New chain advice

[mjr]

I don't actually own a ruler! So it was barely any more expensive to get a better measuring tool as buy a quality ruler. Cheers though, I didn't realise each link was exactly 1"

No worries. Metal tape measures work too. How have you lasted so long without accumulating any? I think there's three in the bike shed here at the moment!

As for "better measuring tool"... errrrr, careful how loud you say that! I think it's not universally agreed that one brand's chain wear measures are accurate for other brands of chain.

 

[EasyPeez]

[QUOTE 3796054, member: 9609"]yes it buggered the chain ring, but I was replacing that too[/QUOTE]

Then I shan't replicate that experiment! Thanks for confirming.

I think it's not universally agreed that one brand's chain wear measures are accurate for other brands of chain.

Seriously!? I'll add that to the ever-growing list of things that need a universal standard then. (The list currently includes rose spouts for watering cans, ink cartridges for printers and frames for beehives - I'm not sure yet who I'm going to send this list to but when they receive it they'll see it makes sense and take swift action to make the world a better place).

 

[EasyPeez]

[QUOTE 3796025, member: 9609"]It does surprise me that your chain has started to slip with as little as 1% wear, it will certainly be damaging your cassette at 1% wear but I would have expected it to be work without problem.

I knew I was going to replace my last cassette so I left the chain on for as long as possible - it didn't start to slip until 2½% wear - I even regularily measured the chain throught its life. I got just over 5000 mile out of it, but as you can see from the graph it was never going to make 6000.

my only explanation for the apparent discrepancies in measurement at the beginning are; I was measuring a random section of the chain and suspect one part may have been a little more worn than other parts. (can't think of any other reason, I'm good at measuring stuff, even if i say so myself)
0.5% wear would be 306.3
1% would be 307.8

oil used through out was chain saw oil and the mockle method, it is usually pretty messy and dirty looking

[/QUOTE]

Wow - that's dedication! I like it! Forgive my studpidity, but what do the numbers on the horizontal axis represent? I would have thought time in days or wear in % would be the thing to measure but neither of those seem right. Can't be length of chain in mm either can it? I've got a feeling I'm going to feel stupid enough to buy 2 bridges when you tell me....

 

[Truth]

2500 miles to 6000 miles, really?! I clean and re-lube my bike religiously each week so not sure what more I can do on that score. I think I am probably guilty of staying on the big cog for too long and would probably be better changing down to the smaller ring and going up a couple of gears on the cassette rather than using big chainring and lower gears on the cassette as I tend to do currently on hills. Maybe that would have an impact. Cheers.

I do the same and was amazed to find that after just 1500 miles the 0.75% measure is almost dropping through the chain now . I was gutted as I thought that using the Mickle Method the chain would last MUCH longer than it will do ..........

 

[EasyPeez]

It has only been the one slip so far to be fair, where the crank travelled maybe 1/4 of a rotation before re-engaging, and it happened from a standing start on a slight gradient. So maybe me suggesting it has started to slip is a bit disingenuous.

Scratch that - I did 50 miles last night and the chain was skipping all over when on the smaller chainring. New chain and cassette can't arrive quick enough!

I do the same and was amazed to find that after just 1500 miles the 0.75% measure is almost dropping through the chain now

Wow, that's really poor mileage I'd have thought. I'm disappointed with my 2,500 miles tbh. @mjray seems to think you should get more than that out of a chain too. I guess how you ride is a big factor. Do you ride it really hard? I need to cover 8 miles as quick as possible every morning after the school run so am really hammering it then, plus do some hard hill-work a couple of times a week. I guess that kind of regime is going to run down a chain quicker than someone doing the same mileage but at a much more leisurely pace?

 

[mjr]

Wow, that's really poor mileage I'd have thought. I'm disappointed with my 2,500 miles tbh. @mjray seems to think you should get more than that out of a chain too.

Nonononono. I expect I should get more than that, but I'm using thicker 8-speed chain (at least - I've singlespeed chain on one) so I said early on that it might be OK for a 10-speed for all I know.

 

[Truth]

I ride about 12 miles commute each way in about 48 mins so I am hardly Chris Froome !

 

[EasyPeez]

Nonononono. I expect I should get more than that, but I'm using thicker 8-speed chain (at least - I've singlespeed chain on one) so I said early on that it might be OK for a 10-speed for all I know.

Fair enough, sorry for my lack of attention to detail.

My LBS reckoned that 2,500 miles was about standard for a 10 speed chain, and my mate who rides a 10 speed Synapse has just swapped his at 2,600 miles.
I've gone for the KMC so will keep tabs on how that performs vs the Shimano and report back in a couple of months. LBS reckons they're better chains. Cheers.