If that were true folks would need to swap chains twice on one Trans America. For myself and the folks I rode with on the TA, we all had some mileage on the bikes before the TA, and all rode quite a bit after the TA including several other long-ish tours in some cases. We all were running the same chains for a long time after the TA.

IMO, 15,000 miles is a big ask for a chain, but 1,500 miles is a really short life for a chain.

On another note, I am not sure why but it has seemed to me that chains (and other drivetrain components) wear much faster when used for commuting than for long tours. Maybe mine just get neglected more at home than on tour. That said I don't think I have ever had a chain wear out anywhere near as fast as 1,500 miles even in commuting usage.

I wouldn't be surprised if the typical city streets of a commute have more loose grit on them than the country roads frequently used on long tours. I'm also less likely to be near the debris-strewn edge of the road while touring.

realistically I see many factors coming into play re how long chains last.

-as you say, debris, sand etc that can get onto chains
-does the person allow excess lube to sit on chain, collecting said stuff
-do you have fenders, effectively reducing stuff thrown up onto front chainring area
-how often you lube, how often you keep chain not messy (regular 5 second rag wiping after a days ride)
-do you lube directly onto all the old crap thats accumulated on the chain (I know folks who do this)
-do you wipe down the chainrings and floss the cassette regularly to keep gritty gunk from accumulating, which will come into contact with the chain and teeth.
-how much you ride in the rain
-how much you ride on dirt roads
-what kind of dirt, there is super fine stuff that gets into everything, there is muddy stuff that can go all over....
-are you a grinder, big strong guy putting lots of force into your chain
-how much you cross chain regularly and for long periods

and lets face it, some people just don't ever think of all this stuff, or care.

With me, even with my regular commuting, I have a garage whre I park my bikes and I have teh habit of wiping down and lubing stuff regularly, the same frequency as on tour, or rather to put it a diff way, I observe and react according to the riding conditions Ive been in and have a place that makes it easy to do quick drivetrain maintenance when its needed, perhaps more than someone who parks their bike outside their appartment or in their hallway or stairwell.

A bit late to the party:o. The test that I did in that post was to show that soaking chains in water based "green" mineral spirits wasn't the best idea. Road salts could build up in the water portion and lead to salt cracking of the steel over time. I suspect that any water based cleaner would have similar problems for long term storage.

As a cleaner, however, even soap and water wouldn't have too much detrimental effect on chain longevity. Soap and water is mostly ineffective and inefficient. Mineral spirits requires much less volume and fewer steps.


I wouldn't say that I get more mileage out of my chains than other methods. I just spend less time cleaning...chain, bike, me, anything that the chain comes within 4 country miles of, etc... and less time messing with the chain than most people do. I clean my chains exactly once when I install them. About 3000 miles later, I replace them.

I am convinced that there is less grinding from grit inside the chain because my lubricant of choice doesn't attract and hold the grit but I haven't noticed any significant extension of chain life. I may not get as much life as possible out of the chain but chain life is about average to what others report and I don't spend all my time cleaning up a mess.

These pictures are typical of what my drivetrain looks like all the time. What's not to love?:rolleyes:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4415/...1a01145e_k.jpgIMG_1156 by Stuart Black, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4295/...2fbe18ad_k.jpgIMG_1153 by Stuart Black, on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4313/...13b6ed0f_k.jpgIMG_0365 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

You can't really see how clean the chain is in the picture of my orange bike but notice that my chain stay is clean and visible. This is about midway into the chain life. It was taken in July after a winter, spring and summer of riding. More importantly, look at my fingers after handling the chain

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4302/...caaf973b_k.jpg2013-07-26 08.06.29 by Stuart Black, on Flickr

I don't need to wear a hazmat suit to work on my bike. If I have a flat, I'm not going to get grease and crud on everyone within a 3 mile radius either. It's not perfect but it works for me.

As to gauvins' original question, I wouldn't worry about it. Chains are cheap. Ride it. Lube it when it needs it (even oil based lubes need to be refreshed after rain) and, basically, forget about it. Even on a very long tour, I wouldn't obsess over a chain. It's a consumable like brake pads and tires.

Just to clarify, once more, 15 000 miles is what I'd expect for a pair of chains in rotation at or slightly above 1% stretch. That's 7,500 miles per chain.

Thanks for the clarification.

stuart, get a rag floss job on that cassette, its filthy!

and as for carrying an extra chain on a trip, they are so heavy and I can't see going somewhere where I wouldnt be able to find a chain at some point.
I guess on some far off trip done by some folks, but not in the places I have ever toured in.

And in any case, the longest trip I ever did was 3000km and the chain was new at start, and went about 5000km total before I did the preemptive change when it got to the 1/16 mark.

mine was , MSR fuel bottle empty, & rinsed so passed the petrol vapor sniff test ...



:innocent:

I'm calling BS; everybody knows you can't get farther than the end of the driveway with less than a 11 speed cassette mounted to a 14 speed gearhub.

Much more expensive? I run an 8 speed cassette and buy 2-3 at a time when they're $14-15 on eBay. I may replace the crankset next time because I think the right arm is a bit bent, and that's $40, but it's already outlasted two cassettes and two freewheels. (Possibly three freewheels; haven't had to put the old wheel back on since I bought the new ones, so I don't know if it's actually due for replacement.)

I've seen and handled a whole lot worse. It wasn't as dirty as the picture makes it out to be. On the other hand, the chain is clean enough that you can read the brand and model number off it.

Do you replace all drive train parts at the same time? Why do Sram, Shimano, KMC, Park Tool, and all other bicycle tool manufactures and drive train part manufactures see it different than you?

Bikerumor Shimano Chainwear Challenge: The Results
Results:
https://gzmyu4ma9b-flywheel.netdna-s...al-results.png

https://www.bikerumor.com/2013/02/19...e-the-results/

https://www.bikerumor.com/2011/03/16...ain-wear-test/

1,500 miles is for a well taken care of 11 speed chain
It took a while to find this old test

Same reason the oil change place is sure you need a transmission flush-and-fill every time you get your oil changed. Your list is specifically everybody who benefits from convincing people to do extra maintenance whether it's needed or not.

Nothing to contribute. Most are already posted. I'm just here to learn.