New chain after 500 miles?

Mikey2

Hi

Having read a few threads here and Sheldon Browns article - I checked my chain and found it is measuring a tad over 12 and 1/8th of an inch between the links....

So do I need a new one!?!? Kind of surprised after just 500 miles and 2 months from new. Not been too anal about chain cleaning, just rubbed the it down once a week or so and slapped some lube on it - thought that would do it? (don't want to start another thread on chain hygiene!)

Bike is a spesh secteur triple - first bike for some years and really liking it so far

dmch2

Sounds like you do need a new chain.

what's the cassette look like?


The pic has a very worn silver sprocket directly in front of a new black one. The worn one has more than half of the end of the tooth worn away and is fit only for the bin.

ooermissus

Is it really possible to wear a chain that quickly? Surely not. Anyway, assuming you're not setting off on a long tour, and given that - if your measurement is right - your cassette is already screwed, maybe you should ride it now until the chain starts skipping.

Mikey2

Sorry !

What I should have said is 12 and 1/16th of an inch - so not totally gone, but getting there? Still seems to be early to be changing it?

The cassette looks ok to my untrained eye - if i can get the camera phone to work i will post a pic..

dmch2

12 and 1/16th sounds like just the time to buy a new chain then - the cassette should be fine

You can then dangle the new and old chain next to each other to see the difference in length.

amaferanga

If I changed my chains after 500 miles I'd be on my 12th this year.

I bet you could run that chain for at least another thousand miles and still not have any issues with your next chain.

dmch2

amaferanga wrote:

If I changed my chains after 500 miles I'd be on my 12th this year.

I bet you could run that chain for at least another thousand miles and still not have any issues with your next chain.

How many miles do you get out of chain? And how many per cassette? (That's an honest question no trolling!).

I think the assumption is that chains are cheap and cassette expensive. So you change the chain early to save the cassette. I guess my 40 quid 9 speed cassette isn't worth massively more than a new chain so maybe I should run the chain a bit longer. Those with DA cassette may want to change earlier (or get a loan!)

dennisn

amaferanga wrote:

If I changed my chains after 500 miles I'd be on my 12th this year.

+1 on that.

amaferanga

But chains aren't really that cheap compared to cassettes, unless you by cheapo chains and Dura Ace cassettes obviously.

FWIW I don't get too hung up about measuring chains. I change them when I remember. On what was my best bike for the last 18 months (which has probably only been ridden outdoors for 14 of those months as I didn't ride it outside last winter - turbo use through the winter) I'm on the fourth chain and the original cassette. Probably about 2000 miles per chain. I swapped out the chainrings though after about 12 months. The cassette still looks okay, though I suspect it'll need changing sometime this winter as this bike is now my winter/commuting bike.

My chain maintenance involves wiping them down every week with wet wipes and occasional full clean with white spirit.

plowmar

Just put mine in with bike for service, and reckon that I'll need chain and cassette. This is after 6k miles.

So have I been fortunate?

hopper1

I do a fair mileage per year, training and racing, spread across three bikes.
I use a mix of DA and RED cassettes with 50 quid chains. I regularly use a chain measuring tool to check my chains, but haven't had to change a chain out as yet (18 months).
I can't understand how you can need a new chain after only 500 miles... Take your bike to your LBS and ask them to check it, I bet that when using the correct tool, it'll be fine.

Mikey2

Thanks for the input...

I recon I will just run it till it looks really knackered! Luckily the casette i have is a HG50(?) so are about only £17 from Wiggle, so wont break the bank..

Maybe i will upgrade it when the time comes to something a bit better.....

ooermissus

Good call. It will be interesting to see how many more miles you get out of the chain.

I often wonder what proportion of chains are replaced by Evans et al before strictly necessary. Maybe it doesn't happen, but it would be an obvious piece of mystery shopping for one of the mags to do...

dennisn

Mikey2 wrote:

Thanks for the input...

