Cycling Equipment · Public discussion

Running An Old Chain Backwards

Bretcahill · 2003-11-18T07:04:15+00:00

It happened once before. Three years ago 2 "youths" said they wanted my bike and I may have pressed down a little too hard on the pedal in the getaway and, like a scene from a bad Hollywood movie, the chain broke. After their knife came out and a motorist appeared and chased them to the other side of the road -- I TOLD them they weren't getting the bike -- I immediately went back to my usual saunter which really insulted the wanna be thugs. I realized I had to scooter the two blocks back to my apt. just to humor the kids. Saturday I was saved almost as fast. I downshifted too fast and the granny gear twisted a link. One minute later a recumbent cyclist found me banging the chain with two pieces of river rock and asked if there was a problem. "No, I always pound chains with stones . . ." Believe it or not he had a chain tool. I quickly tossed the rocks back into the wash and decided I could run a couple links short. We weren't down more than 6 minutes but I must have put the chain on backwards. It now makes a lot of noise. Bret Cahill

Started by Bretcahill · 18 November 2003 · Last activity 18 November 2003 · 9 posts · 856 views

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01 / Original postRunning An Old Chain BackwardsBretcahill · 18 Nov 2003 02 / This pagePosts 1–9Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #9Ted Bennett · 18 Nov 2003

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Original section: Cycling Equipment
Published: 18 November 2003
Last activity: 18 November 2003
Original author: Bretcahill
Posts: 9
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 856
Views / 30 days: 0

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Original post
Bretcahill
Archived post

18 November 2003, 07:04 UTC #1

It happened once before. Three years ago 2 "youths" said they wanted my bike and I may have pressed
down a little too hard on the pedal in the getaway and, like a scene from a bad Hollywood movie, the
chain broke. After their knife came out and a motorist appeared and chased them to the other side of
the road -- I TOLD them they weren't getting the bike -- I immediately went back to my usual saunter
which really insulted the wanna be thugs. I realized I had to scooter the two blocks back to my apt.
just to humor the kids.
Saturday I was saved almost as fast. I downshifted too fast and the granny gear twisted a link. One
minute later a recumbent cyclist found me banging the chain with two pieces of river rock and asked
if there was a problem.
"No, I always pound chains with stones . . ."
Believe it or not he had a chain tool. I quickly tossed the rocks back into the wash and decided I
could run a couple links short.
We weren't down more than 6 minutes but I must have put the chain on backwards. It now makes a
lot of noise.
Bret Cahill

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Jayofmontreal
Archived post

18 November 2003, 15:02 UTC #2

Moral of story: If you refuse to keep your bike in good repair you're gonna
die.
What clue do you need to get a new chain????????
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"BretCahill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
It happened once before. Three years ago 2 "youths" said they wanted my

bike
Quoted message said:
and I may have pressed down a little too hard on the pedal in the getaway

and,
Quoted message said:
like a scene from a bad Hollywood movie, the chain broke. After their

knife
Quoted message said:
came out and a motorist appeared and chased them to the other side of the

road
Quoted message said:
-- I TOLD them they weren't getting the bike -- I immediately went back

to my
Quoted message said:
usual saunter which really insulted the wanna be thugs. I realized I had

to
Quoted message said:
scooter the two blocks back to my apt. just to humor the kids.
Saturday I was saved almost as fast. I downshifted too fast and the granny

gear
Quoted message said:
twisted a link. One minute later a recumbent cyclist found me banging the chain with two pieces of
river rock and asked if there was a problem.
"No, I always pound chains with stones . . ."
Believe it or not he had a chain tool. I quickly tossed the rocks back

into
Quoted message said:
the wash and decided I could run a couple links short.
We weren't down more than 6 minutes but I must have put the chain on

backwards.
Quoted message said:
It now makes a lot of noise.
Bret Cahill
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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (grisoft.comgrisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.538 / Virus Database: 333 - Release Date: 11/11/2003

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Mike
Archived post

18 November 2003, 20:06 UTC #3

BretCahill said:
It happened once before. Three years ago 2 "youths" said they wanted my bike
A hint you ought to move out of there?
Quoted message said:
Believe it or not he had a chain tool.
Doesnt everyone? (After the first time getting stuck without one :-)
Quoted message said:
We weren't down more than 6 minutes but I must have put the chain on backwards. It now makes a lot
of noise.
I find that hard to believe.
a) why would you remove the chain to fix it?
b) how is wear asymmetric to direction ?

