Chain Wear Question

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riding conditions would make a difference I suppose so im going for number 2 wear would be random
 

Jenkins

Legendary Member
Location
Felixstowe
I'll go with number 4, my reasoning being that unless you change the cassette & chain ring with each chain, they will also wear and affect the chain used - the more wear on the cassette & chain ring, the worse the wear/damage to the chain so later chains suffer most.

Edited - @User9609 posted the above as I was typing this post
 

Slick

Guru
[QUOTE 5531027, member: 9609"]I have just added this to my OP - The latter chains would be running on an increasingly worn cassette and chain ring
and for me that would be the most significant difference[/QUOTE]
It doesn't take Poirot to work out the answer now then. ^_^
 

Slioch

Guru
Location
York
I'm guessing at option 1, as you suggest you replace your chains based on wear, rather than on time the chain has been on the bike.

But, there are too many unknown variables. E.g. what is your annual mileage, and is it consistent throughout the winter/summer months?

The bit I'm struggling with is that you seem to be saying that you've got through 6 chains in 10 months, so that means you are replacing your chain every 1.7 months?

I have 3x bikes that I do the most of my annual mileage on and, although I don't keep a record of anything, replace the chain on each bike probably only once per year, so that averages a new chain every 4.0 months. At a guess, I would say my annual mileage is around 5K miles.

I do have one of those chain wear measuring thingys, and replace the chain when it reaches 1% wear. But, my winter bike does reach this point sooner than my summer bike based on doing the same mileage.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
I usually run 3-4 chains per cassette replacement. My experience is that I get about the same life out of each chain other than the last one where the cassette is approaching wear limits. Must admit I don't go through 6 chains in less than a year though. I get about 4-5000 miles per 10 speed chain.

Based on my own experience I would say 1.
 
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faster

Über Member
1. Chains don't care about cassette wear it's all a myth:smile:

Agree with this - up until the cassette is worn enough to slip, worn cassettes have little to no effect on chain life.

Worn chains, however, destroy cassettes in no time.
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
I don't think measuring and replacing before 1mm wear is accurate enough to get an accurate measure if that makes sense.
The mileage you can achieve between say 0.75 and 0.99 is what ? hundreds of miles. Let's say you replaced the chain before the 1mm measure....was it 0.75 or anywhere up to 0,99 ? Surely you can't measure accurately enough to be sure.
Now if you replaced as the wear got to bang on 0 .75 every time...thatd be a slightly better measure....perhaps that is what you're doing, if so, disregard the above. :okay:

FWIW, if accurate, I'd have thought youd see a slow progressive loss of mileage on each chain...if Indeed you could see any discernable difference on the first two or three chains. Not scientific, just gut instinct...
 

faster

Über Member
If you've kept part-worn chains then very often they'll run fine on a worn cassette that won't accept a new chain. :angel:

I agree with this too. Our statements are in no way mutually exclusive.

I don't keep part-worn chains myself, but in a similar manner, I do keep part worn cassettes (that slip with a new chain), and put them back on part way through the life of the chain. They work perfectly and protect the newer cassette from the heavy wear inflicted by the now worn chain.

I only really bother if the cassette is off for maintenance/changing wheels, but you can make cassettes last ages by doing this and it has no effect on chain life.

My original statement might be better written as a worn chain will very quickly turn a cassette into one that will slip when a new chain is fitted.
 
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