bike disintegrating - please help !

brugmansia said:

Unfortunately I seem to be wearing out gear-change components at an annoying rate. The failed
components are an SRAM 5.0 changer - ratchet has failed after 2 years of daily use and a Shimano
Deore front dérailleur return spring has failed after 1 year.

Is this a normal rate of decay ?

Sounds about right to me, especially if it is used throughout the winter, with the generous coating
of salt and grit currently on the roads. I've found on MTBs, the better the component is, the longer
it will last.My first MTB had a Deore rear derailer, which lasted around a year,my second was a XT
mech, which lasted 3 years, and was only £10 dearer. Alan.

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brugmansia posted ...

Quoted message said:

Unfortunately I seem to be wearing out gear-change components at an annoying rate. The failed
components are an SRAM 5.0 changer - ratchet has failed after 2 years of daily use and a Shimano
Deore front dérailleur return spring has failed after 1 year.

Is this a normal rate of decay ?

Yes, with the rate of use you say they get they're actually doing quite well.

Quoted message said:

I've just discovered the Avid Rollamajig rear dérailleur enhancer - are these worth fitting ?

Oh yes, 'cleans' changes up no end .. makes them a mite easier on the thumbs or wrists as well .. 😉

--
Paul

(8(|) Homer rocks .. 😉

A.Lee said:

brugmansia said:

Unfortunately I seem to be wearing out gear-change components at an annoying rate. The failed
components are an SRAM 5.0 changer - ratchet has failed after 2 years of daily use and a Shimano
Deore front dérailleur return spring has failed after 1 year.

Is this a normal rate of decay ?

Sounds about right to me, especially if it is used throughout the winter, with the generous
coating of salt and grit currently on the roads.

I wouldn't have though salt or dirt is responsible for the particular problems mentioned above.

~PB

brugmansia said:

Dear Group,

my Giant 830 mountain bike has proved ideal urban transport over the past couple of years with a
few modifications - hand-built wheels, suspension seatpost, non-knobbly tyres ....

Unfortunately I seem to be wearing out gear-change components at an annoying rate. The failed
components are an SRAM 5.0 changer - ratchet has failed after 2 years of daily use and a Shimano
Deore front dérailleur return spring has failed after 1 year.

Is this a normal rate of decay ?

Sounds a bit high to me, though it might be normal. I haven't ridden an every day commute for many
years, and when I did it was on a 3-speed hub gear which would run for many years with just a
dribble of oil every now and then.

Questions/suggestions: Is the decay due to muck not being cleaned off, or is it the action of the
parts ? I've noticed that when I fitted a trigger changer to my (old parts) bike that a stress
fracture appeared in the front changer. I've gone back to a friction shifters on the front which
appear to be more gentle and the crack hasn't spread.

At the rates of wear you are getting, would swapping to a hub gear be effective for you ? 7-speed
hubs are not particularly expensive - £100 to £150 - and available with different spreads of ratios
(SRAM & Shimano have different ratio spreads, see Sheldon Brown for some details). A Rolhoff 14
speed would be a significant sum, and probably has as many effective ratios as the 21-27 speed
system you have at present. You'd need to leave the old changer in a locked position (or something
similar) to act as a chain tensioner. The advantage of hub gears are minimal maintenance and wear
in adverse conditions. They're probably more mechanically efficient than a mucky and worn
derailleur system.

NC

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"brugmansia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dear Group,

my Giant 830 mountain bike has proved ideal urban transport over the past couple of years with a
few modifications - hand-built wheels, suspension seatpost, non-knobbly tyres ....

Unfortunately I seem to be wearing out gear-change components at an

annoying

Quoted message said:

rate. The failed components are an SRAM 5.0 changer - ratchet has failed after 2 years of daily
use and a Shimano Deore front dérailleur return spring has failed after 1 year.

Is this a normal rate of decay ?

I've just discovered the Avid Rollamajig rear dérailleur enhancer - are these worth fitting ?

thanks ...

Jeremy, Bristol

"brugmansia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dear Group,

my Giant 830 mountain bike has proved ideal urban transport over the past couple of years with a
few modifications - hand-built wheels, suspension seatpost, non-knobbly tyres ....

Unfortunately I seem to be wearing out gear-change components at an

annoying

Quoted message said:

rate. The failed components are an SRAM 5.0 changer - ratchet has failed after 2 years of daily
use and a Shimano Deore front dérailleur return spring has failed after 1 year.

