The chain belongs to the wearing parts of the bicycle, but as we have
already mentioned above, you can greatly extend its service life. The
service life of the chain also depends on the shift system. With external
shift systems, the chain may need to be replaced already after 2000-
3000 km. With hub gears, this value can be twice as high, depending on
the degree of care and your cycling style.
.
With external shift systems, you can
check the wear of the chain by
pinching it together with your left
hand at the chain stay and
attempting to take it off the chainring
with your right hand. If little force is
needed to remove the chain, it is
probably very stretched and needs to
be replaced.
With hub gears, the yield of the chain should not exceed 1-2 cm. If this
is not the case, the chain needs to be tightened by loosening both nuts
on the rear axle (on models with coaster brakes the clutch, as well) and
pulling the released wheel back until the chain becomes sufficiently
tight. Set the rear wheel in the correct position and tighten its mounting
bolts and the clutch (if there is one).
The state of wear of your chain can be measured precisely at your
specialist service centre using special instruments. Replacing the
chain requires special tools and experience. Ask your specialist service
centre for help in selecting the correct chain, and have them fit it on
your bicycle.
Attention: a badly assembled chain can lead to serious falls and
considerable damage of your bicycle.
Figure 23
Chain
The chain plays a key role in the effortless and quick progress of the
bicycle, as it transmits the force exerted by the rider. In the ideal case,
one or two percent of the exerted force is lost between the crank and
the rear wheel. No matter how robust a chain might appear, it suffers
from a “chronic illness”: link wear. In the case sport cyclists, the chain
must transmit a huge amount of torque to the cogs. In addition, it is
relentlessly exposed to contamination, and possibly to rain or water
splashes, which cause stress to the links and wear them away. This
can only be prevented with a fully enclosed chain protection system,
as this is the only sure way to keep the chain free from contamination.
Since such a system is only used on “Holland” type bicycles, the chain
requires regular maintenance.
For this, use wax, mineral oil, grease, or Teflon/silicone spray available
at specialist dealerships. To reduce the wear of the chain and extend
its service life, make sure to perform maintenance on it after rain and
every off-road ride. With external gear shift systems, avoid chainring-
cog combinations that cause the chain to cross over at an extreme
angle – if possible, shift up or down one chainring.
Make sure to remove any excess lubricant from the chain during
its maintenance. Sand and dirt can stick to excess lubricant on
the chain, greatly increasing its wear. Please respect the prescribed
maintenance intervals.
Since close to 100% of lubricants used on a bicycle's chain end up in
the groundwater, in particular those who ride in forests and on terrain
should ensure that they use a non-toxic, biologically degradable
lubricant. Please do not use gear oil, which is mistakenly hailed as a
“miracle product”.
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