Originally Posted by
rbrides
What I really like about Bike Forums is getting input from the practical, real-world experiences of everyone here.
How many miles to you put on a chain?
I just read an article in Bicycling Mag that said replace the chain “At least every 2,500 miles.”
I frequently clean my bike, use a Park Tools chain scrubber and re-lube. I do so nearly every time after a gravel ride. Every other time after a road ride.
I have only 1 bike; a "gravel" bike that I ride road and gravel, but with different wheel sets/cassettes.
I use a PT chain checker to determine if i need a new one; not mileage. 2500 miles on my Shimano chain shows no stretching.
What do you folks do?
I too ride a lot on gravel and found that if I use wax instead of oil to lube my chains, they do last a lot longer - probably because dust and grit does not accumulate.
Regular checks with chain checker show little 'stretch' (less than 0.5%) but after some 4000 to 6000kms the shifting performance degrades and changing the chain becomes warranted.
It seems to be that the side plate interfaces allow more side to side play over time even tho the overall length has not changed, and nice crisp shifting is no longer.