Chain wear…already!

w7london

I got a new chain and cassette three weeks ago. And since then I’ve done 290 miles, and on my Park Tool chain wear indicator, I’ve just hit the 0.5% mark. How has it worn down that much, that soon.

At this rate, I’ll be at 0.75% and needing a new chain in another 100/150 miles.

andrew_s-2

Did you check what the indicator was showing before you put the chain on the bike?

The simpler indicators (eg Park CC-3) just have two prongs, and push the roller at one end one way, and the roller at the other end the other way, thus including the roller movement in what's measured.
If the roller is a looser fit than the toolmaker expected, you get the difference in fit showing as wear. It's not unknown for an unused chain to show as worn out.

The better indicators have 3 prongs (eg Park CC-4). You jam the two closer prongs into the chain, which pushes the roller by the middle prong towards the 3rd prong, then measure wear using the 3rd prong against a roller pushed in the same direction as that on the middle prong.

Roller movement doesn't affect chain engagement, and can safely be ignored.

The reliable method of checking wear is to use a ruler.
If what should be 12" of chain (24 links) measures 12 1/8", that's 1% wear. It's a bit slow & fiddly, and tends to result in mucky fingers, hence the availabilty of quick & clean checking tools.

Having said that, the right combination of wet weather, filthy roads, and steep hills can wear a chain remarkably quickly, so a chain worn out (as verified by a replacement chain skipping on the cassette) in 500 miles isn't unheard of

w7london

Thanks for this. Super useful. Ok I’ll get the ruler out and measure it that way tomorrow.

I have the simple Park Tool one, rather than the expensive one. Unfortunately I got the tool a week after I got the chain, so I couldn’t test it new.

I do ride pretty hard in 9th gear a lot of the time. But the weather hasn’t been too bad over the past couple of weeks, and the chain has been well lubed.

w7london

So I measured the new links (that I cut off the new chain and haven't used), and new, 5 links are just over 5 inches - about 5 inches and 1/20th of an inch.

On the bike, the chain which I've run for 300 miles is at: 12 links = 12 and 1/10th inches.

Does that mean:
a - the chain was made with not the best tolerances
b - it's time to replace this chain (i have a 9 speed cassette)

It's this chain btw:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/9-speed-bike-chain/_/R-p-331594?mc=8640929

w7london

And is this a better one?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shimano-Chain-CNHG93-9SPD-Links/dp/B00284MT50/

photonic69

I see that it is a KMC chain (from what i read). I tend to use KMC as they are cheap and usually available. I find that even though I clean, lube and pamper my chains they reach the 0.5% mark pretty quickly but then stay like that for ages. I've always got a spare chain in my tool box so I'll swap it out at some point. I bought my replacement chain back in Nov 2022 when i first noticed the wear, so it shows how long the 0.5% part goes on for. The new chain is a Shimano so I'll keep an eye on wear times for that as a comparison.

Edit - I use the cheaper Park Tools chain checker. It is fine for your purposes. Checking a chain and replacing at 0.75% is way better than not checking a chain at all and waiting for problems to happen.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Don't know if it's still the case, but KMC used to make the Shimano chains.

webboo

N0bodyOfTheGoat said:

Don't know if it's still the case, but KMC used to make the Shimano chains.

According to Shimano they don’t anymore.

keezx

My expirience with KMC chains is, that they tend to be already "elongated``when new...
So they do not skip on a half-worn cassette but the durability is quite short in comparison with f.i, Campagnolo chains which are on the short side, when new...

imposter2.0

Throw the chain wear tool away and just ride the bike and enjoy it. Life's too fking short...

super_davo

I've been impressed by the YBN chains I've got from AliExpress.

Not ultra cheap, but you're getting basically Ultegra quality chains for Tiagra money. Or Chorus chains for Tiagra money, seeing as YBN make Campag chains, and the D11 chains I've been getting look suspiciously like Chorus...

imposter2.0

webboo said:

N0bodyOfTheGoat said:

Don't know if it's still the case, but KMC used to make the Shimano chains.

