February 8, 20206 yr As I said, twenty quid: https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/sram-gx-eagle-12-speed-chain-637106
February 8, 20206 yr there is no need to do anything. Grease may help a bit but can also be washed out. Also, ballbearings should not be overgreased. Most of the cases I have seen are due to riding on the beach and parking the bike where it's rained on. Riding in the rain is not a problem. good bearings are always better than cheap bearings but the rubber seals can't resist the pollutant (carbonic acid in rain and puddle water and grit). Once attacked, their working temperature increases, they degrade within a few months and need replacing. I cannot say that anything like that has happened on either of my two e-bikes, or any of the normal bikes I have had over the last 65 years +, or most of the cars that I have had, many, but not all, who also have sealed bearings, often two per wheel, depending upon the design used. My first e-bike I bought secondhand, I was told by the seller it was about a year old, I rode it for 6 years and gave it away with the original battery, carefully looked after by myself, with little or no loss of range noticed, but not tested for either... All the motor parts were never "touched" by me as it just ran and ran, and if I remember correctly, somewhere about 18,000 Kms ridden.....In all weathers, and it was parked outside with just a cover over it....How many Kilometers it had been ridden in the first year, I do not have a clue! What type of bearing also no idea!! And even when I was in the RN, repairing both AC and DC motors, even quite large ones, with plenty of salt water and sea air, I have never had any such experiences. They must all have had seals that were completely unaffected by such pollutants..... But quality DOES play a significant role of course as it always does! I personally also have not used or seen bearings that I could lubricate, except in my new bike's headset, and most bike's axles, the others were all lubricated and sealed for life, except for some cars wheel bearings, which were tapered and needed to be set to a specific torque on assembly. You may find this informative:- http://www.brammer.co.uk/Why%20SKF%20-%20SKF%20Explorer%20sealed%20spherical%20roller%20bearings%20-%206546_1%20EN.pdf You must live close to something which pollutes the atmosphere where you live if that happens, and although I myself have never seen ball bearings with rubber seals, as they were always metal or some type of plastic. Now I know enough to make sure that bearings with rubber seals are never bought, as it would appear that they are generally the cheapest bearing type available after checking up on the web.... Always something new and interesting to learn! Thanks! Andy
February 8, 20206 yr They must all have had seals that were completely unaffected by such pollutants..... aluminium suffers from galvanic corrosion in presence of salt in the air. once established, the corrosion spread. The product of aluminium corrosion attacks steel. You have to clean all the parts and oil them.
February 9, 20206 yr aluminium suffers from galvanic corrosion in presence of salt in the air. once established, the corrosion spread. The product of aluminium corrosion attacks steel. You have to clean all the parts and oil them. True. Unprotected normal steel rusts in the same environment! Myself I would never knowingly buy a bearing with aluminium in it! I have also never heard of aluminium being used for ball or roller bearings on bikes and similar, so I find it hard to follow your reasoning! Please be so kind as to explain fully?
February 9, 20206 yr Myself I would never knowingly buy a bearing with aluminium in it! the aluminium is in the assembly casing, motor armature and casing. The ballbearings get damaged collaterally because of the basicity by-product of aluminium corrosion. Al + 1 1/2 x O2 + H2O + NaCl = Al(OH)3 + NaOH + 1/2 H2 + 1/2 Cl.2 The sodium hydroxide then attacks steel. Edited February 9, 20206 yr by Woosh
February 9, 20206 yr the aluminium is in the assembly casing, motor armature and casing. The ballbearings get damaged collaterally because of the basicity by-product of aluminium corrosion. Al + 1 1/2 x O2 + H2O + NaCl = Al(OH)3 + NaOH + 1/2 H2 + 1/2 Cl.2 The sodium hydroxide then attacks steel. Not on my two e-bikes, both were aluminium framed! Maybe they were both built better maybe? My previous normal bikes were either partly or fully aluminium too....same procedure! I would wash the frames down from time to time with car wash liquid, let them dry, leathering off any moisture, then liberally spray them with WD-40, let it sink in for a few hours and sit the bike in the sun to drive off any moisture, then polish the WD-40 with a dry duster or kitchen roll. But only a few times a year at most. I learned that in the RN when we kept corrosion away from our helicopters (aluminium and other very light metals) using this method after each flight, just before the bird was going to be placed in the hangar. Maybe that's an even better method than even I remember, and I really did not know how good it is, but it even keeps scrapes rust free....till I have enough interest to touch them up! Try it!
February 9, 20206 yr To make a galvanic battery (the cause for galvanic corrosion), you need two metals connected by a conductive solution like saline. Your frame will be corroded around any loosened bolt. If the bolt is tight, it will have the same voltage as the aluminium, no gap for an electrolyte to dwell in, no continuous current flows through the junction. So make sure that there is no loosened bolts.
February 9, 20206 yr To make a galvanic battery (the cause for galvanic corrosion), you need two metals connected by a conductive solution like saline. Your frame will be corroded around any loosened bolt. If the bolt is tight, it will have the same voltage as the aluminium, no gap for an electrolyte to dwell in, no continuous current flows through the junction. So make sure that there is no loosened bolts. ....and on my bikes, other than the tyres, brakes and rims when I used to have rim brakes, now disk brakes on my latest, everything else, in all the tiny gaps, will sit WD-40, stopping electrolytic corrosion! Today, there must be many products around capable of doing just that, but I find that WD-40 is available in most supermarkets, often at very low prices, and I have been known to buy several cans at a time! I will stick with it for the rest of my life at least.... I probably have around 6 cans (guessing!) at anyone time, just where I need them.....cellar, garage and all cars!
