Gear and chain of a bicycle are being worn out by mechanical friction between chain and gear and especially by friction between the pins and the bushes during cycling. This wear becomes apparent by an elongation of the chain – the stronger the wear is, the more the chain is sagging. Through the increasing wear of the chain the gear and the chain rings are affected as well.

The wear of the chain depends on the manner of cycling, the maintenance and the individual opinion of the cyclist. There are no common standards, but substitution of the chain is recommended once the elongation per joint amounts to 0.1 mm. Regarding the total length of a typical chain, this corresponds to approx. 12.5 mm. Typically, lifetime of a chain adds up to 2,000 to 3,000 km when it is used in challenging off-road rides. On the road, however, a chain can last for 5,000 km. Of course, lifetime always depends on the quality of the chain and its maintenance.

Test conditions
Mountain bike with a stainless steel chain, equipped with the solid lubrication
Test kilometers: approx. 5,000 km
Test roads: 40 % road, 60 % off-road
Test conditions: all-season, in all kinds of weather

Measurement conditions
Before the mounting of the solid lubricant the new chain was measured with a slide gauge (119.50 mm measured over 11 joints). Afterwards, the elongation of the chain was monthly measured in the same way.

The result
The test results represent just a slow increasing of the elongation of the chain. After 3,000 km the wear only amounted to 0.06 %, which is just 60 % of the wear limit. The wear limit of 0.1 % wasn’t hit until 5,000 km (120.90 mm measured over 11 joints). With it, the lifetime exceeds the typical lifetime of a well-tended chain, the more so as in this case 60 % of all the rides took place off-road.