Nothing lasts forever. This is the case of the bicycle chain; eventually it will get damaged and require a replacement. However, the chain should serve you for a significant amount of time before a replacement is needed. This leads us to the question of how long does a bike chain last.
With that information, you can be prepared for a possible breakage of the chain. You wouldn’t want the chain to suddenly fail in uncomfortable situations. Instead, you would have made the necessary changes before that happens.
If you can care properly for a bike and maintain its parts, you’d enjoy it for a longer time. The chains shouldn’t be subjected to reckless and poorly-skilled riding. Good maintenance habits and proper riding techniques should preserve it.
Bicycle Chain Lifespan
Depending on how frequently you ride your bike and how much distance you cover, the lifespan of a bicycle chain varies. It may not last for more than 500 miles, and it could also last for thousands of miles.
People that only ride their bikes a few times per week won’t experience quick chain damage. On the other hand, bikers who are always out riding would replace their chain more frequently. The quality of the chain also contributes to its lifespan. If something is made poorly you cannot expect it to last.
The nature of the terrains or trails you ride on will affect your chain’s lifespan. Rough terrain, like mountainous areas, causes more vibrations when riding. These vibrations could consequently lead to chain breakage.
You should consider the chain’s quality, the roughness of the terrain, frequency of biking, length of each ride, and proper maintenance. All these factors collectively influence how long a bike chain lasts.
What is Chain Wear?
Chain wear is a damaging effect on your bicycle chain. As you ride your triathlon bike, it’s always good to pay attention to the chain’s condition. Effects like chain wear are unavoidable; they will always happen eventually.
However, you can be prepared for it to happen. Carry out routine checkups on the chain and try to inspect how much wear has set in. There are times when chain wear is hard to notice – especially if it’s just starting.
When the chain wear becomes more significant, some consequent effects can be observed. For instance, changing gears feels more difficult. Also, when the chain is too slack, the bike’s cassette wears out faster.
When to Replace Your Chain?
When the chain just begins to wear, the effects won’t really be felt. However, as time goes by, the chain wear increases, and the effects worsen.
The chain becomes totally useless once it breaks. At that point, you’d have no choice but to replace it. If you don’t want the chain to suddenly break when you’re out on a ride, you need to have made replacements once wearing was noticed.
There are methods of verifying whether or not the chain has started wearing. To do that, you may choose to observe between the chain and chainring for any gaps. You can also take length readings with the help of a ruler. The correct measurements should read 12 inches over 12 chain links.
In addition to these methods, there are also special tools made for confirming chain wear, especially for the MTB guys. These tools can be purchased at bike stores in your community or even online. Not everyone would be interested in carrying out these checks by themselves. If you fall into that category, you can consult a professional bicycle mechanic for help.
Depending on the shop and how extensive their bike servicing package is, a small fee may be charged. It’s much better to have them service the bicycle for a little fee than to wait till the chain breaks at a bad time.
Maintaining a Bicycle Chain
If you handle your bike roughly, many of its parts will spoil quickly. With that in mind, make a conscious effort to properly maintain it.
One way to preserve your bike chain is by keeping it lubricated. A bike chain lube will reduce friction and consequently slow down chain wear. Besides, too much friction in the chain would hinder fast and seamless cycling.
What you want is for the chain to function smoothly and increase your cycling efficiency. You can purchase quality lubricants from a trusted bike shop. Online bike stores also sell these products – you can consult your mechanic for more info on the best lubricant or degreaser for bike chains.
Good maintenance habits include periodic lubricant change. After applying lubrication to the chain, you’ll need to wipe it clean with a bike chain cleaner from time to time and then apply a new lubricant. This procedure can be carried out two times each month.
A periodic change of the lubricant is needed because the old lubricant gets grimy and messes up the chain. If the grime keeps forming, the chain’s function will be adversely affected.
Because of how much dirt is formed between the chain links, a transition between the wheels would be difficult and forceful. That means you’d have to use more energy than usual to get your bike going at the required pace. Summarily, poor bike maintenance adversely affects how long a bike chain lasts.
Conclusion
As a road biker, I’ve always wondered how long does a road bike chain last. I did my personal research, which reflects here, and I can successfully extend the lifespan of my bicycle chain.
You shouldn’t neglect your bike chain. Instead, perform routine checks to see if it has started wearing. You can also stop by at the mechanic’s workshop for extensive servicing.
The major factors that contribute to the wearing and breakage of bicycle chains include biking frequency, the ruggedness of biking trails, frequency of chain maintenance, and lubrication.
Adding lubricant to the chain will reduce friction and smoothen its transition. Clean stale lubricant and add a new one about twice a month.