Chain cover that can be left on bike when riding

I am having to clean my chain and sprockets at least every 3 weeks.

That's a lot of work.

Does someone make a chain cover that can be used while riding?

Thanks,
Andy

On 4/17/2020 4:35 PM, Andy wrote:
I am having to clean my chain and sprockets at least every 3 weeks.

That's a lot of work.

Does someone make a chain cover that can be used while riding?

Thanks,
Andy

Inherently not for a derailleur system.

For single speed or gearbox, sorta yes, depending. Some
frames more than others.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Friday, April 17, 2020 at 10:35:55 PM UTC+1, Andy wrote:
I am having to clean my chain and sprockets at least every 3 weeks.

That's a lot of work.

Does someone make a chain cover that can be used while riding?

Thanks,
Andy

Cyclists privileged to ride on hub gears can use the Hebie Chainglider, which is a hard rubber complete chain enclosure. I've worked out a way to run KMC chains on their factory lube inside the Chainglider for their entire life, so I never clean or lube the chains on my bikes. See
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index....42349#msg42349
for a description of my two initial tests, and passim on that forum for how I arrived at the Chainglider as the best chaincase available and the only one I can responsibly recommend.

You won't get much on chain cases on a neanderthal retro forum like RBT, even though many of the active contributors are cycle commuters, who one would think would be keen on hub gears and consequently my experiments with chain cases. Try a forum with a preponderance of commuters or bicycle tourists, and you'll be overwhelmed with informed responses.

Andre Jute
As Master Muzi says, hub gears are essential with a chaincase.

On Friday, April 17, 2020 at 5:40:26 PM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:
On 4/17/2020 4:35 PM, Andy wrote:
Does someone make a chain cover that can be used while riding?

For single speed or gearbox, sorta yes, depending. Some
frames more than others.
Andrew Muzi


My Tern Verge S11i came with a chain cover that was a black, corrugated tube slit along one side that fit over, and rotated with, the chain. I removed it after 5 minutes of riding because it was noisy. Also, I expected that any rain that hit it would collect and damage the chain. 7,000 miles and a couple chains later, I don't regret what I did.

On 4/17/2020 9:30 PM, Steve Weeks wrote:
On Friday, April 17, 2020 at 5:40:26 PM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:
On 4/17/2020 4:35 PM, Andy wrote:
Does someone make a chain cover that can be used while riding?

For single speed or gearbox, sorta yes, depending. Some
frames more than others.
Andrew Muzi


My Tern Verge S11i came with a chain cover that was a black, corrugated tube slit along one side that fit over, and rotated with, the chain. I removed it after 5 minutes of riding because it was noisy. Also, I expected that any rain that hit it would collect and damage the chain. 7,000 miles and a couple chains later, I don't regret what I did.


A distributor I once part owned used to sell that cover to
shops in big spools. It's a wiring cover from the automotive
industry and back in the 1970s came in bright colors besides
black. Cute, but doesn't help much and, as you note, noisy.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Saturday, April 18, 2020 at 3:39:58 AM UTC+1, AMuzi wrote:
On 4/17/2020 9:30 PM, Steve Weeks wrote:
On Friday, April 17, 2020 at 5:40:26 PM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:
On 4/17/2020 4:35 PM, Andy wrote:
Does someone make a chain cover that can be used while riding?

For single speed or gearbox, sorta yes, depending. Some
frames more than others.
Andrew Muzi


My Tern Verge S11i came with a chain cover that was a black, corrugated tube slit along one side that fit over, and rotated with, the chain. I removed it after 5 minutes of riding because it was noisy. Also, I expected that any rain that hit it would collect and damage the chain. 7,000 miles and a couple chains later, I don't regret what I did.


A distributor I once part owned used to sell that cover to
shops in big spools. It's a wiring cover from the automotive
industry and back in the 1970s came in bright colors besides
black. Cute, but doesn't help much and, as you note, noisy.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

In theory at least, the split wire-bundle cover adapted to bicycle change covering that Steve refers to could be used even on derailleur bikes. But, since it doesn't work in the first instance on hub gear bikes, dumping dirty oil and cold water on the cyclist's trousers and legs if he cycles sans culotte, I don't see much point. A few years ago some wide boy in wider braces made a serious attempt to sell it to German cyclists as the latest and the greatest, a cheaper version of Hebie's Chainglider (which is in a different league altogether, and works brilliantly if correctly fitted); I recollect one German engineer forgetting his dignity to the extent of swearing in the public prints at the vendor after getting a load of dirty oil and cold water dumped on his ankles.

Andre Jute
Dirty oil and cold water must be the nastiest mix of liquids known to man -- next to the cocktail-hour martini.

On Friday, April 17, 2020 at 5:15:33 PM UTC-7, Andre Jute wrote:
On Friday, April 17, 2020 at 10:35:55 PM UTC+1, Andy wrote:
I am having to clean my chain and sprockets at least every 3 weeks.

That's a lot of work.

Does someone make a chain cover that can be used while riding?

Thanks,
Andy

Cyclists privileged to ride on hub gears can use the Hebie Chainglider, which is a hard rubber complete chain enclosure. I've worked out a way to run KMC chains on their factory lube inside the Chainglider for their entire life, so I never clean or lube the chains on my bikes. See
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index....42349#msg42349
for a description of my two initial tests, and passim on that forum for how I arrived at the Chainglider as the best chaincase available and the only one I can responsibly recommend.

