For the most common road bike, with one sprocket at the front and one at the back, a chain can last almost forever. But the more gears a bike has, the thinner the chains need to be in order to accurately match the sprockets. On these bicycles, the chain-cassette system is less tenacious and more susceptible to wear. So, the chain resource for 6-star bicycles is about 4, 5-6, 5 thousand kilometers, but the chain for a cassette with 8-10 stars should be changed almost every 1-1, 5 kilometers.
Instructions
Step 1
To find out if the chain is worn out or not, place it on the third sprocket (the largest), then try to pull the chain with your fingertips away from the sprocket. If two teeth on the star become completely visible - the chain is worn out, three teeth - the chain is killed.
Step 2
A sign that the cassette or chain is very worn out is also the chirping of the chain when driving, even when it is lubricated. If the chain makes such sounds even without load, then it is very worn out.
Step 3
And here is another way to check the chain for wear, more accurate: take a ruler and measure on the chain the distance between the center of any pin and the center of the 24th pin after it. If the result is 304.8-306.4mm then the chain is fine. If the result is 306, 4-307, 9 mm, the chain is worn out and should be replaced. When the measurement result becomes more than 307.9 mm, this means that the chain and cassette are worn out, and possibly even the entire system.
Step 4
If you “wind” more than 3-4 thousand km per season, the chains have to be changed. The cassette has a resource 2-3 times longer than the resource of the chain, but the more worn out the chain, the faster it destroys the cassette. If you drive 300-500 km with a worn chain, you will have to throw it out along with the cassette.
Step 5
In order to increase the resource of the chain and cassette, we advise you not to wait until the chain is worn out and starts "eating" the cassette, but to change the chain ahead of time. Then change the chain again, then start in a circle from the first, and so on.
Step 6
Remove and lay the chain aside after driving 500-600 km. Place the new chain at the same distance. Then the third. After that, choose the shortest chain and ride it for another 500-600 km, and so on. After changing the chains three times, throw them away with the cassette.
