My only theory is that it got rained on and I didn’t dry it. Can the lube sludge up and stiffen the chain links? Do I need a new chain? Or do I just need to clean/degrease/re-lube?
by Xanulas
My only theory is that it got rained on and I didn’t dry it. Can the lube sludge up and stiffen the chain links? Do I need a new chain? Or do I just need to clean/degrease/re-lube?
by Xanulas
9 Comments
Needs degrease clean relube
Doesn’t matter why. Don’t overthink it. Just confirm that the chain is in good shape, and then fix the issue.
Fixing is basically you using your left hand to grab the links of the chain to the left of the kink, grabbing the links on the other side of the kink with your right hand, and then flexing the chain back and forth a bit along the axis where the chain isn’t suppossed to bent. Do it until there’s no more binding in the chain.
This takes less than 60 seconds. Gloves optional. Or wrap chain in a rag first.
Is it seized? Can you bend it back or is it locked there? I wouldn’t worry about it if you lube it and it losens up.
I ride everyday in Boston and winter with all the salt and deicer is pretty much an everyday lube job. Two days without grease and the bike sounds like shit, and I can feel the stress pedaling.
Bend that section opposite to the direction of travel. Probably have a sticky roller pin. Also clean and lube as advised earlier.
New chains come greased. (individualy or on new bikes)
You need to degrease them and lubricate them with a lube made for bike chains.
If it keeps doing that after a degrease/relube, then bend the link by pushing and puling the chain relative to where the camera is looking at that chain on that picture. By hand, grabing the binded link.
The goal to loosen the link a bite. Don’t over do it, just push/pulls bends. Start weak, then increase the strength oh the push pulls until it stops binding. And then get some lube on that link, the binding would have probably prevented the lube to go where it needed to go.
I once had this problem. The kink got a little sticky because the chain plate bent/deformed a little. Then I flattened it a little with pliers and hammering. Another solution is to cut the chain and reconnect to the same length with chain link and extra chains. Easy with tools. If you go to LBS they probably will change the whole chain.
Stiff link, bend the stiff link a little to the side, it will loosen.
The chain is a wear item and should be cleaned and waxed/lubed regularly and it doesn’t matter if a bike was new. Heck you should clean/relube your bike more often than that.