{"id":5200,"date":"2025-02-05T17:41:08","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T17:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cyclist.co.uk\/how-to-check-your-bikes-chain-for-wear-and-stretch\/"},"modified":"2025-02-05T17:41:21","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T17:41:21","slug":"how-to-check-your-bikes-chain-for-wear-and-stretch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cyclist.co.uk\/tutorials\/how-to-check-your-bikes-chain-for-wear-and-stretch","title":{"rendered":"How to check your bike’s chain for wear and ‘stretch’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There aren’t many components more important on a bike than its chain. However, it’s easy to overlook chain wear that can cause serious inefficiency in the drivetrain and even risk a chain failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meshing with the teeth of both your chainrings and sprockets, the chain transfers the energy produced by your legs to the rear wheel. As it does so both its rollers and pins will slowly wear out. Often referred to as having stretched, the chain\u2019s length will actually remain the same, but its ability to do its job will get less and less until eventually you\u2019ll find your gears slipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hugely affected by the conditions you ride in, and the amount of cleaning you can be bothered with, its lifespan can be hard to predict. Luckily there are ways to diagnose exactly the state yours is in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let your chain get too worn and your shifting will suffer, along with the state of your chainrings, cassette and jockey wheels. However, change it before its too degraded and you\u2019ll prolong the life of the other bits of your drivetrain. Most manufacturers recommend you replace your chain once the gap between the rollers has grown (due to wear) by 0.75%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow our guide to see whether your chain is still in fighting shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to check your bike’s chain for wear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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1. Check your chain with a chain checker<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Various tools exist to measure chain wear; from variable gauges to digital calipers and simple drop-in models. All do the same job in measuring the wear on the rollers between a short section of chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easy to use, you simply slot them in between a set number of links. Drop-in models will fit on one side. Should the second end also drop in, this will usually indicate either 0.75% or 1% wear; it’ll be marked on the tool. More complex gauges may require you to expand them to give a more accurate reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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