donrhummy

Do you (assuming you check it with a chain stretch tool) replace your 10-speed chain at .75% or at 1%? And how long do you find your cassette lasts (i.e. #of chains or miles)?

jroth

a new chain is about $20-30. Why not change it at .75?

stedalus

10 speed chains are more like $30-$50+. Even still, $20-$30 is not exactly chump change, so I never understand why this argument always comes up in these threads.

scirocco

I don't change till 1%, because I find that even at 0.75 everything is still running really smooth. In fact the chain and cassette have bedded together so well that they run even better than brand new.

The only reason for changing at 1% is so that the cassette doesn't get so worn that next time you change the chain you have to change the cassette as well. $40 instead of $120.

jrobe

1%

I just replaced a cassette at almost 20,000 miles because I wanted a little different gearing. The cassette was still in good shape with only moderate chain wear and it still shifted perfect. I do lubricate my chain and drivetrain religiously though.

I probably get about 4000 miles per Ultegra chain.

Psimet2001 

I replace it under the following circumstances:

-Current chain rusts out
-Bike is in the rack, i am working on it and the chain measures enough over 12" elongation for me to feel like I should replace it because I won't have a chance to replace it before it needs it.
-Whenever I feel like it.

Discussing Bicycle chain maintenance and care is next to discussing religion or politics. I try to take the long view on it - It's a chain. i have a ton on hand.....

deacon mark

I have 3200 miles on my original 5600. CHeck it last night not even a slight movement toward stretching on my precise ruler for 12 inches. I spin, hardly ever stand to pedal, and live in the flats, do not stomp on the pedals to start. This could be the reason but I am thinking maybe of changing the chain just because, but the drivetrain runs smooth and works well. I will take other thoughs if someone has them.

Erzulis Boat

As to x chains means y cassettes-

I am pretty good about keeping things clean and replacing chains, I cannot recall any exact figures, but maybe 6-8 chains (maybe even more) for every rear cassette.

My chainrings seem to last forever, and only on an MTB have I gone through one........but I do purchase a new bike every few years.

I might be over doing it, but when I ride 6-7 days, I swap the chain maybe 3-4 times a year.

phee 

I must be doing something wrong, or I am riding more than I think I am. I just went to replace the chain on my bike and found out the hard way that my cassette is worn. Skipping like mad and then made me mad. I thought I had something set up incorrectly, but after tinkering with it to try and get it right I just had to admit that I need a new cassette. So now I am back to the old chain which doesn't skip (but is noisy) and I need to place an order for more bike stuff. And not even fun bike parts.

Side note, does anyone recommend changing the chainrings as well when changing the cassette and chain? Not sure if I should just bite the bullet and change everything.

DaveSSS 

This subject gets rehashed more than any other. Chain checkers do not properly measure elongation. They may also indicate the a brand new chain has .25% elongation. That's because all brands don't have the same roller dimensions, even though the roller are always on .5 inch centers. Chain checkers add the wear of a roller to each end of the measurement and may report more than twice the actual elongation.

The best way to measure elongation is with a precison 12" rule. I've even made a precise full-length measuring tool for better accuracy when I did some chain wear tests.

What you want to do is change the chain often enough that you can get several chain's worth of use from a cassette before the cassette becomes so worn that you encounter new-chain skip. If you change the chain too often, you waste prefectly good chain life. Wait too long and a second or third new chain will skip on one of more of the most-worn cogs.

I avoid new-chain skip by using my chains in groups of three. I may use each chain until it's about half worn, then before changing to a new one. I keep the chains for further use. If you get all three into use and don't get new-chain skip with the last one, then you can continue to the rotation and never encounter chain skip, as long as you don't leave any one chain in use for too long.

donrhummy

Wow, how do you get 4,000 miles? I clean/lube my chain every 80-100 miles, and completely clean the cassette every 1,000 miles and I only get about 2,500 miles out of it.

Uni-Vibe

(edited; see post below)

Uni-Vibe

This is really hilarious. People that do this sort of thing must be celibate.
People that live in the real world ride the hell out of their chains, replace 'em at 1500 or so, and chase girls.

DaveSSS 

You also spend three times as much on chains. It takes about 30 seconds to measure a chain and it's not even necessary until long AFTER I've ridden 1500 miles on a chain. I usually rotate a Campy chain at 2000-2500 miles.

FWIW, I retired at age 50, so I'm fairly sharp and I have a lot of time on my hands. I've been married since I was 28 and have a couple of adult children.

donrhummy

DaveSSS, Why even waste your time responding to posts like that?

kensuf

I'm with Psimet on this. Chains are cheap. Replacing it every 2 months isn't going to break the bank (I ride about 1000 miles a month).

jrobe

I started getting more miles on my chains when I quit using solvents to clean them. I think all this does is remove the lube from all the inner surfaces of the chain where it is needed the most. Then it is hard to replace this lube by just soaking the outside of the chain and hoping it works its way back into these inner surfaces.

Now I use a cleaning lubricant, apply it to the chain, run it through the gears and wipe it off. It is quicker and I think it works better and makes the chain last longer (before it hits the 1% stretch).

The Weak Link

I take it you boys don't think much of the Park Chain Checker Gizmo. I change the chain at 0.75 because the voices tell me to.

crhilton

The most accurate technique, and the technique you actually have the time and patience to perform are not the same.

Chain checkers have the advantage of taking 10 seconds.

crhilton

I think 2,000 miles is a pretty typical lifetime for a chain. That technique (every 2 months) gets real expensive if you have 4 bikes and ride them all in varying amounts.

crhilton

Once you get the girl you may find yourself with a budget. Then you'll be coming up with crazy schemes to get the most out of your chains so that you can get durachee instead of ultegeri. Or in DaveSSS' case: Record instead of Chorus.

Plus you might end up with babies that want to eat and poop into $10 bills.

Psimet2001 

Dave is good people. He takes his chains seriously and his posts are worth the time to read. You can definitely find worse information, but I too have fallen prey to attacking him before for - in my opinion - way over thinking chains. In hindsight I owe him a public apology for that. Sorry Dave.

donrhummy

Can you recommend one? Thanks!

echappist

prolink gold

Sixty Fiver

So does using a ruler... and you get a correct measurement.