And this is from only one side of my chain. I wouldn't have discovered this without cleaning the muck and filth off of it last night. I was halfway commited to go to Charge Pond or Plainville today, but that would risk iminent equipment failure and injury. No bike shops are open in time for me to fix this situation and make the start line. Next chain will be a 2008 Dura Ace- they're about $35 on Ebay these days.
4 comments:
You aren't giving us much information with your question. How old is the chain? They do not have an infinite service life, which of course is severely reduced by riding in a winter environment without ever cleaning it. How many miles are on this thing? I never ride a chain more than 3000, and that's keeping it cleaned and lubed. In the conditions you've been riding in, I'd expect about half of that.
I'm surprised you don't keep spare chains around. I always keep a few in my parts bin.
I think this might have been a chain which was swapped from my cross bike last November. Not sure. At Northampton Cross Day 1, I know I had a new chain with me, but no tool to cut it with. To fix this problem, I recall taking the relatively new chain off my road bike (which i brought with me that day believe it or not) and installing it onto my cross bike. The new Ultegra chain was spared and stayed in it's packaging. THen a few weeks later at NBX, I recall putting the new chain on the cross bike and flipping the lightly used chain back onto the road bike. I doubt this cahin has more than about 2000 miles on it, but as you correctly point out, I've done 3 or 4 very long, wet, grimy rides this winter, and I'm not in the habit of cleaning my chain frequently. (I'd sooner replace it than clean it every week, but you know.. a McMansion master like me can afford that kind of thing) Now I'm eying the chain on the cross bike and thinking it might work on the road bike- though it might be incorrect length by one link. In order to race Wells tomorrow I need a new chain. I wonder what the warranty period is on this one. No I don't keep any spare chains on hand in the middle of winter when I'm not racing. I have enough trouble preventing my wife from throwing my stuff away that I use the "just in time" method of requisitioning.
Hey when Sedisport chains were $5 I never cleaned and lubed them. Just throw on a new one every month. Now it's a little different at $40 a pop, but that's what makes have a "winter bike" worth it. I use $20 SRAM chains on it, and it's 9 speed 105 so when the shit gets dirty and worn I just toss it all and start over. You should get a SOMA like Brucie's and build it up that way for next winter. Then your race bike will be just like you left it in the fall when you need it in the spring. In the long run this saves money over wearing out your Dura-Ace and mucking up your carbon frame.
Saturday I took the chain off the cross bike and put it on the road bike. It was indeed shiny and new, with only two NBX cross races into it. Same number of links- what luck.
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