Ming the Merciless
There is no mercy
- Location
- Inside my skull
Does no one use a scanning electron microscope to check for chain wear?
How many miles before changing chain and Cassette?
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Kajjal
Guru
- Location
- Wheely World
I just use some weighing scales and a barometer.
Of course it does - a worn chain will not sit exactly where they're optimally designed to on the cogs thus each movement causes more wear. Go through three chains and you've probably worn the cassette too.
Let's get back to the elephant in the room. What in earth are you doing to go through a chain in 700 miles?! Even on a commute bike with limited love I get way more mileage than that. Maybe you check that you chain life checker isn't wasting you money by comparing it with measurements from a steel rule?
DaveReading
Don't suffer fools gladly (must try harder!)
- Location
- Reading, obvs
Fair point, I'm sure if I had a 45-year-old plastic ruler instead, it would do just as well.
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
My Blundell Harling plastic ruler over-reads by 0.5mm at 300mm compared to my steel engineers' reference.
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Ah but which one makes the best Twooooiiiiingg sound on the edge of a desk in the WDC.
Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
I used to get about 5-6k miles out of chains and 15k maybe more out of cassettes. I don't know what you guys are doing to get such low mileages out of yours? I say used to as now I have Rohloff hub with full chain guard. In 3-4 years I have changed the chain once I got about 18k miles before the first chain a KMC X-1 reached the 0.5 wear indicator on my chain checker and I replaced it. Rear Rohloff sprocket and front SJS chain ring still looked like new so left these well alone except for cleaning and giving them a polish. The cost of a Rohloff hub is soon offset by the massive savings in cash and time having to replace derailleur transmission parts and also I have a life now not spending all my time cleaning and lubing a crappy open system that sounds like a sewing machine after a couple of drops of water and a bit of dust. I don't miss derailleur transmissions one bit. Awful impractical system for gear changing if riding many miles in all weather conditions or indeed if only riding a few miles infrequently.
PaulSB
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
I agree 700 miles is very poor and can't offer a good reason for what seems like excessive wear.
I feel your second sentence will be having some impact. Clean and lube once a month is, for me, nowhere close to adequate. My routine, and so advice, is this. Thoroughly clean the cassette, rings and chain to remove all oil, debris etc. Using a high quality, non sticky, product lube the inner surface of each roller** with a small amount of lube. Leave for ten minutes and wipe off excess. After a couple of hours repeat the lube being sure to wipe away all excess.
After each ride use an old cloth to wipe your chain. Over time oil will build up on the cloth I think this helps. This clean takes five minutes at most.
** That is lubing the chain from the bottom and putting a tiny amount of lube on the upper surface of each roller. You should be able to see this small amount just disappear in to the roller.
The combination of small amounts of non-sticky lube and wiping the chain after every ride will prevent the build up of oil, grime, dust etc. on your cassette and chain rings. When these start to get a bit dirty wash with hot soapy water.
I'm a touch anal about clean chains etc. I believe a clean, well lubed drivetrain plus correctly inflated tyes are the two most positive bits of maintenance I can perform to give me the best ride possible.
Five minutes to check and inflate tyres before a ride, five minutes to clean the chain afterwards. What could be quicker or simpler?
I change my cassettes and chains every 12 months or so usually in the spring. The winter bike will have had a hard 3-4 months and the summer bike is coming out of hibernation. I always follow my LBS advice, if they say change I change. I trust them implicitly and would never go to Halfords.
Last edited:
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
I can't be arsed with OCD chain cleaning regimes either. All I do is run the chain through an old sock or rag held in my hand to get the worst of the road crap off it, then give it a squirt of light oil, along with the rollers in the rear mech. Likewise I never allow a chain to be run dry.
On my hack bikes, all I ever run is secondhand chains that have come from scrappers or off a better bike, likewise the freewheels are whatever came with the bike or whatever I've got in stock from a scrapper. All 14-28 basic 5 or 6 speeds. So long as the chain isn't skipping over the teeth under load I consider the transmission fit for service. My hack bikes live out in the open, so I am not going to be spending money buying new transmission parts for them!
ChrisEyles
Guru
- Location
- Devon
I get 1500 - 2000 miles per chain on the road (8 speed transmission). I'm fairly good at keeping it clean and oiled, either every couple of weeks or after a long wet ride.
On the MTB I've stretched out chains in 500 miles before. Don't know if this is due to water/mud or more the very steep slopes and low gears with a bit of cross chaining thrown in for good measure.
The chain cleaning method I like the most by far is the mickle (search this forum), have tried other methods and found them either ineffective or faffy.
On the MTB I've stretched out chains in 500 miles before. Don't know if this is due to water/mud or more the very steep slopes and low gears with a bit of cross chaining thrown in for good measure.
The chain cleaning method I like the most by far is the mickle (search this forum), have tried other methods and found them either ineffective or faffy.
After reading this post i decided to buy a chain wear tool today as i was starting to get a little curious about the condition of my chain. According to the tool, my chain is completely knackered at a 0.75.
I have always kept the chain spotless and well lubed and after working out the mileage its done over the last 12 months, its done around 6000 miles.
It still feels and sounds silky smooth but for the sake of £20 I've bought a replacement this afternoon. Hopefully the new shimano one will be just as good and hard wearing as the last one.
I have always kept the chain spotless and well lubed and after working out the mileage its done over the last 12 months, its done around 6000 miles.
It still feels and sounds silky smooth but for the sake of £20 I've bought a replacement this afternoon. Hopefully the new shimano one will be just as good and hard wearing as the last one.
Kajjal
Guru
- Location
- Wheely World
Road riding tends to be fairly smooth, but mountain biking really gives the drive chain a pounding as it involves far more sudden needs to put a lot of power down, and much more demanding terrain. If you mountain bike in the wetter months it really wears the drive chain.
It does make you wonder for instance how "weak" of a rider i may be, to get 6k out of a chain whilst others can kill one off in a fraction of the mileage.
Some guys i ride with are strong heavy dudes and will grind there way up climbs whilst others are lightweights who will just spin there way up.
It does make you think whether spinning or grinding up long hills makes up for shortened chain life.
Some guys i ride with are strong heavy dudes and will grind there way up climbs whilst others are lightweights who will just spin there way up.
It does make you think whether spinning or grinding up long hills makes up for shortened chain life.
