QUESTION: I’ve been told by a local shop that my bike’s chain should be replaced every 1,000 miles. Does this sound right? Also, how often should I clean and lube the chain? — Bill S.
COACH FRED: A thousand miles seems conservative. It might be necessary to replace a chain that often if the bike is frequently ridden on wet or gritty roads. But chains can usually go 2,000 to 3,000 miles or even longer before there’s enough wear to relegate them to the trash bin, if they are well maintained. Read our comprehensive guide to chains here.
But there’s a catch. You need to clean and lube the chain anywhere from once a week to once a month in order to get maximum life. It depends on how often you ride and the conditions you ride in.
I live in a dry climate (Colorado), so my chain doesn’t pick up much gunk that accelerates wear. Ed lives in a wetter, more humid climate (North Carolina), where he needs to keep a closer eye on lubrication and sludgy buildup.
We both like Boeshield T-9 lube. It’s a solvent/paraffin wax formula that comes in a spray can or drip bottle. We apply it after a ride, spin the crank for a minute to help it work in, then wipe the chain down to clean it and remove excess lube. This gives the chain plenty of time to dry before the next ride, so nothing will stick to it.
Using this method with T-9 or another good lube, a chain will stay clean, shiny and in service for the maximum number of miles.
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I believe that the best chain lube is paraffin wax (YouTube’s Oz Cycle). Proven to be better than Boeshield.
Fred is right, about 2k – 3k miles per chain. Bike shops are in business to sell you things. There used to be a LBS that was the most unethical shop I have ever seen. They took a Park Tool chain checker and bent the pins so that EVERY chain measured (even a new one right out of the box) showed 100% wear. Because of this, I do all my own maintenance. Learn more about your bike and how to maintain it. A chain checker is inexpensive and all cyclists should have one.
In fact, lets ask FRED and JIM to put a list together of a minimum set of tools they recommend for the garage mechanic!
I wipe every ride and lub every other ride and get more miles than the average guy. Back in the 9 and 10 speeds days I’d over 5000. The 11 speed narrow chain doesn’t do near that many. I hardly ever get the park chain checker to drop in even the .5. I do check in many different spots on the chain, not just in one spot. I noticed once that around the quick connector it seemed to indicate stretch. So I decided to go back to the stock shimano break off special pin. Now I see they only supply the connector link! (Dura ace, di2,average ride 40-50miles)
Chain wear depends very heavily on the rider (power output, rider weight, shifting behavior), riding conditions (rain, road grit), maintenance, and chain quality. But you don’t have to guess. Measure the chain over 24 links, which is a nominal 12 inch length. When the chain has elongated 1/16 of an inch (0.5%) then it should be replaced, regardless of how many miles it has. And that most often will be WAY more than 1,000 miles.
So I do a decent job with chain maintenance. It also have the Park tool to measure stretch. I find that after 1000-1500 I have to change chains based on stretch alone. I am a heavy rider and in CA there is much climbing to be done. That said, I have never had issues nor needed to replace a rear cassette or front chain rings.
If you wipe your chain off with a paper towel after every ride, then lube it with DuPont Chain Lube, wiping off excess lube immediately, your chain will last well beyond the 1,000 – 3,000 miles cited… Using a chain measuring tool, I get nearly 10,000 miles on a chain (30,000 miles on a cassette)… All it takes is 2 – 3 minutes at the end of ride…
i replace them every1500 miles and i clean them once a week with a little bit of dawn ultra and a rag followed by pro gold, spin the crank a few times wait about 15 minutes and then wipe it down. this has always served me well, and at 265 lbs. i’ve fortunately never had one break. i don’t mind replacing them so often since a more than decent sram chain can be had for about 15 bucks. additionally i make sure to remove any crud build up from the jockey wheels, which i kind of liken to changing the oil on your vehicle but not changing the filter!
I started waxing my chain over two years ago averaging about 4000 miles between refurbishment. The wax tells you when it needs to be replaced with soft squeaks, otherwise it is quiet, clean, efficient. I have over 10000 miles on my current chain with no skipping or obvious stretch. Perhaps it is the combination of using it on a front wheel drive recumbent and my generally low power that keeps it from stretching. The chain is only about 8 links longer than a standard 11-speed. Waxing the chain is actually fun. I clean with hot soapy water in a ultrasonic cleaner, rinse, bake-out water at 160 degF, and leave in a small crock pot full of wax on low overnight. After that you just drip dry, cool and reinstall and you are good for another 3000-4000 miles, at least in my situation.
Definitely get a chain checker to eliminate guesswork – chain wear does vary significantly depending on the bike, the rider, and the type of riding. My 1×10 gravel bike can wear out a chain in 1000 miles, but I usually get at least 3000 miles on an 11-speed road bike and significantly more on 10-speed. And that’s being conservative, and replacing the chain at 0.5 rather than going closer to 0.75.
There is no mention of using a chain wear checker. I use a Rohloff I got cheap through a friendly LBS years ago but is quite expensive. Park makes a cheaper one. I’ve read the comments in other chat boards questioning the accuracy versus measuring absolute length of the entire chain but I find it the checker works well.
I wipe my chain BEFORE each ride so I don’t have to guess whether or not it has been cleaned. Use a rag; paper can leave itself on the chain to collect lube and then dirt. I lube every 250 miles or so, which prevents the squeaks and therefore unneeded wear. My chains have lasted from 1,000 miles to 5,000 miles; it all depends on the conditions ridden in and how often it is wiped. Use the cheaper and better rigid chain checker with .5% and .75% wear indications. At .5% wear replace the chain. The chain checkers with the movable pin can give inaccurate readings if the pin is bent.
A clean chain gives better shifting, extends the life of the rest of the drive train, and reduces a host of maintenance woes.