White Lightning Dry Ride. OK Now?

[Mick F]

Change the chain when it measure 1/16 inch wear per foot and the cassette will be safe for three sometimes four chains worth of wear.

No it won't.

I've rotated my chains over the years. Three or four of them and none of them have been anywhere near 1/16th inch per foot. More like 1/8th inch per 36inches!

I'm on my second cassette because the small cog jumped.

[reohn2]

Change the chain when it measure 1/16 inch wear per foot and the cassette will be safe for three sometimes four chains worth of wear.

No it won't.

Mine do!

[Brucey]

...I'm on my second cassette because the small cog jumped.

if you use your small cog a lot, it is very small, and it turns out to be made from some kind of weird Italian cheese-like steel, it'll wear faster than other cogs because it has fewer teeth. For any given amount of wear a smaller cog is more likely to jump because the wrap-round is less too.

It'd be cheaper to change chain and cassette at say 7 to 9K miles when both knackered.
Say 7 chains @ £10=£70 + 1 cassette @ £25(?) = £95 for 10.5k miles. 1 chain @ £10 +1 cassette @ £25 = £35 for 7k miles.
No contest IMO.
I usually get 4.5k miles before a chain is at 1/16 per foot wear, and use three chain before the cassette needs changing.
Say 13K miles costs me 3 chains @ £11 + 1 cassette @ £15 = £48. But I use cheap as chips(£4 for 400ml) TF2 aerosol lube. No contest again IMO

Ah, but what you are perhaps forgetting is that you can use your 7 chains (7 chains? that sounds like a lot, three or four would be plenty) again 1500-3000 and then 3000-4500 miles if you want to. Also if you take any chains to 7K you will be knackering the chainrings pretty quickly too. I think it is easy to assume that things will work out a given way but that doesn't always play out in practice.

[reohn2]

Ah, but what you are perhaps forgetting is that you can use your 7 chains (7 chains? that sounds like a lot, three or four would be plenty) again 1500-3000 and then 3000-4500 miles if you want to. Also if you take any chains to 7K you will be knackering the chainrings pretty quickly too. I think it is easy to assume that things will work out a given way but that doesn't always play out in practice.

I agree you put more wear on the chainrings,but even so you'd probably still get 2 chains and cassettes ie;14k miles,or more out of them.
I reckon on 20k miles out of chainrings so whilst they'd wear prematurely,say 14k+ miles(?) you'd still be quids in on 7 chains and a cassette.

[Mick F]

if you use your small cog a lot, it is very small, and it turns out to be made from some kind of weird Italian cheese-like steel, it'll wear faster than other cogs because it has fewer teeth. For any given amount of wear a smaller cog is more likely to jump because the wrap-round is less too.

Exactly.
Chain wear is only part of the story.

You could use a brand new chain every day, but if you use a small cog a lot, it'll wear all by itself.

[Brucey]

BTW Mick, I have found that, if a sprocket wears hooked with a chain that then goes on to stretch somewhat, the base of the tooth form wears to a weird shape that will usually make the chain jump even if the sprocket is 'de-hooked'.

But your worn sprockets should not be like this, I think; your chains have not elongated enough to generate this sort of wear. I would therefore suppose that you ought to be able to de-hook your sprockets (e.g. using a dremel tool) and then they ought to have a pretty good chance of working OK with a newer chain.

Given the difference between a 'worn chain' and a 'new chain' in your case, I'd be amazed if you needed to take more than 0.005" or 0.010" off each tooth. One for a rainy day, perhaps?

cheers

[Mick F]

Thanks,
Worth a punt maybe.

I did phone Mercian about a new 12t outer sprocket, but was advised it would be better to buy a whole cassette because the other sprockets won't be far behind ................ so I bought another cassette.

However, giving it much thought (as I do), I reckon that it is ONLY the 12t outer that is a problem for me. I reckon I don't use the 13t next to it very much in comparison. All the rest are big enough to cope for years and years and years.

