Chain Noise..

[Boon 51]

Over the last couple of rides my chain is starting to make a lot of noise even after a drop of oil.
Just looked in the Zinn maintenance book and it sort of said the chain wants chaining..

So how do you know when your chain is knackered.. it changes gear alright but the higher gears are noisier than lower gears and it seems the right tension.

 

[Cubist]

You could buy a chain checker, but many will tell you these are the work of Satan and overexagerate wear. You can use the "measuring the links method". You can try lifting the chain of the chainring and seeing if you can make daylight appear underneath it, or you can estimate that it's a MTB chain, subject to all sorts of stresses and strains, and probably needs changing every 300 miles or so just to be on the safe side.

Of course you could try lubing it in the manner prescribed by Brave Sir Allayn of Mickle, which may sort it. I'd try a good dose of a decent wax lube before I changed it.

 

[Andrew 14]

You will need to check the cassette and chain rings as well if these need changeing putting on a new chain can cause shifting problems

 

[Smurfy]

Measure the chain very carefully over 24 pitches using a steel ruler (centre of pin to centre of pin). When the chain is new, the measurement should be precisely 12 inches. Replace the chain just before the measurement gets to 12 1/16 inches. If you've left it too late the new chain may skip on the cassette.

If you want to do this more accurately, remove the chain, suspend it by one end, and measure 48 pitches, the length of which must not exceed 24 1/8 inches.

 

[Boon 51]

I should of put this in the first post sorry guys..
Its a Giant TCR 1 with near as 1000 road miles.

 

[Boon 51]

You will need to check the cassette and chain rings as well if these need changeing putting on a new chain can cause shifting problems

I've looked at the cassettee and chain ring all they all look good as new..

 

[Andrew 14]

I've looked at the cassettee and chain ring all they all look good as new..

This will be the mtb er in me coming out on a mtb it's more of an issue than on a road bike

 

[Smurfy]

I should of put this in the first post sorry guys..
Its a Giant TCR 1 with near as 1000 road miles.

A lot of the wear probably comes from grit particles thrown up by the front tyre onto the chain as it passes around the chain ring (grit is much harder than steel, and makes an effective grinding paste when combined with oil). Whether 1000 miles is enough to trash the chain depends on a lot of things, such as how much grit is on the road, how often you clean the chain etc. etc.

If you want to read the source of the chain measuring method I described, you need to visit the the excellent website written by the late Sheldon Brown. This website contains information on all manner of bicycle technology/design/components, and the article I linked to describes many aspects of chain care/maintenance/wear etc. etc.

 

[Boon 51]

Now I've had time too think about it over night, I'm going take the bike to the lbs and get him to look at it.
Its funny coz I know about motorbikes and lots too learn about bycycles.. strange world.

 

[lulubel]

I'd be worried if I was only getting 1,000 miles out of a chain on a road bike.

 

[Boon 51]

The more I'm thinking about it.... it might not be the chain as it's not rattley in all gears, were as I thought it would be if it was the chain.

The bike shop shut today would you adam and eve it...

 

[brucers]

Could it be that the gear hanger is not centred over the chain, so when riding the chain is knocking against the mech?

 

[billy1561]

I've had a rattle noise from the front chain rings in the past, which turned out to be the cable tension needed adjusting. Just chain rub on the mech.

 

[Boon 51]

I've had a rattle noise from the front chain rings in the past, which turned out to be the cable tension needed adjusting. Just chain rub on the mech.

I had thought it could be cable tensions this morning as they have never been touched all the while I've had the bike..
( trying to sound as if I know what I doing)

 

[lulubel]

In that case, it's likely to be cable stretch.

You'll have a barrel adjuster where the inner cable exits the outer on the downtube. Turn it anti-clockwise a quarter turn at a time and see if that helps. Keep track of how much you've turned it though, so you can turn it back again if you've turned it the wrong way and it gets worse. (I always find it hard to figure out which way is anti-clockwise when I'm standing by the bike!)