08-07-2014, 09:25 AM
Like Ferret, I'm trying something new these days. My previous practice was a) use a light silicone/teflon lube to minimize dirt accumulation (every 3-400 mi.) and b) keep the chain at the loose end of the spec to minimize wear.
The above resulted in chain life just over 21K miles on my last two DID O-ring chains. Both of those chains had to be replaced before the chains had stretched beyond the limits. The real problem was deterioration of the O-rings, which led to uneven slack when inspected. After removal and inspection, it was clear that a number of the O-rings had worn and the sealed lube had departed the link pins. The primary cause of the wear seemed to be accumulated dirt trapped between the plates acting as an abrasive, which eroded the O-rings.
My new approach will be to give the chains a good cleaning with some WD-40 and a chain brush every 5K miles or so (about once a year for each bike). While the lube I'm using attracts less dirt, it seems that the cumulative accumulation of grunge over the years was still an issue.
I have high hopes for this, as I have a few anal retentive friends who insist on spotlessly clean chains and they have been getting better than 30K miles per chain.
The above resulted in chain life just over 21K miles on my last two DID O-ring chains. Both of those chains had to be replaced before the chains had stretched beyond the limits. The real problem was deterioration of the O-rings, which led to uneven slack when inspected. After removal and inspection, it was clear that a number of the O-rings had worn and the sealed lube had departed the link pins. The primary cause of the wear seemed to be accumulated dirt trapped between the plates acting as an abrasive, which eroded the O-rings.
My new approach will be to give the chains a good cleaning with some WD-40 and a chain brush every 5K miles or so (about once a year for each bike). While the lube I'm using attracts less dirt, it seems that the cumulative accumulation of grunge over the years was still an issue.
I have high hopes for this, as I have a few anal retentive friends who insist on spotlessly clean chains and they have been getting better than 30K miles per chain.