Bicycle chain: dimensions according to bicycle model, installation, adjustment

Modern bicycles are much more sophisticated than old models, so they require a lot of other care, and in particular how the bicycle chain should be serviced. Dimensions, type and many other parameters of such components affect how they should be properly used. At the same time, many people continue to act in the same way as they did before: just lubricate it a couple of times a year, and it seems that there will be no wear and tear.

In fact, you need to do a lot of actions, so that your bad condition when riding you do not disturb the bicycle chain. Dimensions and other parameters of such devices must be properly selected during the acquisition process, so that the product can be used for a long time. At the same time it needs to be lubricated and changed in a timely manner, if you want to ensure your "iron horse" maximum safety. But many people do not know how and when to do it.

How to choose?

Choosing the right chain directly depends on how many stars are used in your bike. If your "two-wheeled horse" has five stars, then in that case the standard version having a width of 2.4 mm will be quite optimal. If we are talking about a bicycle with 6-7 stars, then we should give preference to more expensive and high-quality products, since the standard can simply not withstand such loads, not to mention how responsible this procedure should be when buying a chain for 8 Star "horse", to which only the most flexible and expensive products are suitable. Of course, if you want, you can use cheaper analogs, but in this case you will need to change them often enough, and you probably will have to do it with cassettes at once, which makes the savings quite doubtful.

First of all, you must fully comply with the coincidence of the characteristics of your old and new chains, and in particular this relates to their width. It is best to use a chain from the same manufacturer from which you have been used before, and for this, most likely, you will need to conduct a detailed cleaning of the old product in order to find the name of the manufacturer on the plates.

It is worth noting the fact that some chains are additionally marked in accordance with the quality of their manufacture, and most often this marking is applied in the form of numbers. Accordingly, the higher the numerical value indicates the marking, the better will be the quality of the installed circuit. Also worth noting is the fact that the CCM chains often differ in color, and the best models here are usually painted only in gold.

For some reason, few people pay attention to such a time as the length of the chain, because it is this parameter determines the accuracy of the gearshift. It often happens that the producers themselves make their chains longer than they should be, but from the long chain there are actually not so many problems as from the short chain, because the latter quite often leads to the most unfortunate consequences. You need to choose the following:

• On hybrid and mountain bikes, the chain is installed on the largest front and rear stars, after which it is shortened so that the frame of the tensioner has a practically horizontal forward direction with a margin of two more links.
• If a double-hooked bicycle is used, then the length of the chain must be selected in this position of the rear suspension, which provides the maximum distance between the cassette and the star of the system.
• On highway bicycles the chain is installed on the small rear and large front star.
• To one-speed bicycles or bicycles with a planetary bushing, the chain length is selected so that the axle in the rear wheel is securely seated in the grooves of the frame.

When using a short circuit, the most optimal outcome of events is the impossibility of changing gears, but in fact the breaker is more often completely broken, which also often pushes a pair of spokes out of the wheel, and the circuit itself can easily tear during operation under such a load.

When it is changed?

As in the case of any other parts, in the process of operation you can simply wear a bicycle chain. The dimensions of this element here do not play any role, because even the highest quality products are worn out, but often any problems can be corrected completely independently if desired. It should be understood that there is no unambiguous answer to the question of why this deterioration occurs, because there are a huge number of factors that affect this process. Soil, weather conditions, the type and method of lubrication, the length of the ride - because of all this, the bike chain eventually wears out. Dimensions and other nuances need to be taken into account, choosing which is better to apply the approach to it.

That is why it is useful for every cyclist to know what these components are and how to service them.

What is it?

The bicycle chain is the basic mechanism of a "two-wheeled horse", and is a standard drive roller chain that transmits torque to the driven from the drive sprocket. In total, today three types of such products are manufactured:

• Light;
• Half-link;
• Single-speed or high-speed.

Also worth noting is the fact that the chains between themselves differ in width and distance between the pins securing the links. However, there are several reasons why a chain for a bicycle can wear out, but among the most common ones are the following:

• Negative weather conditions;
• Too long chain life;
• Method and type of lubricant;
• Workmanship.

Such products require special attention. You need to know how to pull the chain on a bicycle, when it is lubricated, cleaned and replaced. To see too much wear is simple enough - it regularly falls, jumps out and appreciably stretches.

Grease

There are many opinions about how to pull the chain on a bicycle, and whether it should be lubricated at all. Some believe that it does not need lubrication at all, because a lot of dirt begins to accumulate on the oil, which leads to an acceleration of chain wear. Others, on the contrary, think that it is the right lubrication that will increase the overall service life of this mechanism. But here many people have questions about how to apply grease properly and what to do if after that the chain on a high-speed bicycle flies?

