Mountain Biking - chain question

( note to message board commander, please don't move this thread, i am a bmxer, but they won't know the answer there, but these mtb'ers will.)

i do race bmx, and have a 3/32 sachs sedis chain. i use it about 7 hours a week. how long is the average chain life? when should i get a new one? my freind waite dto long, and got a concusion so bad he wasn't aloud to think. true story.

Originally posted by dynokid BB2
i do race bmx, and have a 3/32 sachs sedis chain. i use it about 7 hours a week. how long is the average chain life? when should i get a new one? my freind waite dto long, and got a concusion so bad he wasn't aloud to think. true story.

Did that mean he broke his chain? The life of a chain will vary according to how clean it is kept and what sort of conditions (I'm talking weather conditions mainly) it is used in. Generally, if a chain starts to stretch, that is a sign that it is wearing. If it starts slipping when you are pushing the pedals hard, it should be replaced immediately.

You might want to post this question in the "bicycle mechanics" section for better information than I have given here. :)

Chains don't actually stretch, the rollers between the links actually wear out and the chain gets longer (o.k. stretches) Like ChrisL said it is dependant on a lot of factors. How hard you push, how clean you keep it, etc. etc. Most shops have a little handy device that measures how much wear chains have experienced. It's always better to change it before you get into the "RED" zone, or you'll have to replace your freewheel as well. If you wait too long, there goes your chainring as well.

If you're riding hard and almost everyday, you'll be lucky to get more than 6 months out of a chain. It depends on so much, it's hard to even give you any sort of guideline. Just go to a shop and ask them to check your chain. Takes like 15 seconds and they should do it for nuthin unless you're rude to them or they're slammed with repairs.