Perhaps I buy TWO 12t outers to keep both of my cassettes going.
New cassette costs £60 or thereabouts, I doubt a new 12t outer cog would cost as much as £15 each.

[simonhill]

Back to the Lightning.

I read the forum topic posted above, very interesting. I did post here about 3 years ago, thinking it was my new 9 speed that was causing the poor lubing problem. No one replied, probably no one had been looking into the WL problem with MickF's forensic eye.

I have dug out an old mini (37 ml) lube sample bottle that I used to decant a small amount of WL for my tours. It has not been used for a while and has a layer of wax in the bottom. I am adding the remnants of a newer bottle of WL which will dissolve the wax. Hopefully this will get me somewhere near MickFs' magic recipe.

If it doesn't work il see what I can buy in Korean cycle shops!

[The fat commuter]

Is White Lightning Dry Ride the same as White Lightning Clean Ride?

I was looking at the products today online and there seems to be three products - clean ride, epic ride and wet ride. For me, I was thinking of trying the Epic Ride and maybe the Wet Ride for over winter. I tend to use my bike in all weathers - but mainly dry recently. In winter it will be used in all the rain, sleet, snow and get covered in salt too.

[Mick F]

Yes, it is.

I've ordered a new bottle from Wiggle. Should arrive today or tomorrow.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/white-lightning ... ml-bottle/

[reohn2]

if you use your small cog a lot, it is very small, and it turns out to be made from some kind of weird Italian cheese-like steel, it'll wear faster than other cogs because it has fewer teeth. For any given amount of wear a smaller cog is more likely to jump because the wrap-round is less too.

Exactly.
Chain wear is only part of the story.

You could use a brand new chain every day, but if you use a small cog a lot, it'll wear all by itself.

Just to put the record straight,my smallest cog is 14t,which is rarely used,17,19,21 & 23 being by far the most used ratios on the rear,usually with a 46t c/ring.
MickF's slow cadence is legendary,whereas I tend to spin @ 95+rpm.

[MikeF]

Yes.
I've always done this as I've never trusted the "lube" that comes with the new chains.
My argument is that if the chain comes lubed properly, why can't you buy this wonderful lube from the chain manufacturers?

This?? http://www.kmcchain.asia/product.php?cid=45I don't not what "original" means though. I've been using this recently, and to me it seems quite good. It seems to penetrate quite well and leave the chain "reasonably" clean in spite of the fact all my riding isn't done on roads, but perhaps not good enough for you!! I've tried clean ride, and epic ride, but am preferring this at the moment. Also it all goes on the chain as it doesn't dribble elsewhere as the solvent laden ones do.

[Erudin]

Planet X have Boeshield T-9 Waterproof Lubrication at half price (£5.99 for 118ml), it's a smaller bottle than White Lightning though.

"... it is a wax based lube that is mixed with low molecular mass petroleum distillates. It goes on wet, dries easily and leaves a stable, protective wax layer that penetrates deep into moving parts."

[Mick F]

That sounds excellent!
I originally bought WLCR because of the description and I wasn't disappointed.
This stuff from Planet X sounds as good if not better.

Trouble is, it's a good price, but they want £3.95 delivery on top making the price £9.94.
Not such a bargain after all.

Wiggle sell WLCR at £8.99 for 240ml
Planet X sell their 118ml for £9.94.
Not a lot in it either way, but I'll pass for now considering I have the Wiggle order arriving tomorrow.

[The fat commuter]

That sounds excellent!
I originally bought WLCR because of the description and I wasn't disappointed.
This stuff from Planet X sounds as good if not better.

Trouble is, it's a good price, but they want £3.95 delivery on top making the price £9.94.
Not such a bargain after all.

Wiggle sell WLCR at £8.99 for 240ml
Planet X sell their 118ml for £9.94.
Not a lot in it either way, but I'll pass for now considering I have the Wiggle order arriving tomorrow.

Planet X is just over eight miles from my house so I don't need to bother with the postage. Quite a flat ride too.

That said, ordered some Epic Ride which was despatched today so should arrive on Thursday.