February 9, 20206 yr Other than a means of degreasing, I have never found WD40 to be of little use for anything. I certainly know from using it on my woodworking tools and machinery (my trade) that it doesn't prevent corrosion, and doesn't act as great lubricant either. It is a brilliant product for cleaning bathroom chrome etc though. I prefer either Triflow TFL200, Duck Oil or ACF50.
February 9, 20206 yr Other than a means of degreasing, I have never found WD40 to be of little use for anything. I certainly know from using it on my woodworking tools and machinery (my trade) that it doesn't prevent corrosion, and doesn't act as great lubricant either. It is a brilliant product for cleaning bathroom chrome etc though. I prefer either Triflow TFL200, Duck Oil or ACF50. The RN used it on just about every aircraft to prevent corrosion, in the 50s through to the 90's. Thats a long time if, as you feel, it doesn't work! We were MOST happy with the results! But the secret will probably be in the WAY it is used, a right way and a wrong way.... You should also have a look at the WD-40 website, you can learn a lot there.... https://www.wd40.com/ There are even better versions of WD-40 products produced in the last 25 years or so, if you have serious problems, though I have only used some of them myself. https://www.amazon.co.uk/WD-40-Specialist-Corrosion-Inhibitor-Spray/dp/B071ZKP5R5 Enjoy.
February 11, 20206 yr The RN used it on just about every aircraft to prevent corrosion, in the 50s through to the 90's. Thats a long time if, as you feel, it doesn't work! We were MOST happy with the results! But the secret will probably be in the WAY it is used, a right way and a wrong way.... You should also have a look at the WD-40 website, you can learn a lot there.... https://www.wd40.com/ There are even better versions of WD-40 products produced in the last 25 years or so, if you have serious problems, though I have only used some of them myself. https://www.amazon.co.uk/WD-40-Specialist-Corrosion-Inhibitor-Spray/dp/B071ZKP5R5 Enjoy. As far as I know, WD40 was developed to protect the aluminium outside of rockets in the 1950s
February 12, 20206 yr As far as I know, WD40 was developed to protect the aluminium outside of rockets in the 1950s Fully correct! It was first and foremost a corrosion inhibitor. It also can be used to release seized or rusted components, and give them a little bit of lube, but once free, the parts must be correctly oiled or greased as WD-40 is not a lubricant in the long run. Many forget that!
February 12, 20206 yr Author What about the riding experience? Lets say one repalces their chain twice a year, so is not likey to break a chain. Or carries a spare. Forgetting the other issues. Which is the better riding experience for a commute?
February 12, 20206 yr Which is the better riding experience for a commute? I'd say hub. It's slightly lighter and requires virtually no gear change and certainly less concentration. the only thing in favour of CD bikes is the better weight distribution. If you have to carry anything at all, that advantage goes through the window.
February 12, 20206 yr I have had three chains break on me. One on an analogue mountain bike, one on my Yamaha crank drive Haibike, and one on my £100 second hand rear hub Oxygen. I think for road commuting with lots of starting and stopping an old fashioned rear hub cadence sensor bike with an unrestricted throttle is hard to beat and a more relaxing bike to ride. The chain sprocket and cassette will last many times longer than a crank drive. They can survive for eons of time with the odd squirt of oil on the chain and the occasional pump of air in the tyres. Even the cable disc brakes are simple to adjust, maintain and change pads on. And when it comes time to buy a new battery there is loads of choice and the prices are a fraction of the cost of a Bosch or Yamaha one. I can buy a perfectly reasonable battery and charger from Ebay for £165. One of my rear hub bikes has just such a battery that will be two years old in April and is showing no signs of dying any time soon. I love my hard tail Haibike and if you want to ride more challenging terrain off road a crank drive is the way to go, but for simple commuting duties on the road I prefer my hub drive bikes.
February 13, 20206 yr I have a flat 12km flat commute (24 km in total). I do it using a Bosch ALP and it's fine. The bike's original purpose was as an off road tourer and I still use it for that as well. If I was buying a bike just for a flat commute I would think about either a hub ebike or even just a modern and light gravel or cross bike - like the £600 ones from Planet X. They will enable you to go faster and not worry about water ingress. Also you can just power wash it clean at the end of the day. The only things you need on a flat road commute are comfort and speed. If you are relatively fit then you don't really need to use an e bike on flat roads.
February 13, 20206 yr What about the riding experience? Lets say one repalces their chain twice a year, so is not likey to break a chain. Or carries a spare. Forgetting the other issues. Which is the better riding experience for a commute? I disagree with Woosh. The CD gives a fully authentic cycling experience..The faster you pedal, the faster you go . The hub is like a being on a conveyor belt.
February 13, 20206 yr I have a flat 12km flat commute (24 km in total). I do it using a Bosch ALP and it's fine. The bike's original purpose was as an off road tourer and I still use it for that as well. If I was buying a bike just for a flat commute I would think about either a hub ebike or even just a modern and light gravel or cross bike - like the £600 ones from Planet X. They will enable you to go faster and not worry about water ingress. Also you can just power wash it clean at the end of the day. The only things you need on a flat road commute are comfort and speed. If you are relatively fit then you don't really need to use an e bike on flat roads. .. some of us are beyond the first flush of youth. ..
February 13, 20206 yr .. some of us are beyond the first flush of youth. .. I think we all are If you have serious health issues then a cadence sensing motor would tend to be best. But if not and if your commute is genuinely flat and on tarmac (and you don't intend to dongle an ebike) then a decent non ebike is going to be cheaper and faster (and possibly less strain on your heart if you intend to spend a significant amount of time above 25kph).
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