alternating chains!

gary said:

Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that when the
chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but the whole lot!
costly [censored] man!
Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge! & how often do you all run
each chains between alternating!
Cheers

The main thing is to change the chain before is lengthens appreciably
and then the rest of the drive train will last through many chains.
Much cheaper that way than trying to extract the maximum life out of a
chain. Alternating is useful in that you can have one chain cleaning
while t'other's in use.

Tony

Hi

I had the same thoughts as you, and did this for a couple of years but still
found i was replacing the whole lot, just after a little longer.

The previous answer is right, have a look at the sheldon browne website. A
12" section of your chain can stretch 1/8" and then it will be wearing you
sprockets.

I have just started using this method and have just changed my chain (1/8"
stretch) after 1800 road miles on my hybrid and the new one runs great.

The important thing is to keep the chain as clean as possible, i have a
chain cleaner which is good, an old toothbrush works but is messy.

later

Gary

"Tony Raven" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

gary said:

Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that when
the
chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but the whole lot!
costly [censored] man!
Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge! & how often do you all
run
each chains between alternating!
Cheers

The main thing is to change the chain before is lengthens appreciably and
then the rest of the drive train will last through many chains. Much
cheaper that way than trying to extract the maximum life out of a chain.
Alternating is useful in that you can have one chain cleaning while
t'other's in use.

Tony

Thanks Tony
Wondering how long it takes for a chain to lengthen, what do you reckon is
the best frequency between alternating! Could i use 3-4 chains alternating,
maybe the more i use, the less likely they will bed in!
Cheers
Tony Raven <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

gary said:

Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that when

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but the whole

lot!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

costly [censored] man!
Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge! & how often do you all

run

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

each chains between alternating!
Cheers

The main thing is to change the chain before is lengthens appreciably
and then the rest of the drive train will last through many chains.
Much cheaper that way than trying to extract the maximum life out of a
chain. Alternating is useful in that you can have one chain cleaning
while t'other's in use.

Tony

gary said:

Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that when the
chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but the whole lot!
costly [censored] man!
Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge! & how often do you all run
each chains between alternating!
Cheers

use three chains, and clean them all at once. Hang them from a nail and
start with the shortest. Replacing depends on the usage, with a muddy
MTB intervals are ofcourse much shorter than with a sunny weatherbike.

most recumbents have the three chains already fitted simultaneously
--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl

gary said:

Thanks Tony
Wondering how long it takes for a chain to lengthen, what do you reckon is
the best frequency between alternating! Could i use 3-4 chains alternating,
maybe the more i use, the less likely they will bed in!
Cheers

Depends on too many factors to give an answer. Chain type,width,
quality, riding conditions etc etc I've seen an MTB chain finished
after a couple of hundred miles and road chains going on for 5 or 10k.
Oil bath chains on old shopping bikes go on forever. The only way is to
measure regularly as part of general maintenance until you get the feel
for your chain and usage.

Using more chains doesn't help. Its the wearing of the pins in the
bushes that lengthens the chain which is related to the total miles, how
much grit is inside the chain (a big problem if you pour lubricant on a
dirty chain) the hardness of the parts, the width of the chain etc etc

Tony

Tony Raven said:

gary said:

Thanks Tony
Wondering how long it takes for a chain to lengthen, what do you reckon is
the best frequency between alternating! Could i use 3-4 chains alternating,
maybe the more i use, the less likely they will bed in!
Cheers

Depends on too many factors to give an answer. Chain type,width,
quality, riding conditions etc etc I've seen an MTB chain finished
after a couple of hundred miles and road chains going on for 5 or 10k.
Oil bath chains on old shopping bikes go on forever. The only way is to
measure regularly as part of general maintenance until you get the feel
for your chain and usage.

Using more chains doesn't help.

it does, as sprockets wear faster when the chain is worn. With multiple
chains it takes longer for the chains to reach the point where wear
accelerates. From that point on you can continue as you still have three
chains which will work with your worn cassette. The obvious drawback is
that you now can't use a different wheel with a unworn cassette

--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl

gary said:

Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that
when the chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but
the whole lot! costly [censored] man!

Was that on a mountain bike? You don't /usually/ have to replace the
chainrings when the chain & cassette wears out.

Quoted message said:

Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge!

It is one fairly common method, sometimes several chains are "rotated".
But it can only possibly save money if you go on using all the chains
until they and the cassette are completely shagged out (otherwise it's no
different from using one chain at a time). It is possible to spend less
of chains and cassettes in total like that, depending on what model chains
& cassettes you use. BUT this method is not kind to your chainrings--they
will eventually wear out and they can be expensive to replace. That may
take a long time, though, depending on size of chainrings and other
factors.

Quoted message said:

& how often do you
all run each chains between alternating!

Doesn't matter, except it's a good idea anyway to clean the chain
regularly, so you might as well rotate as soon as the current chain
becomes unacceptably dirty.

Or: forget the practice altogether and just use one chain at a time until
what is supposed to be 12 inches has elongated to 12 1/16" then get a new
chain.

See http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

~PB

I said:

Doesn't matter, except it's a good idea anyway to clean the chain
regularly..........

Actually, it would matter after a certain while. It's all rather
complicated! Lets's just say: "frequently".