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John Everett
Archived post

18 November 2003, 20:06 UTC #4

(BretCahill) said:
We weren't down more than 6 minutes but I must have put the chain on backwards. It now makes a lot
of noise.
As a chain waxer I remove and replace my chains every few hundred miles or so. I've been doing this
for years. I've never paid any attention to chain orientation. They've always made about the same
amount of (acceptable) noise.
jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net home.earthlink.net~jeverett3

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Harvest Dancer
Archived post

18 November 2003, 20:06 UTC #5

[email hidden] (BretCahill) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
It happened once before. Three years ago 2 "youths" said they wanted my bike and I may have
pressed down a little too hard on the pedal in the getaway and, like a scene from a bad Hollywood
movie, the chain broke. After their knife came out and a motorist appeared and chased them to the
other side of the road -- I TOLD them they weren't getting the bike -- I immediately went back to
my usual saunter which really insulted the wanna be thugs. I realized I had to scooter the two
blocks back to my apt. just to humor the kids.
Saturday I was saved almost as fast. I downshifted too fast and the granny gear twisted a link.
One minute later a recumbent cyclist found me banging the chain with two pieces of river rock and
asked if there was a problem.
"No, I always pound chains with stones . . ."
Believe it or not he had a chain tool. I quickly tossed the rocks back into the wash and decided I
could run a couple links short.
We weren't down more than 6 minutes but I must have put the chain on backwards. It now makes a lot
of noise.
Coward, when are you going to stop dodging my bet?
Jason

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Michael Dart
Archived post

18 November 2003, 20:06 UTC #6

"BretCahill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]... <snip>
Quoted message said:
Believe it or not he had a chain tool. I quickly tossed the rocks back

into
Quoted message said:
the wash and decided I could run a couple links short.
We weren't down more than 6 minutes but I must have put the chain on

backwards.
Quoted message said:
It now makes a lot of noise.
Putting a chain on a chainsaw backwards is a bad thing. Doing it on a bicycle doesn't matter. You
probably have a stiff link where he re-joined the chain. Find it and bend it back and forth sideways
to loosen it up. Or get a SRAM chain with a Powerlink.
Mike

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Carl Fogel
Archived post

18 November 2003, 20:07 UTC #7

[email hidden] (BretCahill) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...
Quoted message said:
It happened once before. Three years ago 2 "youths" said they wanted my bike and I may have
pressed down a little too hard on the pedal in the getaway and, like a scene from a bad Hollywood
movie, the chain broke. After their knife came out and a motorist appeared and chased them to the
other side of the road -- I TOLD them they weren't getting the bike -- I immediately went back to
my usual saunter which really insulted the wanna be thugs. I realized I had to scooter the two
blocks back to my apt. just to humor the kids.
Saturday I was saved almost as fast. I downshifted too fast and the granny gear twisted a link.
One minute later a recumbent cyclist found me banging the chain with two pieces of river rock and
asked if there was a problem.
"No, I always pound chains with stones . . ."
Believe it or not he had a chain tool. I quickly tossed the rocks back into the wash and decided I
could run a couple links short.
We weren't down more than 6 minutes but I must have put the chain on backwards. It now makes a lot
of noise.
Bret Cahill
Dear Bret,
Possibly the noise is the result of pounding on the chain with a rock? Occasionally, this method
produces trifling misalignments and purely cosmetic noises.
Incidentally, don't throw the rocks away next time. Even when too worn for adjusting chains, they
serve admirably for arguing with people who bring knives to a rock fight.
Carl Fogel

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Werehatrack
Archived post

18 November 2003, 20:07 UTC #8

(BretCahill) may have said:
It happened once before. Three years ago 2 "youths" said they wanted my bike and I may have pressed
down a little too hard on the pedal in the getaway and, like a scene from a bad Hollywood movie,
the chain broke. After their knife came out and a motorist appeared and chased them to the other
side of the road -- I TOLD them they weren't getting the bike -- I immediately went back to my
usual saunter which really insulted the wanna be thugs. I realized I had to scooter the two blocks
back to my apt. just to humor the kids.
Saturday I was saved almost as fast. I downshifted too fast and the granny gear twisted a link. One
minute later a recumbent cyclist found me banging the chain with two pieces of river rock and asked
if there was a problem.
"No, I always pound chains with stones . . ."
Believe it or not he had a chain tool. I quickly tossed the rocks back into the wash and decided I
could run a couple links short.
We weren't down more than 6 minutes but I must have put the chain on backwards. It now makes a lot
of noise.
It may have become bent in more than one place, or it might have picked up some twist when the
original damage was done. Simply swapping direction should have no effect, nor should turning it
over have any such result. Have you checked to make sure that the der isn't bent or misadjusted a
bit, perhaps?
--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail. Yes, I have a killfile. If I
don't respond to something, it's also possible that I'm busy. Words processed in a facility that
contains nuts.

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Ted Bennett
Archived post

18 November 2003, 21:02 UTC #9

Quoted message said:
Coward, when are you going to stop dodging my bet?
Jason
Whatever point you are trying to make, please stop it.
--
Ted Bennett Portland OR

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