When to replace your chain

[Johnny P]

According to Lickbike, one should "Replace your 10 speed chain every 1200-1600 miles for maximum drivetrain longevity." Does one really need to do it that often? I have a chain with about 2300 miles on it and the measurement seems to indicate that is should still be OK. Am I pushing my luck and should I just replace the chain or wait till measuring it says it's time to replace it?

Thanks,
JP

[dekindy]

Get some Chain-L lubricant and you chains will last twice as long and I think my Ultegra cassette is going to last forever; 4 years old and 14,000 miles and still shifts well. Wait until measurement or poor shifting indicates replacement. I had an LBS employee lecture me, totally unsolicited while purchasing a cassette lock ring tool and chain whip, that you should replace the cassette every time you replace the chain. What a bunch of crap! Even before Chain-L I could get 2-3 chains per cassette.

[gone]

According to Lickbike, one should "Replace your 10 speed chain every 1200-1600 miles for maximum drivetrain longevity." Does one really need to do it that often? I have a chain with about 2300 miles on it and the measurement seems to indicate that is should still be OK. Am I pushing my luck and should I just replace the chain or wait till measuring it says it's time to replace it?

Thanks,
JP
There are so many variables at play that the only advice of any value is to measure and replace when the measurements indicate the chain has stretched.

A few of the variables:

How well you maintain it
How often you lube it
How much pressure you put on it i.e., if you generate 1000 watts on a regular basis you'll probably need to replace more often than if you're a 200 watt spinner
Ride in the rain much?
Crosschain?

and probably a million others.

[kramnnim]

I don't replace my chains anywhere near that often...would cost a fortune if I did.

[ultraman6970]

Ask to a lbs :D

[Ti Designs]

A good customer just replaced his chain and Helicomatic cassette after 28 years of use... That said, things have changed a bit since then. Chains have gotten narrow, which decreases the surface area on the wearing parts. With compact gearing the chain tension is higher because of the smaller chainrings and the number of teeth the force is distributed across is lower because of the smaller cogs. Everything these days is pointing at faster wearing chains. The two working scenarios are wear the chain and cassette together and replace them both at the same time. If you use all of the cogs, you'll wind up with a worn chain that doesn't skip, and you can get a season out of it - two or three if you don't put on lots of miles. The danger there is not using certain cogs very often, so they skip when you try. The worst case is the smallest gear - you never want that gear skipping 'cause it means you're going fast. The other scenario is to replace the chain often. I see replacing the chain kinda like putting gas in the car, it's the cost of riding the bike. In season I'm replacing my chain every 3-4 weeks, but it means the cassette lasts far longer. The cassette is 5 times as expensive as the chain, so it makes a certain amount of sense. I also don't clean my chain ever...

[kramnnim]

In season I'm replacing my chain every 3-4 weeks, but it means the cassette lasts far longer.

If you're just throwing these chains away, I'd happily buy them from you...

[Matthew]

Replacing every 3-4 weeks? Holy crap. How many miles do you put on them in that time? If they are Shimano I would gladly take them off your hands!!

[buldogge]

Not to split hairs TiD...but...(for example) a Chorus 11 chain is 1/3 the cost of a Chorus 11s cassette FWIW.

...and, with a little cleaning and/or rotation, the cassette will easily last thru 3 chains.

-Mark in St. Louis

[oldpotatoe]

According to Lickbike, one should "Replace your 10 speed chain every 1200-1600 miles for maximum drivetrain longevity." Does one really need to do it that often? I have a chain with about 2300 miles on it and the measurement seems to indicate that is should still be OK. Am I pushing my luck and should I just replace the chain or wait till measuring it says it's time to replace it?

Thanks,
JP

Not surprised, they sell more chains.

Measure, replace when worn out. Altho it IS steel(chain) on steel(generally cogs) and wear does take place, there is really no way to put accurate 'mileage' on a chain. Depends on too many things.

