Originally Posted by
rbrides
What I really like about Bike Forums is getting input from the practical, real-world experiences of everyone here.
How many miles to you put on a chain?
I just read an article in Bicycling Mag that said replace the chain “At least every 2,500 miles.”
I frequently clean my bike, use a Park Tools chain scrubber and re-lube. I do so nearly every time after a gravel ride. Every other time after a road ride.
I have only 1 bike; a "gravel" bike that I ride road and gravel, but with different wheel sets/cassettes.
I use a PT chain checker to determine if i need a new one; not mileage. 2500 miles on my Shimano chain shows no stretching.
What do you folks do?
I recently started using wax, so I’m in new territory re chain longevity. However, previously I would buy three chains and a new cassette, then run the set for 12-14k, rotating the chains every ~500 mi. Then replace the whole lot every ~2 years for ~$120. I treat cassettes as wear items, so I only use low-end (Veloce) all-steel cassettes, which are ~$44 each. I evaluate chainring wear at each cassette replacement - I usually replace the rings every two cassettes. I generally use TA rings, which are cheaper than Campag but decent. A couple of times, however, I’ve simply bought a complete NOS crankset for less than a pair of new rings, and ebayed one set of crank arms