inaperfectworld
New Member
is it a good idea to change a chain after 1000 miles: a chain costs little compared with transmission and a new chain will have manufacturers grease, which lasts a good while. does this extend transmission life
chain 1000 miles, new one?
- Thread starter inaperfectworld
- Start date
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mondobongo
Über Member
piedwagtail91
Guest
you can measure the links with a steel rule to decide when to change . i usually get about 1500 miles out of a chain.
this is from sheldon brown http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html
Measuring Chain Wear
The standard way to measure chain wear is with a ruler or steel tape measure. This can be done without removing the chain from the bicycle. The normal technique is to measure a one-foot length, placing an inch mark of the ruler exactly in the middle of one rivet, then looking at the corresponding rivet 12 complete links away. On a new, unworn chain, this rivet will also line up exactly with an inch mark. With a worn chain, the rivet will be past the inch mark.
This gives a direct measurement of the wear to the chain, and an indirect measurement of the wear to the sprockets:
f the rivet is less than 1/16" past the mark, all is well.
f the rivet is 1/16" past the mark, you should replace the chain, but the sprockets are probably undamaged.
If the rivet is 1/8" past the mark, you have left it too long, and the sprockets (at least the favorite ones) will be too badly worn. If you replace a chain at the 1/8" point, without replacing the sprockets, it may run OK and not skip, but the worn sprockets will cause the new chain to wear much faster than it should, until it catches up with the wear state of the sprockets.
If the rivet is past the 1/8" mark, a new chain will almost certainly skip on the worn sprockets, especially the smaller ones.
this is from sheldon brown http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html
Measuring Chain Wear
The standard way to measure chain wear is with a ruler or steel tape measure. This can be done without removing the chain from the bicycle. The normal technique is to measure a one-foot length, placing an inch mark of the ruler exactly in the middle of one rivet, then looking at the corresponding rivet 12 complete links away. On a new, unworn chain, this rivet will also line up exactly with an inch mark. With a worn chain, the rivet will be past the inch mark.
This gives a direct measurement of the wear to the chain, and an indirect measurement of the wear to the sprockets:
f the rivet is less than 1/16" past the mark, all is well.
f the rivet is 1/16" past the mark, you should replace the chain, but the sprockets are probably undamaged.
If the rivet is 1/8" past the mark, you have left it too long, and the sprockets (at least the favorite ones) will be too badly worn. If you replace a chain at the 1/8" point, without replacing the sprockets, it may run OK and not skip, but the worn sprockets will cause the new chain to wear much faster than it should, until it catches up with the wear state of the sprockets.
If the rivet is past the 1/8" mark, a new chain will almost certainly skip on the worn sprockets, especially the smaller ones.
andy_wrx
Über Member
Agreed, replace when it gets to a level of wear, not after x miles
Will vary depending on use (Summer/Winter ? wet/dry/muddy/dusty ? how often cleaned ? etc)
Will vary depending on use (Summer/Winter ? wet/dry/muddy/dusty ? how often cleaned ? etc)
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I replaced my last chain at 1574mls (75% worn according to the Park tool), someone else on this site said they got circa 4000 miles out of a chain; so I guess we are all different and ride in conditions. So I'd agree with folk here don't go by mileage go by wear, the Park tool is simple, Life Line now do a version too or use the other methods suggested here.
Blonde
New Member
- Location
- Bury, Lancashire
You can change it now and and run another one till the same level of wear, then a third, then start with the original chain again. This is supposed to prevent having to buy a new cassette so often as you don't get the same level of mismatch in wear between chain and cassette - so chain does not skip when you put a new one on. However, it does mean you have to invest in three chains in the first place of course - though it's still cheaper than having to buy a new cassette every time you change your very worn chain.
Level of chain wear is dependent on so many factors, including the weather you ride in and how often you clean and lube your chain, that the only good way to tell how worn it is is to measure it.
