Uneven chain tension

[steve52]

oh i typed these thoughts without reading the post above, we seem to have a conscensus,

 

[Gerry Attrick]

There are several reasons that chains and sprockets can wear unevenly. First of all, you might think that the delivery of energy from the pedals to rear wheel is a smooth flow, but cadence plays a part. The the through stroke of the crank is different for each leg, cadence alters depending on load, hills etc... and while those changes in cadence usually are impossible for the rider to perceive, they impose ever-varying taut-slack loads on the chain.

To a lesser degree, the same thing happens in reverse on using the pedals to slow down.


Next time you ride alongside another bicycle, watch the chain and you'll see that even when moving at a steady speed and seemingly smooth cadence, at least some part of the chain is usually fluttering up-and-down. As pedal revolutions increase in speed this fluttering is often more pronounced as the cadence becomes raggy.

These fluctuations change according to cadence, load and riding style, and they are not synchronized to the ratio of the sprockets. Consequently, the cumulative wear they impose on the chain and sprocket almost can't help being uneven.

Other factors compound this basic wear pattern. Water and dirt usually do not accumulate in equal amounts all around the chain and sprockets; a little more corrosive material in one place or another will cause uneven wear. Plus, after a ride when the chain is warm, some part of it cools on the straight runs between sprockets while the rest of it does so while wrapped around the sprockets. Depending upon the nature of any contamination that has accumulated on the chain, as well as the lubrication on or in it, that difference can easily cause a slight kink that usually goes away during the next ride but, in the process, still causes a little extra wear in those kinked areas. And once a wear pattern starts in one place on the chain or sprockets, the rate of wear tends to accelerate more there than on the rest of the chain.

You have far more patience than I!

 

[Riding in Circles]

You have far more patience than I!

I had some time while I was setting some stuff up so I thought I would explain how bicycles function.

 

[mickle]

I had some time while I was setting some stuff up so I thought I would explain how bicycles function.

Making shoot up doesn't qualify as facts. Just so you're aware.

 

[Riding in Circles]

Making shoot up doesn't qualify as facts. Just so you're aware.

So what you are saying is that despite asking for some sort of explanation you are not really interested anyway as you have got your special la la blinkers on, ok, I'll ensure I will not provide any advise if you suffer problems, everyone else is fine though, I am sure that will upset you as you keep throwing all your toys out of your pram on every other post.

You can have the last word now as I am washing my hands of you, bye bye.

 

[Zoiders]

Firstly - stop comparing motorbike chains with bike chains.

Yes they are both roller chains and both experience roller wear, a motorbike chain however is getting such an amount of tourque through it that doing things like pulling a wheely which gives a short sharp tug on the chain against the weight of the rider and bike can actualy stretch and elongate the pin hole so you really are stretching the metal and making the link longer, especialy if you keep gunning the throttle to keep the wheel in the air and keep yanking at that chain.

You aren't going to do this with a correctly linked bike chain, even with variations in the heat treatment process you aren't exceding the pull strength of the side plates, what is possible is for roller wear to become excelerated by a badly machined ring.

I don't have to defend myself against people who make shoot up - as Mickle said.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Firstly - stop comparing motorbike chains with bike chains.

Yes they are both roller chains and both experience roller wear, a motorbike chain however is getting such an amount of tourque through it that doing things like pulling a wheely which gives a short sharp tug on the chain against the weight of the rider and bike can actualy stretch and elongate the pin hole so you really are stretching the metal and making the link longer, especialy if you keep gunning the throttle to keep the wheel in the air and keep yanking at that chain.

You aren't going to do this with a correctly linked bike chain, even with variations in the heat treatment process you aren't exceding the pull strength of the side plates, what is possible is for roller wear to become excelerated by a badly machined ring.

I don't have to defend myself against people who make shoot up - as Mickle said.

For the third time of asking, your qualifications for asserting this are what, exactly?

 

[Zoiders]

For the third time of asking, your qualifications for asserting this are what, exactly?

Youre just pissed of that mickle and I can look at the problem, have a quick think and then explain the problem correctly in laymans terms when the lengthy preachy answers the other guys and you gave are a load of arbitrary nonsense.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Thank you Zoiders. I have no need of further comment.

 

[mickle]

What Zoiders said.

 

[Norm]

These fluctuations change according to cadence, load and riding style, and they are not synchronized to the ratio of the sprockets. Consequently, the cumulative wear they impose on the chain and sprocket almost can't help being uneven.

I don't get this bit. Because the fluctuations are not synchronised (pah, how can you have UK in your name and use the z version ) does that not mean that the wear occurs at a different part of the chain with each revolution, which means that the chain would wear evenly?