Replacing the chain

blade912

How often do people change their chains on their bike , i normally do it around 50 hours

LastGasp

blade912 wrote: »

around 50 hours

Hmmm.... Maybe I should think about it - it was second hand when I got it, and I've put 5200kms on it since March which is something like 240 hours !

DirkVoodoo

blade912 wrote: »

How often do people change their chains on their bike , i normally do it around 50 hours

That doesn't sound like a lot of use, do you not just measure the chain stretch?

short circuit

Between 3000 - 4000kms.

Run_to_da_hills

You should also change the rear sprocket with a new chain replacement as a matter of course.

blorg

50 hours is very low, should not be necessary. Measure using a simple ruler or a tool. You should NOT need to change your cassette every time, only if it skips, every fourth time is a rule of thumb if you look after your bike. Having said that dependent on usage and care you can get nearly unlimited life from your cassette, if you look after it you are looking at many tens of thousands of km.

blade912

I thought 50 was a bit low myself, looks like there is a bit more life left in the chains

velo.2010

50 hours = 10 x 5 hour spins! I dont think the pros would have their chains changed so often.

Follow Contadors mechanic's advice. Clean chain thoroughly and apply light chain oil. Then coat in a thin layer of quality grease to seal in the oil. Grease is too thick to interfere in the inner plates,bushings etc. of the chain.

Murph100

I've seen this guy somewhere on youtube, putting grease on Contadors chain prior to a rain soaked stage, but I thought it was more to do with keeping the oil from getting washed away by the rain.

velo.2010 wrote: »

Follow Contadors mechanic's advice. Clean chain thoroughly and apply light chain oil. Then coat in a thin layer of quality grease to seal in the oil. Grease is too thick to interfere in the inner plates,bushings etc. of the chain.

blorg

Murph100 wrote: »

I've seen this guy somewhere on youtube, putting grease on Contadors chain prior to a rain soaked stage, but I thought it was more to do with keeping the oil from getting washed away by the rain.

It is, that is what the man said!

victorcarrera

I contributed to a similar thread some time back but here is the latest if anyone is interested.
I am currently up to 15,000km on a 9 speed chainset from new. (500 hrs approx)
I am not going to renew the chain until it breaks. I just want to see how far it goes as an experiment, because I personally think that changing a chain at 3,000Km is excessive.
Its my winter trainer, so mostly wet roads, and I carry a chain tool so it's not a problem.
Terrain is mostly flat to draggy, occasional climbs maybe but nothing severe.
Chain has never been cleaned. I just wipe it with a rag and relube with a little used engine oil every couple of spins.
I use full mudguards with front mud flap.
Chain length is currently just above 12 1/8 inches, the rollers are loose on the rivets and there is lots of lateral play. The chainrings are not hooked, there is noticeable wear on some of the sprockets but not excessive as it never skips.
The kit is not expensive, entry level Truvative cranks etc.
The only thing I have noticed beginning to fail, is shifting to a smaller back sprocket is sometimes hisitant due to lateral play on chain and jockey wheels.

blorg

You risk fecking up not just your cassette but also your front chainrings by doing that. Chainrings are relatively expensive, I had to replace mine from not replacing a chain soon enough.

For the sake of something that costs under a tenner I don't know why you wouldn't just replace it when necessary.

Murph100

Was the rain bit subliminal ?

Wonder what grease he actually used ?

All it says on the artcle is

" Even the chain isn't ignored: after a fresh and through cleaning, Munoz first applies Sapim's mid-weight Race Oil then seals it in with a light coat of grease."

blorg wrote: »

It is, that is what the man said!

blorg

Murph100 wrote: »

Was the rain bit subliminal ?

Wonder what grease he actually used ?

All it says on the artcle is

" Even the chain isn't ignored: after a fresh and through cleaning, Munoz first applies Sapim's mid-weight Race Oil then seals it in with a light coat of grease."

The sealing it in is a reference to rain. Oil doesn't just fall out of a chain on its own, it needs rain to wash it out. I have used dry lubes for weeks on end without problems in warmer countries. Not so in this country, the rain washes them out very quickly.

Murph100

riiight.... I'd best go stand in the corner then

tomasrojo

I change about every 4000km.

I once went for a year without changing the chain -- about 10000km that year, I think. I couldn't even cycle up a modest incline after a year, since the chain was so worn it would skip completely when even modest tension was applied. Of course I had to replace everything: chainrings, freewheel and chain. I probably should have changed the jockey wheels too, but I didn't.

Run_to_da_hills

They dont make chain like they used to, my first bike was a ten speed Carlton Continental and had the same chain on it for years. I still have the bike.

blorg

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

They dont make chain like they used to, my first bike was a ten speed Carlton Continental and had the same chain on it for years. I still have the bike.

The fewer the gears the less sensitive it is in my experience.

IM0

I use to do it every 3000km or so, but that was about every 2months!
there comes a point when spending on 3x the amount of chains v's just running the cassette till it skips or whatever isnt as cost effective or worth the hassle for the 'savings'

Now it shall be when the chain has .75% stretch as determined using a steel rule not a chain 'gauge'