Burton

So when is a bargin not a bargin? That chain is listed in the specs for a 2011 Novara Forza, but as far as I know its a discontinued item and I can't even pull it up on the SRAM site. If I renember correctly it was one of the few chains produced by SRAM that wasn't fully heat treated - which would explain the premature wear.

Altair 4

Burton, yep, I think you are correct that the PC-38 chain is not hardened. I found this interesting article, a bit dated, but still of interest, that mentions this fact: https://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3805

Excerpt (from an email exchange with Mrk Pippin, SRAM's product manager for chains): Durability of a chain, as Mark says, comes from the hardness of the pins (rivets) and of the inner links that ride on them. He goes on to acknowledge that the underlying materials are the same; and although he says that heat treatments may differ, we can see from the website that every chain above the very cheapest (PC38 or below) receives Sram's "Delta" hardening treatment.


Then I found this chart, again showing the pins aren't hardened on this chain:
https://www.peterverdone.com/archive/...m%20chains.pdf

The new chain should last longer!

bobn

This may not made much sense, but let me put it out there anyway.
If you were to take two identical bikes, same chains etc. and run them over an identical course using different riders, would it make a chain wear difference?

Let's say one guy is 100 lbs. and rides the course in second gear. The other guy is 200 lbs and being stronger rides the course in fifth gear.

Do you think that the weight difference and the additional strain on the chain due to a higher gear would make a wear difference? Do you think it would be substantial enough to be measureable?

Northwestrider

wearing out a chain after only 650 miles is not normal. IMO it would be wise to learn how to check your own chain for wear. It's a very easy thing to learn to do.

Altair 4

It seems that chain wear has a wide range of "normal" based on the anecdotal sampling on this thread alone (see post #3 -up to 9,000 miles, #8 - 700 miles and changing chain, chain-rings, and cassette, and #15 - 1,800 miles).

Yeah, I already learned how (post #21) to measure a chain; I just didn't think I'd need to do so at such low miles. Non-hardened pins is probably the key answer along with riding with a grit-saturated chain and drivetrain on the GAP in the rain last summer. It looks to me that where, when, and how you ride are key parameters to chain wear.

Burton

Wow! Great link! That docs a little dated but still lots of usefull info! So I addeded it to the PDF files in my iPhone- thanks!

Booger1

I run Sram 850 or 870 chains.Get about 5-10,000 miles out of a chain depending on conditions.I service it every weekend....or more if it's been raining.I ride everyday,I have no car.10-12,000 miles a year.I go through 2 chains a year, about the same as back tires.I service the rear cluster once a year,just changing the couple gears I ride in the most.

About every 10 years I need to put gears in the front,except granny gear.Granny wears quick,it's only 20 tooth.....I tour on my bike.It's gets a new granny every year.

Altair 4

Hey, Booger1, I'd really like to hear what your weekend servicing program consists of. What is your cleaning / lubing technique? What products do you use?

Learn something everyday - I didn't realize that your could change out just the gears that you use the most. I thought it was the whole cassette goes. Thanks!

Buggington

I don't know about the chain, but it would certainly make quite a difference to the cain rings. I'm constantly bending them. I'm looking for a way to not do it. I tend to try and stay in the higher gears to build muscle (does this actually work?) , so this ends up with a hell of a bend in my 48 tooth 'ring.

Thinking about it, it probably does make quite a difference to the chain - that extra strain, considering there might well be grit in the chain too, can probably grind the pins away quite badly. But what do I know?