chain stretch question

I was going over my bike today and slight adjusting of the the front
dérailleur and set up. I then cleaned the chain and decided to get a
measurement of the chain. I have precision rulers and after 1300 miles
on the chain there is no stretch. I did not expect much but this is spot
on every link lines up on my metal ruler that goes down in 1/32 inches.
Over 12 inch span the links exact on the mark. It is a shimano 5600
narrow 10 speed chain and I know chains can last depends on how you ride.

I have a compact crank and there are no real huge hills I push up in the
flat lands. I almost never come up and pedal out of the saddle so I
don't stomp on the chain and I keep in clean and lube it all the time.
About the worst thing I do is with tailwinds and slight downhills I do
try to see about how fast I can go but that is more spinning. I also
never ride in the rain or bad conditions other than cold now in central
Illinois.

At the rate I am going this chain should go many more miles. Is this
possible or common given the parameters of my riding? I get all kinds of
things about changing the chain and seems about 2000 miles is the limit.
I would say at this point mine will last much longer. What do the
experts here think or do some of you get that kind of mileage on a chain.


--
Deacon Mark Cleary
Epiphany Roman Catholic Church

On Nov 14, 10:15*pm, Mark Cleary wrote:

At the rate I am going this chain should go many more miles. Is this
possible or common given the parameters of my riding? I get all kinds of
things about changing the chain and seems about 2000 miles is the limit.
I would say at this point mine will last much longer. What do the
experts here think or do some of you get that kind of mileage on a chain.

As I'm sure Jobst will be happy to point out, motorcycle
primary chains last tens of thousands of miles: mostly
because they run in a protected environment. If, for
some reason, your chain sees very little dirt, grit, rain,
what-not, that is to say, if the lubricant inside the chain
remains reasonably clean and intact, you should get
plenty more than 3000 miles out of a chain.

Personally, & given that a bicycle is my primary trans-
port, a $12 chain now and again is peanuts to use
the bicycle any time I please, rather than try to baby
it and avoid filth or smut or moth & rust.

(Does that above make sense? I'm a couple of drinks
in and it scan fine to me, but there's a nagging doubt)

Jobst Brandt wrote:
Mark Cleary wrote:

I was going over my bike today and slight adjusting of the the front
derailleur and set up. I then cleaned the chain and decided to get
a measurement of the chain. I have precision rulers and after 1300
miles on the chain there is no stretch. I did not expect much but
this is spot on every link lines up on my metal ruler that goes down
in 1/32 inches. Over 12 inch span the links exact on the mark. It
is a Shimano 5600 narrow 10 speed chain and I know chains can last
depends on how you ride.

I have a compact crank and there are no real huge hills I push up in
the flat lands. I almost never come up and pedal out of the saddle
so I don't stomp on the chain and I keep in clean and lube it all
the time. About the worst thing I do is with tailwinds and slight
downhills I do try to see about how fast I can go but that is more
spinning. I also never ride in the rain or bad conditions other
than cold now in central Illinois.

At the rate I am going this chain should go many more miles. Is
this possible or common given the parameters of my riding? I get all
kinds of things about changing the chain and seems about 2000 miles
is the limit. I would say at this point mine will last much longer.
What do the experts here think or do some of you get that kind of
mileage on a chain.

The term "chain stretch" is misleading and inaccurate. Chains do not
stretch from use, they wear at their pins and this small amount of
wear allows the chain to increase its span from pin to pin. No steel
on the chain has elongated, only worn away.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/chain-care.html4

Jobst Brandt
Jobst I know that I read your article a long time ago. It appears that
dirt is the big factor in chain wear. It is interesting that water is a
lubricant and it certainly is but I guess I see it as an enemy of rust.

--
Deacon Mark Cleary
Epiphany Roman Catholic Church

Mark Cleary wrote:
Jobst Brandt wrote:
Mark Cleary wrote:

I was going over my bike today and slight adjusting of the the front
derailleur and set up. I then cleaned the chain and decided to get
a measurement of the chain. I have precision rulers and after 1300
miles on the chain there is no stretch. I did not expect much but
this is spot on every link lines up on my metal ruler that goes down
in 1/32 inches. Over 12 inch span the links exact on the mark. It
is a Shimano 5600 narrow 10 speed chain and I know chains can last
depends on how you ride.

