deacon mark

I have numerouse precision metal rulers and I still seem to get little wear on my chain after 3500 miles. I do keep it clean and lubed but I never take it off the bike to to this detail. I do not ride in the rain, on mostly decent, roads, and I live in the flatlands. I suppose I tend to be a spinner but my cadence is not over 90 most of time but my chains last.

I just wondering about my OCD. My last chain went 3400 shimano 105, changed it despite way less than 1/16 at stretch. I even compared it to the new chain I put on it and really could not come up with a difference. I am old guitar repairman and I can measure down to micometers so I just wonder if maybe I am just easy on chains?

I just measured my chain and even putting pressure to make sure the chain is taunt I still have no stretch in 12 inches or even 14 for that matter. The bike shifts fine, never skips, and I am of the school that if is not broke do not fix it. So at this rate I could easily get 5000-6000 miles, is this possible? It has nothing to do with the money for a new chain just that this one works fine and should I just leave it and keep checking.

tcarl

I think it's possible. I tend to ride lots in the small chainring, middle cogs, and spin about the same cadence as you do (it's flat around here also, at least in Illinois). I don't spend much time in gears where the chain is noticably angled, such as small ring/smaller cogs or large ring/larger cogs. I keep the chains "dry" - only oiling when it starts to squeak, and wiping off the outside frequently. If ridden in rain, I immediately wipe off and re-oil. On wider 7 speed chains used with old SunTour freewheels I've gotten 10,000 miles out of a chain, replaced it only because it was starting to sound different, and the new chain didn't skip on the old freewheel.

FastJake

+1 I've heard of people getting >10,000 miles on a chain. I say don't replace it until it's worn. Replace at 1/16" stretched and you can probably use your cassette and rings forever.

FBinNY 

+1,

Chain wear depends on a number of factors. You describe yourself as a spinner in flat terrain, with no negative factors such as dirt or wet weather. based on that I'd expect you do do very well compared to someone in hilly terrain.

The fact that you're a spinner is a big help because it means you're not using those chain killing 11 and 12 tooth sprockets.

One other factor, you didn't mention is average speed. Chain load goes is proportional to the square of speed so wear at 21mph is roughly double that at 15mph.

As a maker of chain oil, I've tracked chain life for a number of years. I've seen variation of more than 10:1 high to low, which is why I always say not to replace chains based on time or miles, but based on measurement.

neurocop

Since a micrometer (micron) is 0.001mm, and 1/16" is about 1,406 microns, I'd say you could get away with coarser measuring instruments to check for chain wear...I use a $5 chain measuring tool.

neurocop

I think I used the wrong conversion factor...should have been about 1,588 microns...

HillRider

As several posters have noted, chain wear is highly variable depending on terrain, rider weight and strength, gearing preferences, weather conditions and other factors. I ride in quite hilly conditions but my "good" bikes are rarely subjected to rain or salt and I'm fairly light at 145 or so and they get 7000-8000 miles on a chain and cassette before the "stretch" is near 1/8" per 24 pins. Since I use lower line chains and cassettes (105 or Veloce) I replace both together. Chainrings last well over 30,000 miles.

However, my rain/beater bike which, as the name suggests, is routinely subject to wet and abrassive conditions, eats chains and cassettes in 3500 miles.

Al1943

I get at least 5000 miles out of a chain before the stretch reaches 1/16" per foot (10-speed Record & 9-speed Dura-Ace). I never remove a chain until I replace it. I've been a road rider for the last 16 years and have never worn out a cassette cog or chain ring.