You won't get much on chain cases on a neanderthal retro forum like RBT, even though many of the active contributors are cycle commuters, who one would think would be keen on hub gears and consequently my experiments with chain cases. Try a forum with a preponderance of commuters or bicycle tourists, and you'll be overwhelmed with informed responses.

Andre Jute
As Master Muzi says, hub gears are essential with a chaincase.

Gee, I've been commuting for 50 years and toured all over the place and never had a chainguard -- except on my Schwinn Racer. https://bikehistory.org/catalogs/images/1965-racer.jpg I think one would have to go the fiets newsgroup of the Flying Pidgeon newsgroup to get a serious discussion of chainguards and chaincases.

-- Jay Beattie.

jbeattie wrote:
On Friday, April 17, 2020 at 5:15:33 PM UTC-7, Andre Jute wrote:
On Friday, April 17, 2020 at 10:35:55 PM UTC+1, Andy wrote:
I am having to clean my chain and sprockets at least every 3 weeks.

That's a lot of work.

Does someone make a chain cover that can be used while riding?

It depends on the gear design. And the bike's visual appearance will
generally take a real hit after fitting anything with a convex top line like
this:

https://www.ebay.fr/itm//221652416453

Cyclists privileged to ride on hub gears can use the Hebie Chainglider,
which is a hard rubber complete chain enclosure. I've worked out a way
to run KMC chains on their factory lube inside the Chainglider for
their entire life, so I never clean or lube the chains on my bikes. See
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index....42349#msg42349
for a description of my two initial tests, and passim on that forum for
how I arrived at the Chainglider as the best chaincase available and
the only one I can responsibly recommend.

You won't get much on chain cases on a neanderthal retro forum like
RBT, even though many of the active contributors are cycle commuters,
who one would think would be keen on hub gears and consequently my
experiments with chain cases. Try a forum with a preponderance of
commuters or bicycle tourists, and you'll be overwhelmed with informed
responses.

Gee, I've been commuting for 50 years and toured all over the place and
never had a chainguard -- except on my Schwinn Racer.
https://bikehistory.org/catalogs/images/1965-racer.jpg

Is that you on the left, Jay? Interesting to see Le President Macron played
tennis before he discovered the convenience of heteronormative gerontophilia.

I think one would
have to go the fiets newsgroup of the Flying Pidgeon newsgroup to get a
serious discussion of chainguards and chaincases.

I think the trajectories of roadspray are just be too simple to observe
(except for Schwinn's stylists) to hold long discussions. So which sensibly
lazy "low-maintenance" commuter would try to convert ardently
chain-cleaning, racer Portlandians who implicitly confess to enjoying wet
showers on their chains and feet? ;-)

On Friday, April 17, 2020 at 7:15:33 PM UTC-5, Andre Jute wrote:
On Friday, April 17, 2020 at 10:35:55 PM UTC+1, Andy wrote:
I am having to clean my chain and sprockets at least every 3 weeks.

That's a lot of work.

Does someone make a chain cover that can be used while riding?

Thanks,
Andy

Cyclists privileged to ride on hub gears can use the Hebie Chainglider, which is a hard rubber complete chain enclosure. I've worked out a way to run KMC chains on their factory lube inside the Chainglider for their entire life, so I never clean or lube the chains on my bikes. See
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index....42349#msg42349
for a description of my two initial tests, and passim on that forum for how I arrived at the Chainglider as the best chaincase available and the only one I can responsibly recommend.

You won't get much on chain cases on a neanderthal retro forum like RBT, even though many of the active contributors are cycle commuters, who one would think would be keen on hub gears and consequently my experiments with chain cases. Try a forum with a preponderance of commuters or bicycle tourists, and you'll be overwhelmed with informed responses.

Andre Jute
As Master Muzi says, hub gears are essential with a chaincase.

Thanks,
Andy

On 4/17/2020 5:35 PM, Andy wrote:
I am having to clean my chain and sprockets at least every 3 weeks.

That's a lot of work.

Does someone make a chain cover that can be used while riding?

Chain cases can be useful if you're riding a single speed or a bike with
a hub gear, but even then are not necessary. I have a three speed I use
for quick, short trips. It has no chain case and no need of one. I
haven't cleaned the chain in at least two years.

If you want a clean chain, don't lubricated it with liquid. Any oil you
use will remain wet on the chain, and road grit thrown up by the tires
will stick to the oil and turn into a black mess.

Several of us here instead lubricate our chains with a wax mixture -
that is, paraffin wax with a small amount of oil blended in. It stays
dry, keeps the chain clean, keeps the cogs and chainstays clean, makes
the chain and cogs last far longer, causes less friction drag than oil,
and requires re-application less often.

The disadvantage is that the wax mix and chain must be heated to apply
it. There is a way to do that quickly without removing the chain from
the bike. Let me know if you want the procedure.

(There are some wax-in-solvent concoctions that some people like. It's
been so long since I tried one that I'll let others comment on them.)

Also consider fitting fenders to the bike. I think fenders reduce the
volume of road grit thrown onto the chain, and so help keep it a bit
cleaner. They certainly keep the bike cleaner, and of course make it far
more comfortable and far less messy to ride when roads are wet.


--
- Frank Krygowski