Cycling myths you don't believe anymore...
#26
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Yeah, but will this thread stretch?
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Stretching the thread...?
#28
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#32
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Sorry disagree on this one, cables do stretch..
"Two kinds of stretch occur in cable based on wire rope: constructional stretch and elastic stretch. This stretch is due to two different causes. ... Elastic Stretch - Elasticstretch is the actual elongation of the wires of a strand or a cable. This is caused by the application of a load up to the yield point of the metal."
"Two kinds of stretch occur in cable based on wire rope: constructional stretch and elastic stretch. This stretch is due to two different causes. ... Elastic Stretch - Elasticstretch is the actual elongation of the wires of a strand or a cable. This is caused by the application of a load up to the yield point of the metal."
(Yes, bushing wear adds to permanent "stretch" by creating play inside the rollers. When the play is pulled out, the chain is now longer.)
And a related source of "stretch" - also common in climbing situations - poor chainlines, With a poor chainline, the bushings at the outside of the local bend in the chain (The chain now forms an "S" with bends coming off the cog and into chainring.) Those outside bushing see nearly all the load of the chain and therefore wear much faster. Faster chain "stretch".
Note, when I say "stretch" with the quotation marks, I mean elongation in the chain as a whole due to wear. Ie what you can measure with a tape measure.
Ben
#33
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Sorry to derail this thread, but I'd like to address the topic in the OP. All my life I've been told that there's a massive difference between Walmart/low end bikes and shop bikes. I am a bit less inclined to believe that now than I was before I bought a real shop bike. Here's my (long) story:
My first bike was the good ol Walmart classic. Dual suspension. Aluminum. 21 speed. Shimano. Twist shifters. MONGOOSE mountain bike.
it was fine. Seriously. A $130 bike. I enjoyed riding it. It shifted pretty damn well. The suspension was probably for show but I could use it as a trampoline. Eventually I outgrew it and decided I wanted an expensive, luxurious bike. So I got a bikes direct hybrid. $350 my God. Of course it was a size too small. So I got a longer seatpost, stem and bars. That bike worked worse. The brakes (mechanical discs) were trash on the black diamond trails I suddenly thought I could ride. The shifting was better because of the triggers but otherwise fine. Overall, meh.
And then I got myself a $600ish fixie for $300 used. Aluminum frame. Half carbon fork. 40mm deep alloy wheels that weigh 3000g at least.
I was a LOT faster on the road (obviously) and I could put some real pressure on the pedals. This was the best bike ever! Sure the cranks (square taper) clicked and brakes were spongy but it was fast.
And then I got a $1700 road bike. This is probably my least favorite bike of all. I've had a lot of problems with this bike. Ive had a lot of problems ON this bike. I can't say it's necessarily more fun to ride than my Walmart bike. Sure, it's faster. A lot faster. And that lets me hang with other people who have fast bikes. But I can't say that a road bike that costed $200 or so wouldn't be as fun if I upgraded the tires to the ultra thin ultra sticky race tires I have now. Or even much faster...
Something deeply cynical inside me says that my next bike, which will probably cost somewhere between $5000 and $15000 (depending on how crazy I go), will be even less fun than my $1700 bike and will have even more issues. And I'm really not looking forward to it. I want someone to tell me that I'm wrong. And I want to believe it. But from where I'm standing, I can't.
My first bike was the good ol Walmart classic. Dual suspension. Aluminum. 21 speed. Shimano. Twist shifters. MONGOOSE mountain bike.
it was fine. Seriously. A $130 bike. I enjoyed riding it. It shifted pretty damn well. The suspension was probably for show but I could use it as a trampoline. Eventually I outgrew it and decided I wanted an expensive, luxurious bike. So I got a bikes direct hybrid. $350 my God. Of course it was a size too small. So I got a longer seatpost, stem and bars. That bike worked worse. The brakes (mechanical discs) were trash on the black diamond trails I suddenly thought I could ride. The shifting was better because of the triggers but otherwise fine. Overall, meh.
And then I got myself a $600ish fixie for $300 used. Aluminum frame. Half carbon fork. 40mm deep alloy wheels that weigh 3000g at least.
I was a LOT faster on the road (obviously) and I could put some real pressure on the pedals. This was the best bike ever! Sure the cranks (square taper) clicked and brakes were spongy but it was fast.
And then I got a $1700 road bike. This is probably my least favorite bike of all. I've had a lot of problems with this bike. Ive had a lot of problems ON this bike. I can't say it's necessarily more fun to ride than my Walmart bike. Sure, it's faster. A lot faster. And that lets me hang with other people who have fast bikes. But I can't say that a road bike that costed $200 or so wouldn't be as fun if I upgraded the tires to the ultra thin ultra sticky race tires I have now. Or even much faster...
