Why no sapphire / diamond chainwheels, cogs, or chains?

Why aren't there any bicycle chainwheels or chain side plates / rivets
coated with sapphire or diamond? Wouldn't this help to decrease wear on
these components?

-Mike

On Thu, 12 Aug 2004 16:19:05 GMT, none wrote:
Why aren't there any bicycle chainwheels or chain side plates / rivets
coated with sapphire or diamond? Wouldn't this help to decrease wear on
these components?

No, people would wear them much more often. Especially to parties.
--
Rick Onanian

On Thu, 12 Aug 2004 16:19:05 GMT, none
wrote:

Why aren't there any bicycle chainwheels or chain side plates / rivets
coated with sapphire or diamond? Wouldn't this help to decrease wear on
these components?

-Mike

Dear Mike,

Coating things with hard grit like diamond dust turns them
into sandpaper, the opposite of the smooth surface that you
want.

Carl Fogel

none wrote:

Why aren't there any bicycle chainwheels or chain side plates / rivets
coated with sapphire or diamond?

You could try to find a carbon chainwheel, and ride it *really*
hard...

--
jc

Remove the -not from email

none writes:

Why aren't there any bicycle chainwheels or chain side plates / rivets
coated with sapphire or diamond? Wouldn't this help to decrease wear on
these components?

Actually, anodized aluminum is 7x harder than regular unanodized
aluminum, so a thick layer of aluminum oxide is serving the same
purpose as these other hard coatings that you are asking about.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

"none" wroteclip)sapphire or diamond? Wouldn't this help to decrease wear
on these components?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
How old are you? Does your background include Hi-fi and vinyl records?

On Thu, 12 Aug 2004 16:19:05 GMT, none wrote:

Why aren't there any bicycle chainwheels or chain side plates / rivets
coated with sapphire or diamond? Wouldn't this help to decrease wear on
these components?

-Mike

Er, economics? It's cheaper to keep replacing drivetrain components
than to make them last longer. On the other hand, TiN (Titanium
Nitride) coating is not too expensive, especially on a titanium
substrate, so it's slightly surprising that Ti sprockets as seen on
Record and DuraAce cassettes aren't that nice shiny gold colour.


Kinky Cowboy*

*Batteries not included
May contain traces of nuts
Your milage may vary

none wrote in message news:ZLMSc.6682$BS3.6018@trndny04...
Why aren't there any bicycle chainwheels or chain side plates / rivets
coated with sapphire or diamond? Wouldn't this help to decrease wear on
these components?

-Mike

Some industrial equipment is already made with a diamond-like carbon
coating on the wear surfaces, as an alternative to carburised or
nitrided case-hardening. For example, some air compressors supplying
oil-free air use this technology.

Possibly some applications of chain drive might (or one day will) use
chains hardened like this. But I doubt that it will catch on for
bicycles designed to be status symbols. There is no point in
equipping a bicycle with high tech gear that is not immediately
recognisable as expensive. Hmmm ... unless ... is there some way of
making the chain brightly coloured?

On Thu, 12 Aug 2004 18:34:26 GMT, Jeremy Collins
wrote:

none wrote:

Why aren't there any bicycle chainwheels or chain side plates / rivets
coated with sapphire or diamond?

You could try to find a carbon chainwheel, and ride it *really*
hard...

http://www.fibre-lyte.co.uk/

"CARBON FIBRE CHAIN RINGS

The properties of carbon fibre are ideal for track, time trial and
triathlon machines, there is no lighter chain ring available -
remember carbon fibre is half the weight of aluminium. We advise that
these chainrings are used only in a single ring set up. When used in a
multi ring set up these rings can be damaged by hard and aggressive
front gear changing, however, customers have had 1000's miles with
careful changing or as a single ring set up."

etc.

Would be nice to try a set!

dianne_1234 wrote:

...
The properties of carbon fibre are ideal for track, time trial and
triathlon machines, there is no lighter chain ring available -
remember carbon fibre is half the weight of aluminium....

They should find an advertising copywriter who knows the difference
between weight and density.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area