Bike chains

I do my best to take care of my bike. Normally, anything that breaks is usually due to some accident, not miscare. But I remember the last time I biked, the chain just broke. It wasn't rusted or old. And it was properly lubricated. So should we simply just expect the chains to suddenly break at some point?

 

How many miles was it used? How many speeds is your bike? How and where on the chain did it break?

 

get a chain gauge to check wear, or measure it pin to pin with a ruler. But yes, if your chain has lots of miles on it, it can eventually break even if its not rusted. http://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/gear/article/bicycle-chain-wear-explained-46015/

Replace cassette and chains together. A bad cassette will wear out a chain faster and a bad chain will wear out a cassette faster. They tend to work together and conform to each others wear. I just bought a direct drive trainer and threw a new cassette on the trainer. Because my chain has some miles on it, I am going to replace the chain on my bike and the cassette on my rear. it's a relatively cheap fix on most bikes

 

If you're a smooth rider, don't cross chain, and take care of chain by regularly cleaning and lubing it it should last at least 8,000 miles before it wears out, breaking a chain should be rare event, in 40 years of riding including 10 years of racing I never broke a chain, I have about 8,000 miles on my current chain and it's still checking out good.

I disagree with changing the cassette at every chain replacement, if you maintained your stuff you shouldn't have to change the cassette except for every third chain replacement. Yes a bad cassette can wear out a chain but if you maintained the chain and gears that cassette won't go bad until the third chain has gone bad. This business of changing the cassette every time is a mantra that some LBS's preach, but it simply is not necessary. If you don't change the chain in time then it, the chain that is, will wear out the cassette; I usually change my chain when it gets to 0.75 mm over 20 half links, and usually when I get to the third chain I may let that run out to 1 mm over 20 links because I know the cassette will have to get replaced. If you wait too long and the chain starts skipping then you're going to have to replace the cassette along with the chain.

What wears down chains and gear is minute particles of road grit and metal, if you clean your chain using something like the Park chain cleaning machine it contains a magnet in the base that attracts the metal particles so that crap is eliminated from your drive system. And wiping down your chain after each ride helps a lot, then clean and relube about every 150 miles...unless you're using some sort of wax crap based lube than you have to reapply the wax after every ride, and the chain will wear out faster with wax lubes.

 

I think Froze's advice is great if you are meticulous or even reasonably diligent about drive train maintenance. I've never had a chain brake either in 25 plus years of regular riding. I generally follow a noise and feel based guideline, which is if your drivetrain is quiet and shifting smoothly, then everything is probably ok. When stuff gets noisy or shifting becomes stickier, you need to address, first by cleaning and lube, then a gauge, then chain replacement if you've got real stretch.

But in terms of bang for your buck, swapping the chain and cassette together is a pretty low cost high satisfaction fix. The 3-1 chain-cassette rule works for most folks. In SE PA with lots of rolling hills, rain, and road grit- means lots of shifting in gummy conditions, replacing both is about the same cost as replacing a set of tires and it feels like a new bike

 

On my old 9 sp triple, I was getting about 6K miles per chain before hitting the dreaded 0.75% wear side of the ParkTool drop-in gauge. And I found I had to change the cassette every other chain, or roughly at 12K miles. Otherwise, the new chain would skip on the worn (6K mile) cassette when climbing out of the saddle.

I like kopride's advice to change the cassette and change together. I tend to be a cheapskate, but if you're willing to pay for it, believe you'll get the best shifting performance and quiet operation from a new-matching chain and cassette. Also, my experience has been the new chain lasts longer with the new cassette, at least based on my records over 40K miles on the old bike. Note despite liking the idea, I always ran the cassettes for two chains.

Also found I like to replace the chainrings at about 18K miles. When they wear, you can feel "slippage" when applying pressure on the pedal as the chain rides up off the worn cogs. That can't be good for efficiency of power transmission.

Note I'm a fairly heavy rider at 200 lbs, and we have lots of hills here with 10% and higher gradients. Of course steep hills put a lot more load on the chain, chainrings and cogs vs. just cruising on the flats.

 

I also get about two to three chains per cassette replacement. Most of the time when I install the third chain I put on anew cassette.

I clean my chain weekly and usually refresh lube mid-week, depending on mileage. I rarely get more than 2500 miles out of a chain before hitting 0.75% on the Park Tool CC-3.2 Chain Checker. Only cross chain when my brain is gone from effort. I do climb a bit. Use Chorus chains lubricated with Finish Line Dry and am a light weight rider with only moderate power stats and do my best to avoid riding in the rain.

 

On probation, a youthful child generally is a criminal record as extended as his arm: thievery under, uttering, assault, etc. I had been selecting attempted murder nevertheless legal court wasn't. Two a couple of slow days his 18th birthday--still a juvie, shitty for people.

I live downtown regarding the harbour together with street. The simple truth is, I don't get enough proper sleep anymore. When asleep I order attracted in inside the slap and roll within the best skateboard for beginners, wheels spinning inside the pavement, cutting ribbons of darkness lower the centreline. I stay home within the question some nights 3 a.m. watching him, question where his mother is. His buddy squats within the curb, pounding the beer he's stashed within the coat. Later, the empty can constantly may well be a funnel for avoid, loud as an alarm.


