Eating chains for breakfast?

[Breezer]

I once did a test to see how much km's I can get out of a chain. the chain snapped on 7400 km(kmc). Replaced the chain an cluster and did another 3000 km on the big chainring before replacing it. My middle and small ring is still original an my bike and did around 30000km. I now ride it till it is done and replace chain and cluster. My chains are usually worn according to the checker at around 2000km.

[Kalahari Vegmot]

My KMC is still going good after more than 3K km...

[GAP]

Your LBS love it when you guys only use your chains for 500km. I ride mine till it's toasted then I replace it and ride the cassette, second chain and chainrings moortoe then I replace the whole lot and start all over again, this whole process last a year and I trap a lot.

[FlandersZA]

Flanders, sounds to me like you are a Hill Monkey ( www.superclydesdale.com ) with too many gears?

 

Haha, not really hey. I did the straaaava climbing challenge this past month which I find actually cranks up the fitness levels nicely for a not-too-serious oke like myself. I wouldn't normally ride quite that amount of elevation in a standard month.

 

Too many gears? Almost certainly. Which is why I've been pondering a 2x or 1x setup. I must admit though I am reluctant to say goodbye to that ONE gear I use on the big ring for downhills. At this year's Juma, one of the most memorable parts was the flat out dice I found myself in with a bunch of guys slamming it down Beyers to the cemetery. A fleet of knobblies doing 70 on tar sounds remarkably similar to a formula 1 race.   Without that gear I would have spun out and not experienced that. Also, I wouldn't have seen a guy clang his back rim on the high curb at the bottom at that speed (and carry on riding!)

 

I think what's going to happen is that my bike will not be sold and the next bike gets the 1x. A collection is born.

[madmarc]

500km on any chain, no matter how crap it is, is nonsense. I suspect your LBS chain gauge is faulty. I've had the same problem with them before i started servicing my own bike. I'm sure some of them have faulty chain gauges on purpose.

 

I only change my entire drive train - Cluster / chain rings / chain & RD pulleys, and only when i start picking up problems with gear changes, slipping and chain suck. Why change anything if its working irrespective of what the gauge says.

 

I clean my entire drive train with engine cleaner, I remove the chain and completely immerse it in engine cleaner over night, wash it off with water and dunk it in clean engine oil, hang it to drip off, wipe it clean with a rag and reinstall it on the bike.

 

I'm not sure on the mileage but probably 3 - 4 K and i do the change every 18 months approx. I also stay away from dry lubes, they don't work as a lubricant. I use normal engine oil made a bit thicker with some chainsaw oil mixed in. I only lube my chain every 2nd or 3rd ride.

 

If you wanna fix your problem throw away the chain gauge and stop listening to the LBS. 

[Andrew_Smith]

We are often asked: “How many kilometres can I expect out of a chain?”. Well, according to our road test results, there is a wide range of chain life varying from 1000 km (heavy duty MTB) to 17000 km (Road Racing).

Source: From KMC's Maintenance Guide

 

I am 200km short though... I might have decreased my chain too much, I am a bit of OCD when cleaning.

[Kalahari Vegmot]

Quote

We are often asked: “How many kilometres can I expect out of a chain?”. Well, according to our road test results, there is a wide range of chain life varying from 1000 km (heavy duty MTB) to 17000 km (Road Racing).

Source: From KMC's Maintenance Guide

 

17K km on a chain isn't too bad

[Dicky DQ]

Wait, 820km, thats not a lot of use is it? Should it not be around 2000km?

For a 1 x yes but 2 and 3 x this seem about right if mashing big gears and a dirty chain. I have had mileage from 0.4k to 1.5k, but at 1.5k everything is toast.

[SwissVan]

It's a 3x setup but I really only use the middle ring 95% of the time. I do some riding in the burbs during the week when I can't get to the fun stuff and then I'm only ever on the big ring down mine shafts. Granny is basically for that rare Mankele outing or Magalies Monster type ride. In fact, my granny ring looks almost brand new.