~PB

ps. Three (maybe four) chains is more likely to be the optimum number of
chains to rotate rather than two, if you do want to give it a go.

I don't, personally, as my chainrings and some of my sprockets are pricey
enough, and my chains cheap enough, for the one-chain-at-a-time method to
be best... I think!

~PB

Yes, it's for a Mountain bike, my big chainring on the front has lasted
ages, the middle one being the one needing replacement more frequently.
The cassette & chain wears & i don't replace any chainrings unless
neccessary!
I'm gonna alternate between 3 i think, it's just that when i was using 1
chain & running it until it was totaly shagged, it seemed silly to have to
change the cassette too, i thought i could get twice the use with another
chain!
Does it matter much wether i replace the chain the same way up as it was on
initially!?
Cheers
Pete Biggs <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

ps. Three (maybe four) chains is more likely to be the optimum number of
chains to rotate rather than two, if you do want to give it a go.

I don't, personally, as my chainrings and some of my sprockets are pricey
enough, and my chains cheap enough, for the one-chain-at-a-time method to
be best... I think!

~PB

gary said:

Does it matter much wether i replace the chain the same way up as it
was on initially!?

Nope.

~PB

m-gineering <[email hidden]> wrote:

: use three chains, and clean them all at once. Hang them from a nail and
: start with the shortest. Replacing depends on the usage, with a muddy
: MTB intervals are ofcourse much shorter than with a sunny weatherbike.

God, life is too short.

Just replace your chains frequently. They are cheap enough. One of
my cassettes is on its 5th or 6th chain (I've lost count)

--
Arthur Clune PGP/GPG Key: http://www.clune.org/pubkey.txt
Don't get me wrong, perl is an OK operating system, but it lacks a
lightweight scripting language -- Walter Dnes

As others have already said, keep the chain clean. I can get quite a
few thousand miles out of a chain/cassette conbimation. One of my
daughters bikes has probably done in excess of 10k miles and is still OK
on the chain.

gary said:

Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that when the
chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but the whole lot!
costly [censored] man!
Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge! & how often do you all run
each chains between alternating!
Cheers

Jeremy Collins said:

Gary Teale said:

The important thing is to keep the chain as clean as possible, i have
a chain cleaner which is good, an old toothbrush works but is messy.

And using an old toothbrush you get the lovely experience of flicking
citrus degreaser into your eye as you're cleaning the chain.

An old toothbrush makes a good job of cleaning the outside of the chain
where dirt does no harm and washing it into the inside of the chain
where it does.

Tony

Simon Brooke said:

If you replace your chains _before_ they are worn out, you will never
have to replace your cassette or chainrings.

It's an exaggeration to say "never" because chains that have only
/slightly/ elongated will still cause some sprocket wear (ie. before they
have reached "12 1/16"😉. A frequently used sprocket can wear enough to
cause skipping after just a very few new chains in some cases. It depends
on many factors, including how often chains are cleaned.

Quoted message said:

This is massively cheaper in the long run.

Not always when using inexpensive cassette and chainrings, or when
intending to replace the chainrings (or bike!) before all that long
anyway.

~PB

Simon Brooke said:

Alternating them _does_ _not_ _help_ from a wear point of view. If you
continue to use a chain after it has stretched beyond its wear limit
you will knacker your cassette and chainrings. It doesn't matter how
many chains you have in your alternating set, you will still knacker
your cassette and chainrings.

But that can take a very VERY LONG TIME, and has to be offset against the
cost of replacement chain at about ten quid a time.

I'd say it comes down to the chainrings: cost and how quickly they wear,
which will depend on model, size and useage.. A chainring only needs
replacing when a chain actually skips on it.

Quoted message said:

Replace your chain _before_ it is worn out, and you will not have to
replace your cassette and chainrings. It's as simple as that.

Simple but not always true!

~PB

In article <[email hidden]>, Pete Biggs

Quoted message said:

But that can take a very VERY LONG TIME, and has to be offset
against the cost of replacement chain at about ten quid a time.

I think it is time that I went into the mail order spares supply
business! My overheads are very low but I don't think that the
markup which would make me sell a chain for a tenner would stop me
from becoming very rich.

If anyone in the trade wishes to email I will tell them where they
can buy wheels for a tenner a pair, tyres for 99p and tubes for 39p -
obviously only if you buy in serious bulk but I won't be fixing
punctures again.

--
A T (Sandy) Morton
on the Bicycle Island
In the Global Village
http://www.millport.net

"gary" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that when

the

Quoted message said:

chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but the whole lot!
costly [censored] man!
Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge! & how often do you all

run

Quoted message said:

each chains between alternating!
Cheers

I used to do that but now I don't bother. I bought a Rohloff Caliber? chain
checker a few years ago and now replace chains at 0.75% elongation.
The check only takes a couple of seconds to carry out.
I haven't had to replace a cassette since.

Paul.

Pete Biggs said:

A chainring only needs
replacing when a chain actually skips on it.

How can you tell if the chain is skiping on the sprocket(s), or on the
chairing(s)?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Replace your chain _before_ it is worn out, and you will not have to
replace your cassette and chainrings. It's as simple as that.

I find hard to believe in "eternal life" of cassetes and chainrings,
no matter how often you replace chains ;-)

Cheers,
BigBen