How long should my ebike chain last?

[D C]

Hatti,
I bought a sram chain last time and it was covered in a thick gluey substance. It meant that it would not change gear until I cleaned it.
Mike

I had exactly the same experience!

 

[flecc]

If you are only going to ride the bike on asphalt roads, don't do anything to the chain by way of maintenance.

That's also my technique for derailleur chains, do nothing.

For hub gear chains I have a different method which shocks some but it does make them last a very long time. I just thickly brush on grease with a toothbrush to coat the inner and outer surface runs of the chain. This does nothing to lubricate the chain inners but does lube the sprockets and chain rollers and seal in the maker's lubricant.

As the grease ages, it dries and flakes off, taking any road dirt stuck to it away from the chain, the grease having formed a barrier against it. As that happens I just add more grease at widely spaced intervals.

Not pretty but works a dream.

P.S. Don't forget to clean the toothbrush before brushing your teeth.

 

[John F]

That's also my technique for derailleur chains, do nothing.

For hub gear chains I have a different method which shocks some but it does make them last a very long time. I just thickly brush on grease with a toothbrush to coat the inner and outer surface runs of the chain. This does nothing to lubricate the chain inners but does lube the sprockets and chain rollers and seal in the maker's lubricant.

As the grease ages, it dries and flakes off, taking any road dirt stuck to it away from the chain, the grease having formed a barrier against it. As that happens I just add more grease at widely spaced intervals.

Not pretty but works a dream.

P.S. Don't forget to clean the toothbrush before brushing your teeth.

Flecc and Hattie,

Your suggestion to do nothing with a new chain re maintenance doesn't make sense to me. If you could convince me that whatever lubricant that was applied during manufacture, would remain to do its job for over 1500 miles , whilst been sealed in with the coating, then I might be persuaded. In the meantime my procedure is wipe the chain clean with a dry cloth, apply a drop of oil to each pin, wait a while, then apply a wax lube. I don't use degreaser though!

 

[trex]

You only need to keep the contact area between chain and cogs clean. if you ride on metal roads, the dirt tends to attach to the outside of the chain, not where the chain contacts the cogs, so doing nothing makes sense in a lazy way. Waxes and oils are fats, wax disolves in oils. Engine oils contain a small amount of detergent to clean the metal surfaces, making them incompatible with wax based lubes. The wax attracts dirt and flakes off as need be.
I still think you should ask for a new chain FOC.

 

[John F]

You only need to keep the contact area between chain and cogs clean. if you ride on metal roads, the dirt tends to attach to the outside of the chain, not where the chain contacts the cogs, so doing nothing makes sense in a lazy way. Waxes and oils are fats, wax disolves in oils. Engine oils contain a small amount of detergent to clean the metal surfaces, making them incompatible with wax based lubes. The wax attracts dirt and flakes off as need be.
I still think you should ask for a new chain FOC.

I do wipe the oil off prior to waxing, but I take your point re the detergent content.
There do seem to be chains available that claim to be for ebikes (whatever that means) Manufacturers should equip their bikes with these. It would only add a few quid to the bike price, and might reduce whinging customers like me.
After all the helpful tips on this thread, I now concur with your last point.

 

[flecc]

Flecc and Hattie,

Your suggestion to do nothing with a new chain re maintenance doesn't make sense to me.

The sad fact is that there are almost as many chain maintenance preferences as there are cyclists John.

That's a sure indication that nothing really works!

 

[Croxden]

Buy a chain wear checker tool like the one Park tools make. It is money well spent and very easy to use and better method than using a ruler.

.

I have bought a Park Tool CC-2 Chain Checker and am amazed at the very small amount of 'stretch' between OK and knackered. My old chains had more stretch than a woollen swim suit. Ever likey I had trouble with derailiers .

 

[trex]

I do wipe the oil off prior to waxing, but I take your point re the detergent content.
There do seem to be chains available that claim to be for ebikes (whatever that means) Manufacturers should equip their bikes with these. It would only add a few quid to the bike price, and might reduce whinging customers like me.
After all the helpful tips on this thread, I now concur with your last point.

