Cape Epic - recommended chain

[SwissVan]

Check droo...

 

what I am suggesting is doing it once, cutting templates out for all of them, and then you are set. You just check if the plate reaches a certain point of wear

 

I'm with u

But on the udder hand

If you draw n cut like I do....it might be better to use the Chinese ruler golefty was on about

[rouxtjie]

I'm with u

But on the udder hand

If you draw n cut like I do....it might be better to use the Chinese ruler golefty was on about

2 wong's make a light?

[GoLefty!!]

All this is way too much effort. Park took chain checker for me

[rouxtjie]

All this is way too much effort. Park took chain checker for me

Sure, if you cool with the fact that they tell you to replace too early, basically chucking a chain that still has some life left. But to each their own, at least it doesnt tell you to chuck the chain when its way too late.

 

The effort is only once, then you have a checker the same as yea ol parktool one...

[River Rat]

I tried something different when I bought my bike more than a year ago, I also bought 2 extra chains. I swapped chains every 300km regardless of stretch and then rotated the used chains after the first swap. I got about 7500 km out of a complete drive train until I broke two teeth off the cassette at Sabie X after which I changed the complete drive chain and I have started again. So my method would dictate a new chain to start with plus two chain swaps for Epic

 

It would be interesting to know if anyone else has got better than 7500 km on a drive train. 

[Brian Fantana]

Check droo...

 

what I am suggesting is doing it once, cutting templates out for all of them, and then you are set. You just check if the plate reaches a certain point of wear

 

You can also draw your template in CAD and have it laser cut in stainless steel sheet metal.

 

You will use so little material they will only charge you the base cutting fee of R200-00 at most places.

[flyluis]

Was too lazy to read other comments. I did Epic on a SLX chain and had no issues. 

[GoLefty!!]

Sure, if you cool with the fact that they tell you to replace too early, basically chucking a chain that still has some life left. But to each their own, at least it doesnt tell you to chuck the chain when its way too late.

 

The effort is only once, then you have a checker the same as yea ol parktool one...

 

 

Sure but I have enough hobbies already. Tool making was something I did when I needed something that didn't exist (like measuring the degree of perpendicular of set of supposedly perpendicular holes in a cube for a gyro). So simple as it is too make, Its far easier to drive down to Bridge Cycles and pay a few rond for a Park tool chain checker.

 

That very chain checker I've had since 2004 and its allowed an XTR cassette to survive from March 2005, through a a 8 day marathon, 24 hr marathon, various other events al the way through to a 9 day marathon in 2008.

During that period I only replace two sets of chainrings, one of the them a made of Devonshire cheese Rotor ring q-ring set.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not mocking your ingenuity at all. Just stating that the effort may not be worth the returns for everyone when a simple tool that will tell you to replace the chain early exists and is cost effective and is easy to check for wear with a vernier.

 

I just think sometimes we cyclists try to get too clever on things that don't really have much pay back.

[MarcBurger]

Nifty:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5okJdYrANt8

[GoLefty!!]

just shows how much more subjective the ruler method is. so many errors can creap in. Error of parallax, error of human, error of cheap china ruler

[Shebeen]

just shows how much more subjective the ruler method is. so many errors can creap in. Error of parallax, error of human, error of cheap china ruler

if you do it properly - the ruler method will beat the chain checker for accuracy every time.

 

A very easy way to see if your tape measure is one of those cheap inaccurate chinese ones is to do a wear test on a brand new chain - if it looks like you need a new chain, then you probably actually need a new (and better) measure.

 

I just did it one time on my work bench in the garage.

*drilled one hole for start of chain - put a nail in this to hold chain there.

*mark lines on work bench for  - new/worn/fubar position both at 6 links and 12 links

 

when I swap chains out, I just check it there. i take my chains off a lot, so don't mind using the workbench - if you don't take your chains off much, then a chain checker has ease of convenience.

[GoLefty!!]

fit forget, clean, lube, forget, clean lube forget change.

 

no stress

[rouxtjie]

Sure but I have enough hobbies already. Tool making was something I did when I needed something that didn't exist (like measuring the degree of perpendicular of set of supposedly perpendicular holes in a cube for a gyro). So simple as it is too make, Its far easier to drive down to Bridge Cycles and pay a few rond for a Park tool chain checker.

 

That very chain checker I've had since 2004 and its allowed an XTR cassette to survive from March 2005, through a a 8 day marathon, 24 hr marathon, various other events al the way through to a 9 day marathon in 2008.

During that period I only replace two sets of chainrings, one of the them a made of Devonshire cheese Rotor ring q-ring set.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not mocking your ingenuity at all. Just stating that the effort may not be worth the returns for everyone when a simple tool that will tell you to replace the chain early exists and is cost effective and is easy to check for wear with a vernier.

 

I just think sometimes we cyclists try to get too clever on things that don't really have much pay back.

meneer, totally with you...if your parktool checker works for you then great stuff. I am also inclined to fit and forget things, I also don't like wasting money. My father-in-law has a metal shop so can punch out any shape....maybe I should make a few of these checkers for my tjommies.

 

Anyway, like I said earlier, the parktool checker always indicates replace earlier than it should, so its not a bad thing alltogether.   

[gtr1]

I tried something different when I bought my bike more than a year ago, I also bought 2 extra chains. I swapped chains every 300km regardless of stretch and then rotated the used chains after the first swap. I got about 7500 km out of a complete drive train until I broke two teeth off the cassette at Sabie X after which I changed the complete drive chain and I have started again. So my method would dictate a new chain to start with plus two chain swaps for Epic

 

It would be interesting to know if anyone else has got better than 7500 km on a drive train.

 

I got over 7000k's on an XX drivetrain with a single chain. Then I changed cassette and chain. Rode another 7000k's before I had to change chainrings.

 

I have also never broken a chain in my life......touch wood....and I have been riding for 30 years. Keep it clean and lubed.

[Hairy]

meneer, totally with you...if your parktool checker works for you then great stuff. I am also inclined to fit and forget things, I also don't like wasting money. My father-in-law has a metal shop so can punch out any shape....maybe I should make a few of these checkers for my tjommies.

 

Anyway, like I said earlier, the parktool checker always indicates replace earlier than it should, so its not a bad thing alltogether. [emoji106] [emoji106]

Howzit chommie

[droo]

I got over 7000k's on an XX drivetrain with a single chain. Then I changed cassette and chain. Rode another 7000k's before I had to change chainrings.

 

I have also never broken a chain in my life......touch wood....and I have been riding for 30 years. Keep it clean and lubed.

 

If you changed your chain in time you'd still be on the original cassette. Riding it until it starts skipping is the expensive way of doing it, especially with 11 speed.