Chain wear strategy

[leemo]

After 3k miles since new, my gears stopped indexing properly. This was becasue the casette and chain were well worn. I got Evans to replace them. I think it cost about £70 including parts. The chainrings were borderline according to Evans and I did not replace them.

After another 1.5k miles they are on their way out again. I think the reason for the shorter life was a) It was winter b) the chain rings were already somewhat worn.

I clean the chain with a a park tool chain cleaner and degreaser every 2-4 weeks. So the question is how do I reduce the cost of replacing worn out chains/casettes/chainrings without having to spend too much extra time on cleaning and maintaining the bike?

Im thinking that I should get the casette, chain and middle and large chainrings replaced (small chainring is rarely used) in the late spring if I can last that long and then adopt a chain rotation strategy. I will invest in a chain wear measuring tool and a chain link tool and rotate the chains myself.

Can I get just the chainrings replaced? I think Evans wanted to flog me a new crankset which I'd rather avoid. My bike is a spech sirrus elite. It has a Sugino 28/38/48 crank with 5 arm 110BCD chainrings I think. Does anyone know where I can source replacement (38/48) chainrings which have good durability?

Has anyone who has tried this chain rotation thing have anything to say about their experience? Also is there another approach I should look into?

I think if I was buying another commuting bike I'd go for an internal hub gear. I guess I could have mine converted but it would be quite a lot of effort e.g. new back wheel, new shifter, new brake levers (as they are currently combined with the shifters), new crank, do something with the front derailuer etc etc. And I like having 24 gear to choose from!

 

[buddha]

I rotate 2 chains.
But I think my chains have lasted much longer since I stopped the degreasing thing. Just use the 'mickle method'

 

[mickle]

Thursday, March 4th, 2010 by Mick Allan



There are, of course, other methods of lubricating a bicycle chain. But after many years of in-depth investigation this is the only one that I believe in:

The crud which accumulates on the exterior surfaces of your chain is composed of grit and dust from the environment, much of it thrown up by the front wheel, mixed with the chain lube you left on the chain last time you lubed it. Using solvents to remove it certainly works but has the downside of also removing all the lube from inside the chain.

The only chain surfaces which move against each other are on the inside (once the chain gets onto a sprocket it stops moving), knowing this we can conclude that we don’t need lube on the outside surfaces. It doesn’t do anything there except attract grit and dust.

Purchase a bottle (not an aerosol) of proper chain lube (not WD85, not GT40, not ‘oil’, not ‘2 in 1,’ not even basil infused virgin olive oil although any of the above will work better than nothing. Just) of the kind manufactured by Finish Line, Pedros, White Lightning etc and sold in your local bike shop.

The Method involves nothing more than chain lube and a rag. The first job is to wipe down the chain. Park the bike up against the sofa/ shed and, holding the bike with your left hand, simply….


** Wipe the chain. Use the bike’s freewheel mechanism to your advantage by grabbing the lower run of chain with the rag and dragging it backwards, slide your hand forward and the chain will feed backwards through the rag presenting a new section to wipe. Wipe, wipe wipe etc, Rotate the rag to get a clean section every so often. Eventually, depending on the mankyness of the chain, you wont be able to get any more off.

Now, lube the chain. With one hand slowly rotate the pedals backwards whilst dropping lube onto the lower run of chain in front of the rear mech (or wherever). When you are happy that every link has a drop of lube spin the pedals backwards a few times to allow the lube to seep in. Go back to **

The last thing you do is wipe, remember you don’t need any lube on the outside of the chain (aside from a very thin smear to discourage corrosion). You spend much much more time wiping than lubing. When the rag stops picking up black crud the job is done. Except just one thing, ride the bike a few miles and wipe it again.


The more often you do it the cleaner your chain will be and the cleaner your chain is the quicker the job. So little and often is better. Once a week when it’s dry is more than enough, more often if you do lots of miles in the rain. The less crud you have on the chain the less can get on the other transmission parts too. Lube + grit = makes a really effective grinding compound when it comes into contact with aluminum rings.

The alternative, removing all the crud with solvents, removes all the lube from inside the chain. You then need to remove the solvent because putting lube on a chain full of solvent will destroy the lube. So you wash the solvent off with something? Then you have to remove whatever you washed the solvent off with. Oh, and then have to safely dispose of the now contaminated solvent hoping that none of it has permeated you skin because whatever it says on the bottle solvents aren’t good for you or for anything else in the environment.

So. Wipe – lube – wipe – wipe – wipe. Ride it a few miles and wipe it again. Once your chain has become accustomed to the new regime it should take no more than a couple of minutes each time.



This entry first appeared as a series of posts in a series of robust discussions on the very excellent Cycle Chat forum.

 

[Chrismawa]

That's a very handy post. Thanks for the info!

 

[Davidc]

The Mickle method (above) works. Well.

In your OP leemo you've also asked about cassettes and chainrings.

If you buy yourself a chain guage, there are several types like this or like this or others, you can check how far gone your chain is each time you lubricate it. You can do the same by measuring it with a ruler but the tool is easier.

