Bloke in the bike shop reckons chains last 3000 miles.

[glenn forger]

I know, I know, it's in his interest, but I've heard that before, I know some roadies who change every 3k but if you're doing, say, 3k a year that probably means a whole new drive train system every year, about £150 worth. Mine's done three times that and will probably get replaced when the weather's better but runs fine. Also, my local publican reckon beer's good for you.

 

[4F]

I would say that it depends on how you look after your chain and the weather conditions it is used in. Also a chain wear checker gets 3 chains per cassette for me.

 

[ianrauk]

I would say that it depends on how you look after your chain and the weather conditions it is used in. Also a chain wear checker gets 3 chains per cassette for me.

This ^^^^

 

[Mile195]

I get 12-1500 miles out of a chain. I don't really clean it as much as I should though.

I do four chains per cassette. Seems to do me ok...

I'm with your publican on the beer - Scientific boffins confirm that it contains water, which the telly tells me is healthy...

 

[addictfreak]

On the bike I use the most I have only changed chain rings, cassette, chain and BB once in three years. That is certainly over 7k on that bike

 

[Poacher]

I would say that it depends on how you look after your chain and the weather conditions it is used in. Also a chain wear checker gets 3 chains per cassette for me.

...and probably 3 cassettes per change of chainrings? Having said that, changing chains is probably my least favourite maintenance chore, and I tend to leave it rather too long. Even if I have to replace everything, by judicious shopping around I can replace a cassette for £20, chainrings for £25, and get 3 chains for £30 - half of glenn's quoted price. Mind you, it certainly helps that I restrict myself to 8-speed.

 

[jonny jeez]

5k a chain for me on the road bike and probably about the same on my old MTB but over a much longer period of time with many more short off road rides.

actually the chain on Chitty (MTB) never showed any signs of wear (over 10 or so years of riding) until I started to commute on her...15 months late, it snapped.

 

[4F]

...and probably 3 cassettes per change of chainrings? Having said that, changing chains is probably my least favourite maintenance chore, and I tend to leave it rather too long. Even if I have to replace everything, by judicious shopping around I can replace a cassette for £20, chainrings for £25, and get 3 chains for £30 - half of glenn's quoted price. Mind you, it certainly helps that I restrict myself to 8-speed.

Yep I would agree with that as well and also run 8 speed (Campagnolo) I picked up both chain rings, a cassette and two chains from Ribble a couple of years ago in one of they summer sales £ 45.00 for the lot

 

[glenn forger]

...and probably 3 cassettes per change of chainrings? Having said that, changing chains is probably my least favourite maintenance chore, and I tend to leave it rather too long. Even if I have to replace everything, by judicious shopping around I can replace a cassette for £20, chainrings for £25, and get 3 chains for £30 - half of glenn's quoted price. Mind you, it certainly helps that I restrict myself to 8-speed.

Oh really? I was quoted between £120-£150 for a whole new drive train fitted to a Galaxy.

 

[Poacher]

Oh really? I was quoted between £120-£150 for a whole new drive train fitted to a Galaxy.

Depends what you mean by whole new drive train, which could be taken to include chainset (rather than just the chainrings), bottom bracket, front and rear mechs. My price was for components only, i.e. no labour charge, 'cos I do it myself, and for 8-speed. Once you get into 9-speed territory or above, costs for chains, and to a slightly lesser extent cassettes, increase alarmingly!

 

[billy1561]

Depends on your use of gears. if you use big front and big rear constantly then 500 miles would be good going.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

varies depending on the bike. on tour I got 9,000 miles out of a single chain, front & rear sprocket - only changed the chain because I needed to change the front & rear sprockets to something better suited to serious mountains (think Pamir Highway) - that's on a Rohloff hub. My OH only got around 6,000 miles out of his due to an oil leak from the Rohloff hub leaking the wrong type of oil onto the chain which picked up crap from the dirt tracks we were on and wore out way too quickly.

on the road bikes - riding in all weather I got around 1,250 miles from the OEM one from decathlon, my OH got less. Hopefully the newer chains - same as our touring bike will last much better.

my mtb bikes in the past have been anything from 750 miles to 1,500 miles depending mostly on the weather - but my commute was across country on bridlepaths and very muddy which kills parts very quickly (and I was probably not cleaning the bike often enough).

 

[DCLane]

It depends on the bike and chain; the Secteurs on 2200+ miles on a Shimano 105 chain fitted last July. I'll fit a new one soon but it's fine on the chain checker atm.

The Raleigh Airlite 100 however is near the end of it's 1st chain after just under 1000 miles.

 

[HLaB]

How Long is a Piece of String My 8sp chains get around 1500 miles (as a test I ran one to snapping and got 3000+ miles), even replacing at 1200 miles Ive never got more than 1 chain to 1 cassette. With my better maintained 10sp chains Ive got in excess of 4500 without snapping and changed the last one (no skip) at 3500 (Scottish winter miles). My Raleigh mtb I had as a kid, never even got 100miles.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

I have just changed mine after it started to skip slightly, got around 4k out of it. When it was off I laid it next to a new one, it had stretched by almost a link. Is this amount of stretch normal ? I don't have a chain checker.