chain replacement

vio765 said:

i got a SRAM PC-99 chain with 2550 miles on it and i compleely clean and relube it every 150-200 miles. still shifts ok, but im starting to detect some weird things like an odd noise from the rear derailleur whenever i hit some rough road (like cracks). am i ok or getting close to replace time?

I think you should be able to get at least twice that out of a chain. I am replacing mine now after 12,500km of use, because it is when I always do it. I replace my cassette as well at the same time, because new chains hate used cassettes and vice versa. I have a few spare chains and cassettes now.

Measure the freakin' chain and take the guess work out of the equation, man....... Mileage is a very ppor determining factor.

vio765 said:

i got a SRAM PC-99 chain with 2550 miles on it and i compleely clean and relube it every 150-200 miles. still shifts ok, but im starting to detect some weird things like an odd noise from the rear derailleur whenever i hit some rough road (like cracks). am i ok or getting close to replace time?

Although you are fastidious with your chain maintenance, are you maintaining your rear derailleur's indexing adjustment & keeping the pivots cleaned & greased + the jockey wheels lubed?

vio765 said:

i got a SRAM PC-99 chain with 2550 miles on it and i compleely clean and relube it every 150-200 miles. still shifts ok, but im starting to detect some weird things like an odd noise from the rear derailleur whenever i hit some rough road (like cracks). am i ok or getting close to replace time?

I agree with capwater. There are so many variables that go into chainwear (riding style, climate, etc...) that you can only use something objective like measuring chain stretch.

im guessing the chain has stretched a tad bit. the tension seems a little too loose. i might take a link out. and yes, i keep everything in perfect maintainance. shifting still works, but no matter what i do, it just isnt as crisp as it used to be. so ill try taking out a link and seeing how that helps.

vio765 said:

im guessing the chain has stretched a tad bit. the tension seems a little too loose. i might take a link out. and yes, i keep everything in perfect maintainance. shifting still works, but no matter what i do, it just isnt as crisp as it used to be. so ill try taking out a link and seeing how that helps.

Taking a link out of a worn chain will do nothing. The normal wear standard I've seen is 1%, or not more than 1/8" over 12" of chain. Many of us replace sooner than this.

If you don't know how to measure the chain, suggest you go a cycling friend or your LBS for a quick lesson. To make checking really quick and idiot-proof, I bought a Park CC-3 gauge for under $10. It has two sides, to measure 0.75% and 1.0% of wear.

When the 0.75% side drops into the links, the chain is ready to be replaced. If the gauge shows the chain is worn beyond 1%, you may need to replace the cassette also. You'll know as soon as you put the new chain on.