Doctor Morbius

I recently bought some KMC MissingLinks so it would be easy to remove and clean my chains. All 4 of my bikes use 9 speed chains and they all use pins but I'm tired of cleaning the chains on the bike with a toothbrush and getting dirty chain schmutz all over.

Anyway, I generally like to keep track of things, such as how many miles my bikes have. I was wondering if I should also keep track of how many miles each chain has or if it's worth the hassle. Right now I know how many miles are on each of my bikes to within 25 miles.

Just wondering if anyone has any kind of system for tracking the miles on their chains. If I decide not to do that, I'll probably just put the chain with the most miles on my mutt bike and keep the newest low mileage chain on my best bike. By doing that, whenever the mutt bike needs a new chain I'll put a new one on my best bike and move something with some miles to the mutt bike.

Rowan

Just write it down as you would your bike mileage? When you service or replace, both date and distance.

It doesn't seem a difficult question to answer.

chaadster

Strava will allow you to add gear for mileage tracking. Pretty convenient...if you Strava all your rides.

ShortLegCyclist

If you didn't Strava it, it didn't happen

gregf83 

You're cleaning your chains with a toothbrush and worried about the hassle of keeping a log of your rides?

I have all my activities in a spreadsheet. If you're already storing the mileage on each bike all you need is 4 more storage locations for the mileage of your last chain change for each bike. Subtract current mileage from the last change and you'll know the mileage on each chain.

fietsbob

KMC digital chain checker, KMC Chain, + your simple, on the bike, computer?

SpeshulEd 

Park Tool Chain Wear Indicator - REI.com

sdmc530

Strava, Gamin too you can add gear notes and such or just write it down. I just use the chain too to see when its out of life.....

bmcer

Mileage may or may not be a reliable indicator of chain wear depending on your riding conditions and maintenance habits. So I just check for wear each time I have the chain off for a cleaning. The tools are nice, but an accurate 12 inch ruler works just as well and is a lot less expensive.

Bandera

I have a log of all of my machines, started as a paper "build sheet" now an Excel spreadsheet.
Date & mileage recorded for each component installed.
Check chain wear by measuring w/ a wear tool or ruler, proceed.

Smart 'phone apps not required.

-Bandera

andr0id

You're doing it wrong.

There is only one proper method for OCD people such as yourself to clean a chain properly.

The ShelBroCo Bicycle Chain Cleaning System

Jiggle

Hang a new chain. Pop the quicklink and hang the old chain next to it. Measure and compute. This measures the important parameter, not roller wear like those chain tools.

LesterOfPuppets

Yep, one of these is way better than a chain checker.

Amazon.com : Westcott Stainless Steel Office Ruler with Non Slip Cork Base, 15" : Office And School Rulers : Office Products

I have a super fancy one with 1/64" marks but that's probably overkill.

Park rulers are also handy, since they have holes in them for measuring spokes, cotters and bearings, also.

Jim from Boston

Not to be a spoiler but if the OP is so OCD, he might try to follow the directions. I had to read almost all the way thru to get the point.

RushFan2112

Garmin Connect will that as well. Super easy.

Rowan

Some people get it. A ruler ensures that roller slop isn't taken into account. I found this out when the guy I worked with once, (a lovely guy, too) walked over to my bike with a chain checker, used it and declared my chain was worn out. Trouble is, it had been on the bike for less than 100km. THAT'S when I knew chain checkers weren't worth the metal they're stamped from, but a steel rule certainly is!

Looigi

Check this checker. It properly isolates elongation from roller wear: https://pedros.com/products/tools/gen...-checker-plus/

Nachoman

I track that kind of stuff with Garmin, by simply adding a key word into the ride discription. The search tool on Garmin connect is powerful and can easily track miles and rides between chains, tires, Di2 charges, etc. I 'm not saying Strava can't do it as well, but I just haven't figured out how to search for it.

BikingZombie

That is hilarious! Thank you for posting that.

To help add to the original question I'd suggest not caring to track it. Just clean your chain regularly, but you don't need to remove it, and when you have a thousand miles on it, or when the measuring tool easily drops into place on the chain, replace it. No need to track stats. However, that's just my opinion, and I'm a lazy individual with three kids, so I also don't want to commit time where I may not need it.

scott967

I also use notes on Garmin connect activities to track tires and chains. I don't think it is OCD, I am interested in knowing what the service life is for these things.

scott s.
.

Doctor Morbius

Thanks for the responses everyone. I hope everyone had a good weekend.

I used to keep a spreadsheet with a lot of information about my bikes, such as the initial costs, cost of upgrades, mileage and that sort of thing. However, due to a hard drive failure I lost it along with other more important stuff. I think I'll just keep a notebook out in the garage with my cycling gear and log chain mileage on that. I have never logged tire mileage, but may start doing so just for kicks.

Thanks again!

yuoil 

What I do on my commuter bike is when I install a new cassette I get four new chains. I ride about 150 miles/week on this bike, so every two weeks I change the chain and I keep them in little baggies that I number (a, II, 3, D). Each chain gets swapped every 300 miles and cleaned in solvent. I lube it when it goes on the bike. I have found I can get much higher mileage out of my cassette/chains/chainrings this way. The reason is, I believe, because the chains all wear the cassette/chain rings a little differently, that is, they engage the teeth at slightly different levels on the teeth. Also, you can imagine it as if the chain is stretching four times slower, since there are four chains getting swapped at intervals. The chains still shift well and don't slip over the cassette even at 1500-2000 miles. Which is about 8000 on a cassette. Now, if I put a new chain on even at 4000 miles it slips. That's why I start with four. They all wear together and I get 3x or so the wear out of a drivetrain as I used to.

I don't clean them that well either, by the way. I used to but I don't think it makes a huge difference after doing this for so long. With one chain I think I would just clean it at a fixed time interval still. Like 1/month?

P.S. If you continue to clean chains on the bike I would recommend a chain pig by pedro. I've used several chain cleaners, and while all the on bike cleaners seem to lack a bit, this was my favorite. If you like gadgets and want to spend the money, and ultrasonic cleaner works fantastically on chains taken off the bike.

ThermionicScott 

Here's my system. I rotate between two chains on each of my road bikes, and so each time a chain comes off for cleaning/relubing, I record the odometer reading and install the other one:



This way, I can clean/relube the chain I'm not using at my leisure.

Doctor Morbius

Thanks! I like the idea of rotating chains to keep the cassette as new as possible for as long as possible. I think I'll try that with my road bikes. I have 4 bikes so it'll be a bit much to do that with all of them.

I'm done with cleaning chains while they're on the bike. That's why I bought a card of KMC MissingLinks.

Doctor Morbius

Thanks! Looks like a good plan. I'm definitely going to do this for a couple of my bikes.