You can carry out this procedure with a standard lubricator. You can also use a spray, but in this case you need to be extremely careful, because oil can get not only on the chain, but also on some other parts of your bike. If the oil is incorrectly applied, then the mechanism itself becomes too dirty, and it sometimes happens that the chain on the high-speed bicycle also flies .

Features to consider

The main rule of this procedure is to correctly observe three points in which the presence of oil is a must:

• The place where the rivet rubs against the inner plates;
• The place in which the outer and inner plates come into contact;
• The inner surface of the roller.

Quite often, when a chain is put on a sports bike, lubrication can cause certain problems associated with the occurrence of air bubbles. When using the standard oil lubrication technology with a spray, air bubbles always remain inside the glass, which prevents the oil from passing further. But even if it still gets inside, it will already be contaminated, because the outer plates are extremely quickly covered with dust from the road.

Much less trouble occurs if the bike chain is tensioned "bezstakannogo" type. Such products are arranged in such a way that even if the oil drips onto a particular roller, during movement it will fall inside, thereby displacing air from there, and through various gaps it will also fall on the outer plates. Since the side plates are lubricated from the inside, all the dirt present is completely washed by using a flow of oil, and there is no need to even worry about the contamination of the rollers, since they are completely cleaned without too much help while interacting with the teeth.

What to use?

The most common to date are the two main types of lubricants - vaccines and motorcycle.

The latter are a thick material in combination with a solvent that is characterized by a sufficiently high rate of evaporation. Any car enthusiast knows that sticky lubricants can not penetrate where they are really needed, while liquid ones do not stay in the chain too long. It is for this reason that it is best if the entire length of the bicycle chain is lubricated with motorcycle oil, because by using a special solvent in it, it can easily penetrate even the most inaccessible places, after which the substance completely evaporates and remains a dense material that can To serve for a long time.

Vaxes act in the same way, because they use a combination of liquid and sticky grease, but it should be noted that in this case the chain will have to be lowered into molten viscous liquid, and under the influence of temperatures the mixture will become liquid, falling into all the places where it is needed Place, then cool down there and ensure work for a long time. The main drawback of this method can be called only that it can take quite a lot of time to realize it.

Cleaning

Above it has been said that the lubricant is a sufficiently sticky material, as a result of which road dust sticks fast enough to it. It is for this reason that during the operation of the vehicle, special attention should be given to the cleaning procedure.

Finding today a means to effectively cleanse the chain is not difficult, because modern stores offer their consumers a fairly rich range of cleaning liquids, having a variety of compositions and aromas. However, the main disadvantage of these liquids by which the chain is processed on a bicycle is the price, so not everyone can afford them. In this regard, in the majority of cases, modern cyclists prefer to use conventional means such as gasoline or acetone.

There are some specialized means by which the chain on a bicycle is quickly brought to a normal condition. The price of such funds is quite low, but the main drawback of them is that they have a strong enough and sharp odor, so it is highly discouraged to clean them in closed rooms. In this case, it is worth considering that today the chain itself can be bought at about 150 to 400 rubles.

In addition, you will need to use a rag, a brush and a small container, into which the cleanser is poured. If your chain is not too heavily soiled, then it will be enough just to wipe it with a rag, but otherwise it is first soaked in a container with a cleaning liquid, and then it is squeezed there with a brush. The liquid must be replaced until it is completely clean, and in some cases the procedure can even be delayed for a fairly long time.

How to understand that the chain is time to replace?

Many believe that the timely replacement of the chain is not so important, because you can always hold out until the last moment, and only then change it. In fact, do not forget that the total life of the cassette tape is several times greater than the lifetime of the chain, and if you do not change it in time, then you will have to replace two parts at once. Thus it is possible to extend a resource of a chain if correctly to understand, as it is necessary to switch speeds.

Helpful Tips

There is a way, allowing for a long time not to worry about how to put the chain on the bike after its purchase. First one product is used, but after the slightest suspicion of wear appears, it is replaced by another, but the old one is not thrown away. If again there are suspicions, then the third is put, and only after its partial wear and tear, the first one returns - and so on in a circle. This method allows achieving full and uniform application of all three circuits, but few prefer to use this technology, because it requires a rather painstaking approach.

If the product is worn and it is time to change it, it will be elongated, no matter how many links in the chain of the bicycle. In this case, it will constantly jump out and fall, which will lead to a lot of difficulties in the process of exploitation.

How can I change it?

The main difficulty here is to properly remove the product, and do not damage any part of the chain of the bicycle. In order to dismantle it without any damage, you need to get a squeeze, which is now sold in almost every normal bike store. Then the procedure is as follows:

1. Place the chain link on the squeeze so that the pin is placed in front of the squeeze axis.
2. Carefully scroll the handle to squeeze out the pin, and stop here only when it is nearly squeezed out. Pay close attention to the process of this procedure, because there is a risk of complete extrusion, and inserting it back is often extremely difficult.

Instantly remove and install the chain can be using a specialized link lock.