Best chain wear tool

[chrismechmaster]

I guess there pretty much the same I was thinking about getting the park tool one but I have been told it’s not for a 12 speed chains

Can anyone recommend a good one to work with a 12 speed chains

 

[p3eps]

I use the Park Tool CC-2, which has instructions on 9-10 speed and 11-12 speed chains.

 

[Beekeeper]

I guess there pretty much the same I was thinking about getting the park tool one but I have been told it’s not for a 12 speed chains

Can anyone recommend a good one to work with a 12 speed chains

I would be very surprised if park tools don’t do one for a 12 speed cassette.

my park tool checker does 0.50 and 0.75
That should be fine.
some change chain at 0.75 but those who love their cassettes even more change at 0.50

 

[p3eps]

my park tool checker does 0.50 and 0.75
That should be fine.
some change chain at 0.75 but those who love their cassettes even more change at 0.50

The CC-2 says a 12 speed chain should be changed on or just below 0.5%

 

[Sander23]

I've been using this one work good so far

 

[steve_sordy]

I use a vernier calliper. I measure the chain when its new and then every so often and then compare.

 

[ThierryGTLTS]

Anyone who found big differences measuring at different places on the same chain?!

My road bike 11 speed chain is fine and consistent whatever the place I measure, about 0.25.

But my MTB 10 speed chain shows different figures depending where I measure, about 0.6 to 1.

All measurements made with a brand new ParkTool CC2.

Any ideas?!

Have a Nice Day.

Thierry

 

[Sean1.0]

I got the Pedros chain checker plus 2 now I've been pushed into a 12 speed on a new bike ...

Chain Checker Plus II

Chain Wear Check Tool, Chain Hook Tool, and Chainring Nut Wrench Precision laser cut design accurately measures 0.5% and 0.75% chain wear. Three point chain wear tool design properly isolates pin wear from roller wear. Chain hook tool and chainring nut wrench add functional versatility and...

pedros.com

 

[steve_sordy]

Anyone who found big differences measuring at different places on the same chain?!

My road bike 11 speed chain is fine and consistent whatever the place I measure, about 0.25.

But my MTB 10 speed chain shows different figures depending where I measure, about 0.6 to 1.

All measurements made with a brand new ParkTool CC2................

I use a Vernier calliper to measure my chain length. I just used to measure once at a random place on the chain and proceed from there. But one time I got a measurement that showed less wear than the one I had recorded a few months before. OK, that could be user error and I'm sure that was the first thing you thought of. But I am an apprentice trained mechanical engineer and I know how to measure stuff. I measured again in the same place and got the same result. So even if I'm in error, at least I'm repeatable! I next measured in 8 different places around the chain and I was surprised at the result. Since then I have always measured in places evenly spaced around the chain. If I get a more than usually big variant, I repeat the measurement and so far it always comes out the same.

Because I'm using a Vernier calliper, I cannot measure from pin to pin but from inside rollers. I chose to measure over nominally 5.7" (my calliper is measures up to 7").
I need something to compare the measurement with, so I have to start with a new chain. You would think that with a new chain, the -measurement would be constant no matter where I measure it along the length. But not so. The 11-speed chain I have just replaced varied when new by 0.016" from the highest to the lowest, That is 0.2%. So my start point is the average of them all.
The next measurement had a variation of 0.019". I averaged them again and compared.
The next two measurements had variations of 0.005", then 0.021" and then 0.005" again
At each measurement, the average increased as the chain slowly wore versus the average at new.
380m 0.15%
575m 0.33%
1000m 0.40%
1447m 0.74%

Whist the wear is mileage dependent it is not directly proportional. It depends more upon what I'm riding and what the conditions are like.

