11 speed chain life

fat_tail
fat_tail Posts: 786
edited January 2018 in Workshop
Just wondering whether anyone has noticed that 11 speed chains seem to have a much longer life span than say 10 speed. Last year I moved over to 11 speed and so far (with approx 7200kms on it) the chain appears to be fine. no shifting issues and the chain length checker says it is still under 0.75.... with 10 speed chains I would have used two chains by now. maintenance is largely the same ... weekly clean and lube using rock and roll.
Ridley Fenix SL

Comments

  • frisbee
    frisbee Posts: 691
    The rollers are the same width, the side plates are slightly narrower, so they aren't hugely different. I find the wear of the rest of the drivetrain and the conditions its exposed to make a big difference. I've had a 7 speed chain last less than 1000km on an old bike.
  • Nick Payne
    Nick Payne Posts: 288
    I can't say I've noticed a difference between the life of 10- and 11-speed chains on bikes where I've changed from 10- to 11-speed. The one thing I do notice, comparing drivechain wear between bikes that all get the same maintenance, is that the drivetrain on bikes with mudguards/mudflaps stays far cleaner and lasts longer before parts need replacing than on bikes without mudguards. This has nothing to do with riding in the rain - it happens in dry conditions as well.

    My wife and I are both retired and do most of our rides together over the same roads and the same distances. I have mudguards on most of my bikes, she doesn't, I usually clean and lube the drivetrains weekly, and after a week of riding without any rainy days, I notice that a lot more crap comes off her chain than mine. When I measure the chain wear and look at the wear on the chainring and cassette teeth, her chains, cassettes, and chainrings need replacing considerably more frequently than mine.
  • milemuncher1
    milemuncher1 Posts: 1,472
    I’ve not noticed a difference in lifespan between my ten, or eleven speed set ups.
  • fat_tail
    fat_tail Posts: 786
    what sort of mileage do you get on 10 and 11 speed chains ?
    Ridley Fenix SL
  • milemuncher1
    milemuncher1 Posts: 1,472
    fat_tail wrote:
    what sort of mileage do you get on 10 and 11 speed chains ?

    It’s more the KWh, rather than just the mileage, that define the life span in my experience. At the workloads I put them through, I generally get about 8000 miles from chain, and I tend to chuck the cassette at the same time.

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