Chains are a consumable part of the bicycle's drive train. As you pile on the miles, your bike's chain will wear out. The internal parts of the chain, the rollers and rivets, begin to wear down and give the illusion of stretching. This wear can cause the chain to mesh poorly with the cogs and chainrings, causing poor shifting, premature wear to the cogs, and even skipping over the cogs. And since it's far more expensive to replace cogs than a chain, you can save money by learning when it's time to replace the chain.
There are different methods for measuring chain wear from simply lifting the chain off the front chainrings, to measuring the distance between two rivets on a chain but the easiest and most accurate way to determine the amount of life left in your chain is with a tool like the CC-3.2 Wear Indicator, or the CC-2 Chain Checker.
We’ll put the bike in a repair stand, but all of this can be done on the ground as well. The first method to check chain wear is to simply try and lift the chain off the front chainring. Shift to the smallest cog in the rear and the large chainring in front and lift the chain. If it lifts off the chainring to where you can see a lot of daylight between the chain and chainrings, you either needs to replace your chain or you're getting pretty close. It's not nearly as accurate as using the proper tool, but it's a good starting point if you haven't replaced your chain in a little while.
Another ballpark method for checking chain wear is by measuring it with a ruler. In a new chain, each rivet is a half-inch apart. So if we line up the first rivet at zero, we should see our 24th rivet at the 12-inch mark. On the bike, we do the same thing, and if we end up short on our 24th pin by more than 1/16th of an inch, we should consider replacing the chain. But you can see how difficult and imprecise this method can be.
Using the CC-3.2 and the CC-2 could be a good option. Let's start with the CC-3.2. Note which side of the tool has the 0.5 stamps. Install the hook end on a link with inner plates to ensure you are measuring against the roller, not the side plates. Attempt to install the other end into the chain. If it doesn't go in, your chain is not yet .5% worn. On this other hand, if it does go in, then it tells us the chain is at least .5% worn. In other words, it's.5% longer than it was when it was new.
After that, we switch to the other side of the tool to check for .75% wear. If it does not insert all the way, we know the chain is not yet worn to the .75% level. And if the older chain is worn well beyond the .75% mark, then at this point the cogs may also be worn.
Let's know about what each reading means. Anything at or beyond .75, you should change your chain immediately. If you are using a chain designed for 10 or fewer gears, replace your chain as it reaches .75% wear. If you are using an 11- or 12-speed chain, replace your chain once it has reached .5% wear. And for two sprockets or single speed bikes, replace your chain when it has reached 1 per cent wear.
Now let's check using the CC-2. Insert the rear stud between two outer plates, and the front stud between inner plates. Push lightly on the lever to take slack out of the chain, and feel where it comes to a distinct stop. Don't force the tool beyond the stopping point. The reading in the window will give you the per cent wear of your chain.
So this is how you can know when is the right time to replace your chain. Remember, using a chain beyond its intended wear limit will prematurely wear out your cogs and chainrings, so staying on top of this routine maintenance task can save you so
Comments
Post a Comment