How long to wear out a bike chain?

sebdangerfield

If you've got an interest in bikes, (and doing 5 miles a day regularly says you do!) then it's surprisingly easy to do all maintainence to bikes. Infact, the only things you'd struggle with are the jobs requiring specialist tools like threading a bottom bracket and facing frames but these only need be done once then the tools are redundant anyway so it's easiler to get them done by the lbs.

A lack of strength isn't even an issue, most things on bikes are undone with a socket so the leverage is so big, anyone can undo things. Torque wrenches to up things also mean you need very little strength.

The amount of money saved is fantastic as most places charge at least £30-50 per hour in labour and you know the job's been done correctly. Park tools and sheldon brown even have the best instructions for all maintainence problems. If not a course, just try a book. You'd bring a service down to the cost of parts; new cables, cassette, chain, brake pads - £20

sequence

The chain almost certainly was not "worn out" but stretched enough that the bike shops chain tool told them that it should be replaced. The chain will probably have still worked for a long, long time.

However - the reason that they change the chains so soon is because a stretched chain will wear out the cassette quite quickly, and it may also "skip" (slip) which can be dangerous.

So they are just eering on the side of caution.. You could have left it, but do you really want it to snap halfway through your commute (almost certainly in the pouring rain!)

Also modern 9 and 10 speed chains wear out quicker than old 7/8 speeds as they are thinner.

As sebdangerfield said, I'd have expected them to have replaced the cassette at the same time, but maybe it's very good quality and not work out yet.

Velcro_Hotdog

No idea if you can get them for pedal bikes but on my motor bikes I use a Scott Olier which is a small container of oil hiden behind the license plate with a pipe that slowly lets oil out onto the chain keeping it properly lubricated at all times. Not sure how much wear and tear a cycle chain gets to tell you if its worth looking at sorry.

Strider590

My last bike did 3000 miles in the space of 2 years, it was ridden hard too.... With correct maintenance nothing ever needed replacing apart from the brake pads.

It's not been mentioed but.... Some advice NEVER use WD40 on a push bike, it's not a lubricant it's actually more of a cleaning agent and it removes the grease from inside the chain links (which is factory fitted), increasing wear and reducing life.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

What you need is one of these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=42815

That will tell you exactly when your chain should be replaced. As others have said, worn chain = wrecked cassette.

Hammyman

geri1965 wrote: »

Just took my bike in for a service and they replaced the bottom
bracket and the chain. No arguments about the bracket, it has been clunking away for a year now.

My bike is only 2 years old and I use it 8 months a year, cycling 5 miles per day average. It seems a pretty short time for things to start wearing out.

I don't think I have ever had to replace the chain on any other bike I've owned!

My son goes through one a month but then he's into BMXing. Just a hint but he found the expensive ones failed quicker than the cheap ones.

diable

For chain maintenance use a chain wear measure http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10219 and a decent chain can be had for £7 check out KMC chains.

sickparrot

Halfords have got 3 for 2 on all their lubes at the moment so it's worth stocking up, use the teflon dry lube on chains it's solvent based and leaves the chain less prone to picking up filth. Lube it once a week, put a drop on every link so it gets into the pin (this is the bit that wears and causes the chain to stretch). Use teflon grease for everything else, bearings, brake pivots and cables etc.

geri1965_2

Thanks all

Strider590

sickparrot wrote: »

Halfords have got 3 for 2 on all their lubes at the moment so it's worth stocking up, use the teflon dry lube on chains it's solvent based and leaves the chain less prone to picking up filth. Lube it once a week, put a drop on every link so it gets into the pin (this is the bit that wears and causes the chain to stretch). Use teflon grease for everything else, bearings, brake pivots and cables etc.

^^^^

Chains come from manufacture with grease already inside the chain link pins, using solvent based oil (like WD40) removes that grease and allows dirt/dust into the links (grinding noise from chain)!
It'd be like draining the several litres of gearbox oil on your car and whacking in a bit of WD40 instead.

The original chain grease is far superior to any oil you could put on your chain and once it's gone there's no way to put it back.

There are wet oils specially designed for mountain bikes, which don't remove the chain grease and are designed to repel water and dust. These are your best bet.

Oh and all you have to do is turn the bike upside down and hold down the nossle (just a bit) spraying the chain whilst cranking the pedals round.
(but make sure you don't spray onto the brakes or wheels! else you'll be screeching everytime you stop).