How to go faster

[Matt2matt2002]

This week, after my 11th oil change in 10 years the usual effect occurred.
I went faster!
Well, that was my perception.
Smooth and quiet. But definitely felt nippier.
Chain remaining the same; nice n loose under my faithful Chain glider. Full disclosure; it had a lube with a wee weather oil

Any scientific evidence for this phenomenon?
Happens after ever oil change.
Is it a Scottish Raven Tour thing?

I need to know.

Matt

[RonS]

Hi, Matt

  I will soon do just as you have, my 10 year oil change. Thanks to my three tours, I have just over 5000km on the oil after returning from Scotland. I'll let you know if I also notice a difference. One thing I always notice is that the new oil quiets things down a bit, probably because of more oil being in there to dampen things. Perhaps this last trip will prove evidence of a Scottish Raven Tour Syndrome

I've not posted on the trip because my last gift from the UK was........a case of COVID . I arrived home Friday at 2330hr local time, 27hr after the taxi picked me up at the hotel in Inverness, and went straight to bed. Saturday night I had the sniffles, so I took a test. We get them free here, so I have a box of them at home. Positive. First time for me, but I've had 5 vaccine boosters, so I think It has been very mild, just sniffles, like a mild to medium cold. The worst symptom was fatigue, which only lasted a day or two. That's also why the bike is still sitting in the garage waiting for reassembly and cleanup. I'm feeling well enough to tackle that after lunch.

Updates in a day or so.

I hope your groin problem is better.

Ron         

[Matt2matt2002]

Yikes. Sorry about the COVID gift from Scotland.
I had it a few years ago and it kept me in bed for a week.

Groin pain still with me but some improvement. I managed to cycle 3 or 4 times a week; 25 miles at a time.

Yes, certainly quieter after new oil. But I'm sure I go faster 😀

Matt

[martinf]

Not noticed any increase in speed after Rohloff oil changes.

But I did after converting Shimano 7 and 8 speeds to oil lubrication, and suspect that that might also be the case if you use the official Shimano oil dip.

With all bikes, I notice the difference after cleaning and lubricating a dirty chain. I don't need to do this often with the Chainglider-equipped bikes.

My remaining large-wheel bike with an exposed chain (vertical dropouts and Surly Singleator tensioner) stays clean for longer than when it was equipped with derailleur gears. The chain is further from the ground and it has a roller brake that doesn't spray water and muck from the rim onto the chain. I'm not a fan of the roller brake, but it works, and as far as chain cleanliness is concerned it is a huge improvement over the original (very effective) U-brake that was fitted in the worst possible position just under the chainstays, ideally placed to spray muck onto the chain.

I still need to clean the chains on the family Bromptons at fairly short intervals. Not possible to fit a Chainglider on these. The worst is my lightweight Brompton with derailleur gears. My Rohloff-equipped Brompton is better, for similar reasons as the large-wheel bike mentioned above: - chain doesn't hang so low and I have fitted a rear disc brake. I don't need the increased power of the disc brake, it was already easy to lock the rear wheel with the original brake, but the fact that the chain stays cleaner is an appreciable benefit.

All the family bikes have fairly low hanging front mudflaps to reduce spray from the front wheel to the bottom-bracket/chain area.

[PH]

Bikes always go faster after maintenance, you're feeling pleased with yourself for crossing a job off your list and it's that good mood which propels you faster.
You could try a blind test next time - Get someone to change the oil for you one day in the week, but you have to determine which day that was.  Of course, having someone do it for you might put you in such a good mood as to invalidate the test. Never mind, you could try again the following year...

More oil in the hub does quieten it down, though now Rohloff have halved the recommended fill I doubt that's going to make as much difference as originally.  For years I've been using the method where most is removed in the oil change anyway, the only downside of that has been the slight increase in noise, which I hardly notice and is a small price for the lack of leakage.
 