Level of chain wear is dependent on so many factors, including the weather you ride in and how often you clean and lube your chain, that the only good way to tell how worn it is is to measure it.
girofan
New Member
- Location
- Oswestry Shropshire
Don't rely on the manufacturers grease. It attracts all the crap going. Clean it off when you remove it from the package. Re-lubricate with a good quality cycle chain lubricant and clean and re-apply at REGULAR intervals!
Blonde
New Member
- Location
- Bury, Lancashire
Yep - manufacturer's 'grease' is standard on engineered parts for all kinds of machines, not just bikes. It is intended simply to stop the part going rusty in the packaging/warehouse - That's all.
Steve Austin
The Marmalade Kid
- Location
- Mlehworld
I've worn chins on the MTB ina couple of hundred miles. Mud tends to make them wear quicker and stretch.
I reckon i can get 3 to 4 chains per cassette before the shifting goes sloppy.
I reckon i can get 3 to 4 chains per cassette before the shifting goes sloppy.
Blonde
New Member
- Location
- Bury, Lancashire
Steve Austin said:
Wow! You must have a massive chin if it touches the floor and gets worn and muddy when you're on the bike!
Sorry, I just couldn't resist that one!
I recently changed the chain & cassette on my hardtail MTB because it suddenly started jumping in 7 of the 9 gears (9 months of hard use). Despite being obviously worn, the chain still showed less than 0.75% wear on my chain checker.
A couple of weeks earlier on my other MTB, I decided to change the chain before it wore the sprockets and found that the new chain was skipping on the old cassette despite the old chain having only stretched 1/16" over 1 foot (didn't have the chain checker then).
My experience so far is suggesting that it is best to change chains & cassettes together as new chains just don't work well on old cassettes, and the traditional guides of when to a replace chain don't seem to work either.
A couple of weeks earlier on my other MTB, I decided to change the chain before it wore the sprockets and found that the new chain was skipping on the old cassette despite the old chain having only stretched 1/16" over 1 foot (didn't have the chain checker then).
My experience so far is suggesting that it is best to change chains & cassettes together as new chains just don't work well on old cassettes, and the traditional guides of when to a replace chain don't seem to work either.
andy_wrx
Über Member
I was thinking of buying this Connex Wipperman titanium chain.
It's 12% off at chainreaction, so a bargain.
Will I have to change this every 1000 miles ? (can I afford to !?!?!?)
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11294
It's 12% off at chainreaction, so a bargain.
Will I have to change this every 1000 miles ? (can I afford to !?!?!?)
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11294
BentMikey
Rider of Seolferwulf
- Location
- South London
girofan said:Don't rely on the manufacturers grease. It attracts all the crap going. Clean it off when you remove it from the package. Re-lubricate with a good quality cycle chain lubricant and clean and re-apply at REGULAR intervals!
I'm not sure I'd agree with that, based on Sheldon's advice.
Big T
Guru
- Location
- Nottingham
Chain wear depends on when and how you use it.
I've had chains on my summer bike (only ridden in the dry) last 3 or 4 summers. My winter bike chain will last 1 winter. My son, who rides cyclo cross, changes the chain on his cross bike twice in a 5 month season.
Someone has suggested buying 3 chains at a time, and swapping them over every 500 miles or so, to "share" the wear between them. I've never tried this though.
I think it also depends on how narrow the chain is. 10 speed chains don't last long at all, 9 spped last longer, 6/7/8 speed longer still.
I've had chains on my summer bike (only ridden in the dry) last 3 or 4 summers. My winter bike chain will last 1 winter. My son, who rides cyclo cross, changes the chain on his cross bike twice in a 5 month season.
Someone has suggested buying 3 chains at a time, and swapping them over every 500 miles or so, to "share" the wear between them. I've never tried this though.
I think it also depends on how narrow the chain is. 10 speed chains don't last long at all, 9 spped last longer, 6/7/8 speed longer still.
