Coloured chains. Buy or not to buy.

[morningstar]

Hey there, I am wanting to change my chain to a coloured one. Is there anything that I should keep in mind while choosing one. Better brand, better material, best place to purchase from etc. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

[frekeyguy]

What brand is this colourd chain?

RK makes coloured chains...they'r half decent chains, don't stretch too much (but not as good as a DID chain)

[Mr.Azim]

Looks great at Tim Horton's..... anywhere else, not so much.

[2live&ride]

I currently have an RK gold chain on my bike, my only beef is that when I clean the chain some of the colour comes off.
I ordered a fresh set of sprockets and a gold DID ERV3 chain, just waiting for the right time to put them on.

[vociferous]

i had a coloured EK chain.

it worked fine. thechain wasn;t painted, but anodized (IIRC)

[JohnnyP636]

i had a coloured EK chain.

it worked fine. thechain wasn;t painted, but anodized (IIRC)

thats not possible, because you cant anodize steel....Only aluminum and titanium....None of the anodizing companies Ive dealt with can do steel

[JohnnyP636]

I currently have an RK gold chain on my bike, my only beef is that when I clean the chain some of the colour comes off.
I ordered a fresh set of sprockets and a gold DID ERV3 chain, just waiting for the right time to put them on.

In my experience the ERV3 is the best chain, I think youll like it

[morningstar]

Ok, thanks for the feedback everybody. I went on a few sites last night and really didn't know what to expect for pricing or variety. The prices ranged from $50 to $260.00. That is a huge difference which made me question quality or what kind is it I shouldn't get. Certainly don't have to buy the cheapest or the top of the line. What better place to get opinions.
Mr.Azim ya it would look good at Tim Hortons and everywhere else I ride. I have gotten a lot of things powder coated red and thought that the chain is just one more thing that I can change to make it look good. It's not for everybody I guess, but I like them.

[frekeyguy]

Ok, thanks for the feedback everybody. I went on a few sites last night and really didn't know what to expect for pricing or variety. The prices ranged from $50 to $260.00. That is a huge difference which made me question quality or what kind is it I shouldn't get. Certainly don't have to buy the cheapest or the top of the line. What better place to get opinions.
Mr.Azim ya it would look good at Tim Hortons and everywhere else I ride. I have gotten a lot of things powder coated red and thought that the chain is just one more thing that I can change to make it look good. It's not for everybody I guess, but I like them.

since you are looking online, if you post up links, i think we can sort throught them and advise on which would be the best one of the bunch

[vociferous]

thats not possible, because you cant anodize steel....Only aluminum and titanium....None of the anodizing companies Ive dealt with can do steel

thats fine. could only remember it looked more like anodized, than straight paint.

[RockerGuy]

Ok, thanks for the feedback everybody. I went on a few sites last night and really didn't know what to expect for pricing or variety. The prices ranged from $50 to $260.00. That is a huge difference which made me question quality or what kind is it I shouldn't get. Certainly don't have to buy the cheapest or the top of the line. What better place to get opinions.
Mr.Azim ya it would look good at Tim Hortons and everywhere else I ride. I have gotten a lot of things powder coated red and thought that the chain is just one more thing that I can change to make it look good. It's not for everybody I guess, but I like them.

Just choose the brand already mentioned.
Look for something that has an o-ring or x-ring.
X-ring=more expensive, but a better seal.

[RockerGuy]

Looks great at Tim Horton's..... anywhere else, not so much.

Yellow is gansta!!!

[2live&ride]

In my experience the ERV3 is the best chain, I think youll like it

Of course, I went by your recommendation!

[omnivore]

I had EK ZZZ....the gold is actually metalflake gold coating...Its way nicer looking than the gold DID it replaced. And it is the absolute strongest chain available. And it is prestretched. I only adjusted it twice in 3 yrs on a litrebike.

I just got another one, but in orange for the KTM. I have owned Tsubaki, RK, DID, Regina....and I think the longevity if the best on the new EK.

[TwistedKestrel]

In my experience the ERV3 is the best chain, I think youll like it

Isn't there a downside to using an ERV3 chain on the street? Not lasting as long or something?

[RockerGuy]

I had EK ZZZ....the gold is actually metalflake gold coating...Its way nicer looking than the gold DID it replaced. And it is the absolute strongest chain available. And it is prestretched. I only adjusted it twice in 3 yrs on a litrebike.

I just got another one, but in orange for the KTM. I have owned Tsubaki, RK, DID, Regina....and I think the longevity if the best on the new EK.

I have EK gold, have 15k km on it. Not a whole lot of stretching

[zeniceguy]

I bought a cheap chain last summer, it almost lasted the whole season.

[Dayao12]

I bought a Renthal Gold Chain
It looked great but for some reason it stretched faar to quickly than it should've =S

Why could this be?

Possible reasons:
1. I tried wheelies when I first put it on but stopped when I realized how loose it got...could that have stretched it or is that just pre-stretch?
2. I also cleaned it with Brake Cleaner cuz it took off all the soot! But Ricardo(tire guy) told me that it dries out the O-rings which could cause water to seep in and rust.
3. This is normal?

[Brian P]

Isn't there a downside to using an ERV3 chain on the street? Not lasting as long or something?

Absolutely not. That is a very good chain.

[Brian P]

I bought a Renthal Gold Chain
It looked great but for some reason it stretched faar to quickly than it should've =S

Why could this be?

Possible reasons:
1. I tried wheelies when I first put it on but stopped when I realized how loose it got...could that have stretched it or is that just pre-stretch?
2. I also cleaned it with Brake Cleaner cuz it took off all the soot! But Ricardo(tire guy) told me that it dries out the O-rings which could cause water to seep in and rust.
3. This is normal?

1. Obviously, higher-than-normal stresses (e.g. from wheelies) can shorten the life of the chain. But, my money is on ...
2. VERY VERY BAD! This will dissolve lubricants and is not good for rubber. Probably what happened is that small amounts of the solvent migrated into the O-ring and gradually started dissolving out the lubricant that is normally sealed into the chain by the O-rings.
3. Certainly not normal.

Cleaning a chain is best done using kerosene or something similar and only in a way that is not aggressive to the O-rings. Don't try to scrub or get into the gaps between the side plates where the O-rings reside ... you'll just push solvent or dirt past the O-rings and damage them. Finish cleaning the chain and dry it within 10 minutes then oil the chain.

But ... I've had the best life out of chains by oiling them with oil (not chain lube, not chain wax, just plain used motor oil) and NOT cleaning them. Yes, the oil flings off and makes a mess (and has to be used sparingly so that not too much of it gets on the tire). And it takes the dirt with it when it flings off ...