Eating chains for breakfast?

[GrumpyOldGuy]

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...

I think you worry too much 

[Kalahari Vegmot]

I think you worry too much 

I fink so too. Maar genade oom, die goed het so duur geword dit word amper meer as ek gewas...

[johannrissik]

You're right. At 0.75 you should replace the chain or it will eat your cassette and those are much more expensive

@ Ossie Agreed.

 

@ KVM The issue is really this .75 whatwhat (as Juju would say). How do you KNOW that it's effective length has increased by 0.75% ? If your assumption is based on the use of that cheap stamped out "Go-No Go" tool, you are quite likely being misled. As Porqui said earlier: Take it off, clean it properly and stretch it out on the workbench and accurately measure a 36 link section (36" or 762mm). Now do the calculation and you will know A) The actual wear B) If you chain checker is correct. Capiche?

 

Edit:

Or: If you have a brand new chain in stock compare total lengths and calculate accordingly. Most accurate way of working it out.

[FlandersZA]

To OP you can "cross chain" in your middle ring

 

Really? I did not know this.

 

Well I ride the entire range on the middle ring all the time and lowest and highest gears are no exception so in that case I suppose I do "cross chain" a lot then.

 

As long as it aint making a noise then I aint worrying about it.

[solty]

How often do you compulsive chain-wear checkers check your chain-checker?

Could be worn out...

[johannrissik]

How often do you compulsive chain-wear checkers check your chain-checker?

Could be worn out...

Ed Zachary!

[Andrew_Smith]

ask your LBS to get a new chain checker , if it falls once juts once on one of the indicating arms it's not accurate 

 

or take it off and measure with a ruler 

 

Serious? Damn, I dropped mine once...

[Barry_W]

What about using your existing chain checker on a brand new chain, if it shows 0% stretch then it's accurate I would think?

[Kalahari Vegmot]

Cold pressed?

It doesn't say so on the bottle...

[SwissVan]

How often do you compulsive chain-wear checkers check your chain-checker?

Could be worn out...

I'm worn out just trying to do my very basic bike maintenance, heaven know where the CWC find the time to do all this chain maintenance....

 

Maybe they find it therapeutic?

[AdamA]

 

.... I lube religiously and 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. Yet here I am with another worn out chain.  

 

 

 

This could be the Problem.... Cleaning the Chain with degreaser (or Petrol - like i used too) removes the internal lubricant between the Pins and links which would cause more wear.

 

I also live in GP and ride a 3x9 XT group set.

 

I normally clean my chain with 'clean-green', while washing my bike. I spray come clean-green on the chain leave it for 2 mins and then run my chain through a wet cloth a couple of revolutions, once dry I reapply Dry Lube.

 

I don't soak the chain in Petrol or degreaser like i used to.

 

Here is a 'GCN - how to video' which cleans the chain using Q20. more for wet ridding but the same principle applies...

 

[Christofison]

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.

I don't think degreasing your chain too often is the problem. The problems are 1) how thorough are you with getting that degreaser out of the rollers & pins and 2) how thorough are you at getting clean lube back into the rollers & pins.

 

I use a Parktool Cyclone Chain Scrubber  http://www.parktool.com/product/cyclone-chain-scrubber-cm-5-2and use the following method:

 

-Spray down the drivetrain with the hose

-Using only water in the chain scrubber, cycle a few times to get majority of the loose dirt off.

-Using diluted degreaser, cycle the chain scrubber a lot to give it a good clean.

-Spray majority of the degreaser off with a hose.

-Rinse the chain scrubber and using only water, cycle lots to get the degreaser out of the rollers.

-Repeat the previous step until the water in the chain scrubber stays clean and not foamed up.

-Backpedal fast to shed most of the water.

-Apply Squirt lube while the chain is still a bit wet. The water thins down the lube and helps it get deep into the rollers.

-Backedal a lot to really work the lube in there and then wipe all the excess off.

-The next morning(or when the water has properly evaporated) apply more Squirt lube as you normally would. Work it in and wipe all the excess off.

 

My chains only lasted 800km before I started doing this, now they last twice as long using the same chain checker. I actualy though that KMC chains were wearing out faster that XT chains, but it was most likely that I wasn't cleaning properly. I currently have 5000km on my 2x10 chainrings & cassette and my third chain has just reached the end of it's life. I am going to ride the forth chain until gears start slipping in maybe 2000km time, and then replace everything. But this time things will be done differently...

 

New chainrings, new cassette, 3 x new chains & 3 x quick links. I'll be cycling these three chains every 200-250km to see how many km's I can get out of the rest of the drivetrain.

[Andrew_Smith]

I don't think degreasing your chain too often is the problem. The problems are 1) how thorough are you with getting that degreaser out of the rollers & pins and 2) how thorough are you at getting clean lube back into the rollers & pins.

 

I use a Parktool Cyclone Chain Scrubber  http://www.parktool.com/product/cyclone-chain-scrubber-cm-5-2and use the following method:

 

-Spray down the drivetrain with the hose

-Using only water in the chain scrubber, cycle a few times to get majority of the loose dirt off.

-Using diluted degreaser, cycle the chain scrubber a lot to give it a good clean.

-Spray majority of the degreaser off with a hose.

-Rinse the chain scrubber and using only water, cycle lots to get the degreaser out of the rollers.

-Repeat the previous step until the water in the chain scrubber stays clean and not foamed up.

-Backpedal fast to shed most of the water.

-Apply Squirt lube while the chain is still a bit wet. The water thins down the lube and helps it get deep into the rollers.

-Backedal a lot to really work the lube in there and then wipe all the excess off.

-The next morning(or when the water has properly evaporated) apply more Squirt lube as you normally would. Work it in and wipe all the excess off.

 

My chains only lasted 800km before I started doing this, now they last twice as long using the same chain checker. I actualy though that KMC chains were wearing out faster that XT chains, but it was most likely that I wasn't cleaning properly. I currently have 5000km on my 2x10 chainrings & cassette and my third chain has just reached the end of it's life. I am going to ride the forth chain until gears start slipping in maybe 2000km time, and then replace everything. But this time things will be done differently...

 

New chainrings, new cassette, 3 x new chains & 3 x quick links. I'll be cycling these three chains every 200-250km to see how many km's I can get out of the rest of the drivetrain.

 

I do not own a chain cleaner, so this is my method I use.

 

1.) Rinse off the chain with water

2.) Spray degreaser onto my chain (Namgear)

3.) Let it stand for about 10 - 15 minutes

4.) Rinse off with water

5.) I take a brush and scrub the chain until clean

6.) Let it dry

7.) I take a dry rag and backpedal through it a few times

7.) Apply Max Wax lube (the night before my ride)

8.) Wipe excess off

 

That is pretty much what I do.

[Goodbadugly]

I think you worry too much 

This

The topic is starting to knock on the door of mental masturbation. 

[rudi-h]

something is odd and my take is that your dry lube isn't working...  i get many thousands of km's on every chain i've ever owned and have used shimano chains all my life.

 

wet lube is your friend.  

[Eldron]

Here is a blatantly anecdotal story about how long chains last...

 

I have a Dura Ace clad road bike - 7900 series. I rode 21,000km on ONE chain, ONE set of chain rings and ONE cassette. Not a single skip, jump or problem.

 

I do clean my chain often - maybe after every 4 or 5 rides in the dry. I do try to clean after every wet ride.