AN INVESTIGATION OF BICYCLE CHAIN LUBRICATION PERFORMANCE IN RAINY CONDITION

Abstract

A bicycle chain is one of the primary components in a drive train to transfer muscular power to mechanical energy to move a bike forward. Most bicycle drive train manufacturer produces chain with more than 100 links formed by side plates connected with pin and rollers. The chain connects the driving and driven sprockets for energy transfer. The bicycle chain has to be lubricated to improve efficiency; it is crucial to understand the basics of bicycle chain lubrication. Lubrication is achieved by introducing a lubricant substance to reduce friction between contacting moving surfaces. Every lubricant is formulated with a mix of substances, each serves a specific purpose. Therefore, understanding the working conditions such as the chain speed, environment temperature and contaminants is critical before formulating the composition and substance of the lubricant. Mixed grade lubricant was superior under the test of ASTM D445 Standard Test Method for Kinematic Viscosity of Transparent and Opaque Liquid and UV light penetration test.