Both questions are impossible to answer because there are so many variables.
With chains, the variables include the conditions the chain is ridden under, how it's lubed and maintained, and original chain quality and width. The biggest variable is probably how it's used. For example with the same bike and rider, doubling average speed multiplies chain tension by 4 times, add factors like terrain, rider weight and suddenly the wear spectrum can become very wide.
If you read posts on this forum you'll see reported chain life anywhere from 1,000 miles to over 13,000. So I guess that's sort of the answer - chains last somewhere between 1 and 13 thousand miles.
A similar problem exists with frame life. Is it steel carbon, or aluminum? What does the rider weigh & what are roads like? Is the rider strong enough to really stress the frame with hard sprinting or hill climbing?
For a 150# rider in Kansas, who's not very strong, a steel frame will last a lifetime, while a 200# rider racing in central Pennsylvania might not want to ride a carbon frame for more than a season or two.
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FB
Chain-L site
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Last edited by FBinNY; 06-27-11 at 09:26 PM.