Discussions
Protectin for mechs etc
Can anyone help - We Recently purchased a Santana (from the excellent JDs of Ilkley) with S&S couplings, whilst it is easy to split the bike when flying abroad it is a different kettle of fish when packing it up as all the components are exposed. We recently went to Tenerife with Ryannair with it packed in C.T.C.s plastic bags and bubble wrap on a trial run and found that protecting the rings/rear mech/disc brake etc was quite a problem as when the bike is split both halves rest on their rings and as they are very sharp can cause injury and are prone to damage unless covered, I ended up tapeing plastic boxes of the tupperware type round them and securing the cranks to the frame so they couldnt turn. We had no trouble with Ryannair save for a jam of the oversize item conveyor (at both ends of the flights) because the front half was too big causing a scuff of one of the bar ends and a tear of its bag. Has anyone any other ideas as to how and what protection I could use. It would also need to be carried on tour also after the flight.
Dunno about chainrings and brakes, but rear mechs are dead easy to remove from the frame and stick in a little bag, dangling from the cable and tied to the frame. They're a lot safer there.
cheers,
clive
Thanks Clive the main prob is that when split the halves rest on the chain rings hence the placcy box solution but then we have to tour with it somewhere - trying to solve this before we go on a big tour.
T.C,
Remove the rear mech and take it to the frame
Another neat solution is to buy a metal guard, seen on cheaper bikes it lies over the derailleur, and is a permanant solution, not needing the derailler to be removed.
Chain rings, I've never seen a solution to this. There are some excellent in flight bags that are padded hower some are 5kg+ that do eat up the luggage allowance and there's the storage problem the other end
Neil
: Remove the rear mech and take it to the frame
: Another neat solution is to buy a metal guard, seen on cheaper bikes it lies
: over the derailleur, and is a permanant solution, not needing the
: derailler to be removed.
: Chain rings, I've never seen a solution to this. There are some excellent in
: flight bags that are padded hower some are 5kg+ that do eat up the luggage
: allowance and there's the storage problem the other end
: Neil
The easy way to cover chain rings and the entire timing chain if wanted is to use a suitable length of hosepipe split along its length and simply slip it over the components needing protection (also works for keeping saw blades safe)
Many thanks for the responses guys -- not seen the metal guards on the cheaper biks but will enquire -- cant see the hose pipe solution being tough enough to withstand being rested on by the chain rings as they will cut through -- think maybe a peice of car or lorry tyre may do the trick though. T.C.
: Many thanks for the responses guys -- not seen the metal guards on the
: cheaper biks but will enquire -- cant see the hose pipe solution being
: tough enough to withstand being rested on by the chain rings as they will
: cut through -- think maybe a peice of car or lorry tyre may do the trick
: though. T.C.
I was just thinking about similar problems for my discs. I'm thinking maybe tying pipe insulation to them - could work for chainrings too?
cheers,
clive
probably ok for disc protection but the chain rings are like razors - pipe insulation is only closed cell polystyrene so its just not tough enough - thanks anyway Clive
: probably ok for disc protection but the chain rings are like razors - pipe
: insulation is only closed cell polystyrene so its just not tough enough -
: thanks anyway Clive
You might be surprised. They'll only cut if they move - the hosepipe suggested earlier will be resistant to that if attached appropriately. I was thinking pipe insulation for actual protection. Remember, it doesn't actually have to last that long.
cheers,
clive
Thanks again Clive - even hosepipe when the weight of the bike is on it the pressure would surely cause it to cut through esp with the way the baggage handlers chuck stuff about maybe some outdoor winter re-enforced hosepipe would work - will give it a try. T.C.
: Thanks again Clive - even hosepipe when the weight of the bike is on it the
: pressure would surely cause it to cut through esp with the way the baggage
: handlers chuck stuff about maybe some outdoor winter re-enforced hosepipe
: would work - will give it a try. T.C.
I leave the chain on and move it to the largest chainring to cover the teeth. then put the hosepipe on I've used this method for many years and never had a problem
Thanks Simon never thought of that-it would solve gear side of the bike but not the other side-it is a Tandem split in half remember so you have two cranks and rings to cover somehow and cant leave the chain on. T.C.
: Thanks Simon never thought of that-it would solve gear side of the bike but
: not the other side-it is a Tandem split in half remember so you have two
: cranks and rings to cover somehow and cant leave the chain on. T.C.
say the chainring has 34 teeth, you need a 33 link length of old chain tape it onto ring with a bit of electrical insulation tape and cover with a length of split hosepipe tape in position and away you go
Brilliant-its so simple-never even considered putting chain on it Thanks a million Simon
For the timing chain rings you could try a guard ring as used on some BMX & Mountain bikes to protect the chain ring. My pilots chainring came with a blank ring outside it. i.e. It is fitted in the middle ring position on the crank and there is a blank ring a bit larger diameter fitted where the outer ring would be. This would take any grounding though as our tandem doesn't split this only happens when we have to take it up or down steps. It has the advantage that you ride with it so don't have to carry it and fit it at travel time.
Thanks Matt-yes I intend looking into that possibility as it was suggested by Simon and Clive in an earlier response.It would be better as it would be a permenant fitting as you say, though the old bit of chain idea is brill it would be extra weight when touring which I am trying to avoid.
: Thanks Matt-yes I intend looking into that possibility as it was suggested by
: Simon and Clive in an earlier response.It would be better as it would be a
: permenant fitting as you say, though the old bit of chain idea is brill it
: would be extra weight when touring which I am trying to avoid.
When touring I always carry a spare chain I use sram powerchains and by working out the various permutations of chain needed for the various tasks on the bike I make the chain up using sram pwerlinks(no failures in the past 5000 miles) this flexibility would give you a spare drive chain, a spare timing chain and the wherewithal to cover your two timing chain rings when the bike is being transported , all at the minimum weight. Just a thought.
Thanks again Simon you havee obviously seriously thought this one out-never used the power links although the bike has them fitted I understand-but your last posting makes a lot of sense I have never had a problem with chain breakage etc whilst touring solo (in 5 years) so I tend to not think about it I suppose but I do understand the much greater forces applied on a Tandem so I should give it greater consideration.
I have also suffered a bent chainring due to the tandem being dropped heavily onto the chainring teeth when being handled at an airport. For a heavy drop, you really need to prevent the impact being taken by a chainring at all. We now tape a 2 x 1 in. wooden strut to the inside of each vulnerable chainring. It must touch (and be taped to) the underside of the bottom bracket and extend about a cm below the tooth tips. If the box is dropped heavily, the strut takes the impact and safely transfers the load to the bottom bracket.
If we're returning from a different airport, we arrange to pick up a couple of boxes (to make a longer one for tandem), tape, packing material etc. from a bike shop near our return airport, leaving plenty of time for dismantling and re-boxing.
Thanks wkb21 But think the solution from Simon Hall could be better ie short lengths of spare chain over the rings and zip tied on and cranks secured to the frame to prevent them turning - also saves a lot of messing around when on the return journey and is a small compact item to carry whilst touring etc however I have yet to test it out. Just out of interest the small hard plastic blocks (I think used they are on some of the the brake assemblies) on bike manufacturer delivery packaging fit perfectly under the chain rings so a visit to your local dealer could prove fruitful and could be an even lighter option.
The answer is simple. Remove the front crank. We have self extracting crank bolts, you can remove the crank with a 6mm allen key. Put crank in jiffy bag.
Phil