Chain Wear Question

Yacoby
Yacoby Posts: 211
edited January 2012 in MTB workshop & tech
So. I have decided to take more care of my bike (It is a 8spd cheap commuter, now I am riding more seriously on it). Measuring from the centre of each pin, Even 6 links is (3" and 1/16"), which as far as I can make out means it is horribly stretched. The chain doesn't jump.

The bike was originally about £120 and in the next six months or so I want to get a bike for mountain biking and relegate my current bike to the task is was bought for.

Is the cheapest thing to do to ride my current bike until it starts jumping, and then replace as much as is needed? (Hopefully having got a new bike by this point for mountain biking)

Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,673
    just keep using and clean and lube as normal.

    as new bits could cost more than the bike cost.

    Or think about going single Speed.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    nicklouse wrote:
    Or think about going single Speed.
    Worst. Advice. Ever.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Why? Keeps maintenance costs down, if it's being relegated to a commuter that may be spot on.

    I'd definitely just run it into the ground and replace bits as necessary.
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Reducing functionality to make something better seems moronic to me. I've ran a cheap 8 speed drivetrain for 4 years and not replaced a thing and i still commute on it today.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    Compared to a £120 bike (screw on freeewheel, or even totally non standard kit), there is no such thing as a cheap 8 speed! (freehub)

    Simon
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • Yacoby
    Yacoby Posts: 211
    njee20 wrote:
    I'd definitely just run it into the ground and replace bits as necessary.
    bennett_346 wrote:
    Reducing functionality to make something better seems moronic to me.
    Cheers. That was what I assumed. I just wanted to check that running it into the ground was the cheaper option (i.e. I wasn't majorly messing something like the derailleur up)
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Yacoby wrote:
    njee20 wrote:
    I'd definitely just run it into the ground and replace bits as necessary.
    bennett_346 wrote:
    Reducing functionality to make something better seems moronic to me.
    Cheers. That was what I assumed. I just wanted to check that running it into the ground was the cheaper option (i.e. I wasn't majorly messing something like the derailleur up)
    As long as you keep the mechs properly adjusted nothing should break
  • Chunkers1980
    Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    Yacoby wrote:
    njee20 wrote:
    I'd definitely just run it into the ground and replace bits as necessary.
    bennett_346 wrote:
    Reducing functionality to make something better seems moronic to me.
    Cheers. That was what I assumed. I just wanted to check that running it into the ground was the cheaper option (i.e. I wasn't majorly messing something like the derailleur up)

    Yep keep it indexing properly and you should have no problems. The only thing you can wear in your mech are the Jocky wheels which would fall into the wear and tear cat anyway.
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,673
    bennett_346 wrote:
    nicklouse wrote:
    Or think about going single Speed.
    Worst. Advice. Ever.
    right.

    amasing how many people make their bikes SS when mech break/cable snap.

    but who cares.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Reducing functionality to make something better seems moronic to me. I've ran a cheap 8 speed drivetrain for 4 years and not replaced a thing and i still commute on it today.

    Good for you, but particularly for commuting people do find SS simpler. Many people have a flat-ish commute, it's often a bike they don't want to maintain and keep shiny and attractive to thieves, and however you want to look at it a singlespeed transmission will last longer and cost less to replace than a geared one, be it 5, 8 or 10 speed. I know the transmission on my commuter is utterly trashed after a winter.

    To the OP - as others have said, no you won't do any more damage by just riding things into the ground, unless you have absolute top of the line parts it's a significantly cheaper way to do things!
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    njee20 wrote:
    Reducing functionality to make something better seems moronic to me. I've ran a cheap 8 speed drivetrain for 4 years and not replaced a thing and i still commute on it today.
    it's often a bike they don't want to maintain and keep shiny and attractive to thieves, and however you want to look at it a singlespeed transmission will last longer and cost less to replace than a geared one, be it 5, 8 or 10 speed. I know the transmission on my commuter is utterly trashed after a winter.
    Singlespeeds are becoming more desirable to steal than geared ones because of their popularity and ease of resale. Also how the feck do you trash a transmission after one winter?? You must be doing something wrong.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I just ride quite a bit (commute is 45 miles each way), and as said like many I CBA to clean my commuter bike. A winter is 3000 miles or so, that's more than enough to kill a transmission.
  • Chunkers1980
    Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    Cricky - that's some communte! Don't forget to add in the salt grit factor too.

    Bennett - link to said stats?
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Chunkers1980 wrote:
    Cricky - that's some communte! Don't forget to add in the salt grit factor too.

    Bennett - link to said stats?
    http://www.theeastsiderla.com/2010/01/b ... -fixation/

    http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=16277

    http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index ... 58326.html

    http://forums.bicycling.com/eve/forums/ ... 5001018437

    http://stanfordreview.org/article/goodb ... ixed-gear/

    Seems as they become more fashionable their resale value increases, hmm, funny that. I know these say fixie but you can't tell the difference to look at them.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    Have we moved to SoCal while I wasn't paying attention!? Bloody hell! :shock:

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