Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - How long should you have a chain before you replace it?

typically?

You should replace it fairly soon after it breaks. :D

haha thanks!

but i mean how long does it take for your chain to stretch out alot and get worn, or can you not really say until it breaks?

Sheldon Brown (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html) has a good article, I suggest you start there. It's really going to depend on how you ride, how much you ride etc.

just measure it and when it is stretched, replace it.

Inspect regularly for a weak link, then you just have to replace the one link.

http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=5&item=CC-3

just measure it and when it is stretched, replace it.

Thread over.

http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=5&item=CC-3
+1 things are super cheap and worth it. Especially when performance has them on sale, I think there is a spin doctor one that is cheaper.

Also a good thing to have when hunting for old bikes at flea markets and CL. Old bikes usually have crappy chains, whip that out, show the seller the chain is crap and gives you a little room to haggle.

ok thanks, i was just wondering how often people on here seem to have to get new chains. I've been riding with this same one since mid July, but its still seems to be in decent condition

ok thanks, i was just wondering how often people on here seem to have to get new chains. I've been riding with this same one since mid July, but its still seems to be in decent condition

Impossible to say, there are too many factors at work.

get a chain checker and check it duh

i reckon about 3000 miles would be a pretty good average

A ruler is an awesome chainchecker, and you probably already have one. Pins should line up on the 1/2" marks. If over a foot of it, the chain is stretched 1/8", that's too much. Toss it.

A ruler is an awesome chainchecker, and you probably already have one. Pins should line up on the 1/2" marks. If over a foot of it, the chain is stretched 1/8", that's too much. Toss it.

+100
Park is a great company but if you can't use a damn ruler on your chain you should have someone else look at it/show you how. I love using the right tool for the right job but seriously, ALL YOU NEED IS A RULER.

but a chain tool makes even the ruler method look hard... AND IT'S NOT HARD.

with my checker it is seriously under 5 seconds. in, out, on with life...

I replaced my 1/8" chain after about 4000 km. It was stretched just over 3/32".

i reckon about 3000 miles would be a pretty good average

Rather than telling you to get a tool and check, here is my rule of thumb. You may find things differently, depending on how well you maintain your chain. Poor maintenance will wear them quicker, and good maintenance will help them last longer.

At about 2000 miles, I measure my chains to see if I can see any sign of wear. I just use a ruler rather than one of the tools. I've never had a chain showing "stretch" at 2000 miles yet, but you never know. I check again at 2500, 3000, and 3500 miles. If I see any sign of wear, the chain gets replaced immediately so it doesn't trash the rear cassette. If I get to 4000 miles, I replace the chain just because I think one shouldn't last that long.

A ruler is an awesome chainchecker, and you probably already have one. Pins should line up on the 1/2" marks. If over a foot of it, the chain is stretched 1/8", that's too much. Toss it.

thanks, aeroplane, i'll check that tonight!

Rather than telling you to get a tool and check, here is my rule of thumb. You may find things differently, depending on how well you maintain your chain. Poor maintenance will wear them quicker, and good maintenance will help them last longer.

At about 2000 miles, I measure my chains to see if I can see any sign of wear. I just use a ruler rather than one of the tools. I've never had a chain showing "stretch" at 2000 miles yet, but you never know. I check again at 2500, 3000, and 3500 miles. If I see any sign of wear, the chain gets replaced immediately so it doesn't trash the rear cassette. If I get to 4000 miles, I replace the chain just because I think one shouldn't last that long.


Good god man! You've never had a chain showing stretch after 2000 miles? What kind of chain are you using. The most I've ever gotten out of a chain was 2000 miles, and yes I do keep my chains clean and lubed. I usually can detect some amount of stretch after 500 miles or so.

Edit: I should add that I was refering to my fixed gear and single speed bikes, where I've used various KMC BMX 1/8" chains and Sram 3/32" inch chains. I just bought a high end Izumi track chain..maybe that will go further. I can get a lot more mileage out of the Shimano HG chains I use on my geared bikes.

