I don’t like to clean bicycles, especially the chain.
I like robust bikes.
For me, form follows function.
So I’ve tried some modifications… which can be better explained by pictures…
Bottle cage modification:
If you want to fit a larger bottle into you frame, you will need either to place the holes correctly – but depending from your bottle holder. And some frame won’t allow you to have holes to close to the welding.
Here a proposition for a solution:
Then, the bottle might touch your dampener… So I let made a new piece that customise its body as close as possible to the top tube:
The Pinion P1.18 (Pinion.eu)has many advantages comparing to a standard derailleur gear:
The chain tensioner is smaller and less exposed. It doesn’t need to be exactly in line and will collect less mud. You have and large range (636%) and can shift while not moving.
Ok, some disadvantages: weight, price, gear steps are fixed at 11% and can’t be changed. And: you need a new frame, which is a reason to buy a new bike ;o)
IMHO the best way to have a clean chain is to have less mud get onto it. All chains on MTB has one in common: they get the mud from the front and the rear wheel directly. And continuously. Even when you clean and oil your chain, I can’t believe that it is healthy to get all-day long water and mud spill onto it.
Again, a picture may explain my thought in a better way. At a given time, the chain was not engaging anymore:
So I decided to made some test first with plastics which broke very soon. Then I used a smal aluminium plate which was then better. I improved that with a second one.
My idea was to avoid drilling any holes in the Pinion. As another function of the device was a kind of bash guard if I would jump across a tree or so. Not as shock proof as the traditional ones. But it has to be taken in account. So it should be avoided to have the impact forces going on the screws of the pinion gear box. Therefore I decided to make the protection holding on the edge of the box while to screw would just press it against it in case of a strong hit, no forces should get into the screws.
Here some evolution (?) steps….
Then the tensioner:
And the new version:
With a beta-version:
Of course, it has limitation. But the chain is quite ok!
