on together August 2019
Covered 19,200 miles / 31,000 Km to date in 91 months.

Chain almost at 0.5 stretch / wear.

( Previous chain KMC X1 EcoProTeQ
Ran for 7,200 miles under the 'glider. Changed at 0.75. )

Observations:
Chainglider front 2 'catches' don't now close correctly - so I use black tape to keep it shut. Not an issue for me.
Running the chain slack does not appear to affect the 'glider function - no drag felt - and the pedals rotate when walking the bike.

Lube has been applied once to the chain. After washing the bike a few times I removed the 'glider and saw that the chain looked rusty coloured. I took this to have been caused by water sitting within the 'glider afer washing. There are drain holes to avoid this issue but some may see this as a minus point for the 'glider. My solution now is to be careful when washing the bike - and / or remove 'glider and replace when bike / chain, is dry. Not that I go out of my way to 'wash' the chain...!

Thought always welcome.

Stay safe folks

Best

Matt

[Andre Jute]

A really good chain lube often overlooked even by Rohloff riders is Oil of Rohloff, formulated by Herr Rohloff for his own chains. It's the clingiest oil I've ever met, like a teenage girl with her first love. And it's cheap at about a fiver a small bottle, or was a decade or more ago when I last bought any. I bought several bottles with my bike and until I went over to running my chains solely on the factory lube inside a Chainglider, I used less than one small bottle. Friends to whom I gave a small bottle each from my stock are amazed at how well a thin bead run along only one inside edge of the side plates (if you don't know why, read Sheldon Brown on chain care) penetrates and sticks and sticks around apparently forever. After being used to having to apply Finish Line Cold White Wax every 100km or so -- and that's inside a fully enveloping Dutch chain case -- the Oil of Rohloff was a real eye-opener about the difference between a properly engineered lube and a marketing gimmick for trendies and intellectuals who hate getting their hands dirty (me). And the odd thing about the Oil of Rohloff is that inside a chain case it stays relatively clean, not as clean as the White Cold Wax but a lot cleaner than most other lubes of repute, and even without a chain case it seems slow to gather dirt.

[JohnR]

I will definitely look into getting a chain glider then.

I would note that you may also need to buy a thinner chainring.

[swayzak]

Does the Chain Glider allow the chain to "breathe" eg. moisture to evaporate properly ?

I was little concerncerd that someone mentioned the chain rusting under the glider ...

As I said, my bike get hammered by the elements almost every time it goes out !

Is the glider easy to detach / reattach (to check chain wear, lubricate etc) ?

[steve216c]

It is not completely closed.  There are a couple of small 'drain' type holes in the construction, plus the sprocket at rear is covered but not fully sealed.

If you power wash your bike you are certain to get water ingress, but it keeps most non pressurised dirt and water away from the chain, and what little can get in should be able to drain or evaporated.

I only tend to keep my bike clean by using a brush to remove crud when bike is dry. Rarely do I use running or spray water. My nickle plate chain has showed little in way of rust  despite using in rain and in snow through the winter.

[swayzak]

It is not completely closed.  There are a couple of small 'drain' type holes in the construction, plus the sprocket at rear is covered but not fully sealed.

If you power wash your bike you are certain to get water ingress, but it keeps most non pressurised dirt and water away from the chain, and what little can get in should be able to drain or evaporated.

I only tend to keep my bike clean by using a brush to remove crud when bike is dry. Rarely do I use running or spray water. My nickle plate chain has showed little in way of rust  despite using in rain and in snow through the winter.

Thanks

I NEVER jet wash my bike(s).

Actually I v rarely wash them at all (the 2 dry weather bikes don't really need it anyway).

[JohnR]

Does the Chain Glider allow the chain to "breathe" eg. moisture to evaporate properly ?

I was little concerncerd that someone mentioned the chain rusting under the glider ...

As I said, my bike get hammered by the elements almost every time it goes out !

Is the glider easy to detach / reattach (to check chain wear, lubricate etc) ?

The Chainglider is not completely sealed. One advantage is that you can apply a little wet weather chain lube in the knowledge that it won't immediately get covered in dirt or any factory-applied plating won't be quickly worn off.

Removing the front part of a Chainglider takes no more than a minute using a screwdriver to unclip the various tabs. The rear part can be unclipped using fingers alone - this needs to be taken off if you want to take the rear wheel out of the frame. There's some useful discussion of experience with Chaingliders at http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14229.0 .