Working on the Chain Gang...

1885 Rover Safety Bike

Cranks are meaningless with some means to connect them to the wheel. Bikes have not always been this way - it took until 1879 before the rear chain drive was invented, and that was in response to the direct-drive ordinary bikes, the penny farthing.  Once the chain drive was mastered, the new "safety bikes" opened up what was formerly a Victorian extreme sport to everyone as a safe means of cheap transport.


So, with over 130 years of development, what is best for the project?


I had already decided to make the overall theme one of Ultegra, yet the only Ultegra part so far is the bottom bracket.  Which brings us to the Ultegra chains.  The current models are the 6700 and the 6701.  The 6700 is bidirectional, but the 6701 is a directional chain, meaning the whole set up is made for the chain links to mesh against the crank teeth perfectly when running in one direction only, making the transmission smoother with fast, quiet changes.


That is not a priority, also considering the user feedback on assorted forums that discuss and review the many pieces of a bike.  With a high level of precision engineering comes the risk of lower chain life and frequent replacement. So, what are the alternatives?


SRAM came to mind, as their chains and gears are compatible with Shimano. But just as there are many component manufacturers out there, so too are there specialist chain makers.  A few reviews rated KMC chains favourably, and a quick visit to the KMC website pointed me in the right direction.


The KMC site (image linked) conveniently contains not only all tech specs, but has a Java applet to help you find the right chain for you and your ride.  And this pointed me towards the X10 range (for 10-speed set-ups).  Off to search through the global sellers once more, ignoring those who do not ship to New Zealand, and in search of the best deal.


Which was to be found with an eBay seller:
http://stores.ebay.com/cycleproshop?_fcid=149&_localstpos=&_sid=527860617&_stpos=&gbr=1

KMC X10SL, in all its glory.  Cost saving in packaging! Q-Link is front centre.

which had a marvellous deal for a x10SL (super light) chain, at the price of NZ$51.05 (US$37.95), with free international shipping.  The chain is 112 links long, and includes the KMC Q-link.  Having had a look at this joining system, it looks to be a quick and strong means to manually break a chain without needing a chain tool or worn links going up a hill.


Note the cut-outs in each link, supposedly to keep down both weight and mud.


The next mission is to find the cassette for the chain to connect to.