Not sure that this warrants its own thread, but wasn’t sure where else to put it, and it seemed interesting. This is the difference between an older chain and a new one. The old one wasn’t showing significant wear, when measured with a chain-wear tool, but as you can see, all lateral stiffness is gone.
Both chains are 6500/XT 9-speed.
That’s why you gotta replace chains.
Photo by a former coworker of mine.
Nice comparison there. Any idea how many miles on the worn one?
At first is was: WTF is he talking about, then I realised which way the chains were laying/being bent.
i never understood aversion to changing chains
shit is basically free compared to cassettes/chainrings
[quote=catdrew f]i never understood aversion to changing chains
shit is basically free compared to cassettes/chainrings[/quote]
this.
No idea, unfortunately.
[quote=crabbi][quote=catdrew f]i never understood aversion to changing chains
shit is basically free compared to cassettes/chainrings[/quote]
this.[/quote]
But if you call a customer and tell them they need a new chain, they act as if that shit never fails…They take it like a death in the family.
OH MY GAWD $50?!
well, yeah. or $500 when everything goes.
I ran into that a couple times this year, where chain checker was like ‘okay,’ but so much lateral play that shifting was poop
Yeah, after I’d checked the cables and housing, the shifter itself, and eyeballed the derailleur alignment, if it’s still shifting like crap, I’m telling you that you need a new chain, regardless of what the chain checker says.
Here’s how basically every chain replacement conversation goes:
Me: You need a new chain.
Cust: I just put one on a year and a half ago!
Me: Well, this one is worn, and it needs replacement. Chains can wear for a variety of reasons, but blah blah blah cheaper than a new drivetrain, blah blah blah.
Cust: I don’t understand, my old bike, I never changed the chain once!
Me: What was your old bike?
Cust: It was a 1978 Schwinn Voyager.
So I know with motorcycles you are supposed to replace the chain and sprockets all at once. The chain on my hybrid is filthy and has about 1600 miles on it, but still shifts okay and everything. Cassette looks alright too. Is there a way to know to replace even when you don’t have the checker?
You can measure with a ruler like this http://hg-rider.blogspot.com/2010/08/measuring-chain-wear-using-12-inch.html
Well that would just make too much sense wouldn’t it
Get a checker, they’re cheap. Chainrings and cassettes should last several thousand miles is you don’t let the chain stretch too much. A new chain on a worn cassette or chainring will be obvious pretty quickly. It’ll shift like shit and jump teeth.
At some point, especially on SS, there’s also this point at which you just ride the whole thing into the ground cuz all the drivetrain parts will never get along with any others anyway.
I had a friend in college with a Subaru Justy that had been driven for over 100000 miles without an oil change–Same concept: By that point, don’t open anything and just keep driving it until it stops.
Oh, and…
JOD?
This is a chain check PSA right here. I think I’m going to go from Campy to KMC on my euro douche drivetrain bikes so I do it more often.
I don’t understand the interest in KMC or Wipperman chains - in my experience, both on my own bikes and with customers, the OEM chain ALWAYS shifts better, and last basically as long. My Campagnolo Record 11 chain life is off-the-charts; WELL over 3500 miles on it, and it shifts perfectly and barely registers any wear. I’m going to replace it come spring, just because.
Unless its SRAM then you should just basically use some rubberbands and hemp twine or something.
sram chain cassettes shift fine they just sound like garbage
guess thats what happens when campy/shimano own all the profiling patents