What puzzles me is not only why the new chain has a variation, but why the variation does not tend to zero as the chain wears. I used to work at a chain factory 47 years ago and I know how bike chains are made (or were). Each component (outer side plates, inner side plates, pins, rollers) are all made in their millions and each component is dumped in a bin. Therefore each component is randomly mixed which ensures that any manufacturing variation is averaged out. Output from different machines were combined, further randomising the items. Then all the components are brought together by mechanical handling devices and passive and active orientation devices that by their nature ensure further random mixing. So there should be almost no variation across the length of a chain. Yet there clearly is. Puzzled.

If anyone reading this works at a chain factory and has an explanation, I would be interested to hear it.

The easiest explanation of course is my error in measuring. But I have taken steps to check this by repeated measurements and I am consistent. In addition, someone else (@ThierryGTLTS) has noticed the variation and by using a different type of device. It is intriguing that he only sees this on his mtb chain not his road chain.

 

[ThierryGTLTS]

Thank you for your very informative answer, Steve.

I can add that I've measured a 9 speed chain, with about same variations.

I will measure another 11 speed tomorrow to confirm that tolerances are better on 11 speed ones.

All chains are KMC with missing links.

Shiftings are very good on Shimano K7.

Have a Nice Day.

Thierry

 

[steve_sordy]

@ThierryGTLTS I never noticed the variation on 9 or 10-speed chains, so it may have been there, or not; I wasn't looking.

I first noticed the variation on my first 12-speed chain, but I got a lot of miles out of that chain, about 6x as many as I used to get from 9&10 speed. So no complaints from me!
This variation continued on my next bike which had 11-speed.

This may be an industry-wide shift to a different method of production. And I would have thought that a Sram XX1 Eagle chain would have been produced to a high spec. It certainly lasted well, despite the length variation.

Like you, I am commenting on the length variation, I am not complaining about it. I haven't noticed any performance or longevity problems.

 

[ThierryGTLTS]

Re-Tested the 11 speed chain and results are also different depending of the place I measure.

In the future, I will always test at different places and keep the lowest value as reference.

 

[steve_sordy]

Re-Tested the 11 speed chain and results are also different depending of the place I measure.

In the future, I will always test at different places and keep the lowest value as reference.

Interesting approach, why not use the average?

The absolutely best way to measure increasing wear on your chain is to remove it and measure it. I recommend laying it out flat, pull it straight, then measure pin-to-pin over 100 links (50" for a new chain). 50.5" is a scrap chain, at 1%. You will easily be able to measure to 1/16", which is 0.125%.
For increased accuracy, get someone to hold one of the inch marks over the centre of a pin while you focus on the other end. Do not use the hooked end of the tape measure.

 

[ThierryGTLTS]

Interesting idea, and even better with a KMC SL which have hollowed pins.

Many thanks for the tip.

 

[Swissrider]

A decathlon chain checker cost £3.99 and does a pretty good job. I thought chain pitch was the same for all speeds, it’s the width that change, so a chain checker should work on all chains.

 

[Nicho]

SRAM 12 speed chains are different and tools like the Park cc-2 do not fit between the links. This article describes why:

How to check for chain wear: The easy way, the best way, and why - CyclingTips

Your bicycle’s chain is put through hell every time you ride. For every minute of pedaling, approximately 44,000 chain pieces are in motion, creating 320,000 separate instances of sliding surface friction. And all of this is on a component that sits near to the ground and is exposed to the...

cyclingtips.com

The bit about measuring SRAM 12 speed chains is well down the page.

 

[Jeff McD]

One other caveat: never reuse the quick link once you have broken the chain for any reason. I have found that this section of chain when measured will then stretch quicker than the rest of the chain and give a significantly higher reading when measuring chain length at four or five different sections around the entire length of chain which I do once a week to keep the habit up.

 

[Pdoz]

Interesting approach, why not use the average?

Wouldn't an engineer be most concerned about a chains weakest link?

 

[Pdoz]

Btw, I have the park tools cc2 - it took me 3 chains before I recognised it was ( presumably) out of calibration and recording 25% wear on new chains!

