Chain needing replacement after only 500 miles?

[bikeman242]

New eBike owner here, my stock chain (KMC X11) is showing a wear of 0.5 on my Park Tool CC-2 chain checker, which indicates replacement for an 11 speed chain.

The odometer only shows 500 miles on the bike. The first 200 miles were a lot of me mashing down on the pedals as I got used to the bike (read: high motor output), but it still seems to have worn awfully quickly.

There is nothing wrong with the tool. I called Park and they said ignore it, change at 0.75.

Thoughts? Need a change?

 

[rich c]

I got 2,500 miles on my Haibikes, but I hesitate for the shifting. And that's with the shift detection of the Bosch motor. Considering the eBike investment, chains are cheap. Run a lot longer on a stretched chain and you could be looking at changing the cassette too. I'd wait for the .75.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Is your e-bike the mid-drive motor one? Do you interrupt pedalling on gear shifting? I'd say continue riding until you observe problems with shifting.

 

[LimboJim]

I do a lot of steep trail climbs, and my old 11-speed chains consistently reached 0.5% in under 300 miles.

People were CERTAIN that I was shifting poorly, or using defective chains/lubes and whatnot, but I've been MTBing for 30+ years and I shift just fine.

KMC ebike chains, Shimano, Wipperman... I tried them all with the same result. Multiple lubes, too - didn't matter.

It's the freakin' steep hills I frequently ride combined with the triple-leg-power torque of Shimano/Brose/Bosch/Yamaha mid-drives!


My latest eMTBs came with SRAM's wide-range 8-speed eMTB-specific EX1 drivetrain, and its chains are lasting me 500+ miles.

 

[smorgasbord]

Is your e-bike the mid-drive motor one? Do you interrupt pedalling on gear shifting? I'd say continue riding until you observe problems with shifting.

The danger with ignoring a worn chain is that the rear cassette cogs will then start to wear, which will result in a more expensive replacement than just replacing the chain.

Here's more than you wanted to know about chains and chain checkers: https://cyclingtips.com/2019/08/bicycle-chain-wear-and-checking-for-it/

I don't know which Parks chain checker the OP has, but for many checkers, roller movement or pin wear can dramatically affect readings and thus show an OK chain as worn. Thee OP is correct that generally 11 and 12 speed chains have less tolerance for wear than 8-10 speed chains, so I'm guessing the Parks guy is just going by the fact that all chain checker tools are conservative, recommending chain replacement sooner rather than later.

 

[bikeman242]

Thanks -

I have a yamaha PWX motor

I always ride on the second to highest power setting

I always ease up on the pedals when shifting

I have never noticed any shifting issues

I have the Park CC-2 tool - its the one that has the little window that measures chain wear. I took it to a bike shop and all the new bikes registered no wear. Mine registers 0.5.

Odometer is 440 miles.

Replace chain?

 

[steve mercier]

Thanks -

I have a yamaha PWX motor

I always ride on the second to highest power setting

I always ease up on the pedals when shifting

I have never noticed any shifting issues

I have the Park CC-2 tool - its the one that has the little window that measures chain wear. I took it to a bike shop and all the new bikes registered no wear. Mine registers 0.5.

Odometer is 440 miles.

Replace chain?

That is poor. You will get better results if you use Sram XX1 ,11 speed chains. Cheers (-:

 

[Alaskan]

I replace chain when it reaches .05% wear on my Bosch CX with shimano 11 speed 11-56 cassette about every 800-1,200 miles. The last ultegra 701 chain I opened up was over 1% over spec and was sent back to shimano for replacement. I intend to measure every chain going forward from now on.

Here is a very informative discussion of 11 & 12 speed chains. For 11 speed shimano comes out quite well in terms of efficiency, durability and cost per mile. Others excel in one or two categories but the shimano chains hit the best balance. I look at chains almost like oil for a two stroke engine. It is a consumable item that keeps everything running better if you pay attention to it.

Finding the best bicycle chain: What over 3,000 hours of testing revealed - CyclingTips

Want to know which 11- and 12-speed chains offer the best durability and performance? With exclusive test data from Zero Friction Cycling and CeramicSpeed, we dive deep to find out.

cyclingtips.com

 

[bikeman242]

May be a dumb question - but can I use any 11 speed chain on my eBike? The bikes drivetrain is shimano, stock chain was the KMC.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@bikeman242, manufacturers use KMC chains because they are saving cost. (Not that KMC chains are bad). Use Shimano chain with Shimano drivetrain, especially with the 11 gear cassette. That is what my mechanic told me and they specialize in advanced work for sports teams.

 

[bikeman242]

I replace chain when it reaches .05% wear on my Bosch CX with shimano 11 speed 11-56 cassette about every 800-1,200 miles. The last ultegra 701 chain I opened up was over 1% over spec and was sent back to shimano for replacement. I intend to measure every chain going forward from now on.

Here is a very informative discussion of 11 & 12 speed chains. For 11 speed shimano comes out quite well in terms of efficiency, durability and cost per mile. Others excel in one or two categories but the shimano chains hit the best balance. I look at chains almost like oil for a two stroke engine. It is a consumable item that keeps everything running better if you pay attention to it.