I have a compact crank and there are no real huge hills I push up in
the flat lands. I almost never come up and pedal out of the saddle
so I don't stomp on the chain and I keep in clean and lube it all
the time. About the worst thing I do is with tailwinds and slight
downhills I do try to see about how fast I can go but that is more
spinning. I also never ride in the rain or bad conditions other
than cold now in central Illinois.

At the rate I am going this chain should go many more miles. Is
this possible or common given the parameters of my riding? I get all
kinds of things about changing the chain and seems about 2000 miles
is the limit. I would say at this point mine will last much longer.
What do the experts here think or do some of you get that kind of
mileage on a chain.

The term "chain stretch" is misleading and inaccurate. Chains do not
stretch from use, they wear at their pins and this small amount of
wear allows the chain to increase its span from pin to pin. No steel
on the chain has elongated, only worn away.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/chain-care.html4

Jobst Brandt
Jobst I know that I read your article a long time ago. It appears that
dirt is the big factor in chain wear. It is interesting that water is a
lubricant and it certainly is but I guess I see it as an enemy of rust.


I think it is a friend of rust ;-)

Mark Cleary schreef:
I was going over my bike today and slight adjusting of the the front
dérailleur and set up. I then cleaned the chain and decided to get a
measurement of the chain. I have precision rulers and after 1300 miles
on the chain there is no stretch. I did not expect much but this is spot
on every link lines up on my metal ruler that goes down in 1/32 inches.
Over 12 inch span the links exact on the mark. It is a shimano 5600
narrow 10 speed chain and I know chains can last depends on how you ride.

I have a compact crank and there are no real huge hills I push up in the
flat lands. I almost never come up and pedal out of the saddle so I
don't stomp on the chain and I keep in clean and lube it all the time.
About the worst thing I do is with tailwinds and slight downhills I do
try to see about how fast I can go but that is more spinning. I also
never ride in the rain or bad conditions other than cold now in central
Illinois.

At the rate I am going this chain should go many more miles. Is this
possible or common given the parameters of my riding? I get all kinds of
things about changing the chain and seems about 2000 miles is the limit.
I would say at this point mine will last much longer. What do the
experts here think or do some of you get that kind of mileage on a chain.




You ride in very mild condition in a very chain friendly manor, so no
surpise to me that you didn't measure any chain 'stretch'. I ride when
it rains but keep my chain in a good condition and this what I measured
over 106 links after 3700 km, hanging the used chain next to a new one:

http://picasaweb.google.nl/LoetjeH/ChainAfter3700km#

My chain last at least 8000 km on my road bikes.

Lou

On Nov 14, 8:15*pm, Mark Cleary wrote:
I was going over my bike today and slight adjusting of the the front
dérailleur and set up. I then cleaned the chain and decided to get a
measurement of the chain. I have precision rulers and after 1300 miles
on the chain there is no stretch. I did not expect much but this is spot
on every link lines up on my metal ruler that goes down in 1/32 inches.
* Over 12 inch span the links exact on the mark. It is a shimano 5600
narrow 10 speed chain and I know chains can last depends on how you ride.

I have a compact crank and there are no real huge hills I push up in the
flat lands. I almost never come up and pedal out of the saddle so I
don't stomp on the chain and I keep in clean and lube it all the time.
About the worst thing I do is with tailwinds and slight downhills I do
try to see about how fast I can go but that is more spinning. I also
never ride in the rain or bad conditions other than cold now in central
Illinois.

At the rate I am going this chain should go many more miles. Is this
possible or common given the parameters of my riding? I get all kinds of
things about changing the chain and seems about 2000 miles is the limit.
I would say at this point mine will last much longer. What do the
experts here think or do some of you get that kind of mileage on a chain.

