Hard to say, depends on a lot of things. For me I think my chains last for ~2 years before they get stretched to the point where I have to replace them. Then, I'm not doing a whole lot of super high mileage and I tend to be pretty good at cleaning my chain.
A major contributor to chain wear is obviously dirt and debris, which wear out the pins and cause the chain to elongate slightly. If you scrub it somewhat regularly, it should help in maintaining its life.
I'd also urge you to make sure your derailleurs are set up properly if you have to replace a chain, as the cables stretch too. Mine got to the point where the derailleur was waaay too close to the cogs, and I ended up snapping two chains because it didn't shift properly. Not a good situation to encounter in the middle of a century ride...
It also depends on your size and how much power you put out. My average weight over time is ~200lbs and I have an FTP of ~300W. That put's more stress on the hills, but I do all of my riding in the winter indoors which puts less stress on a chain. x2 on keeping your chain and drive-train clean being important for longevity. My chain will also survive about 2 yrs of EN style training. Which is probably about 2-3,000 miles or so, with the caveat that "miles" on a trainer is a weird concept.
Every bike shop in the world will have a little tool that has teeth separated a fixed distance and if it fits your chain, it's not stretched, but if it doesn't you are. I've never bought this tool, but I bet you could find one.
I have the little measuring tool. It takes less than 3 seconds and it is a pass or fail thing. If the little metal thing drops into place in the link, the chain has stretched. If it won't fit, you are good to go. "Tool" cost less $10.
I replace my chain at the beginning of every season, on both my road and TT bike, along with all the cables (brakes and derailleurs). I notice chain stretch with all the volume my fatass (200+lbs) does on the bike, so I prefer to be safe rather than sorry.
Per Dino's comment invest in a chain checker. Great tools are worth their weight in gold IMHO and this simple little tool is one of them. No guess work you just know when it's time to swap. This is what I use: Park Tool Chain Wear Indicator CC-3.2
John, I am similar size and FTP and my n=1 experience has been that I need to change chains about every 9 months or so (depending on training/racing volume). I figure it is cheaper to replace chains than it is to replace gearsets or cranks (especially since I am running a Quarq). I read somewhere that as chains stretch they actually begin to damage the gears so switching out is an easy and cheap insurance. Your post motivated me to check mine tonight because I knew I had to be getting close. Yup, between .75-.1.00 on the check tool. Old chain off, new one on in about 5 minutes. Thanks for the reminder! :-)
I am a 125 lb female, mine get changed out about every 9-10 months. I also err on the earlier wear changeout as well, it is way cheaper to get a chain off ebay than order new gears. I don't keep track of miles though, I just check the chain stretch every once in awhile.
Got the tool recommended by Attila above. I'm 205 lbs, NP = 297, and the bike has 4,500 miles on it. Found the chain had between 5% and 7.5% stretch. Guess I'm going chain shopping. Any recommendations? Does it matter much?
I've heard good things about the KMC chains. I bought 3 SRAM 1090 chains last year for $30/each so haven't bought any others. The SRAM's are okay but I can't get more than 9-12 months out of them. I am 6'4", 235#, 315 FTP.
Comments
Hard to say, depends on a lot of things. For me I think my chains last for ~2 years before they get stretched to the point where I have to replace them. Then, I'm not doing a whole lot of super high mileage and I tend to be pretty good at cleaning my chain.
A major contributor to chain wear is obviously dirt and debris, which wear out the pins and cause the chain to elongate slightly. If you scrub it somewhat regularly, it should help in maintaining its life.
I'd also urge you to make sure your derailleurs are set up properly if you have to replace a chain, as the cables stretch too. Mine got to the point where the derailleur was waaay too close to the cogs, and I ended up snapping two chains because it didn't shift properly. Not a good situation to encounter in the middle of a century ride...
like wippermanns. and love the easy to use link to break the chain. easy on/off for cleaning. nicer than any of the other systems.