Renewing chain etc

rob0070

How often do you NEED to change your chain ?
I like to change my chain on a reasonably regular basis, usually when it seems a bit floppy and stretched.
I find that when I go into my local Evans I am presented with the usual sharp intake of breath, bit like when you ask a mechanic to give you a price on fixing your car, you will have to buy a new rear set of gears with that , they wear at the same rate and your gears will jump if you dont.
Nice sales pitch Evans, but I have found that I can change my chain many times without any ill effects.
I am sure if you are cycling through sand and thick mud every day this may not be the case but a new rear gear set. I dont think so.
I have also taken in a wheel which had spokes broken, was then told by the Evans mechanic armed with all sorts of guages that there was no way it could ever be true again due to it being adjusted to its limit by himself and I would need to replace it, I was promptly told how much, from Evans of course. I refused to believe them , took it to my local bike shop in Reigate, fixed for £13 and has been perfect for the past year. Think there could be a pattern here !!

johnnygooner

Personel experience suggests that everything is fine until you start having problems with chain jumping and/or gear shifting. Before now I've taken the advice doled out re changing the whole drivetrain; chain, cassette and chainrings. But of late I've taken to doing it progressively ie change the chain, see how that is, then the cassette, then the chain rings. Last time I got away without changing the chain rings.

Cant comment on Evans specifically but I do get the feeling that changing the complete drivetrain is the easy option for the mechanic ie. change it, problem solved, next job. But if you're prepared to have a go yourself, you can make considerable savings.

Cant stress how important cleaning and maintenence is though. I chain scrub, de-grease and re-lube about every other ride and it makes a huge difference to drivetrain life.

Hope the above helps

sniper68

Buy a chain checker(about £6) when it gets to 0.75 change the chain.If it gets to 1.0 it's generally chain/cassette and sometimes front rings time.



Currently £6.49 on wiggle
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-chain-wear-tool/
it'll be the best six and a half quid you ever spend 8)
Change at .75 and I get 4 or 5 chains to a cassette and 3 cassettes to front rings

Raymondavalon

The rear cassette isn't en expensive device at all and common sense tells me to replace it when replacing the chain. I have experience chain jump once after doing a cheapo and only replacing the chain, it was the 3 centre gears on the cassette, due to them being the most used.

As for spokes, never broken/replaced any as I do undertake regular maintenance and ensure my spokes are tight

I get the impression you're a tight arsed individual who would rather look for "a pattern" opposed to following common sense.

cooldad

When it's worn.
Do everything yourself and you won't feel ripped off. It's just a bicycle.

TuckerUK

You are better off using a ruler than one of those chain checkers. They measure roller wear too, which isn't really important. There's an article by one of the cycling gods about it (Sheldon Brown or Jobst Brandt).

I replace my chains at 5% wear as recommended by Sheldon (that's 5% by ruler, ignoring roller wear).

Anonymous

cooldad wrote:

When it's worn.

This ^

TuckerUK wrote:

You are better off using a ruler than one of those chain checkers. They measure roller wear too, which isn't really important. There's an article by one of the cycling gods about it (Sheldon Brown or Jobst Brandt)

They effectively measure the same thing, just it's easier with a chain checker. They both measure a length of the chain looking for stretch due to rivet/bushing wear, just one method you work out where you are measuring from and to, and the other is done for you by hooking the checker into the chain and seeing where the other end drops.

Dead simple with a checker and a few quid, but either will do the same job. Noticing gear change problems, chain slack, suck and/or slipping when riding also is a useful guide

Sheldon's guide: http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

Noting that Sheldon is a bit "old school" in cycling hence the use of a ruler

Personally my rulers are usually scratched up and I can't read the markings anyway.


Ultimately if the bike isn't riding well, something's up, fix it. Rulers and checkers just tell you what's up.

If not, ride until it breaks

gtd.

ibbo68 wrote:

Buy a chain checker(about £6) when it gets to 0.75 change the chain.If it gets to 1.0 it's generally chain/cassette and sometimes front rings time.

Can I not just use a digital vernier caliper to do the same job, I've already got one so wondering if I really need a chain checker? surely the vernier will do the job just as well if not better?

sniper68

Don't see why not as said it's only a guide to measure roughly 5% wear.Might be a bit more fiddly?With a chain checker you just drop it between the rollers,if it drops in it's worn if not carry on and lets be honest it's only £7

tomstickland

I've got away with new chains on old cassettes and new cassettes on old chains a few times.
It's always a chance though and I have had a few that din't work out and I ended up replacing it all.

tomstickland

I've never seen this before though. Three week old chain.

broken_chain by tomstickland, on Flickr