When to change chain?
 

Hey guys, a while back I bought an SRAM chain due to rave reviews and I was going to replace it when I broke my Shimano chain. It hasn't broken yet but it does give me shafty performance, so I was wondering is this causing some pain for my drive train? So should I replace it even if it isn't broken?

I see a lot of you out there replace it right away, but I don't know if that's preventative maintenance or just dislike of Shimano chains.

Thanks thanks thanks

I would say just change the chain and then keep the shimano as an extra incase you break the sram-
:beer:

If performance is down it might be time to replace. Keep in mind, you sould never change the chain by itself. Cassette and sometimes deraileur cogs too need to go. If you change out one piece of the drive train it will likely perform worse than ever.

That's fools advice.

I've changed many chains before the cassette and or derailleur pullies needed to be changed.

The point of changing and or cleaning the chain is to avoid excessive cassette, derailleur pully and chainring wear.

Consider this:

http://www.yarchive.net/bike/chain_wear.html

Them's fightin words!
lol, I'll probably just go and replace it when i get the chance.

Excellent link. Well written and excellent advise.

I generally change my mountain bike chain every 400 miles or so. Chains are cheap, cassettes and chainrings aren't. :)

You mean if the chain never breaks it should be changed? ;)

You can go the route and measure how much if any the chain has stretched (caused by the pins wearing out) or as LowCel (by the way, is that your screen name because you smoked to much in your early years? :p ) and always change it at a specific time (will save money in the long run). You could also just keep a "piggy bank" that you put cash in from time to time and save up for new rings, cassette and chain all at once and then replace them all when they go to $hit. :D

:beer:

Aha, I have (guessing) probably about 800km on my bike over one season. About 200 is off-road the rest is all road or fireroad. I don't see too much wear on my chain rings and cassettes. I also use about 2 gears. Will get on replacing this chain of mine.

I wish that was the reason. The real reason was back when I first got on-line, back in 1993 when I was 18 I had to come up with a screen name when I joined AOL. At the time I drove a (don't laugh) 1992 Toyota Tercel. It was lowered with ground effects along with a wall with six 15" subs. The screen name came from it being a Lowered Tercel. Anyway the name has just kind of stuck. Partially because I like it, partially because I'm just too damn lazy to think of a new one. :o

The smoking too much in my early years is a completely different subject. ;)

Replace the chain every 6 mo's (for me anyway), and you won't have to replace the cassette & chainrings nearly as often. They'll last for over a year easily....

Killer B - Time doesn't really work that great. In six months some people ride 2,000 miles, other people ride 200. Better off going with a mileage than time. If I changed mine every six months I would be changing my whole drivetrain yearly. The way I do it now a cassette will generally last me about 2 - 3 years and chainrings generally last me at around the same.

True....

I suppose I change mine about every 1000 miles then, based on my mileage per 6 months. It's very worn out by then, and probably should've been replaced a month earlier....

I'm about to change the 5th chain in one year. That makes about 100 kms with one chain. Everytime I change the chain I feel a big difference. May be I should change even sooner.

exqueeze me? A new chain every 60 miles? I sense something wrong here. I'm on 800 miles and doubt I'll measure any stretch at all when I check it next

Peter

oooops.. sorry, I missed one '0' :o. It's every 1000 kms :)

p.s. I'd edit my first post but then your's wouldn't make sense