Hello,

Here's a suggestion that I think could possibly save you expensive repairs later. If you're on a very long tour, go to a LBS occasionaly, and have them measure your chain to determine if it has stretched. If they discover that to be true, replace it immediately. Although a stretched chain could work just fine, generally, for a while, it will eventually damage your chainrings and/or rear cluster. That's exactly what happened to me, and I had to replace the chainrings and rear cluster about 800 miles later.

David in PA (now in Florida)