Olly Bridgewood will make a special one-off return to the studio this week alongside former GCN Tech presenter John Cannings. This week’s topics are wax chains, cup and cone hub maintenance, and the benefits of collar chains.
Why is it better to lube a dirty chain than leave it dry? Will switching to a wax treatment be effective for multi-day long rides?
This is a great question because you would think that applying lube to a dirty chain would turn everything into an abrasive paste, accelerating wear on drivetrain components. The problem is that dry chains make a lot of noise when the links and rollers make contact with the chainrings and sprockets. This is because friction increases significantly, which can significantly increase drivetrain losses and accelerate wear.
Waxed chains dry on the chain, making them easy to clean every day. Unlike oil-based lubricants that can attract and retain dirt, wax chains can be wiped clean. Using a microfiber cloth and applying light pressure to the chain will remove most of the surface dirt before dripping the wax onto the chain.
Do I need to wax my quick links?
When waxing a chain, the question is how to wax the chain’s quick links. Attempting to wax quick links can be more trouble than it’s worth, as most waxes tend to peel off during installation. Instead, the best solution is to attach quick-links to a waxed chain and drip wax onto the links. This allows you to completely cover the links with wax without the hassle of installing pre-waxed links.
Should I rotate the front and rear tires?
Some riders occasionally change their front and rear tires to prevent uneven tire wear, but there is little benefit to doing this. By rotating your tires, you simply extend the interval between replacing both tires at the same time. This means that every time you install new rubber on your bike, it costs a lot of money. If you don’t replace your tires, you’ll need to replace your rear tires more often than your front tires.
My cup and cone hub is worn out and I was recommended a wheelset with cartridge bearings, can the hub be repaired?
It’s hard to answer this without looking at the hub in question, but if the hub is worn and a simple hub service doesn’t resolve the issue, you may have a hole in the race inside the hub itself. there is. This means that the surface (cup) that the bearing sits on is no longer smooth. In this case, the hub is no longer usable and you will need to look for a new wheel.
It doesn’t have to be a cartridge bearing, any well-maintained cup-and-cone bearing will do. The advantage of cartridge bearing systems is that the entire bearing can be removed and replaced. This means that even if the race becomes punctured over time, it will be removed along with the rest of the bearing. If you’re having trouble choosing rim brake wheels, cup and cone hubs are fine as long as you do regular maintenance.
Can color chains help prevent rust and corrosion?
Some coatings on high-end chains are intended to prevent corrosion, but how effective they are is debatable. Ollie has heard that some of the commonly available coatings, such as gold, are actually less efficient than standard silver chains.
Over time, even the best coatings will begin to wear away, especially on the inner surface of the chain. For this reason, we do not recommend purchasing color chains solely for their corrosion resistance. Instead, we recommend finding a waxing treatment that works for you. If you find that waxing is continually causing surface corrosion on your chain, it may be worth using a high-quality premium lubricant instead.
Why is the rolling resistance of the inner tube important when the tire is in contact with the ground?
When a tire makes contact with the ground, it deforms slightly under the pressure of the rider. If you are using an inner tube, you will also need to deform the inner tube to match the shape of the tire. The stronger the inner tube material, the more resistance it provides to the tire.
The interaction between the tire and the inner tube consumes energy, increasing the rolling resistance of the system. For this reason, latex inner tubes are considered to be the most efficient inner tubes because they are flexible and easily conform to the tire surface.
If you ride empty-handed, the bike will pull to the right, so you will have to correct it by shifting your weight slightly to the left. What could be causing this?
There is obviously a weight difference between the left and right sides of the bike, and since the drivetrain is on the right side of the bike, it will pull the bike slightly to the right. This is usually not a big enough problem for riders to really notice.
More common on bikes with integrated cables is an imbalance where the cable passes through the stem and enters the head tube. If these are not perfectly balanced, the tension on one side may be greater than the other. If you let go of the bar, this imbalance can cause it to veer off course.
If you ride a steel or alloy bike, it’s also possible that the frame has taken a hit and the front and rear dropouts are misaligned. Taking your bike to a good bike shop and having them take a closer look will confirm or deny this.
Do you have a technical question you’d like answered? You can leave it below the comments of this YouTube video or in the comments section at the bottom of this article.