[Leethal]

What kind of mileage should one expect from a chain on a road bike?

I know on my MTB where it see's dirt/mud/logs/rocks they don't last all that long but I rarely ride in the rain and obviously the bike stays pretty clean...

 

[Wumpus]

What kind of mileage should one expect from a chain on a road bike?

I know on my MTB where it see's dirt/mud/logs/rocks they don't last all that long but I rarely ride in the rain and obviously the bike stays pretty clean...

I just go by this from Sheldon Brown:

Measuring Chain Wear
The standard way to measure chain wear is with a ruler or steel tape measure. This can be done without removing the chain from the bicycle. The normal technique is to measure a one-foot length, placing an inch mark of the ruler exactly in the middle of one rivet, then looking at the corresponding rivet 12 complete links away. On a new, unworn chain, this rivet will also line up exactly with an inch mark. With a worn chain, the rivet will be past the inch mark.
This gives a direct measurement of the wear to the chain, and an indirect measurement of the wear to the sprockets:


If the rivet is less than 1/16" past the mark, all is well.

If the rivet is 1/16" past the mark, you should replace the chain, but the sprockets are probably undamaged.

If the rivet is 1/8" past the mark, you have left it too long, and the sprockets (at least the favorite ones) will be too badly worn. If you replace a chain at the 1/8" point, without replacing the sprockets, it may run OK and not skip, but the worn sprockets will cause the new chain to wear much faster than it should, until it catches up with the wear state of the sprockets.

If the rivet is past the 1/8" mark, a new chain will almost certainly skip on the worn sprockets, especially the smaller ones

 

[DirtyMike]

What kind of mileage should one expect from a chain on a road bike?

I know on my MTB where it see's dirt/mud/logs/rocks they don't last all that long but I rarely ride in the rain and obviously the bike stays pretty clean...

It all depends on three things, First off, the Rider, second, Where your riding, third, Riding style. Well you could say four if you want to talk about quality of the chain....But I dont think that really counts


Rider weight, how much climbing, and if they are out of the saddle alot will all dictate how fast or slow you wear a chain. I like the sheldon brown link, but I usualy sugegst buying a chain checker. There cheap, last forever, and takes seconds to check your chain. As is shows in teh SB link, you need to replace your chain before you cause damage to your drive train, A gear set can last an extremly long time if you keep up with checking and replacing your chains!!!

Linky to my favorite Chain checker
http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=5&item=CC-2

 

[BikeMike]

I have the chain checker DirtyMike posted. It's pretty sweet. I have to say, though, if I had to buy one again, I'd get the "go/no go" kind. Faster and easier, with basically the same functionality, just slightly less quantitative.

 

[DRB]

I have the go/no-go park checker and am religious with its use on the mountain bike. I'd be scared to check the road bike. I've said it before but my road bike as seen about zero maintenance since I got it.

 

[Wumpus]

I'd be scared to check the road bike. I've said it before but my road bike as seen about zero maintenance since I got it.

I never checked my chain on my first road bike. Then one day a buddy and I were doing some intervals, he was starting to gap me so I dropped into the twelve and stood up to give a couple of power stroke. Well, I guess I didn't use the twelve very often because the second I applied power, the chain jumped. It was then I started doing my best monkey imitation hanging off the front of the bike before I went down at 32 mph(according to my buddy). Thirty feet later and a couple of layers of skin I finally skidded to a stop. Luckily, the suburban behind me didn't run me over too.

 

[DRB]

I never checked my chain on my first road bike. Then one day a buddy and I were doing some intervals, he was starting to gap me so I dropped into the twelve and stood up to give a couple of power stroke. Well, I guess I didn't use the twelve very often because the second I applied power, the chain jumped. It was then I started doing my best monkey imitation hanging off the front of the bike before I went down at 32 mph(according to my buddy). Thirty feet later and a couple of layers of skin I finally skidded to a stop. Luckily, the suburban behind me didn't run me over too.

....goes quietly to check the chain....