Bike chains

Or use a good ruler. 12 links should be 12 inches, if you're over by 1/16, you're wearing the freehub/freewheel and chainrings.
 
Originally Posted by Wheel
Or use a good ruler. 12 links should be 12 inches, if you're over by 1/16, you're wearing the freehub/freewheel and chainrings.

That's what I do, although I find the rollers get sloppy long before then--supposedly sloppy rollers don't cause wear but by then the chain is a soggy mess and I'm tired of looking at it. I suspect our roads are sandy; plus I do a fair amount of riding on dirt roads.

I've decided this year to stop removing from the bike and cleaning, as I don't think it really extended chain life all that much--it's easier to just replace every 500 miles than to clean and get 1,000 miles or whatever. YMMV.

The higher the number of cogs the shorter the life, give or take.
 
1/16" of 12" is just over 0.5% which is a good conservative guideline - the amount of permissible stretch has gotten less with the newer thinner chains. My Park Tool chain-stretch checker is about 10 years old and measures 0.75% (chain is starting to wear, consider replacement soon) and 1.0% stretch (replace chain now!); the newer model is calibrated for 0.5% and 0.75%.

A friend who's more conscientious about his chain than I am rotates three chains, changing each out about every 1000 km, to keep freehub wear minimized.
 
I mostly mountain bike and I never clean my chain. I just use Boeshield T9 and lube when it gets noisy. I don't overapply. My KMC x11.93 chains usually last anywhere between 600-1000 offroad miles which I would say is pretty impressive for an 11 speed chain offroad. IMO, it's not worth the time invested in cleaning the chain since they usually cost less than $30. I get mine anywhere between $21-27 online.
 
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I've actually started using mineral spirits and a chain cleaning gadget with good luck lately. Just be careful mineral spirits is a pretty strong degreaser so there will probably be a puddle of black oil when you're done.

It will however get all the old oil and dirt out of your chain.

Another method if you don't have a chain cleaning gadget is to just take the chain off sand shake it with mineral spirits in a small water bottle until all the dirt and grease is gone.

Then re-lube with your lube of choice.

Although I agree with others that it's not worth the time invested for a $15 - $30 chain sometimes we don't have anything wrong with the chain but we just want a clean chain to ride on and to that end the chain cleaning gadget with mineral spirits seems to do wonders.
 
It probably makes more sense to clean a road bike chain than a mountain bike chain. Even a new mountain bike chain gets dirty after one or two rides. Simply not worth the effort vs the cost. And there is no evidence that cleaning it prolongs life. In fact, the only time I have ever snapped a chain was one that I cleaned and KMC's website explicitly says not to clean chains with anything other than soap and water and only if necessary.
 
I only mountain bike and prefer White Lightning Clean Ride. Goes on liquid, dries waxy. Been using that or similar dry/wax lubes for decades.
 
Originally Posted by Kamele0N
More then chain life....you prolong rear&front cassette life with cleaning

Theoretically yes. But in practice, one dusty ride and everything is contaminated with grit anyways. In any case, my 1x11 XG 1175 sram cassette currently has close to 2000 off-road miles (probably a lot more total miles but I don't calculate my road to trail miles) with no signs of worn teeth or sloppy shifting. My current chain is at 700 miles and still below 0.5 stretch. Pretty good longevity.
 
Originally Posted by supton
Originally Posted by Wheel
Or use a good ruler. 12 links should be 12 inches, if you're over by 1/16, you're wearing the freehub/freewheel and chainrings.

That's what I do, although I find the rollers get sloppy long before then--supposedly sloppy rollers don't cause wear but by then the chain is a soggy mess and I'm tired of looking at it. I suspect our roads are sandy; plus I do a fair amount of riding on dirt roads.

I've decided this year to stop removing from the bike and cleaning, as I don't think it really extended chain life all that much--it's easier to just replace every 500 miles than to clean and get 1,000 miles or whatever. YMMV.

The higher the number of cogs the shorter the life, give or take.