I find that by changing the chain when it's just worn out according to the wear indicating tool my cassettes last 3 chains, which is between 6000 and 10000 miles. Chainrings last longer but are less predictable.

If I leave a worn chain on the bike (used to happen in the days of measuring with a ruler) then the chain goes on a bit longer but the cassette goes to the recycling bin at the same time as the chain. Leave it long enough and so do the chainrings.

The precise life of these components is difficult to state, as it varies according to the time of year, type of riding, the weather, and I suspect in the case of chains the individual manufacturing batch. That said good maintenance (as described by Mickle) and timely replacement will maximise the life of all transmission parts - as I well know from experience

Edit: I can't see any point in rotating chains. Using a good maintenance regime like the Mickle one and ditching them when they wear out is easier and costs the same.

 

[Moodyman]

Rotating the chains works, but the benefits are slender versus the hassle involved.

You'll get 2 chains out of one cassette. But, you can also get 2 chains out of a cassette if you replace the first chain before it's too stretched.

The only benefit of the chain rotation is that you might get 5000 miles out of a cassette instead of 4500 (figures for demonstration purpose only). This 500 miles may be worth it for some, but not for me.

 

[mickle]

Replace your chain before it gets too worn and your sprockets and rings will last indefinitely.

I got 12 years out of an XTR cassette (and it was still going strong until it's next owner ran it in to the ground). My mountain bike has chainrings from around 1996 on it. Now - I don't use them every day now but I commuted on them for ten years and there are definite signs of wear, but they have many more miles left in them.

Rotating two chains is better than one - but only twice as better. Regular chain maintenance and replacement is the key to long transmission life.

Chains are consumables, sprockets and rings don't need to be.

 

[Blue Hills]

Quick question re chain wear measurers. Most of these I think have a 70 per cent and a 100 per cent wear marker. With regard to folks above who advocate changing the chain when it's just become worn to avoid having to change the cassette as well, are they referring to the 70 or 100 per cent wear mark?

At the moment I tend to wear the lot down and change chain AND cassette but I'd like to be more efficient about this/save some dosh.

 

[HLaB]

Quick question re chain wear measurers. Most of these I think have a 70 per cent and a 100 per cent wear marker. With regard to folks above who advocate changing the chain when it's just become worn to avoid having to change the cassette as well, are they referring to the 70 or 100 per cent wear mark?

At the moment I tend to wear the lot down and change chain AND cassette but I'd like to be more efficient about this/save some dosh.

Not that it really maters [pedantic] its 0.75% and 1%

The theory goes that when its 0.75% worn you may not need to replace the cassette;

but if 1% worn, the chain is in danger of snappage and should be replaced immediately and will amost certainly result in the need to replace the cassette too.

I can't speak for everybody but I found this true of dearer cassettes but not cheaper ones; on my cheaper set up I let it go a bit longer and carried a quicklink.

 

[andrew_s]

1% is the point at which you'll get chain slip if you change the chain but not the cassette (ish).If you change at .75%, you should get about 4 chains before you need to change the cassette (ish).

You should be aware that chain gauges are NOT accurate. Because they measure between two pins only, they include roller slop in the measurement, and roller slop varies a fair bit between brand of chain. If you are careless with the brand of chain tool and the brand of chain, a new, unused chain shows up as 1% worn - instant replacement. To get proper readings you need to use the 3-point Shimano tool (£50), or a ruler (1/8 stretch over 12" = 1%).


When I've done the sums, based on the rate at which I wear got the transmission components, it's come out that rotating 3 or 4 chains has come out cheapest in the long run. This assumes that you don't get forgetful and mess up the rotation by missing a change.
I generally use my transmission until it stops working.
That was tonight - I was going up a circa 12% hill in 48x17, and I got a nasty scrunching sound, my pedals span round, and the chain got wrapped round the crank. By the time I got home, I could make the 48T chainring slip on the flat without even thinking about standing up. Time for new chain, cassette, and chainring(s). I'll try to remember to measure the chain and update with the stratch.

 

[2old2care]

I subscribe to a method I once read in an old book, which is to remove the chain degrease it in a bath of cleaner and once clean immerse the chain in suitable oil, and allow the excass to drain off before wiping down, it did say a pan of warm oil on the stove but the missus wouldn't have it !!!

I can do this as I use KMC chains with the missing link which I think is a great idea

 

[John the Monkey]

I rotate 3 chains on the commuter, although I've not been doing it for long enough to quantify the benefits or otherwise. With a decent quicklinked modern chain, it's no hassle at all.

I change the chain every 2 weeks (between 240 and 300 miles of riding) and give the bike a proper clean before putting the next chain on.

Mickle, how worn were your chains on the XTR equipped bike of which you speak when you changed them? Indefinite life from expensive cassettes & chainrings sounds good to me...

 

[mickle]

Mickle, how worn were your chains on the XTR equipped bike of which you speak when you changed them? Indefinite life from expensive cassettes & chainrings sounds good to me...

Dunno about %ages, just a very few degrees before the red area on my old Park tool.