Should anyone else ever have the problem with a whining Powertap hub, it seems that I was sent a hub missing what is probably a 25 cent plastic sleeve that sits on the axle. This can apparently cause the whining, hub stickiness, and added resistance that I was experiencing. Wheelbuilder is mailing out the part to me. I'll
let you (the forum) know if that does the trick.

Any thoughts on the Nimble wheelsets, particularly the Fly? I'm thinking of picking up a used set for a lightweight option.

I have a Nimble spider front wheel...good stuff...bit flexy...the Fly is carbon and 100 grams lighter...is they are cheap used...then why not? I think they use DT swiss hubs

yacks

My SRAM Red cassettes have crapped the bed. They are about 4 years old and have thousands of miles on me...I ride 11-26...Should I just get 2 more Red Cassettes or go with Force or Shimano stuff? yacks

What, they were not made of ti? Yacks you are such a sell-out!

Chris, I've been using the 1070 cassettes for years. They shift better than Shimano cassettes do with my Shimano drivetrain. The one thing about the RED cassettes that bugged me is cleaning: I like that I can take the 1070 apart and scrub the individual cogs. I like my cassettes shiny.

thanks Eric....and Clayton the team has no sponsorship deal with Ti frame makers...my new frame was made in the United States of America....where was your frame made? and who is the sell out now?
yacks
p.s. have I mentioned ALUMINUM is the absolute BEST material for a bike frame...I don't know why anybody would ride anything else.

@yacks - my frame was made in Pennsylvania. so was my other frame. i had one made in Somerville, Mass.
I wish Mike's new frame was made in PA.

I'm about to pick up my first compact crank, figure with Devil's kitchen looming now is as good a time as any.

Currently, I have a 53/39 with 170mm cranks. Is there any reason to think about changing crank arm length for the compact?

Nope.

Certainly don't go bigger.

Agree. 170 sounds about right for you.

ryan, stop acting like such a forum rookie

there is a Bicycle Gear/Tech thread for this sort of talk: http://kissena.info/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=87&page=3#Item_33

Sheesh, forum police out in force, and on a holiday no less!

I actually thought carefully about where to post that. It's in the in the "Bikes and Gear - How to glue a tubular, Campy vs Shimano vs SRAM, stuff for sale" category.

If every single subject related to Bikes and Gear has to go into the "Bicycle Tech/Gear Discussion Thread" discussion it gets pretty durn hard to decipher that discussion thread.

I assumed that's why folks had started all the other discussions under their own subject lines on that page - i.e. "Blackburn CF bottle cages" "Different tire sizes?" "Powertap SL+ Whining" "Zeroing the Torque"

The matter of length has been debated a long time. And there's no easy answer. My guess is that for your leg length, for you to have a crank arm length that is proportional to what Ragot is using, you'd probably need to run 155mm arms. I bring this up only to point out there's no perfect solution.

Some folks, like those influenced by Cyrille Guimard in the 1980s, would say get 172.5s for climbing. More leverage.

I've tried going longer for specific climbing events. I found it not bad in the saddle, but coordination was off when standing on the pedals.

one thing I'll add to the discussion though. My feeling is make the rings 36/50 rather than 34/50. The 14-tooth jump is what you're used to, so it will keep the difference between the big and small rings the same as with a 39/53 or 38/52. Yes, I see the value in having the lowest of low, but the 16-tooth jump is pretty major and it will necessitate more shifting than you're used to.

some very basic questions about chains. (sorry if this is covered somewhere else but i didnt see it)

yay, i got a halfway decent chain tool, (park CT-3) now that i have upgraded to ultegra 6700 10 speed. havent fooled around with chains enough, but here is the issue. i notice that the pins are slightly swaged in, such that when you pop a pin out, the swage breaks, so the pin is not re-useable. hence the use of the shimano replacement pin, which you break off. HOWEVER, i note that a) the pins are not sold a local bike shops, b) not sold at competitive cyclist, and seem to be sold through such lower end places as performance bike. so, i am wondering if there is a more pro-level solution? perhaps there is a chain tool i dont know about that correctly swages the pin into place? the replacement pin actually does not seem to go in that securely, so i am also wondering if the replacement pins have an inherent weakness.

beyond the shimano chain, are there other chains of particular interest? is a wipperman chain desireable? is the use of a wipperman link useful? is it convenient but more prone to breakage?