It sounds like you should try a dry wax lube like Squirt or Smoove.
Both actually do well in wet conditions (albeit with more frequent re-application) and excel in dry dusty conditions.
They are also two of the faster lubes out there in terms of watts lost in the drivetrain Friction Facts pdf.

The two mistakes most people make with this kind of lube are:
- Not properly cleaning the chain before switching. All the old lube needs to be removed before you switch over.
- Not letting the lube dry before riding. Wax type dry-lubes aren't an apply, wipe off the excess and ride affair, you need to apply them at least a few hours before use (I generally apply after riding when the chain needs it, that way the bike is ready to go for the next ride).

They both leave a bit of build-up on the cassette but it doesn't affect shifting.
 
Originally Posted by VeeDubb
Originally Posted by Kamele0N
More then chain life....you prolong rear&front cassette life with cleaning

Theoretically yes. But in practice, one dusty ride and everything is contaminated with grit anyways. In any case, my 1x11 XG 1175 sram cassette currently has close to 2000 off-road miles (probably a lot more total miles but I don't calculate my road to trail miles) with no signs of worn teeth or sloppy shifting. My current chain is at 700 miles and still below 0.5 stretch. Pretty good longevity.



I'd be curious how much your weigh in at.
 
Originally Posted by Surestick
Originally Posted by supton
Originally Posted by Wheel
Or use a good ruler. 12 links should be 12 inches, if you're over by 1/16, you're wearing the freehub/freewheel and chainrings.

That's what I do, although I find the rollers get sloppy long before then--supposedly sloppy rollers don't cause wear but by then the chain is a soggy mess and I'm tired of looking at it. I suspect our roads are sandy; plus I do a fair amount of riding on dirt roads.

I've decided this year to stop removing from the bike and cleaning, as I don't think it really extended chain life all that much--it's easier to just replace every 500 miles than to clean and get 1,000 miles or whatever. YMMV.

The higher the number of cogs the shorter the life, give or take.


It sounds like you should try a dry wax lube like Squirt or Smoove.
Both actually do well in wet conditions (albeit with more frequent re-application) and excel in dry dusty conditions.
They are also two of the faster lubes out there in terms of watts lost in the drivetrain Friction Facts pdf.

The two mistakes most people make with this kind of lube are:
- Not properly cleaning the chain before switching. All the old lube needs to be removed before you switch over.
- Not letting the lube dry before riding. Wax type dry-lubes aren't an apply, wipe off the excess and ride affair, you need to apply them at least a few hours before use (I generally apply after riding when the chain needs it, that way the bike is ready to go for the next ride).

They both leave a bit of build-up on the cassette but it doesn't affect shifting.

Hmm, interesting. I'll have to look into that, maybe this winter I'll change a bike over.
 
When I clean chains, I've been using a jar full of mineral spirits(stoddard solvent) and giving it a good shake. Wipe down with a rag and then hit it with Boeshield T9 or WD-40 Bike Wet/Dry. On the rare occasion I do a cyclocross race or a dirty ride, I will spray my drivetrain down with WD-40 as a prophylactic measure and then lubricare properly.

I've been using Rock & Roll lately out of pure laziness. All my bikes are due for a chain lubing.
 
Originally Posted by supton
Originally Posted by Surestick
Originally Posted by supton
Originally Posted by Wheel
Or use a good ruler. 12 links should be 12 inches, if you're over by 1/16, you're wearing the freehub/freewheel and chainrings.

That's what I do, although I find the rollers get sloppy long before then--supposedly sloppy rollers don't cause wear but by then the chain is a soggy mess and I'm tired of looking at it. I suspect our roads are sandy; plus I do a fair amount of riding on dirt roads.

I've decided this year to stop removing from the bike and cleaning, as I don't think it really extended chain life all that much--it's easier to just replace every 500 miles than to clean and get 1,000 miles or whatever. YMMV.

The higher the number of cogs the shorter the life, give or take.


It sounds like you should try a dry wax lube like Squirt or Smoove.
Both actually do well in wet conditions (albeit with more frequent re-application) and excel in dry dusty conditions.
They are also two of the faster lubes out there in terms of watts lost in the drivetrain Friction Facts pdf.