 

[steve_sordy]

Wouldn't an engineer be most concerned about a chains weakest link?

Yes I would. But I was responding to @ThierryGTLTS who was going to be guided by the shortest measurement, ie the least worn.

I have continued to think about this "variation". When you consider how a chain is made, and how it is used, I cannot believe that a chain is wearing in a variable manner along its length. Where I believe the variation is arising is in the diameter or the position of the two rollers that the various gauges are sitting on. It doesn't matter whether a Vernier calliper is used or a go/nogo gauge like the standard device. They both stretch the chain out and rest inside a roller at each end. If the roller diameter is a variable, for example if it is slightly barrel-shaped, then you will get a variation around the chain. Or it could be debris underneath the roller preventing the rollers from touching the pins.

If it is that (suggestions please for reasonable alternatives) then we can all rest easy. Variations like that have zero impact upon the wear that is actually happening to the chain. The most accurate method is still to remove the chain and measure over as many links as possible/reasonable. I use 100 links if only because it makes the sums easier.

However, there is no doubt that removing the chain for measurement is a ball-ache. What I will now do is to continue with the Vernier calliper method (or a gauge if I had one), then when it looks like replacement time, remove the chain for a proper measurement with a metal tape measure. That is an accurate method. Furthermore, the shape or wear of the rollers, even the lack of cleanliness of the chain, all will be irrelevant.

 

[Swissrider]

When I get a new chain I hang it from a nail and mark the bottom on the wall. I use a couple of chain checkers - an old park one which has wear indicator in different colours and a decathlon one. When these checkers tell me my chain is worn I take it off, hang it from the nail and compare with original mark, so I can calculate exactly how much the chain has worn. At least these enable me to check how accurate the checkers are and if the chain is still within limits, I whack on another quick link and then get a few more miles out of the chain.

 

[steve_sordy]

When I get a new chain I hang it from a nail and mark the bottom on the wall. I use a couple of chain checkers - an old park one which has wear indicator in different colours and a decathlon one. When these checkers tell me my chain is worn I take it off, hang it from the nail and compare with original mark, so I can calculate exactly how much the chain has worn. At least these enable me to check how accurate the checkers are and if the chain is still within limits, I whack on another quick link and then get a few more miles out of the chain.

Nice and simple, love it!
Just use a big nail and bang it well in to a wooden door frame.

 

[Pdoz]

When I get a new chain I hang it from a nail and mark the bottom on the wall. I use a couple of chain checkers - an old park one which has wear indicator in different colours and a decathlon one. When these checkers tell me my chain is worn I take it off, hang it from the nail and compare with original mark, so I can calculate exactly how much the chain has worn. At least these enable me to check how accurate the checkers are and if the chain is still within limits, I whack on another quick link and then get a few more miles out of the chain.

Awesome idea, with the added bonus of a safety net for those of us who can never remember if we need 116 or 120 links.....when the new chain hits the ground hopefully we might remember why

 

[steve_sordy]

I read an interesting tip on how to shorten a bike chain without a chain tool and I wanted to share it with everyone, hope you find it useful. The purpose of shortening your bike's chain is to ensure that the bike runs optimally. If you count the links correctly, you can simply loosen the rear wheel by pulling it backward. Doing this can quickly fix your string problems. The number of links you will remove should be enough to keep your chain tight while keeping the ride smooth.

Sorry, but I do not understand that at all. Would you supply more information please?

 

[Alexbn921]

The best way to measure a chain is not to at all.

If you want your entire drivetrain to last the longest, then get 3 chains and rotate them every 1/4 of there expected life. For me this ends up being 300-400 miles. Everything wears together and there is never the dreaded new chain skip. You can also run everything about 50% longer as it has all worn together.
Then you replace everything and start again.

It's amazing how long a worn chain will run on a worn cassette and ring and still work perfectly fine. Oh course, none of the parts will ever work with something new.

Hanging it and checking the entire length is still the most accurate way to see if it's still "good".