SRAM Gripshifts do wear out. I've gone through 3 in 4 years, they're only a tenner a piece though.

--
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NC said:

Sounds a bit high to me, though it might be normal. I haven't ridden an every day commute for many
years, and when I did it was on a 3-speed hub gear which would run for many years with just a
dribble of oil every now and then.

I've noticed that the new SRAM Dual Drives are not to be oiled, but instead all sealed. I remember
the old Sturmey Archers with the little plastic cap on them.

What does this mean in terms of maintenance and life of the newer SRAMs though? Could it be better
because no muck can get in, or worse because the user can't add oil?

- Richar

--
_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at ntlworld dot com _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ Time is a
one way street, _/ _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twilight Zone.

Richard Corfield posted ...

Quoted message said:

NC said:

Sounds a bit high to me, though it might be normal. I haven't ridden an every day commute for
many years, and when I did it was on a 3-speed hub gear which would run for many years with just
a dribble of oil every now and then.

I've noticed that the new SRAM Dual Drives are not to be oiled, but instead all sealed. I remember
the old Sturmey Archers with the little plastic cap on them.

What does this mean in terms of maintenance and life of the newer SRAMs though? Could it be better
because no muck can get in, or worse because the user can't add oil?

I found a good lube to use in 'delicate' areas is Graphite Powder, made for locks, available from
any half-decent locksmith, for about £2.50 a bottle. It's amazing what it can lubricate, and how
well it does so .. 😉

--
Paul

(8(|) Homer rocks .. 😉

"NC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The failed components are an SRAM 5.0 changer - ratchet has failed after 2 years of daily use
and a Shimano Deore front dérailleur return spring has failed after 1 year.

Quoted message said:

Questions/suggestions: Is the decay due to muck not being cleaned off, or is it the action of the
parts ? I've noticed that when I fitted a trigger changer to my (old

parts)

Quoted message said:

bike that a stress fracture appeared in the front changer. I've gone back

to

Quoted message said:

a friction shifters on the front which appear to be more gentle and the crack hasn't spread.

It is true that I follow a strict "zero maintenance" policy - though I have at least progressed from
random oil I happen to find to hand to synthetic oils which don't attract as much foreign matter.
Though I've never oiled or greased it, I would think the twistgrip changer ratchet failure is
unrelated to the force required to change gear. I have, however replaced the 3 front cogs with a
road set - just as well when you can't get into top gear ;-)

Quoted message said:

At the rates of wear you are getting, would swapping to a hub gear be effective for you ? 7-speed
hubs are not particularly expensive - £100 to £150 - and available with different spreads of
ratios (SRAM & Shimano have different ratio spreads, see Sheldon Brown for some details). A
Rolhoff 14 speed would be a significant sum, and probably has as many effective

ratios

Quoted message said:

as the 21-27 speed system you have at present. You'd need to leave the

old

Quoted message said:

changer in a locked position (or something similar) to act as a chain tensioner. The advantage of
hub gears are minimal maintenance and wear in adverse conditions. They're probably more
mechanically efficient than a mucky and worn derailleur system.

I'll have to bear these new hub gears in mind ....

thanks...

Jeremy

Quoted message said:

NC

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In article
<[email hidden]>,

Richard Corfield said:

I remember the old Sturmey Archers with the little plastic cap on them.

You must be quite old:-) Later SA gears were sealed for life.

--
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Simon Brooke said:

in message said:

At the rates of wear you are getting, would swapping to a hub gear be effective for you ? 7-speed
hubs are not particularly expensive - £100 to £150 - and available with different spreads of
ratios (SRAM & Shimano have different ratio spreads, see Sheldon Brown for some details). A
Rolhoff 14 speed would be a significant sum, and probably has as many effective ratios as the 21-
27 speed system you have at present. You'd need to leave the old changer in a locked position (or
something similar) to act as a chain tensioner.

No he won't, unless he's got rear suspension that isn't URT.

Errr... As I understand things, one needs a method to alter the chain tension/slack. Otherwise there
is a fair chance of throwing the chain off a sprocket. The amount of movement required is about half
an inch, being one link top and bottom of the chain, that being the minium amount a chain can be
shortened or lengthened (one inner and one outer link). If the bike has horizontal, or near
horizontal drop-outs with over half an inch of free movement that would do. Alternatively an
eccentric bottom bracket designed for the purpose (though this usually requires a larger BB outer
shell, see the Thorn Raven or On-One EBB frame designs for examples).

