Chain advice

[Kevnevo]

What chains do you guys use and how often are you having to replace them?
On my non e bike I usually change twice a year.

 

[Gary]

On my non e bike I usually change twice a year.

so long as you don't shift under load and look after it (regularly clean, re-lube etc.) I don't see your chain replacement frequency increasing too much with the addition of the motor.

 

[steve_sordy]

Use the same methods that you used on your clockwork bike.

I work from the amount the chain grows in length and replace when it gets to 0.6% - 0.65% longer. You can either measure over a short distance with a vernier caliper, or over a longer distance with a steel tape measure. If you use a go/noGO gauge then you are restricted to their preset limits, which (I believe) are 0.5% and 0.75%.

 

[Wiltshire Warrior]

I use the park tool measure and bin the chain when it gets to .60, and my slx lasted 180miles then I used an xt which has now done 220 miles and is on .55 now so about 40 or 50 miles to go and I have another new xt ready to go one when it hits 0.60.

 

[Ducatijones]

Hang on now, 220 miles done and only 40 left in your chain ? Have you missed out a few zeros there ? I am new to this but surely a chain lasts longer than that.

 

[Gary]

Hang on now, 220 miles done and only 40 left in your chain ? Have you missed out a few zeros there ? I am new to this but surely a chain lasts longer than that.

Yeah. Don't worry. Your chain should do many times more miles than that.
Many folk using chain checker tools seem blissfully unaware of their inaccuracy and in many cases are throwing out perfectly good chains way earlier than needs be.

Personally I don't bother changing my chain at all and just replace the cassette and chain (and chainring if required) all at the same time when they finally wear to the point where chain slip starts to happen in the smaller sprockets. At a few thousand miles this actually works out cheaper than fitting new chains every time certain chain checker tools would suggest it's time to and negates all the faff that goes along with it.
I don't use super expensive cassettes or chains or chainrings.
Generally sticking with £10 SRAM chains, £40 SLX cassettes and £6 chainrings.
If you are using super expensive cassettes, yeah you may want to try to eek out their lifespan further by changing chains as they wear but do yourself a favour and use an accurate method to measure your chain wear.

 

[Kevnevo]

so long as you don't shift under load and look after it (regularly clean, re-lube etc.) I don't see your chain replacement frequency increasing too much with the addition of the motor.

I'm struggling to see how to change gear not under load, given that I have to turn the cranks and its an e bike. Going into eco mode or turning the motor off isn't an option mid monster hill. Eco mode does make the changes less aggressive and clunky, but apart from reading the exact gear required before starting a climb, l can't see a solution to forced gear changes. This is why I asked my original question about chains and their wear.

 

[steve_sordy]

I'm struggling to see how to change gear not under load, given that I have to turn the cranks and its an e bike. Going into eco mode or turning the motor off isn't an option mid monster hill. Eco mode does make the changes less aggressive and clunky, but apart from reading the exact gear required before starting a climb, l can't see a solution to forced gear changes. This is why I asked my original question about chains and their wear.

Someone suggested to me once that rather than change gear under load, just change mode! It really works and it gets me past that point where I know I need to shift or I'm going to stall, but know that if I do so, I'm going to have a bad crunch.
It's one of the "e" things that are there to be discovered.

 

[Gary]

I'm struggling to see how to change gear not under load

simply ease off your pedal stroke. Soft pedalling the motor will drop assistance.

given that I have to turn the cranks and its an e bike. Going into eco mode or turning the motor off isn't an option mid monster hill.

Mode doesn't matter. it's the pressure you put through the pedals that matters.

Eco mode does make the changes less aggressive and clunky, but apart from reading the exact gear required before starting a climb

If you're in the wrong gear it's better to use a higher assist mode to up your cadence THEN ease off/soft pedal and change gear. THEN change back down an assist mode.

l can't see a solution to forced gear changes. This is why I asked my original question about chains and their wear.

Do you get what I mean better now?
Try it. You should feel/hear (and in the case of a E8000 display, see) the assist drop off as you reduce your force turning the pedals.
I don't know what motor you have (guessing a brose from your username) but all motors will have a little lag/overrun. learn the motors triats and triming and use this information to treat your chain nicer while shifting.

 

[Gary]

Someone suggested

if it was here. it was probably me.

 

[Kevnevo]

simply ease off your pedal stroke. Soft pedalling the motor will drop assistance.
Mode doesn't matter. it's the pressure you put through the pedals that matters.
If you're in the wrong gear it's better to use a higher assist mode to up your cadence THEN ease off/soft pedal and change gear. THEN change back down an assist mode.

Do you get what I mean better now?
Try it. You should feel/hear (and in the case of a E8000 display, see) the assist drop off as you reduce your force turning the pedals.
I don't know what motor you have (guessing a brose from your username) but all motors will have a little lag/overrun. learn the motors triats and triming and use this information to treat your chain nicer while shifting.

I do know how to change gear after 40 years of experience, but I find despite easing off it still changes gear viciously, up or down, and I know this is going to wear out stuff in no time.