 

When I got the bike (my first "serious" MTB), I was completely clueless about everything and I ran that first chain for 6000km without really looking after it well at all. Granted, I needed to replace ring and cassette after that too when I started getting slip and suck but damn, works out cheaper than what's happening now.

There is a moral to this story

 

Chuck the chain measuring idea away, it's a plot to get people to:

A. Buy a tool they don't need.

B. Replace chains more frequently.

 

Ride, wipe, lube and repeat

[Pure Savage]

Use a, CWC special 10 spd 299 chain. I oil with sewing oil and blood sweat and tears

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cippo]

Approaching 4000km on the road on a KMC SL11 speed chain and still going strong.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

 

Quote

Source: From KMC's Maintenance Guide

 

17K km on a chain isn't too bad

 

I recon its doable on a road bike, I dont do the maintenance thing much and I dont know what brand chain is on my bike, but I generally subscribe to the "leave things alone" fraternity, when it breaks, I fix it..... my present chain (road bike) has around / just over 12000 kms on it,... I clean it like madmarc suggested probably once every summer and squirt a bit of wet lube on when I remember, or it starts squeaking, still fine and changes like a top. I recon 17k is very possible. 

 

I honestly think people fiddle too much.

[Kalahari Vegmot]

I recon its doable on a road bike, I dont do the maintenance thing much and I dont know what brand chain is on my bike, but I generally subscribe to the "leave things alone" fraternity, when it breaks, I fix it..... my present chain (road bike) has around / just over 12000 kms on it,... I clean it like madmarc suggested probably once every summer and squirt a bit of wet lube on when I remember, or it starts squeaking, still fine and changes like a top. I recon 17k is very possible. 

 

I honestly think people fiddle too much.

Wow... amazing that. I made the comment, and wragties when I checked my chain this evening it was at 0.75. So, tomorrow is MTB day while I get another chain for the roadie...

[i24]

I've kept a record of mileage and elevation on the new chain since replacement. I'm 80kg. 580km and 10000m climbing and after I'd cleaned my bike yesterday I checked it and it's showing 0.75 on the tool. Is this normal?

 

I clean my drivetrain thoroughly with a degreaser and scrubbing brush after every trail ride, to the point where I'd eat off of it.

 

That wear is not normal, unless you have been riding submerged in mud.

 

You have damaged the chain with degreaser. The manufacturer dips the chain in a bath of hot molten lubricant so that it gets between the pins and the rollers. If you go crazy with degreaser, you wash it out again and it is almost impossible to put it back.

 

I keep a record of my chain mileage and wear on my MTB. I measure the wear with a vernier calliper. Currently it is just shy of 6000km on my MTB with 0.2% wear. This chain has never been taken off the bike or washed with a chain washer.

 

All I do is clean the chain with a dry brush to get rid of excess wax, dust and dried mud. It used to get an occasional spray of clean green on the outside and rinsed with water, but now this city has run out of water, I hardly bother with that any more. Then I let it dry and lubricate with Squirt as per instructions (don't wipe off the excess, let it dry on the chain).

 

Next time you are tempted to wash the bike, just put the bike away dirty*, then go ride it again next day before you noticed it was never clean.

 

* But "dirty" means wipe your shock stanchions clean, brush the chain off, and maybe lube these items if they look dry. Keep your pedals clean - especially if you ride with cleats. Water is optional and degreaser is for special occasions.

[Harryn]

On my road bike, I am told by my LBS that my chain will need changing soon, and that I cant just change the chain without changing the cassette. Is this true for every chain change?

 

I have been quoted 10k for both (super record) which is beyond crazy. Loyalty or no loyalty, will rather import or buy from cwc.

[Kalahari Vegmot]

On my road bike, I am told by my LBS that my chain will need changing soon, and that I cant just change the chain without changing the cassette. Is this true for every chain change?

I have been quoted 10k for both (super record) which is beyond crazy. Loyalty or no loyalty, will rather import or buy from cwc.

It depends on how much use your cassette has seen. You should get 3+ chains on a block.