Is my chain worn?
- Thread starter Milena
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Spiderweb
Not So Special One
- Location
- North Yorkshire
180 miles is not a lot of mileage, nothing should be worn yet.
Get a chain wear checker to check the wear in your chain, you won’t need it just yet but worth checking when you have done a couple of thousand miles.
Amazon product ASIN B00J3AA1A2View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-241092-Chain-Wear-Indicator/dp/B00J3AA1A2/ref=asc_df_B00J3AA1A2/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=218098695106&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2544642031392337516&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007145&hvtargid=pla-419842512462&psc=1&mcid=813b2c6fbc80381cb814b1e69ca96ae3&th=1&psc=1
Last edited:
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
You cannot tell whether your chain is "worn" by looking at the chain ring teeth.
But the answer is 'no': chains last over 1000 miles.
Use a steel rule to measure 10 one inch links. They should measure . . . . .
Less than 0.5% elongation is fine. 0.5% elongation of 10 links is 100.5% of the original length.
But the answer is 'no': chains last over 1000 miles.
Use a steel rule to measure 10 one inch links. They should measure . . . . .
Less than 0.5% elongation is fine. 0.5% elongation of 10 links is 100.5% of the original length.
D
Deleted member 121159
Guest
The teeth are not rounded, they look like that from new. Honestly I wouldn't even bother with measuring chain wear. It's going to last at least a couple thousand miles so if you're cycling 30-40 miles a month, it'll be a long long time before you'll have to change it. You're lucky it's 9 speed cos parts are cheap. Chain costs less than a tenner and cassette maybe £15. No big deal if you wear them out in 10 years, just change them. Just ride the thing and don't worry about it.
Thanks everyone for the replies.
I took the bike some weeks ago to halfords to get it checked for a caliper leak as I had loss of power and squealing from rear brake.
Store manager showed me upon request that my chain is very worn. He had done so previously some weeks before this too, but he did it too fast last time and I didn't get to see.
Red bike is a bike he had in store, new, on display, to show me how a the tool sits on a new unworn chain.
But what I noticed, is he accidentally put too much pressure when checking the red bikes chain, and the device went through, as you can see from the photo as it did on my bike.
The tool is basically the same as the one someone linked further up.
I had also taken it to Steve at the Canterbury bike project, who used a park tools version of the tool and showed me I don't even have 50% wear.
This leaves me confused and suspicious that the halford's manager simply applied more pressure to the tool when using it on my bike.
I was told by Steve to buy the park tools device which on amazon I think is £12. Is the cheaper silverline just as accurate?
I see someone said don't bother buying one because the cassette etc is relatively cheap for my bike.
I would say I'm doing about 40 miles a week, but some weeks it's just been torrential rain so I haven't used it those weeks.
Apologies if this thread and my reply seem long, it's all very confusing for me when one store shows me one thing, and another place shows me another, then on here, people say a chain lasts a thousands miles.
I took the bike some weeks ago to halfords to get it checked for a caliper leak as I had loss of power and squealing from rear brake.
Store manager showed me upon request that my chain is very worn. He had done so previously some weeks before this too, but he did it too fast last time and I didn't get to see.
Red bike is a bike he had in store, new, on display, to show me how a the tool sits on a new unworn chain.
But what I noticed, is he accidentally put too much pressure when checking the red bikes chain, and the device went through, as you can see from the photo as it did on my bike.
The tool is basically the same as the one someone linked further up.
I had also taken it to Steve at the Canterbury bike project, who used a park tools version of the tool and showed me I don't even have 50% wear.
This leaves me confused and suspicious that the halford's manager simply applied more pressure to the tool when using it on my bike.
I was told by Steve to buy the park tools device which on amazon I think is £12. Is the cheaper silverline just as accurate?
I see someone said don't bother buying one because the cassette etc is relatively cheap for my bike.
I would say I'm doing about 40 miles a week, but some weeks it's just been torrential rain so I haven't used it those weeks.
Apologies if this thread and my reply seem long, it's all very confusing for me when one store shows me one thing, and another place shows me another, then on here, people say a chain lasts a thousands miles.
Attachments
Chislenko
Veteran
I seem to recall a poster "milemuncher" was it? who reckoned he did 180 miles most days 🙂
Spiderweb
Not So Special One
- Location
- North Yorkshire
I would trust the chap at the Canterbury bike project.
Not all, but many Halfords bike mechanics are not great and may try to create work that is not really required.
The Silverline tool I linked above will do the same job as the Park tool chain checker.
Regarding Cassette renewal, chains wear/stretch much quicker than the rear cassette, 3 chains to 1 cassette is normally my usage. You will know when a cassette is worn as eventually it won’t ‘mesh’ with a new chain and it won’t sound quite right, it may jump or slip in the cogs that you use the most.
You sound as though you are overly worrying about your chain, probably the fault of the Halfords mechanic. Just ride your bike and enjoy. If something in the drivetrain doesn’t feel or sound right then check the chain.
Not all, but many Halfords bike mechanics are not great and may try to create work that is not really required.
The Silverline tool I linked above will do the same job as the Park tool chain checker.
Regarding Cassette renewal, chains wear/stretch much quicker than the rear cassette, 3 chains to 1 cassette is normally my usage. You will know when a cassette is worn as eventually it won’t ‘mesh’ with a new chain and it won’t sound quite right, it may jump or slip in the cogs that you use the most.
You sound as though you are overly worrying about your chain, probably the fault of the Halfords mechanic. Just ride your bike and enjoy. If something in the drivetrain doesn’t feel or sound right then check the chain.
Last edited:
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Indeed I class myself as mediocre and regularly do 150 a week
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
As above, no: your chain isn't worn.
You don't need a special tool to check - a ruler (inches...steel, ideally) will do. Just line up the line marking 0 exactly over the centre of a pin, then look at the other end. For a new chain, the line marking 12" will be exactly over the centre of a pin. As the chain wears, it will be slightly, then increasingly, eventually excessively, past the centre of the pin. I believe anything up to about 1/8" is considered acceptable.
I bet if you try it on yours you'll find you have in pretty much all but name a brand new chain.
You don't need a special tool to check - a ruler (inches...steel, ideally) will do. Just line up the line marking 0 exactly over the centre of a pin, then look at the other end. For a new chain, the line marking 12" will be exactly over the centre of a pin. As the chain wears, it will be slightly, then increasingly, eventually excessively, past the centre of the pin. I believe anything up to about 1/8" is considered acceptable.
I bet if you try it on yours you'll find you have in pretty much all but name a brand new chain.
youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
I have both the Park Tool and a cheaper Lifeline one from Wiggle. The cheaper one shows the chain to be more worn than the Park Tool. I trust the Park tool one more than the Lifeline, ad I think it is probably manufactured more accurately.
