Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)
  • replacing chains..
  • lakesrider
    Free Member

    do you just run one til its worn out, or is it better to swap to a new one after a few months, then back to the older one again in a few months later, then back again etc?

    I was thinking by running 2 chains like this then the ‘wear’ difference would be reduced from just wearing one out completely then sticking a new one on which in the past seems to show up other problems eg chainring / cassette wear.

    Swalsey
    Free Member

    If you run one ’til death you’ll have to replace the cassette and possible chainrings. You can either swap between two/three chains every so often, or buy a checker and change the chain when it reaches 1% stretch – any further beyond usually means a new chain would slip on the worn rings. I kept my road bike very clean and replaced a chain after 1% and got away with it though…

    whichever way you choose, you’ll get more life out of the chainrings and cassette by replacing the chain more frequently, and more life out of the lot if you keep it clean!

    Antony

    Blurboy
    Free Member

    I run 2 chains and alternate every month. When these are foobarred I can normally get away with running a third new chain to the point of no return when I need to replace rings and cassette as well. Normally buy 2 chains at this point and repeat. Bit of an annual exercise riding in the Woburn sand pits.

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    coatesy
    Free Member

    Used to do the “replacing chain regularly” thing, got to thinking the extra cost of a couple of chains, the faff of swapping them regularly, and the possibility of leaving it a bit too long and suufering the mismatch results just wasn’t worth it for the extra couple of months use.

    uplink
    Free Member

    3 chains

    Swap it after every ride & when the same one is due to go back on [every 3rd ride] make sure it goes on the other way around 😉

    somebody on here does that & I’m sure it helps, personally I just clean & lube it after every ride & then bin it when it gets to 0.75″ worn

    TandemJeremy
    Free Member

    I do the check and change at 0.75% worn. I usually get 3 chains to a cassette and rarely change the steel chainrings I think the 3 chain or the run one chain into the ground is cheaper over the long run but my way you always have nice crisp shifting

    uplink
    Free Member

    & then bin it when it gets to 0.75″ worn

    of course, I meant 0.075″ 😳

    Cougar
    Full Member

    On a related note,

    Can anyone recommend a wear checker? Are all the tools pretty equal, or are there any to be avoided?

    lakesrider
    Free Member

    cheers everyone, i’ll go get a 2nd chain today (just put one on last month) and try the chain swapping thing then 🙂

    whytetrash
    Full Member

    Park tool seems idiot proof for less than a tenner..change a the .75 point and a new chain will run ok…takes seconds to check too!

    Scienceofficer
    Free Member

    somebody on here does that

    That could be me. 😯 😳

    I’ve just hit 3 years with my existing drivetrain components, rotating three chains, fully cleaned and lubed after each ride via a solvent bath, purge and relube. I even filter the shit out of my lube. 😳

    I’m hoping to nurse it to xmas, but I hit the 0.75 point in July, and the whole lot has worn increasingly fast since. Yesterday I managed to force the 1.0% checker into some links – although it wouldn’t quite go in of its own accord.

    MartinGT
    Free Member

    Aye dont change at 1.00 IMO the chain has streteched too much and youll risk having to buy a new Cassette too.

    Scienceofficer
    Free Member

    Yeah, I forgot to say, I’m going to run this stuff all together now, so it’ll die together.

    missingfrontallobe
    Free Member

    Cougar – Member
    On a related note,

    Can anyone recommend a wear checker? Are all the tools pretty equal, or are there any to be avoided?

    I’ve got a Rohloff caliber, looks like a short steel ruler and has the ability to check for wear on chains running on either alloy or steel chainrings – my LBS told me when I bought it many years ago that steel chain rings can take more wear before the are FUBAR apparently.
    No moving parts, easy to use.

    Chain Caliber

    Scienceofficer
    Free Member

    has the ability to check for wear on chains running on either alloy or steel chainrings

    Eh? Wear is wear. Theres not fundamental difference. It just happens quicker with softer materials.

    Onzadog
    Free Member

    I got involved in an indepth discussion about this on MTBr. The conclusion was that most chain chekers push two rollers away from each other so what they measure is the stretch plus the tollerance in the roller. Over a short distance, this can lead to chains looking old before their time. Shimano make a tool that wedges into the chain and then rocks into the final position giving a better result. However, the best way to go is with a 600mm steel rule marked with a few bits of tape. The last bit of tape should indicate 0.5% stretch at which point, I drop them in the bin. If I get rid of them at this point, I can normally reuse the cassette and chainrings.

    I still have a Rohloff tool but I use it to warn me whan I need to be measuring the chain properly.

Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)

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