Andrew Priest said:
G'day
On my run from Joondalup to Fremantle yesterday evening I managed to
snap off completely my rear dérailleur and lost my quick release chain
link. Not 100% sure what happened but was coming up a short steep hill
and I think I had just changed down a gear as there was a dad and his
kid to get around while still putting on pressure for the climb.
Anyway the whole (dérailleur) snapped and then the chain popped a
link. Ruined my best ride so far and my plans to get my first 50 km
ride in. Was flying to (well relatively).
Off to the lbs this morning for a chat, I mean grovel, to see if I can
get warranty on it.
When I was about 17, while I was honking up a hill, a cloth I had
stuffed under the old sagging saddle seat fell out
and down onto the bottom of the chain.
It was pulled into the 4 speed deraileur, where it jammed, and being
oblivious to it,
and a strong 17 yr old, I wrenched the whole business to peices in one
pedal stroke.
So much for "new unbreakable nylon mouldings", 1960s style.
I don't recall how I got home.
Maybe I left the chain running with a big dangling loose loop,
but home I did get.
There was no warranty cover.
Someone stole the bike later......
I went on to motorcycles...
[censored] happens, right?
20 years later I returned to cycling,
and now after 110,000 km, I've never stuffed a deraileur,
or broken a chain, or needed to insert a few new links
after breaking any. I must have thrown out maybe 25 chains
after wearing them out.
But you can remove the deraileur, or tape it up out of the way,
and alter chain length with a chain breaker tool to suit one medium low
gear.
This way you get home, or to where there is help.
You get very grubby fingers!
I always replace a chain and maybe the rear cogs
if the chain starts to get noisy, ie, you get "crinkly sounds"
from below which is the chain fudging into positions while stretched
around
cogs which it no longer fits properly.
Often you'll find that when a chain is worn, and about ready for the
bin,
its grown a link longer when held tight against a brand new chain.
The rear cog teeth begin getting a hooked shape, and the centre to
centre distance
of where links bear change away from the original spec, and a new chain
shouldn't be fitted to an old set of gears, as it may be noisy,
annoying,
and the chain will wear and stretch rapidly.
From what I can see, the Shimano cassette gears or cluster gears
don't have the lasting power of the gears I could buy 20 years ago,
but in real terms most parts are cheaper now for bikes, courtesy
of the slave labour in China.
Chains are much better than shaft drive, unless you're on a BMW.
Patrick Turner.
Quoted message said:
Photos of the dérailleur at
<http://aushiker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=162> and then go to
last three.
Thanks
Andrew
-----
Churchlands, Western Australia
Giant CRX 1; Giant Boulder SE
http://aushiker.com http://backpackgeartest.org http://geocaching.com.au
