Chain wear on XC bike

Discuss light weight issues concerning mountain bikes & parts.

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kavitator
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by kavitator

Hi!

What do you think about replacing chain (SRAM) almost every month - i am 82-85kg and sometimes almost every ride is st hill (1200-1600elevation)
Steepest climb has 27% - avg is around 15%

Which chain has longest life?

caad4rep
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by caad4rep

How many miles a month do you ride and what are the conditions like?

A month seems overkill to me but maybe you are throwing down epic mud miles...

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TonyM
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by TonyM

+1

Yepp the chain wear depends also on the kilometers/miles, the weather condition, etc...

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kavitator
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by kavitator

one ride is around 50km- but climb is very badass in the hardest part.
I also shift a lot to get in high cadence.

Probablby combination of fine sand (dust) and high torique (steep long climb and low gear)
Also i didnt clean chain after every ride (who has time for that :)

Thats why a ride up there :beerchug:

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02GF74
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by 02GF74

Are you saying you think you need to replace the chain or need to


Do you have a chain wear gauge, that will answer your question.

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kavitator
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by kavitator

I replace it - meseaure it with caliper 132.6mm - if it is more it must be replaced (also it is louder and shifts bad)

It was last year - arpund 5-7 climbs (5 with 1500m ascent and one with 2000m) and chain was "streched". Also that time i was in good form (national tt champ in cat)

This year i get new bike and soon will be in betterform (6months recovery after broken leg) - so i question before it happenes :D This chain also has 132.6mm (around 700km and 13000m ascent)

I use method 132.6mm for road bike too and it works. After 132.7mm shifting is worse)

bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

Thats a campagnolo recommendation i think and applies to there chains with very little play from new.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Yes, that’s the Campagnolo guideline, and I use it too. It’s a pretty conservative guideline but it is in fact a good one. Over time, when I’ve noticed a degradation in performance, I’ve measured the distance and confirmed that the 132.60mm guideline seems to be a very good point at which to replace chains if you want everything to work as intended. It’s a little shy of the 0.50 mark on say, the Park gauges, so for practicality and ease of use the park 0.50 mark is a good approximation of the “practical” point at which I will change a change.
I use Campy and don’t rotate chains as I use the peened pin, but I wouldn’t rotate chains anyway. The only time I change chains before they are worn out is if I’m changing chainring sizes and it needs a different length.
I have a bunch of wheels with a bunch of different cassettes, making it difficult to really track how many miles each combination has on them. But if I didn’t change anything and used the same drivetrain all the time, I’ve found that I can get two chains per cassette. Install a new third one and it will be likely be skipping from day one.
The other thing that really affects chain/cassette life is rider weight, and power of course. And, in the case of the OP, a bunch of grinding grit and steep uphills doesn’t help things either.
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02GF74
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by 02GF74

I don't know how you can accurately measure it with vernier calliper, how do you ensure you have the centre of the pins?

Spend 5 bucks on a gauge, trust me, I used to use callipers too but gauge is much simpler, accurate and consistent.

ooo
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by ooo

May be you forget to change front chainrings?
'

bm0p700f
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by bm0p700f

Look at campag instructions to put the Vernier in the rollers.

MikeD
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by MikeD

Use a ruler or tape measure on the bottom run of the chain. If it measures 12 1/16 or greater when lined up over the rivet centers at 0 and 12", it's worn out.

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boots2000
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by boots2000

I think you are smart. XX1 and Eagle cassettes are expensive. Chains are cheap.

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