cleaning chains: i have read a bit here and there about cleaning chains, but i am wondering what is the most common treatment once you have broken it off for cleaning. what's the best and least toxic way to degrease and clean it? is it true that really degreasing it will take out the "factory lube" deep in the movements? even if you go so far as to put it in gasoline, does micro-grit tend to get sucked into the movements in a way that would not ordinarily happen if you had not soaked it in the solvent? at the end of they day, do most people just replace the chain every couple of months and not bother with a deep cleaning ritual? keeps me up at night wondering.... and wishing santa would bring me a sonic waterbased parts cleaing tank

I run SRAM chains and their connecting links, they seem more available and last a long time. My current SRAM PG 1090 is going on a year strong. I wouldn't reuse those 10 speed pin after breaking the chain, however I believe KMC sells 3rd party connecting links for SRAM and Campy -- not sure of their quality.

I never take the chain off to clean it. I use Rock n Roll lubricants which cleans and lubricates the chain. Once every few months I will wipe the chain down with a rag and WD-40 to some of the gunk off then reapply the Rock n Roll. You can also get some Park cleaning device that allows you to clean the chain without removing it. As long as I don't feel any grinding when I hold the chain in my hands and rotate the plates against each other I'm happy.

IF you are cleaning the chain, I've used simple green on my track/fixed gear chains as well as mineral spirits -- the former being the more bio friendly. I put the chain in an old tomato sauce jar and agitate it.

side note: kmc chains are really good and really cheap

McKay - good questions. I can't help much on the link question but:

I use the park chain scrubber occasionally:

http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-CM-5-Cyclone-Cleaner/dp/B00094CWA8

FWIW, I think it makes a bit of a mess and is probably more suited for people that get their equipment REALLY messy. For these applications I wish I had a basement.

In the mean time, I do degrease, clean, and re-lube my chain every week or so when I wipe down my bike. Spraying it with some simple green or citrus cleaner seems to do the trick. I often just just run the chain across a clean rag (or a bit of a t-shirt I'm throwing out). I pay extra attention to the chain rings and getting the grit off the pulleys on the rear derailleur.

Taking off the rear wheel and cleaning out the cassette helps a bunch too. Since I switch my cassette between wheels, I'll take that time to clean it off extra nice.

I really think the key to this stuff is keeping it from getting bad. I'm at a point now where I'm riding my bike pretty much every day so if it gets gunky, it will effect the ride quality and I'll go home and want to clean it off.

I've had the chains with the easy to remove link in the past, and they are SO easy to clean.

A little unleaded gasoline really does the trick to get a good cleaning but certainly isn't environmentally friendly.

Mike

@McKay, I agree with Mike on the Park chain scrubber. It is very helpful in getting your chain sparkling clean. I probably run mine about once a month or so using a 1:1 solution of orange degreaser and water. It does get a little messy so put some newspaper or rags down before you start. Then, about every other month I'll take the cassette apart and scrub the caked on grime off with an old toothbrush and the same solution. Works great. Be careful cleaning the grit off the pulleys: try to catch all the little globs that fall off because that combination of road grit and condensed chain lube is a nightmare. Be very careful not to step on any of that. A good way to ruin your wife's/girfriend's new living room carpet/rug.

I've been using SRAM chains and cassettes with an Ultegra/Dura Ace drivetrain for a while. I think they work great. You can order the links (they sell cards of 4):

http://www.amazon.com/Sram-Power-Speed-chain-Black/dp/B003FW2IZ0/ref=pd_bxgy_sg_img_b

Also, as JP mentioned in another thread: get a chain checker. The park version is super easy to use and costs about $15. I used to replace my chains every 2000 miles. I have found that chains can last much longer than that.

Eric

fwiw i've had mixed luck taking off my chain, degreasing it, re-greasing it, etc. vs just running a stock chain and keeping it clean by wiping it down with a rag after every ride. i've got a park cm-something and hate it. it makes a hell of a mess (as previously stated)

For cross and general commuting I've typically run SRAM chains which have been removed from the bike, de/re-greased (usually by shaking in a 2L bottle full of water+degreaser) and reinstalled then lubed with a drop of boeshield t9 per link. This works well. the chain runs quietly and smoothly but can pick up quite a bit of gunk.

