Hybrid can't hack it anymore, recomend something stronger...

adrian.s

Hi Folks,

For the last few years I've been using my trusty Dawes 601 to bring me to and from work, and it's a great bike. Lately though I've been pulling my 1 yr old in a trailer for 2 miles of my commute and changed from using a back sack to having panniers. This makes the whole commute of 8 miles much more comfy, but loads up the bike considerably.

Have to admit, the trailer is great, the little lad loves it in there and beats the heck out of sitting in traffic while getting him to child care. But the problem is, the chain isn't up to the load any more (I'm a heavy build myself), and it snapped on me this morning. Guy in bike shop said that I was pushing my luck with the hybrid here and should consider something much stronger for pulling the load.

So anybody here care to offer some recommendations on a bike replacement?

It has to be reliably pull:

• Me!
• My two reasonably well loaded panniers (sometimes with a laptop in the mix)
• The little fella at the back in his trailer

and with a bit of speed built in as my total commute is 8 miles and I like to do it in a quick a time as possible.

Advice much appreciated.

Adrian.

tunney

The chain snapped not because "of the load" but because I'm guessing it hasn't been changed in years. Chains stretch and weaken over time, stretch quite alot, and should be changed on bikes that are used alot once a year or so.

adrian.s

tunney wrote: »

The chain snapped not because "of the load" but because I'm guessing it hasn't been changed in years. Chains stretch and weaken over time, stretch quite alot, and should be changed on bikes that are used alot once a year or so.

I should have mentioned this is a brand new chain I put on it about 5 months ago as part of a complete overhaul including new rear derailer, rear cassette and back wheel.

Thanks for the tip on the chain though, I certainly found when getting the new one there was a big improvement in performance and something I'll be replacing a little more frequently in the future.

A.

Raam

adrian.s wrote: »

I should have mentioned this is a brand new chain I put on it about 5 months ago as part of a complete overhaul including new rear derailer, rear cassette and back wheel.

Thanks for the tip on the chain though, I certainly found when getting the new one there was a big improvement in performance and something I'll be replacing a little more frequently in the future.

A.

Do you clean the chain regularly and lube afterwards? I do mine every couple of weeks. I usually wipe the chain down after a long or wet ride, although I don't always do this.

rob1891

if you consistenly snap the chain then you might consider getting a bike with an internal gear hub. This eliminates the twisting of the chain during shifting and generally alows you to run a much wider and stronger chain.

Something like:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24887

would fit the bill, though you'd want to check that the 07 model has the same 8speed Nexus SG-8R25 hub that the 08 has on www.cube-bikes.de

Morgan

Also try not to change gear under load - i.e. when pressing hard on the pedals. Ease off a bit before shifting.

adrian.s

Thanks for all the feedback guys, the bike mechanic was saying similar things as well so I guess I need to be a whole lot more cautious with changing gears and keeping the chain really clean.

A.