Something deeply cynical inside me says that my next bike, which will probably cost somewhere between $5000 and $15000 (depending on how crazy I go), will be even less fun than my $1700 bike and will have even more issues. And I'm really not looking forward to it. I want someone to tell me that I'm wrong. And I want to believe it. But from where I'm standing, I can't.
#34
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nitro glycerine as a ped
#35
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I would believe the perceived stretch of gear cables is in reality the wire bedding/wearing into the housing or the wire guide under the BB. Except for really poor quality wires I cant imagine the tension on a bicycle gear cable being large enough to permanently stretch the cable.
#36
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#1 for me is "keeping your chain oiled will make it last longer". Don't misunderstand me, I still oil my chains frequently, but chains don't wear out, they stretch.
Case in point, I moved to a much hillier part of the state a few years ago and chains that used to last me 3000 miles barely last 1000 before they are stretched beyond what would be acceptable. At least 1/4" over the length of the chain. I only weigh 152lbs...
And don't get me started about those guys that claim they can tell the difference in the ride quality of two nearly identical tires. Sheesh...
Case in point, I moved to a much hillier part of the state a few years ago and chains that used to last me 3000 miles barely last 1000 before they are stretched beyond what would be acceptable. At least 1/4" over the length of the chain. I only weigh 152lbs...
And don't get me started about those guys that claim they can tell the difference in the ride quality of two nearly identical tires. Sheesh...
#37
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I stopped believing the guys at an LBS who said that my worn chain and cassette was the cause of my poor shifting performance. When actually they installed said chain and cassette 1 month prior.
#38
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Good one. I had a mechanic "diagnose" my old commuter with a 8 speed IGH. All it needed was a fresh chain and sprocket. I was told I needed to replace the whole IGH mechanism at considerable cost. Right! What a scoundrel ... :-)
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You don't need to replace your helmet after 5 years is a myth I no longer believe.
#40
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If the OP is replacing chains after 1000 miles, he's likely clueless on maintenance. I get 3500-4000 miles out of my Ultegra chains (and could probably get another thousand or so more), and I guarantee I put out substantially more power than he does at all times. Higher power output is not the issue.
#41
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Okay, so I measured the individual links on both my old chain and the new one. (same brand Ultegra) Using a digital dial caliper the average link length on the old chain is .837" +/- .001"
On the new chain the link lengths averaged .832" +/- .001", which would correspond with the overall length I observed.
We used to have to replace the chains on our overhead hoists every couple of years due to lifting 10-15 ton dies. They would stretch as well, why is it a surprise that a chain would stretch as well?
On the new chain the link lengths averaged .832" +/- .001", which would correspond with the overall length I observed.
We used to have to replace the chains on our overhead hoists every couple of years due to lifting 10-15 ton dies. They would stretch as well, why is it a surprise that a chain would stretch as well?
#42
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#46
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I'm not sure why people are saying chains don't "stretch" when it's pretty obvious to me that they do. Is there some more technically correct term to use such as "elongate" or "expand"?
If we can't even get a consensus on that simple observation, then this thread probably IS a waste of time.
If we can't even get a consensus on that simple observation, then this thread probably IS a waste of time.
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#48
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I'm not sure why people are saying chains don't "stretch" when it's pretty obvious to me that they do. Is there some more technically correct term to use such as "elongate" or "expand"?
If we can't even get a consensus on that simple observation, then this thread probably IS a waste of time.
If we can't even get a consensus on that simple observation, then this thread probably IS a waste of time.
#49
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Okay, so I measured the individual links on both my old chain and the new one. (same brand Ultegra) Using a digital dial caliper the average link length on the old chain is .837" +/- .001"
On the new chain the link lengths averaged .832" +/- .001", which would correspond with the overall length I observed.
We used to have to replace the chains on our overhead hoists every couple of years due to lifting 10-15 ton dies. They would stretch as well, why is it a surprise that a chain would stretch as well?
On the new chain the link lengths averaged .832" +/- .001", which would correspond with the overall length I observed.
We used to have to replace the chains on our overhead hoists every couple of years due to lifting 10-15 ton dies. They would stretch as well, why is it a surprise that a chain would stretch as well?
Edit: While I know that chains get longer due to wear, I'm curious if it's also due to links stretching. I've never measured a link plate myself.
Last edited by jasnooks; 09-05-18 at 07:00 AM.