{"id":8855,"date":"2017-01-24T14:30:35","date_gmt":"2017-01-24T22:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/?p=8855"},"modified":"2017-01-24T11:28:16","modified_gmt":"2017-01-24T19:28:16","slug":"taking-care-of-your-chain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/2017\/01\/taking-care-of-your-chain\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking Care of Your Chain"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Just like pumping your tires, maintaining your chain is important in keeping your bike rolling. The steps for proper chain maintenance are really simple, but it&#8217;s still an often-overlooked part of many peoples bike ownership. With that in mind, here&#8217;s a simple guide to maintaining\u00a0and ensuring the safety of your chain and drivetrain.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Chain Cleanliness<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Your Chain is Dirty. It&#8217;s okay, most of us without paid mechanics contend with the same problem.\u00a0If your chain is dry and rusty, you need to use more lube. If your chain is black, sticky, or &#8216;gunky&#8217;, you need to clean it and possibly use less lube in the future.<\/p>\n<p>Cleaning your chain can be difficult and messy, which is why SuperB make a chain cleaner kit. You can pick one up for $40, and it comes with everything you need to keep your chain looking and running like brand-spankin&#8217; new.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8858\" style=\"width: 308px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/chaincleaner.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8858\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-8858\" src=\"\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/chaincleaner.jpg\" alt=\"Super B Chain Cleaner\" width=\"298\" height=\"245\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-8858\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Super B Chain Cleaner<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Super B\u00a0Drivetrain Cleaning Kit<\/p>\n<p>LTP Part number: 345122-02<\/p>\n<p>MSRP: $39.99 (full kit)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zbxlxDiTk94?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Chain Lube<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve all heard a cyclist ride past us sounding like they&#8217;ve got a horde of angry mice trapped in their drivetrain. A squeaky bike is a really good indicator that your chain is dry, and even if yours isn&#8217;t making noise, it&#8217;s a good thing to check. It&#8217;s a really safe bet that you aren&#8217;t lubing your chain enough&#8230; it&#8217;s one of those things that nobody does often enough.<\/p>\n<p>The rule of thumb for chain-lubrication frequency is to re-lube your chain once every 5 rides in dry\/clean conditions, and every 2nd\u00a0ride in wet or dusty conditions. Sound like a lot? We told you that you weren&#8217;t lubing your chain often enough!<\/p>\n<p>To lube your chain, select the product that best suits your needs (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.livetoplaysports.com\/en\/find-a-dealer\/\">consult your local bike shop for help with that!<\/a>), and apply it as shown in the video. Don&#8217;t forget to wipe off the excess lube, as a greasy chain will attract more dirt.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8859\" style=\"width: 123px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/triflow.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8859\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8859\" src=\"\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/triflow.jpg\" alt=\"Tri Flow chain lube\" width=\"113\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-8859\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tri Flow chain lube<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Tri-Flow Chain Lube<\/p>\n<p>LTP Part number:348200-01<\/p>\n<p>MSRP: $9.99\/bottle<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jyfo7bCwyao?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Chain Stretch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Chains wear out. Two schools of thought concerning this phenomenon are:<\/p>\n<p>a. Chains lasted longer back in the good old days of 3-speed drivetrains, or<br \/>\nb. You ride more than you used to, shift more than you used to, and are putting more power into your new drivetrain components becuase your entire bike isn&#8217;t flexing around you like a gigantic pool noodle.<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s a really easy way to test whether you&#8217;ve managed to log enough riding time to warrant a new chain. Grab a Super B chain checker, and measure it! Simply slide the gauge onto the chain, and if it fits, that tells you that your chain is worn to that point, and needs replacing.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8857\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/chainchecker.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8857\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8857\" src=\"\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/chainchecker.jpg\" alt=\"SuperB chain checker\" width=\"300\" height=\"126\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-8857\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SuperB chain checker<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Super B Chain Wear Indicator<\/p>\n<p>LTP Part number: 385087-01<\/p>\n<p>MSRP: $13.99<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Remember that a worn\/stretched chain will start to wear your drivetrain, causing it to skip, and requiring replacement. To save big bucks in the long-run, investing in a chain-checker is a simple way to stay on top of your chain&#8217;s lifespan. Generally one can expect to replace a chain 3 times before the whole drivetrain needs to be replaced. How long will your chain last? There are so many factors that need to be accounted for when judging chain life; mileage, maintenance, power output and shifting aggression among others.\u00a0Some serious mountain and road riders will go through 2 or 3 chains a year, while many commuters replace chains a couple of times per decade.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Staying on top of your chain&#8217;s condition is vital to good overall bike maintenance. Taking care of your chain will save you time, energy and money later on! We hope you found these chain-maintenance tips helpful!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Derek-Kidd-BioFooter.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9195\" src=\"\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Derek-Kidd-BioFooter.jpg\" alt=\"Derek Kidd BioFooter\" width=\"865\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Derek-Kidd-BioFooter.jpg 865w, https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Derek-Kidd-BioFooter-300x52.jpg 300w, https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Derek-Kidd-BioFooter-500x87.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just like pumping your tires, maintaining your chain is important in keeping your bike rolling. The steps for proper chain maintenance are really simple, but it&#8217;s still an often-overlooked part of many peoples bike ownership. With that in mind, here&#8217;s&#8230;..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":9510,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[279],"tags":[41,947,946,948],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8855"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8855"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9513,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8855\/revisions\/9513"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livetoplaysports.com\/news-press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}