running multiple chains

[trevorhough40]

Hi all experts

 

 

 

I am at present rotating 3 chains on my mtb (every week rotate to next chain). Read up on a forum that doing so extends life of who drive chain system at least 3 times, which if you are running xtr or xo saves a hell of a lot of money.

 

]

 

The actual tech reason was a bit beyond me. Anyone who could explain in plain language would help me out a lot.

 

 

 

It does ensure a constantly clean chain.

 

 

[techguy]

I know thats old school thinking, in the old days they used to let the chain "rest" and recover from being streched...as we all know a chain doesn't "stretch" the rollers and pins wear out.

The theory is that by running different chains you're effectivly changing the wear patterns on the rings and cassette so one chain doesn't wear the same spot so to say...so when you do change the chain the new one doesn't have to try and fit in where the old one was wearing...

[BeegMig]

My dad made me do the same thing when i was a kid.

It seemed to work now that i think of it, never had to replace a chainring.

 

But then again, those where monster 7speed chains, and i dont thnk i realy had the legs to 'strech' a chain then.

[Johan Bornman]

Think carefully about this old myth and you'll see it is just that.

 

If you rotate three chains, the combined life of the three chains will be three times longer than the life of a single chain. If you run three single chains in succession, the combined life will be the same as that of three rotated chains.

 

If you need an analogy, here it is: you have three identical cars. You fill them all up and you rotate driving them to work. You'll find that your fill-up intervals are three times longer than that of a single car you drive every day. Have you saved petrol?

 

 

 

 

[jugheaddave]

Johan, I though that the worn chain affects the chain rings and cassette, so if you use three chains, do you not slow the wear on rings and cassette??

[The Worm]

I think that if you change the chain before it is worn too much it won't affect the casette etc... i.e. You won't wait for your car to run out of petrol, but you'll fill it up when the empty light starts showing. I could be wrong though...

[splat]

If are rotating chains, are you cleaning them each time you change?

If that's the case, it sort of forces you to clean your chain more often, If you werent a pedantic chain cleaner in the first place...

[BeegMig]

If are rotating chains' date=' are you cleaning them each time you change?

If that's the case, it sort of forces you to clean your chain more often, If you werent a pedantic chain cleaner in the first place...

[/quote']

 

Yes. Left the "resting" chains in parafin.

Whiped, clean and lubed every Friday afternoon.

So, had a fresh clean chain for racing on the weekend and a fairly clean chain for the weeks training.

 

I beleve a clean chain wears less,  or is that also a mith?

[splat]

 

Yes. Left the "resting" chains in parafin.

Whiped' date=' clean and lubed every Friday afternoon.

So, had a fresh clean chain for racing on the weekend and a fairly clean chain for the weeks training.

 

I beleve a clean chain wears less,  or is that also a mith?

[/quote']

 

That is the point behind cleaning the chain, to reduce wear (on cassette as well)

 

Be sure to rinse all parafin or properly, otherwise it just 'degreases' whatever lube you put on the chain.

[WillemT]

Think carefully about this old myth and you'll see it is just that.

 

If you rotate three chains' date=' the combined life of the three chains will be three times longer than the life of a single chain. If you run three single chains in succession, the combined life will be the same as that of three rotated chains.

 

If you need an analogy, here it is: you have three identical cars. You fill them all up and you rotate driving them to work. You'll find that your fill-up intervals are three times longer than that of a single car you drive every day. Have you saved petrol?

 

 

 

 

[/quote']

 

You have a point if you look from the chains' perspective. But if you look from the cassette's it's different. The chain is what eats your cassette and chainring because it's starting to wear, so if you ride the three chains together you will most probably get three times the life out of your cassette.

If you look at it this way. Say you ride the one chain till 5% and then the next chain till 5%, and you take that with a 5% chain the cassette has worn a fixed amount, then with two chains you got to ride twice as much on that cassette for that specific amount of wear to occur...

 

I ride two chains and defenitly find that it improves my cassette and chainring life a lot!!

[The Worm]

um... I'm with Johan on this one.

Say you ride 1 chain for a month, and it wears 5% in that month, then you buy a new one and ride that one for a month and it wears 5%. You've used 2 chains in 2 months. All you doing is using 1 chain continuously for 1 month instead of 1 chain this week, 1 chain next week etc... and still using the 2 chains worn to 5% each in 2 months.

[NinjaManiak]

Think carefully about this old myth and you'll see it is just that.

 

If you rotate three chains' date=' the combined life of the three chains will be three times longer than the life of a single chain. If you run three single chains in succession, the combined life will be the same as that of three rotated chains.

 

If you need an analogy, here it is: you have three identical cars. You fill them all up and you rotate driving them to work. You'll find that your fill-up intervals are three times longer than that of a single car you drive every day. Have you saved petrol?

[/quote']

 

Agree, the life of the chains will be the same, in series or parallel.
HOWEVER, what about the cassette and rings. I agree they will wear the same way/speed, but the second chain may not fit well with the worn the rings and cassette.

If you need an analogy, here it is: you have three identical cars. You fill them all up and you rotate driving them to work. You'll find that your fill-up intervals are three times longer than that of a single car you drive every day. If the petrol station changes the size of their nozzle every week, so it no longer fits your car, which way would be better if you had to buy a new special adapter each week?

[KaKa]

what about the percentage wear each week. I think it would be so small that the diffrent wear spots would be so close to the other that it could be one wear spot

 

two chain should have the same spec thus the wear should be on the same spot on the cassette??

 

I would just make sure I lube and clean well.

 

leaving a chain to degrease completely. i don't know if this works for me. i would want to get the dirt out and keep the grease on the inside

 

comments...

[Hog_]

My 2c (and I'm no expert):

 

 

 

The chain is harder than the rest of the drive train, which is why we replace the chain before it trashes the rest.

 

 

 

Now, by rotating 3 chains, I think we may even cause more damage to the drive train, since there are 3 different wear patterns worn into the rings/casette. Don't think it would make a measurable difference though, since we're replacing our chains often anyway.

 

 

 

I guess what you need to ask yourself is:

 

Would you rather measure 1 chain and replace 1 at a time, or keep track of 3 chains and replace 3 chains at a time, although less frequently?

 

 

 

I vote 1.

 

 

 

 

[techguy]

Jeez we could get really technical or we could leave it up to the individual, I failed maths the first time so all these 5% figures are starting to confuse me...

[brussel]

I think the issue is the cassette life and not the chain. Using three chains alternating then will last the same as three chains used sequentially.

 

 

 

The issue is that the wear on the cassette is more gradual. I had a cassette that would not work with a new chain even though the chain was not 'stretched' to an unacceptable limit. Add to that you clean the chains more regularly and hence reduce wear.