I recon I will just run it till it looks really knackered! Luckily the casette i have is a HG50(?) so are about only £17 from Wiggle, so wont break the bank..

Maybe i will upgrade it when the time comes to something a bit better.....

I think maybe you're looking at this in the wrong way. I have never seen a chain that
"looks really knackered". Wear on a chain, IMHO, doesn't really SHOW. They just sort of stretch a bit and don't shift quite right. This is not true of cassettes and chainrings. They
tend to show the results of wear. Also, upgrading a cassette probably won't increase it's life span. The really expensive cassettes(alloy) are lighter weight than less costly ones(steel) but you will most likely find that they won't last as long as a steel one.

keef66

IME worn chains and cassettes rarely look knackered to the naked eye. As Dennis says, it's usually poor shifting, or skipping under load that tells you something's worn. I buy cheap chains, keep them clean / lubed, and measure them frequently. New cassette only if skippy shows up.

Cheaper cassettes using all steel sprockets should outlast the expensive ones that use alloy and / or Ti sprockets

I think my 105 is a decent compromise cassette; alloy spider for the 3 biggest sprockets and plastic spacers to reduce weight, but all steel cogs for long life.

ride_whenever

Are you sure you're measuring it right? From the same part of the link to link? If you're measuring 12 links and a pin that would give you about 12 1/16" i'd imagine!

ride_whenever

generally you can fairly see lateral play in chains which is a fairly good indicator of chain wear when it is excessive, or by inspecting the links when you remove it, chain wear tends to be much more visible on the inside of the rollers.

Mikey2

Im pretty sure im doing it right - measuring from the centre of one pin to the centre of the pin that is 12 links down (or is it 24 links?) Anyway its 12 and 1/16th down to the same point on the link at that coresponding link...


I should point out i had lots of bother trying to bend my ruler around the chainring .
(i am kidding honestly!)

on-yer-bike

My Record chain was fitted in December didn't get much use until March and still measures less than 12 1/32". Its done about 4000 miles. It has Rock n Roll Gold applied about every 200 miles. I did one full clean on it early on when I thought I had road grit/salt on it.

Bar Shaker

If the cassette is only £17, the chain may only be £10 and 500 miles may be a good life for it.

Replace it with something decent and save a fortune.

on-yer-bike

Mikey2 wrote:

Im pretty sure im doing it right - measuring from the centre of one pin to the centre of the pin that is 12 links down (or is it 24 links?) Anyway its 12 and 1/16th down to the same point on the link at that coresponding link...


I should point out i had lots of bother trying to bend my ruler around the chainring .
(i am kidding honestly!)

Measure from the left hand edge of the pins. That way you don't have to guess where the centre is.

ben16v

measured mine today HG50 with over 600 miles on it used in all weathers and cleaned once properly and lubed usually every other ride - bang on 12"
would be concerned if i needed to replace it already

on-yer-bike

Its always possible that the OP's chain wasn't new when he bought the bike.

Pokerface

dennisn wrote:

amaferanga wrote:

If I changed my chains after 500 miles I'd be on my 12th this year.

+1 on that.

No way. I didn't think you actually rode a bike! (Do you seriously ride 500 miles a month!?)

Nigel Bennett

You may well find that initial wear rate in a chain is relatively rapid. It may well stabilise, and wear a lot more very slowly once bedded in.

Chain wear is very dependant on riding conditions - ride gently in the dry, away from dusty roads and it'll last ages - use it in anger in any kind of dusty or wet conditions and it'll go very quickly.

Certainly I've found that fitting home-made chain guards (bashed up from aluminium sheet) to my winter bike has resulted in a three-fold increase in chain life. Yes, the bike looks crap, but I'm not entering it into a concours d'elegance any time soon.

I prefer to buy cheap chains and chuck 'em away at frequent intervals. Spending fifty quid on a chain seems to be false economy to me - will it last four times as long as a cheap one?