However, my observation of many more modern MTBs is that the drop outs are often vertical or lacking
in significant horizontal movement. Hence the suggestion of using the old rear changer as a
tensioner.

Rear suspension just complicates things a bit more.

NC.

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On Mon, 01 Mar 2004 12:35:03 GMT, Simon Brooke <[email hidden]>

wrote in message : said:

Quoted message said:

You must be quite old:-) Later SA gears were sealed for life.

Quoted message said:

Were they? All the ones I remember had a little hinged flip lid over the oil filling hole... so I
must be older. I *hated* Sturmeys with a passion!

I liked them - but then, I could strip, clean and reassemble a Sturmey in about half an hour. I had
a lot of practice, all the family's bikes had them.

--
Guy
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chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

Just zis Guy said:

I liked them - but then, I could strip, clean and reassemble a Sturmey in about half an hour.

You had to do it naked? Wow. That *is* specialised work.

Simon

Sandy Morton said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Richard Corfield

Quoted message said:

I remember the old Sturmey Archers with the little plastic cap on them.

You must be quite old:-) Later SA gears were sealed for life.

30, but my bikes may have been older.

- Richard

--
_/_/_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/ Richard dot Corfield at ntlworld dot com _/ _/ _/ _/ _/_/ _/ _/ Time is a
one way street, _/ _/ _/_/ _/_/_/ Except in the Twilight Zone.

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 19:28:08 -0000, "Simonb"
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I liked them - but then, I could strip, clean and reassemble a Sturmey in about half an hour.

Quoted message said:

You had to do it naked? Wow. That *is* specialised work.

I knew you would say that :-P

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
chapmancentral.demon.co.ukchapmancentral.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

On Mon, 01 Mar 2004 20:01:05 +0000, in
<[email hidden]>, "Just zis Guy, you

know? said:

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 19:28:08 -0000, "Simonb" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I liked them - but then, I could strip, clean and reassemble a Sturmey in about half an hour.

Quoted message said:

You had to do it naked? Wow. That *is* specialised work.

I knew you would say that :-P

Not as specialised as a Naval Surgeon.

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and binding contract.

Just zis Guy said:

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 19:28:08 -0000, "Simonb" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message <[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I liked them - but then, I could strip, clean and reassemble a Sturmey in about half an hour.

Quoted message said:

You had to do it naked? Wow. That *is* specialised work.

I knew you would say that :-P

Hard to resist.

Simon

in message <[email hidden]>, NC

(') said:

Simon Brooke said:

in message said:

At the rates of wear you are getting, would swapping to a hub gear be effective for you ? 7-
speed hubs are not particularly expensive - £100 to £150 - and available with different spreads
of ratios (SRAM & Shimano have different ratio spreads, see Sheldon Brown for some details). A
Rolhoff 14 speed would be a significant sum, and probably has as many effective ratios as the
21-27 speed system you have at present. You'd need to leave the old changer in a locked position
(or something similar) to act as a chain tensioner.

No he won't, unless he's got rear suspension that isn't URT.

Errr... As I understand things, one needs a method to alter the chain tension/slack. Otherwise
there is a fair chance of throwing the chain off a sprocket. The amount of movement required is
about half an inch, being one link top and bottom of the chain, that being the minium amount a
chain can be shortened or lengthened (one inner and one outer link).

You're right, but if you were going to the expense of fitting a Rohloff you'd probably go for custom
dropouts at the same time. A constant length chain and no jockey arm is a big advantage from the
simplicity point of view.

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Simon Brooke said:

in message said:

Errr... As I understand things, one needs a method to alter the chain tension/slack. Otherwise
there is a fair chance of throwing the chain off a sprocket. The amount of movement required is
about half an inch, being one link top and bottom of the chain, that being the minium amount a
chain can be shortened or lengthened (one inner and one outer link).

You're right, but if you were going to the expense of fitting a Rohloff you'd probably go for
custom dropouts at the same time. A constant length chain and no jockey arm is a big advantage
from the simplicity point of view.

Agreed about the Rohloff expense (£600-£800ish?) and the simplicity of no jockey wheels on chain
tensioners, though my original reply covered circa £100 7-speed hub alternatives.

In those cheaper cases, the costs of modifying a frame would be a very significant fraction of the
total, and using a basic tensioner from an old gear changer is cheap and effective.

NC.

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