The two mistakes most people make with this kind of lube are:
- Not properly cleaning the chain before switching. All the old lube needs to be removed before you switch over.
- Not letting the lube dry before riding. Wax type dry-lubes aren't an apply, wipe off the excess and ride affair, you need to apply them at least a few hours before use (I generally apply after riding when the chain needs it, that way the bike is ready to go for the next ride).

They both leave a bit of build-up on the cassette but it doesn't affect shifting.

Hmm, interesting. I'll have to look into that, maybe this winter I'll change a bike over.


Depending on the weather that might not be the best season.
Squirt makes a winter version of their lube but I've never tried it so I can't speak to its performance.
On my fatbike in the winter I use oil on the chain. I only ride it on trails though so the oil just sees clean snow, not slush or gritty water.
 
For the past 20 years I've used chainsaw bar & chain oil on bicycle chains. It is like 90W transmission oil, you can smell the EP additives, and it has a tackifier to reduce splatter. I've got a Trek road bike with Shimano 105 that has 15,000 miles and the chain is not stretched, cog teeth still symmetric. I've got a tandem with Shimano Ultegra with about 10,000 miles, same story. I believe this oil has enough film strength and EP additives to reduce metal-metal contact and extend the life. It also runs nice & quiet. As a bonus, you can buy this oil at places like Lowes & Home Depot for $5 to $10 per gallon, which will last a lifetime.

Also, keep the chain clean. Nothing wears the chain like riding in rain/dirt, which gets fine grit up into the links. That's like throwing sand into machinery.
 
For the past 20 years I've used chainsaw bar & chain oil on bicycle chains. It is like 90W transmission oil, you can smell the EP additives, and it has a tackifier to reduce splatter. I've got a Trek road bike with Shimano 105 that has 15,000 miles and the chain is not stretched, cog teeth still symmetric. I've got a tandem with Shimano Ultegra with about 10,000 miles, same story. I believe this oil has enough film strength and EP additives to reduce metal-metal contact and extend the life. It also runs nice & quiet. As a bonus, you can buy this oil at places like Lowes & Home Depot for $5 to $10 per gallon, which will last a lifetime.

Also, keep the chain clean. Nothing wears the chain like riding in rain/dirt, which gets fine grit up into the links. That's like throwing sand into machinery.

See, that's the issue with oil, it's fine if you keep it clean which is a big ask in most situations, and entails a lot of messy cleaning.

There were a series of tests done by Friction Facts on chain-lube efficiency within the past few years which show wax lubes to be superior in terms of friction and chain longevity than other lubes. The theory seems to be that, in addition to lubricating and not attracting dirt, the wax seals out mud, grit, and other contaminants that turn oil-based lubes into a grinding paste. In addition, unless you're doing the whole crock-pot thing, the maintenance is way cleaner and easier than with oil. Just wipe the chain off with a rag, apply more lube, let it dry for a couple of hours and you're good to go.
The oil-based lubes on the test showed very good initial performance which quickly degraded as the oil got contaminated.

I mean the difference of a few watts between best and worst-performing isn't something you are going to feel, and likely won't care about unless you're competing but the ease of maintenance and, to a lesser extent, clean looking chain are a definite plus in my book. That said, chain lube is choice is a personal thing so YMMV...
 
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...See, that's the issue with oil, it's fine if you keep it clean which is a big ask in most situations, and entails a lot of messy cleaning.
True; keeping it clean is more important than whatever lube you use.

... wax lubes to be superior in terms of friction and chain longevity than other lubes. The theory seems to be that, in addition to lubricating and not attracting dirt, the wax seals out mud, grit, and other contaminants that turn oil-based lubes into a grinding paste. ...
I tried wax lube years ago. It was the worst lube I ever put on a chain. After one day of riding the chain was dry and squeaking. Admittedly, it was a MTB ride with sand, dirt & mud. But I had done that ride before with oil based lube without a problem. So I never used wax lube again. Maybe wax lubes have improved over the years and they're worth another try.

OTOH, oil based lube has proven longevity in my applications, so I feel if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
 
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