Triathlon Bicycle Chains

Do you want to know more about bicycle chains?

All bicycles use a transmission system through a metal chain that joins the pedals with the rear wheel, which is the driving wheel that transmits the movement to move forward. The use of a road bike chain with a triathlon does not have big differences.

The force is carried out by the cyclist, who by means of pedals and cranks mounted on toothed plates drive a chain that transmits a force on the pinions and these move the wheel .

Currently there is a great diversity of brands, models and qualities of chains, which generates confusion when choosing the most appropriate to replace the existing one. Modern transmissions are 8, 9, 10 and up to 11 speeds. In these cases, the most suitable chains for triathlon bikes are usually 7-8, 9, 10 and 11 speeds. The length of a chain will depend on the number of speeds, which will also affect the type of change leg that we will need. The width is also a factor that varies in the chains according to their speeds, being lower when more speeds to shorten the space between pinions.

It is important before buying a chain to check that it is compatible with the bicycle's plates and sprockets, since the chains are different depending on the number of speeds.

Something very important to have a chain in full condition is to use lubricating liquids so that the friction of the chain with the teeth of the plates and pinions does not end up damaging the material. If these elements are not greased regularly they will end up wearing out and their life will be much shorter.

The best way to grease a chain is to apply the liquid on each link while moving the pedals so that the chain rotates on the plates , because if we apply the grease directly on the pinions, the rear brakes (if they are disc) can be damaged. be totally useless.

The main problem of the chain , after the dirt, is the stretching, which is faster in the chains where the gears are changed and the more misaligned the chain works. The fact that the chain is subjected to lateral stresses due to the fact that it is not aligned with the plate and the pinion causes the stress on the shafts and the rollers of the chain to be greater, with which the wear increases. Because an old chain is longer than necessary, the links do not fit properly between the teeth of the pinion , which means that, for power purposes, only one hub (the first) performs the transmission of the effort of the plate to the chain and this causes jumps in the teeth, so it is convenient to make a chain change.