I agree with you that Woosh should have fitted KMC X8 chain instead of KMC Z chain. The consolation may be that it's not more difficult to replace a chain than replacing a tyre, both have about the same life expectancy.

 

[John F]

I have bought a Park Tool CC-2 Chain Checker and am amazed at the very small amount of 'stretch' between OK and knackered. My old chains had more stretch than a woollen swim suit. Ever likey I had trouble with derailiers .

I'll check my old chain tomorrow by the old fashioned way (tape measure) is your gadget really worth the dish?

 

[SRS]

I have never owned a chain checker, is it really necessary?

I have always lubed with hypoid gear oil, does the job and cheap too.
Checked for wear by pulling the chain away from the front sprocket. Too much air, time to replace.

 

[Croxden]

I'll check my old chain tomorrow by the old fashioned way (tape measure) is your gadget really worth the dish?

I have just checked it on a steel rule. One millimetre between the extremes, I would think trying to use a tape measure would be futile. At £16.99 post free from Amazon it seems a little dear for a piece of metal and plastic but scale of economics is what keeps unit costs low, how many of these would they sell? Is it worth it? If you are keen and compare it with the cost of your bike, yes. It should last for ever.

 

[John F]

I have just checked it on a steel rule. One millimetre between the extremes, I would think trying to use a tape measure would be futile. At £16.99 post free from Amazon it seems a little dear for a piece of metal and plastic but scale of economics is what keeps unit costs low, how many of these would they sell? Is it worth it? If you are keen and compare it with the cost of your bike, yes. It should last for ever.

You measure 24 links. If it's 308mm is done for I read somewhere

 

[trex]

1% is the norm, about 1.4cm stretch for the whole chain.

 

[EddiePJ]

All that you need to know can be found here. http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

 

[shemozzle999]

Hi John,

It sounds like more of a case of standing on principles, for the sake of £5 the problem could be solved by replacing the supposedly offending article.

I don't believe you have stated what problems it initially caused at the beginning of your post apart from you replaced the sprockets only to find there was not a great deal of wear on the old ones

Was it jumping off or giving bad gear changing?

 

[John F]

All that you need to know can be found here. http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

Awesome thanks

I'll go to bed dreaming of bloody chains tonight!

 

[Croxden]

Chains, my babe's got me locked up in chains...

 

[John F]

Hi John,

I sounds like more of a case of standing on principles, for the sake of £5 the problem could be solved by replacing the supposedly offending article.

I don't believe you have stated what problems it initially caused at the beginning of your post apart from you replaced the sprockets only to find there was not a great deal of wear on the old ones

Was it jumping off or giving bad gear changing?

It was jumping. The adjustment seemed ok in that the jockey wheels were under the appropriate sprocket correctly. The changing seemed ok. However I'm currently looking closer at the adjustment. The clincher was the chain pulling away from the chainwheel by some amount. It was obvious that it had stretched too much, as I've seen it plenty of times in the past. My understanding was if the chain was that stretched, then you should replace the cassette. Will measure the chain tomorrow to confirm by how much.

Exactly how does one of these chain wear gadgets work then?

 

[shemozzle999]

It describes how to use it but @ 80% of the cost of a new chain I doubt if it is worth buying for the amount of use it will get:

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/98521/products/rutland-cycling-chain-wear-indicator-tool.aspx?origin=pla?kwd=&gclid=CPP8l4TNwrwCFYWWtAodWSUAXg

If it was jumping I would also check the old one to see if you have any tight/seized links.

 

[John F]

It describes how to use it but @ 80% of the cost of a new chain I doubt if it is worth buying for the amount of use it will get:

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/98521/products/rutland-cycling-chain-wear-indicator-tool.aspx?origin=pla?kwd=&gclid=CPP8l4TNwrwCFYWWtAodWSUAXg

If it was jumping I would also check the old one to see if you have any tight/seized links.