According to Shimano they don’t anymore.

I don't think they ever did, apart from a couple of co-operative ventures. Izumi, on the other hand, actually say on their website that they make chains for Shimano.

webboo

Has anyone gone back and tried their old cassette after riding a few hundred miles on their new chain. If so did it not jump.

pblakeney

Yes, and no.
Cassettes are too expensive to be replaced with every chain so I keep my cassettes until they do jump. Old rule of thumb used to be 3 chains for every cassette. If your cassette is jumping after only one chain I’d eliminate any setup issues before replacing the cassette.

shirley_basso

super_davo said:

I've been impressed by the YBN chains I've got from AliExpress.

Not ultra cheap, but you're getting basically Ultegra quality chains for Tiagra money. Or Chorus chains for Tiagra money, seeing as YBN make Campag chains, and the D11 chains I've been getting look suspiciously like Chorus...

Linky?

webboo

pblakeney said:

Yes, and no.
Cassettes are too expensive to be replaced with every chain so I keep my cassettes until they do jump. Old rule of thumb used to be 3 chains for every cassette. If your cassette is jumping after only one chain I’d eliminate any setup issues before replacing the cassette.

This is a cassette that’s had at least 3 chains. I didn’t try it with the new chain I recently put on just bought a new cassette. However as I’m going to the Alps late August I bought some alloy rim wheels as I’m told I will die a thousand deaths if I use my carbon rims.
So in order to keep cost down and not keep swopping things I was just wondering if once the chains a bit worn it would work. Plus the 11, 12, 13, 24, 27, 30 sprockets haven’t had a lot of use.
Obviously I would try it at some point.

super_davo

shirley_basso said:

super_davo said:

I've been impressed by the YBN chains I've got from AliExpress.

Not ultra cheap, but you're getting basically Ultegra quality chains for Tiagra money. Or Chorus chains for Tiagra money, seeing as YBN make Campag chains, and the D11 chains I've been getting look suspiciously like Chorus...

Linky?

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/1005004849024374.html?spm=a2g0n.productlist.0.0.fa3c72d9J3Ip58&browser_id=fb061312d50f403c96743f2d630a8e18&aff_trace_key=0e4974dc16564a959bab0d13662a8b12-1687293495852-07635-UneMJZVf&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=bzsrgemkccavrhxc188f94bd95d2525472948e24f0&gclid=&pdp_npi=3@dis!GBP!17.79!12.99!!!!!@210213c816878096776645182d076c!12000030732376093!sea!UK!2788384092&algo_pvid=eff810fa-9412-4580-94fd-6731f7e9fb01&ad_pvid=202306261301174813117282255050001739101_1

Loads of sellers on Ali, loads of YBN models but D11S or S11/12S2 seem to be the price/ value sweet spot.

I picked up 2 11 speeds and a 12 for about £35 a few weeks ago, you could pay that for a 12 speed Ultegra chain alone.

This was after I was impressed with an initial 11 speed for just under £15 which I been running for a while now. Bear in mind you can get something like a SRAM 1130 for the same price or less, it's not a super cheap Ali bargain, but I just think these are a cut above in terms of finish and smoothness.

pblakeney

webboo said:

pblakeney said:

Yes, and no.
Cassettes are too expensive to be replaced with every chain so I keep my cassettes until they do jump. Old rule of thumb used to be 3 chains for every cassette. If your cassette is jumping after only one chain I’d eliminate any setup issues before replacing the cassette.

This is a cassette that’s had at least 3 chains. I didn’t try it with the new chain I recently put on just bought a new cassette. However as I’m going to the Alps late August I bought some alloy rim wheels as I’m told I will die a thousand deaths if I use my carbon rims.
So in order to keep cost down and not keep swopping things I was just wondering if once the chains a bit worn it would work. Plus the 11, 12, 13, 24, 27, 30 sprockets haven’t had a lot of use.
Obviously I would try it at some point.

Ah!
I'd want something relatively new for a trip like that. Use old ones for training/at home.