Chain / Sprockets advice

[Stainy]

I changed my chain when I bought the bike 20, maybe 25k miles ago and over ten years ago! I bought the best DID X-Ring I could get. I now find myself scratching my head as to when I should change that (and maybe the sprockets- which are original at 38k miles) again.


I've adjusted the chain from new no more than twice or maybe I'm forgetting one and it's three times - but certainly no more than that. There are no tight spots, no solid rollers, no stiff links, no excessive play off the rear sprocket. It is and always has been bang on for tightness although I run on the looser side of spec.


The sprockets themselves have no visible signs of wear front or back and certainly no cupping.


As a possible explanation, the bike rarely goes out in wet weather unless I'm touring and get caught out, but whether it does or not, the chain is lubed every couple of hundred miles maximum and cleaned with paraffin fairly regularly - so it usually runs clean.


It's not the money. The bike gets what it needs, when it needs it; but I can't bear to throw away stuff for the sake of it. I was brought up where things were valued and not replaced 'just because'


Thoughts on changing due to the time/mileage, or should I just keep plodding on until things look worn?

[Grahamm]

If there's no tight spots and no hooking on the sprockets, it sounds like it's fine.

There are methods for checking the stretch, but IIRC they require taking the chain off so you can lay it flat and measure it.

[Stainy]

Thanks. I'm thinking the same, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something glaring. I've not moved the wheel back more than a couple of mil in total, so I can't imagine it's stretched and if I took it off to measure, I'd just put a new one on regardless

[unfazed]

Checking  the chain wear, Pull the chain off the rear sprocket and it should not lift more than 2mm to 3mm,  rotate the wheel to do it at a few places

[robbo]

For peace of mind I change the chain and sprockets at 25k, despite being religiously lubed at the end of each days riding. I’d rather spend the money and a few hours of my time, than risk being stranded abroad somewhere with a hole in the crankcase after my 36k mile chain had decided to let go.

[b1k3rdude]

There are methods for checking the stretch, but IIRC they require taking the chain off so you can lay it flat and measure it.

One method is to to pull at the links on the back of the rear sprocket. First correctly tenstion and lubricate the chain, then using your finger and thumb try and pull at a single like in the middle of and the back of the rear sprocket. If you you can move the link more than few mm the chain is worn.