A ruler is an awesome chainchecker, and you probably already have one. Pins should line up on the 1/2" marks. If over a foot of it, the chain is stretched 1/8", that's too much. Toss it.

if you let it get to 1/8" over per foot, you may very well end up changing out the chainring and cog too, or at least be prepared for some noise till the new chain stretches a bit

it's somewhat difficult to estimate the mileage i've put on this chain, i'd estimate somewhere in the area of 1200-1500.

but a chain tool makes even the ruler method look hard... AND IT'S NOT HARD.

with my checker it is seriously under 5 seconds. in, out, on with life...

Or 3 beers with the money you save and a slightly more drunken life.

I agree the ruler will work just fine, but I suggested the tool for a few reasons:
1. You don't have to remember the ideal pin distance
2. it's small and light and you can leave it in your gear... and it's not likely to break or get unreadable if you're stuffing it in a bag or a toolbox like a plastic or wooden ruler would.
3. For noobs it leaves the judgment out... it's a binary thing... it's go or not.
Both work just as well.

at first i thought this tool in question was a different Park tool, where it just measures one link. those are prone to breaking and besides, what's the point of measuring one link? better to measure 6 or twelve and see if there's an amount of average wear that would require a new chain.

cheap chain checkers can be had for like 4 or 5 bucks so instead of buying a cheesburger buy a tool and a cup of noodle

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I replace my chains about every 3-5 months when they show stretch... BUT, I've been told by mechanics at a couple of different bike shops who specialize in fixed and also BMX that I'm just throwing my money away since, according to them, you only have to replace chains frequently on multi-geared bikes; that chain stretch on a single geared bike doesn't cause the same amount of harm to your chainring and cog. Basically, there won't be nearly as much wear to your single cog and chainring if your chain is always attached to them in comparison to the wear caused by a stretched chain jumping from cog to cog on a cassette. Based on that, I should just wait to replace the chain until it's time to replace the chainrings and cogs too, which will be much later than when the chain would first show stretch.
I generally ignore their unselfish advice, since I'm the paranoid type and would rather be safe than sorry, but I wonder if there is something to their argument...
Since almost everyone in this thread has posted that you should replace chains when they show stretch, I just wondered if any one else has heard the argument that it's not necessary for single-speed/fixed gear riders to replace their chains when they stretch like geared riders do?

+100
Park is a great company but if you can't use a damn ruler on your chain you should have someone else look at it/show you how. I love using the right tool for the right job but seriously, ALL YOU NEED IS A RULER.

amen. save that money to buy yourself a nice chain tool and a new chain;)

just wait to replace the chain until it's time to replace the chainrings and cogs too

id say you can get away with this. but for the conservative type, going by the gauge wont hurt.

i rode a single speed freewheel until the teeth were little nubs and the chain had stretched well beyond what would be considered normal wear. i never had an issue with it jumping before replacement, but i always made sure to keep my chain tension set nice and tight.

you cant get away with as much wear or slack on a derailer bike since the chain cant be set with as much tension and it will jump off if either the cog or chain are just a bit off.

my GF just had to replace her cassette after replacing her very stretched chain for this reason. the teath didn't even look worn, but the new chain jumped on the old cassette.

Thanks Roadgator... yeah, that's just what the dudes at the bike shops were saying. I guess I'll just continue to change them, just in case I can get more life out of my chainring and cogs. And if not, well, at least I'll have a shiny new chain every few months. Maybe I'll get into the whole colored chain thing...

Well, I estimate I had between 1000 and 1500 miles on my chain before I started sensing noise and vibration at consistent points in the pedal stroke, regardless of chain tension. I guess I could have ridden it out until I needed to replace chainring and cog, but I chose to replace the chain. It's not perfectly quiet, so I imagine the chain still needs to stretch a bit before it mates properly, but I'm hoping this extends the life of my chaingring and cog.