Chain side slack

The callow youth at my LBS here in OZ offered to replace my spare MTB chain
on the
basis that the side slack/play was excessive. On their Chain stretch gauge
the
chain came out as "good", so I didn't replace.

Does anyone have a rule for how much side play is good or bad? (I've got to
admit my chain is pretty droopy sideways.)

--
Regards
Bob Chambers

Pat and Bob Chambers wrote:

The callow youth at my LBS here in OZ offered to replace my spare MTB chain
on the
basis that the side slack/play was excessive. On their Chain stretch gauge
the
chain came out as "good", so I didn't replace.

Does anyone have a rule for how much side play is good or bad? (I've got to
admit my chain is pretty droopy sideways.)


I suspect that modern chains are designed to be fairly sloppy sideways,
to enable easy shifting. But I couldn't put a number to it. It's chain
elongation that you have to lok out for, as it damages the cassette and
chainring.

James