The road bike gets enough use, usually in good weather, that installing a new chain when worn and wiping it down after every ride, keeps it reasonably clean. When the cassette gets a little crusty i'll pull it out and floss the cogs with an old t-shirt.

thus far i've used the included SRAM quick link on the CX bike and the regular shimano replacement pins on road.

New chain every March.

After the packing grease wears out, I run a bunch of White Lightning through the chain, soaking up drippings with a rag until they start coming out clean. White Lightning has some solvent in it, so when you run it through it removes buildup. Then when you stop, the solvent evaporates, the solids dry, and you're lubricated. It's a dry lube, so it does not get greasy and it will not ruin your fancy linen Rapha trousers.

After that, a bit of White Lightning after every ride or two (or three or four if I'm really lazy; I am usually diligent). Run the chain through a couple wadded up paper towels every two weeks or so to keep it shiny. If the chain seems really dirty, run more White Lightning through it until the drippings come out clean -- twice a year maybe?

I would never dream of removing my chain from my bicycle with the intent of putting it back on. Once it comes off, a new one goes on. I have never seen fit to degrease my chain, as it never gets greasy. The downside is that I'm constantly lubing it, but I've gotten used to that, so I don't mind.

That said, I will probably be forced to use a wet lube for CX, so no Rapha trousers.

Question: When I had that scrubber encasement thing (I had the in-house brand from Performance Bike) I would let the chain dry off a bit before I applied the lube. I would also turn the cranks backward a good couple of times thinking this will accelerate the drying. Now, the question, should I even let it dry? Will any kind of significant form of oxidization or rusting develop?

Also, after I apply the lube, I spin the crank backwards again thinking this might help get the lube flowing deeper into the links. Am I wasting my time?

Those are my questions.

dw

even the late, great sheldon's got some knowledge to drop:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

Daniel et al,
When using degreaser, degrease, then clean with soapy water to get rid of the degreaser, then chase with water. This is regardless of whether you use the scrubber or leave it on the bike or take off and use a home-made agitator (I use an old Nestle Quik container).

Unless you're using Motorex's degreaser in conjunction with their lube, yes, wait until the chain dries. Only takes an hour or two.

While I rarely remove my chain, I am partial to Wippermann, and their master link is easy to use and re-use.

here's my review of the Park chain scrubber:
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=PRODUCT_REVIEW&ARTICLE_ID=3779&QUERY=park%20chain&RETURN=review%20search%20for%20%27park%20chain%27&RETURNLINK=%2Fza%2FCCY%3FPAGE%3DPRODUCT_REVIEWS%26QUERY%3Dpark%20chain%26RETURN%3Dmain%20reviews%20page&PRODUCT_REVIEW_PAGE=&SEARCH_NAME=&QUERY_BRAND=

And, as per EM's comment, I advised getting the cheap go/no-go style of chain checker. It's great.

I like how Sheldon differentiates "real cyclists" from the rest of us "spoiled lazy cyclists" based on whether we lube our chain using different greases for the pins and rollers or whether we use our "fundamentally mono-buttocked kluges." Gotta like a dude with an opinion!

To take apart every link in your chain is really, really serious. Absolute dedication.

Posted By: rhenningeven the late, great sheldon's got some knowledge to drop:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chainclean.html

I hope everyone read the whole page, or just skipped all the way to the bottom because I almost didn't.

Here's the real page

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

For chain cleaning, I use a mixture of the various techniques described above (mostly degreaser/water in a bottle and shake). I just thought i might add my newest revelation to chain cleaning.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=air+duster&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=3472645122919392532&sa=X&ei=4JUYToWDIYXVgAeQndQv&ved=0CG0Q8gIwAA

Air dusters, as shown above, are amazing for this. This really helps get a lot of shit out of the links. Not going to babble on about this, and I'm sure the benefits for using this are obvious. I suggest giving it a go in conjunction with whatever method of chain cleaning you use (rag+ degreaser, chain off and soak......). If you don't think that this improves your chain cleaning, I'll give you your money back!

Posted By: Adam
Air dusters, as shown above, are amazing for this.

that's smart. look at the big brain on adam!

Posted By: Daniel Wong
I hope everyone read the whole page, or just skipped all the way to the bottom because I almost didn't.

That Sheldon Brown sure did have a sense of humor.