The small pleasures of a new chain
What follows is not (chain) BREAKING NEWS.
I put a new chain on the bike today, and I enjoyed it.
The chain I replaced had hit 4,000 miles, and I was keeping an eye on it. It could have gone farther; not yet at 1/16 wear, but I got caught in the rain the other day and thought, I can lube this chain or just change it. At 4K, I had no complaints, and I had a new chain in the on-deck circle, so, new chain!
I broke a few links off the newbie and installed it with a Wippermann link I had wanted to try, the Lexus of Links. It's nice! Easy-on, and I suppose easy-off too. It comes in a little box with instructions in six languages on a sheet folded to a square inch, and is directional, so get it right.
On its premiere ride, the chain was smooth and quiet, shifting perfectly... just like the previous chain. I had hoped to spot a difference, thinking that the new chain would be stiffer laterally or something, but I really couldn't say. But knowing that I had a new chain gave me that feeling that I always get on the first ride after lubing the drivetrain, that it's like a new bike, or that I'm faster and cooler, the superior knowledge of diligent maintenance. All of that is BS, but fun anyway.
After a hundred miles I'll remove the perfectly fine factory lube and replace it with the Best Chain Lube Ever I have selected from the many best lubes available, and crank off for another 4,000 miles. If that Wippermann link gives me any grief I'll let you know.