[Andre Jute]

Actual oil, even the rather thin Rohloff stuff, sloshing around will create windage* in the gearbox and be a bit of a drag, rather than speeding you up. That's the theory, anyway. I never met that extra drag on the early occasions when I refilled with 25mm, and later, when I put in 14-16mm of the all-seasons oil, there was very little oil that was "free", i.e. not sticking to the gears. So I agree that the effect of clean oil in the gearbox on Matt is psychological.

I did once have a daily bike with a chain-service regime that made a slight noticeable difference, but within the ride, not for the whole of any ride. My Smover (http://coolmainpress.com/BICYCLINGsmover.html) had one of those large plastic Dutch chain cases, and I used to squirt a layer of white wax on the chain every 100km or so. When the wax was fresh, for a short distance until the pressure between metal surfaces warmed the wax, there was a just-perceptible extra resistance. But within forty or fifty yards it would be gone.

*I'm not responsible for anglophone technical words baffling foreigners, and often the non-technical British too, with meanings quite opposite to the intention of the speaker and also to the reality. Best not to listen to the sound of one hand clapping...

[Matt2matt2002]

So I agree that the effect of clean oil in the gearbox on Matt is psychological.

My good lady often refers to my ramblings as psycho logical.

But then she's not a cyclist 😉
Matt

[mickeg]

You probably cleaned your bike when you did the oil, and a clean bike feels faster for the same reason, your perception of the bike has improved.

And you probably waited for a nide day to change the oil and it is more enjoyable to ride it on a nice day. 

You might have added air to the tires too.  That most likely would actually have a real boost to speed.

Etc.

[Matt2matt2002]

You probably cleaned your bike when you did the oil, and a clean bike feels faster for the same reason, your perception of the bike has improved.

And you probably waited for a nide day to change the oil and it is more enjoyable to ride it on a nice day. 

You might have added air to the tires too.  That most likely would actually have a real boost to speed.

Etc.

good points; a few details;
I removed the Chainglider and rear wheel for a deep clean. Chain had some wet weather oil applied. Rear mudguards cleaned.
Wheel etc. replaced before no old oil drained from hub. Same as last change when no oil came out after 11/12 months.

( I think next oil change I'll drain the old oil with the wheel off the bike just to see if I can squeeze any out )

Cleaning oil filled and a ride a round the block using all gears.
Drained cleaning oil and left over night with bike tipped to one side to allow as much oil to drip out. There's always one drop more to come...
Next day filled with 14/15 ml of new oil.
Used a new screw plug for the first time in several years. They appear to be OK to re-use.

Jumped on the bike and whizzed away at top speed.

Perceptions? Of course, but ones I can live with.

Matt

[PH]

no old oil drained from hub. Same as last change when no oil came out after 11/12 months.
( I think next oil change I'll drain the old oil with the wheel off the bike just to see if I can squeeze any out )

How are you changing the oil?  There's several techniques but I don't think any include trying to drain oil out before adding the flushing oil.
Oiling the chain might account for the added oomph, but you don't need to understand it to enjoy it, hope it lasts. 

[Matt2matt2002]

no old oil drained from hub. Same as last change when no oil came out after 11/12 months.
( I think next oil change I'll drain the old oil with the wheel off the bike just to see if I can squeeze any out )

How are you changing the oil?  There's several techniques but I don't think any include trying to drain oil out before adding the flushing oil.
Oiling the chain might account for the added oomph, but you don't need to understand it to enjoy it, hope it lasts.

Oops!
Perhaps my error. Or have I invented a new way?
Yes, I did drain the old oil before adding any new cleaning oil. Well, I attempted to drain the old oil, but none came out.
I then added the cleaning oil, ran the hub for a while, drained and added the proper oil.

On reflection, I believe I have added cleaning oil to whatever is in the hub.

Thoughts folks?

Matt

[mickeg]

My hub leaks quite a bit within the several days of riding after an oil change.  I would be surprised if I was able to drain out more than a couple drops if I had tried when I do a change.  Thus, I never try to drain the old oil first.