But as I have said before, least expensive compatible cogset and chain..they are consumables, afterall. A higher end, more expensive of either works no better, lasts no longer. Wee but heavier, but not 'heavy'.

BUT changing the chain is like changing the oil in your car..'some' who sell engine oil says every 2500-3500 miles..those who don't say 5000 miles..but the idea is to change either(chain or oil) before it's 'worn out'.

Chains these days, 10s...run $40-$65 or so..cogsets, 10s, run anywhere from $90 to $200 or so.

[charliedid]

A good customer just replaced his chain and Helicomatic cassette after 28 years of use... That said, things have changed a bit since then. Chains have gotten narrow, which decreases the surface area on the wearing parts. With compact gearing the chain tension is higher because of the smaller chainrings and the number of teeth the force is distributed across is lower because of the smaller cogs. Everything these days is pointing at faster wearing chains. The two working scenarios are wear the chain and cassette together and replace them both at the same time. If you use all of the cogs, you'll wind up with a worn chain that doesn't skip, and you can get a season out of it - two or three if you don't put on lots of miles. The danger there is not using certain cogs very often, so they skip when you try. The worst case is the smallest gear - you never want that gear skipping 'cause it means you're going fast. The other scenario is to replace the chain often. I see replacing the chain kinda like putting gas in the car, it's the cost of riding the bike. In season I'm replacing my chain every 3-4 weeks, but it means the cassette lasts far longer. The cassette is 5 times as expensive as the chain, so it makes a certain amount of sense. I also don't clean my chain ever...

"I also don't clean my chain ever"

^^^ So you are basically running them until the factory goo wears off and then putting on a new chain. Even if you are getting these below cost it is a huge waste.

You are not worried about cassettes, you just don't like cleaning your chain.

I'm with Old P I measure them after about a year but seems I get about that out of a chain.

[Tel]

Get yourself a chain checker like this:

http://www.krislynn.net/catalog/parkdoc/cc-3_chain_checker.png

You can get them for just a couple of pounds.

I replace the chain at .75 wear if it gets to 1.0 I replace the chain and cassette as if the chain has been allowed to wear as far as that then it would have started to wear the cassette which will play havoc with a new chain.

I don't think how many miles or how long since your last chain replacement has been is an accurate enough means to determine when to replace, a lot depends on how it's ridden and the conditions it has been ridden in. Keeping the chain clean helps loads I also use a light oil like GT85 rather than a heavy oil which can attract crap to the chain and cassette.

[tlittlefield]

I'm with Tel, use the Park Chain Checker, inexpensive and easy to use.

I run a Dura Ace chain and with about 4200 for this season the .75 end still does not drop into the link.

I clean and lube my chain every two weeks.

[Johnny P]

Thanks for all of the replies. I do clean my chain and really only try to get a year out of one (unless my mileage is very low). In the past, my mileage was more evenly distributed between two bikes. This year, it is mostly on one of them.

Buying a chain checker does seem to be the way to go. :)

[KidWok]

I don't recall where I read this, but there was some systematic way to eek out the max out of your drivetrain and I remember it was something like:


Buy five chains with your fresh build.
Swap them out every 1000 miles. Rotate the first one back in and repeat.
Continue using them PAST the .75-1.0 wear gauge readings.
By the end, your chainrings and cassette should have a pretty shark-toothed profile, but since your chains worn in evenly throughout the process, you can pretty much run this until your shifting sucks. At which point, everything gets tossed and you start over.


Tai

[Louis]

if the chain has been allowed to wear as far as that then it would have started to wear the cassette which will play havoc with a new chain

I can tell you from many years of experience with 9-spd Shimano chains that this is not the case.

I use a chain-checker and replace the chain when most of the locations checked (but not all the ones checked - I usually replace before it gets that bad) are at 1%. No problems with either the new chain (Ultegra or DA) or the existing cassette.