Lifespan of a SRAM AXS chain

[dbnm]

Any idea of how long the sram axs chain will last before needing replacement?

[fa63]

Above Category, the high end bike shop out of the Bay Area, had an Instagram story yesterday talking about 5,000-mile service on an AXS equipped bike and how they were starting to see the first worn chains.

[EB]

The 12 speed Eagle XX1 and XO1 chains are amazingly durable according to the CT test: https://cyclingtips.com/2019/12/the-best-bicycle-chain-durability-and-efficiency-tested/

The Shimano XTR 12 speed was also a big winner in that test. Looks like they weren't able to test the AXS chains, but given the Eagle results, I'd expect them to be extremely durable.

Worth noting also that test was setup to stress and wear the chains prematurely, so regular cleaning and lubrication would give even better results.

[dbnm]

That photo is why I am asking. I wrote to AC and got a response of "we were joking".

Above Category, the high end bike shop out of the Bay Area, had an Instagram story yesterday talking about 5,000-mile service on an AXS equipped bike and how they were starting to see the first worn chains.

[Dave]

I have two AXS chains among the six that I alternate on my two Campy 12 equipped bikes. Neither has enough mileage to estimate the mileage to be worn out, but initial use has not shown any cause for alarm. The force model is inexpensive at $35.

In contrast, a KMC X11.93 chain that I used for only 1000 miles in 2018 was about half way to .5% elongation (measured full length). It was cheap, to buy but not cheap to own.

The AXS chains actually measure a bit short to start with. How they wear is unknown. Campy chains tend to elongate very little, so it's the roller wear that ends their life. If Campy's 132.6mm length is used to end a chain's life, there will be very little actual elongation at that point - the wear will largely be on the ID of the roller. Unlike these accelerated wear tests, I've never had a Campy chain even reach .25% elongation, even after 6,000 of use. Don't use one that long, or it will damage some of the sprockets.

I've got an AXS back on one bike, so I'll keep monitoring both roller wear and elongation.

[yinzerniner]

Any idea of how long the sram axs chain will last before needing replacement?

Service life of chains is almost entirely influenced by maintenance and use. But given SRAM's statement that their Flat Top chains should wear at a similar rate as their 11 sp counterparts you're looking at decent wear rates although not quite as good as Dura Ace 11 sp. Even in grueling conditions CT was able to get between 2-3K km before suggested wear intervals.

https://cyclingtips.com/2019/12/the-best-bicycle-chain-durability-and-efficiency-tested/#most-durable-12-speed

The 11K km service on the AC IG story is probably with exceptional interim maintenance, so figure more like 5-6K km or 3-4k miles with decent care. And if you wax your chain and do a rotation then you could probably even get closer to 15K km, but the value proposition isn't the best since you'll need to pay for new quick links with every chain change.

[jpritchet74]

The 12 speed Eagle XX1 and XO1 chains are amazingly durable according to the CT test: https://cyclingtips.com/2019/12/the-best-bicycle-chain-durability-and-efficiency-tested/

The Shimano XTR 12 speed was also a big winner in that test. Looks like they weren't able to test the AXS chains, but given the Eagle results, I'd expect them to be extremely durable.

Worth noting also that test was setup to stress and wear the chains prematurely, so regular cleaning and lubrication would give even better results.

After that awesome article, I decided that I will be going with an XTR chain on my Eagle MTB setup.

[fa63]

That photo is why I am asking. I wrote to AC and got a response of "we were joking".

I realize my dumb-assery now; their post said 11,000 km and in my sleepy morning brain, I converted using a factor of 2.2 (as in, from pounds to kg) instead of 1.6 (from km to miles). 5,000 miles sounded ambitious but possible (the AXS chains are claimed by SRAM to be harder-wearing), but almost 7,000 miles is a bit too much indeed :)