--
Deacon Mark Cleary * * * * * * *
Epiphany Roman Catholic Church

Not unusual for a clean, lubed chain not pushed by some gigantic rider
while cross chaining all the time up hill.

BUT remember, chain onto cogs is still metal on metal and the cogs
will wear with time.

On Nov 14, 9:15*pm, Mark Cleary wrote:
I was going over my bike today and slight adjusting of the the front
dérailleur and set up. I then cleaned the chain and decided to get a
measurement of the chain. I have precision rulers and after 1300 miles
on the chain there is no stretch.

Check it again after a thousand more miles with a Park chain checker.
They're a little more accurate than a ruler as they check the chain
with a bit of tension applied.

On 15 Nov, 07:28, Lou Holtman wrote:
Mark Cleary schreef:



I was going over my bike today and slight adjusting of the the front
dérailleur and set up. I then cleaned the chain and decided to get a
measurement of the chain. I have precision rulers and after 1300 miles
on the chain there is no stretch. I did not expect much but this is spot
on every link lines up on my metal ruler that goes down in 1/32 inches.
*Over 12 inch span the links exact on the mark. It is a shimano 5600
narrow 10 speed chain and I know chains can last depends on how you ride.

I have a compact crank and there are no real huge hills I push up in the
flat lands. I almost never come up and pedal out of the saddle so I
don't stomp on the chain and I keep in clean and lube it all the time.
About the worst thing I do is with tailwinds and slight downhills I do
try to see about how fast I can go but that is more spinning. I also
never ride in the rain or bad conditions other than cold now in central
Illinois.

At the rate I am going this chain should go many more miles. Is this
possible or common given the parameters of my riding? I get all kinds of
things about changing the chain and seems about 2000 miles is the limit..
I would say at this point mine will last much longer. What do the
experts here think or do some of you get that kind of mileage on a chain.

On 15 Nov, 13:03, Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
On Nov 14, 8:15*pm, Mark Cleary wrote:



I was going over my bike today and slight adjusting of the the front
dérailleur and set up. I then cleaned the chain and decided to get a
measurement of the chain. I have precision rulers and after 1300 miles
on the chain there is no stretch. I did not expect much but this is spot
on every link lines up on my metal ruler that goes down in 1/32 inches.
* Over 12 inch span the links exact on the mark. It is a shimano 5600
narrow 10 speed chain and I know chains can last depends on how you ride.

I have a compact crank and there are no real huge hills I push up in the
flat lands. I almost never come up and pedal out of the saddle so I
don't stomp on the chain and I keep in clean and lube it all the time.
About the worst thing I do is with tailwinds and slight downhills I do
try to see about how fast I can go but that is more spinning. I also
never ride in the rain or bad conditions other than cold now in central
Illinois.

At the rate I am going this chain should go many more miles. Is this
possible or common given the parameters of my riding? I get all kinds of
things about changing the chain and seems about 2000 miles is the limit..
I would say at this point mine will last much longer. What do the
experts here think or do some of you get that kind of mileage on a chain.

On 15 Nov, 16:53, landotter wrote:
On Nov 14, 9:15*pm, Mark Cleary wrote:

I was going over my bike today and slight adjusting of the the front
dérailleur and set up. I then cleaned the chain and decided to get a
measurement of the chain. I have precision rulers and after 1300 miles
on the chain there is no stretch.

Check it again after a thousand more miles with a Park chain checker.
They're a little more accurate than a ruler as they check the chain
with a bit of tension applied.

Accuracy in measurement is not really required and tensioning the
chain on the bike and using a steel rule is adequate. The rivet at
12" can be displaced by 1/8" without probleming the mechanicals. How
it troubles your mind is a different matter. I measure my chains to
make sure that when I swap them I'm not putting on a longer one. They
stay on until the one that's on squeaks at which point I swap it for a
ready lubricated one. Usually just soaked in oil now. It seems that
drowning a chain with oil and leaving it a few months to pickle gives
good service without resort to any real effort after cleaning..