Finding the best bicycle chain: What over 3,000 hours of testing revealed - CyclingTips

Want to know which 11- and 12-speed chains offer the best durability and performance? With exclusive test data from Zero Friction Cycling and CeramicSpeed, we dive deep to find out.

cyclingtips.com

From your quoted article:

"At the other end of the scale was the KMC X11E chain which lasted only 1,694 km in Kerin’s gritty test"

I suppose it is reasonable that my KMC X11 chain wore out after 450 miles under heavy torque use.

 

[bikeman242]

I am shopping for Shimano chains - this is my first time buying a chain. Is this a good option?

Shimano dura-ace/xtr cn-hg901

Shimano Dura-Ace/XTR CN-HG901 11-Speed Chain [ICNHG90111116Q]

The Shimano Dura Ace / XTR CN-HG901 11-Speed Chain features an asymmetric plate design and an ultra-low friction SIL-TEC surface treatment for higher performance and longer life.

www.biketiresdirect.com

My gearing is: 1x11 Shimano Deore XT Derailleur with One-Way Clutch, Shimano Cassette 11-46 Tooth. This is a mountain bike.

 

[steve mercier]

I replace chain when it reaches .05% wear on my Bosch CX with shimano 11 speed 11-56 cassette about every 800-1,200 miles. The last ultegra 701 chain I opened up was over 1% over spec and was sent back to shimano for replacement. I intend to measure every chain going forward from now on.

Here is a very informative discussion of 11 & 12 speed chains. For 11 speed shimano comes out quite well in terms of efficiency, durability and cost per mile. Others excel in one or two categories but the shimano chains hit the best balance. I look at chains almost like oil for a two stroke engine. It is a consumable item that keeps everything running better if you pay attention to it.

Finding the best bicycle chain: What over 3,000 hours of testing revealed - CyclingTips

Want to know which 11- and 12-speed chains offer the best durability and performance? With exclusive test data from Zero Friction Cycling and CeramicSpeed, we dive deep to find out.

cyclingtips.com

“SRAM claim the world’s longest-lasting chain with their XX1, and they are not kidding,” I have 1800 km on my most recent Sram XX1 and when the LBS measured my chain last week the mechanic said it was still like new!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Steve, it's better to use SRAM chain on a SRAM drive-train. There are slight differences between Shimano and SRAM drive trains.

 

[steve mercier]

Steve, it's better to use SRAM chain on a SRAM drive-train. There are slight differences between Shimano and SRAM drive trains.

I have a motor so I am not concerned about efficiency. (-:

 

[Stefan Mikes]

It is not about the efficiency Steve. For example, the cog teeth have different construction (shape and profile). Ever wondered what the term "narrow-wide" meant?

 

[steve mercier]

Before I head out for an invigorating ride this morning ,let me also plug another of my favorite ( if unrelated ) products. Just keep pedaling everybody!

 

[steve mercier]

Oh I amost forgot to plug this awesome Lube! These are 3 products I am really happy with.

Steve, it's better to use SRAM chain on a SRAM drive-train. There are slight differences between Shimano and SRAM drive trains.

My chain never comes off when I ride....no worries mate. I have a 19t front, so no narrow/wide pattern.

 

[bikeman242]

Thanks guys, so is the Shimano dura-ace/xtr cn-hg901 my best option for an 11speed Shimano chain?

Shimano Dura-Ace/XTR CN-HG901 11-Speed Chain [ICNHG90111116Q]

The Shimano Dura Ace / XTR CN-HG901 11-Speed Chain features an asymmetric plate design and an ultra-low friction SIL-TEC surface treatment for higher performance and longer life.

www.biketiresdirect.com

My gearing is: 1x11 Shimano Deore XT Derailleur with One-Way Clutch, Shimano Cassette 11-46 Tooth. This is a mountain bike.

 

[Alaskan]

Thanks guys, so is the Shimano dura-ace/xtr cn-hg901 my best option for an 11speed Shimano chain?

Shimano Dura-Ace/XTR CN-HG901 11-Speed Chain [ICNHG90111116Q]

The Shimano Dura Ace / XTR CN-HG901 11-Speed Chain features an asymmetric plate design and an ultra-low friction SIL-TEC surface treatment for higher performance and longer life.

www.biketiresdirect.com

My gearing is: 1x11 Shimano Deore XT Derailleur with One-Way Clutch, Shimano Cassette 11-46 Tooth. This is a mountain bike.

If you read the article I cited, they conclude that

"And Shimano users shouldn’t see much reason to stray, either. Shimano chains are seemingly the most efficient on the market while also offering decent durability. Yes, there are more durable chains which are almost as fast (such as YBN), but these may only be worth the extra expense if you’re in the chain waxing clan. If you’re sticking with Shimano 11-speed, I’d say it’s worth upgrading your Shimano chain to at least an Ultegra level, and if efficiency matters to you, then Dura-Ace is worth the extra."

Note that the efficiency edge on the Dura-Acece chain is only .5 watts. I think the Ultegra chain is the best bet in terms of durability, cost and efficiency, for your XT 11 speed, 11-46 set up which is the same as mine on both my CUbe trouing Hybrid and y Riese & Muller Delight Mountain.