The person inside the front inside the paper passed Dave--a great kid getting employment pumping gas. Everyone requested, "That you just vulnerable to finish in five years Davey?"

His grad night was the most effective nights his existence. Dave along with buddies, outdoors the town Hall, downing a twixer of Polar Ice vodka somebody stole making use of their old man's cabinet. His buddies pointed out, "Most of us gave a toast money for hard occasions, we pointed out give `er shit." Couple lines of coke, effective of acidity. So wasted when his buddies came back into promenade the planet was magnified, solution-of-focus. A loud buzz within the mind and Japanese plum trees inside the carpark shook their curly heads at him.

"Davey," his buddies pointed out after they found him beneath the swing set, face reduced the own vomit, "Davey, you in bad shape mofo. Seriously baby talk to me."

My pal was four years from highschool, pointless to party. June 9, 11 p.m., 1999. "Ahead obtaining 100 yearsInch blaring from his truck. how to turn on a skateboard

There's a grad party three doorways lower. The neighbours couldn't sleep for the Tragically Hip together with squeal of-season radials inside the smoke show out front.

My pal was easily misinterpreted.

He visited the road to talk. Pointed out, "Make party a location else."

The ladies ongoing to acquire back when using the truck.

Grade 10 dropout. A Youthful Child visited a grad party three doorways lower.

There's a grad party three doorways lower. My pal was easily misinterpreted. He visited the road to talk.

When asleep these boys burned blow on somebody's parents' silverware, attracted smoke acquiring a glass pipe lifted from my school science lab.

They pointed out, "Eat shit," when my pal mentioned excitedly, "Make party a location else."

My pal was bigger, could've taken the motive pressure, youthful man to youthful man, nevertheless the booze and medicines made the boys hyper, The party attracted. It absolutely was starting to rain there's trouble lower the road.

Within your house there's a totally new-faced boy within the television screen: half smile, half grimace, school grad--our only recent picture. My old man's pacing the road out front, rain plastering his thin hair to his scalp. Cops and dogs everywhere, in ditches, in Suburbans, with the cooking filled with dishes. Rain. No weapon, nothing. One empty beer can worth fuck all.

Cop states, "Someone switched inside the plate number, we'll make certain that out. Plenty of rain today. We're sorry mister, we really are."

It absolutely was 12 a.m. Three cars pulled for your backyard making use of their headlights off. Five, 10, 15 people stacked out. Others proven up. Nobody frequently see perfectly. The neighbours couldn't sleep for the Tragically Hip together with yelling nearby.

Those who testified: The motive pressure inside the vehicle, Ron and Trevor, my brother's girlfriend. Everyone agreed my pal pointed out, "Let's not do this.In . It didn't matter.

My pal was afraid. He was weak with adrenaline. The Tragically Hip blared within the tape deck.

He pointed out individually, "Let's not do this.In .

My pal generally is a bat inside the truck. How to ride a skateboard for beginners

My mom and dad were another place. Their nest was emptying, so they were fighting. My mother sitting alone inside the truck. The dial tone inside the cordless phone inside the seat beside her can be a loud whine. It absolutely was evening and rain attracted within the hood inside the truck, like monotony. Their marriage attracted. There's trouble lower the road.

A Youthful Child was on probation.

Nobody frequently see perfectly. A Youthful Child left the dark acquiring a bat. Everyone was 17.

My pal pointed out, "What the fuck is niagra?In . His mind buzzing like some electric machine, he looked for whim among the unfamiliar faces--fast and vibrant as satellites inside the headlights of his truck.

The neighbours saw nothing.

Someone pointed out, "Cops are coming."

The colorful house must have proven up in this region miles away. My brother's girl couldn't see perfectly. She was running, almost all her neck, stiff and cold. The key factor factor factor factor factor door opened up up up up up up up up up up up up. She saw there's blood stream stream stream stream stream stream on her behalf account account account account account account account account account account account shirt where her boyfriend's mind are really. Every light in your house was on, r / c tuned to rock-line. Someone pointed out, "Are actually on air.Inch The songs was loud when she dialed the paramedics.

"Proceed,Inch the operator pointed out.

My brother's ideas are fractured in three places, his jaw too--the doc states, "Brain damage. Inside the up side, he's youthful." Inside the lower side, he doesn't know who I am.

The reporter takes five while my pop could possibly get his shit together. No sleep, no leads, he's failing. "It's Father's Day" according to him. "He wants to go back home but my boy can't move."

Two a couple of slow days his 18th birthday together with Kid generally is a criminal record as extended since the arm that hit my pal, four occasions inside the amount of moments, until he stopped moving.

She got six a couple of days in juvenile hall. They're in three.

All the kids who didn't see stacked for parents' cars like a toxic implosion. My brother's buddies saw everything.

At 12:15 a.m., my pal fell behind the wheels of one of the cars. He was 21. Trevor had my pal within the arms. The cops were coming.

The motive pressure testified a young child place the bat inside the trunk. Three carloads of people. Nobody saw an issue.

Ron reaches the ditch when using the driver. Youthful man to youthful man.

Kid pointed out, "The fuck's inside my shirt?"

The motive pressure pointed out, "Blood stream stream stream stream stream stream."