I'm not a small, light woman but I am a light man riding flat terrain. I only have 4000 miles on my road bike and I am on my 3rd chain and second cassette. I lube regularly and replace when chainwear indicator says so. I might add that i got new wheels this spring and just threw on a new chain and cassette to go along with the wheels.

I also may work the drive train harder than machka, but the numbers she gives are staggering. I can't see anything lasting that long, even with a hamster pedaling.


On my MTB's i change chains every thousand miles or so. Heck, I am on my second chain ring for the year on one bike. Not to mention my 2nd cassette and 3rd chain.