Don't those readings suggest "time to replace"? Good chains are cheaper than good gears...
Chain Wear
- Thread starter Bilbo625
- Start date
6zfshdb
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Northeast Pennsylvania
I would replace the chain now. Cassette wear can happen quickly with a chain in that stage of wear on a mid drive bike.
dodgeman
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Macomb, Illinois
I didn’t say that very well. My gauge has to sides and one side is 0.75% and the other is 1%. As it is now the 0.75% won’t drop in so the wear is less than that. Mine Trek is a 9 speed and from what I’ve read 0.75% is where I need to think about replacing it.
My chain was beyond 0.75%. I ordered that SRAM chain, installed it and all is good now mostly. I get a click in high gear sometimes, my bike tech warned me about this with those ding dang high powered mid drives. 36 mph can cause some grief.
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
0.75% is where you should start worrying. At 1% your smaller cassette cogs are already worn.
I have ridden my Vado 5.0 for 2,000 miles without the chain replacement (1% elongation). Because of my negligence, I had not only had to replace the chain but also the 11, 13, 15, and 17T sprockets of my cassette. Additionally, a new lock-ring was necessary, as the sprocket replacement for this e-bike was done earlier for several times. This expensive cassette allows replacing as many as 8 sprockets out of 11 if needed.
Meanwhile, I replace the chain in my Vado SL every 1,000 miles (0.5% mark) and the original cassette has been sound for 15 months.
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I wonder what kind of steel Gazelle uses? As I stated, after 4000 miles, the cassette is still good and the bicycle mechanic was surprised. I got off easy, I guess.
I went on a longer ride today and the bike seems perkier with the new chain and computer update.
fooferdoggie
Well-Known Member
I got 12k out of my cassette on my commuter and it still may have gone another chain. but the chainring was shot so Changed everything out.
Good to know.
D
Deleted member 57338
Guest
Prison sentence huh? We have been looking to relocate from MD to WV for a long long time. Traveling thru I am finding the state has been raped for minerals and energy.
"Forest management", strip mines, coal mines, rock quarries and now wind turbines.
I am trying to find something along the dolly sods, Seneca rocks, greenbrier river area, but no luck finding something for many many years.
Enjoy your bread and water!
I got paroled! I’m now in Washington State. Life is good, really good. FiretrUCK West Virginia. The worst state in the union.
charlieboom-boom
New Member
- Region
- USA
I do believe that mid drives will cause more wear because the torque of the motor goes directly to the chain and gears. You can get less wear by always starting up using the pedals and power level 1. Avoid power levels 4 & 5. Use the gears just like you would on a regular bike. I have a 750watt BaFang mid drive on my delta type recumbent trike and have 2,500 miles on the chain so far and think that I might get another 500 or so miles before the chain gauge says I need to change it. As a recumbent trike uses 3 lengths of chain I make sure that I always lube the chain every 200 miles. The chain that I have on my E-velomobile has 4,500 miles which is most likely due to using a geared rear hub motor. Which puts out a peak of 1,800 watts of power but uses only 350-375 watts at full throttle on flat level ground with no wind. The low level power usage at full speed is due to the low drag of the areo-dynamic full body fairing. The low amount of chain wear is because the motor power goes directly to the rear tire and not thru the chain and gears. The chain gauge shows that there are a lot more miles before it reaches .49 of wear.So I have a Bafang mid drive 1000 watt motor on my Specialized Crosstrail. I replaced the chain last year when I did the conversion and then replaced the chain and cassette ($90) about 5 months ago and now the bike tech said it needs both again. He showed me the stretch and how the gears are getting chewed up. He says he's seen lots of these issues lately with the bigger motors. The conversion only has 1800 miles and I'm kinda wondering if this is going to be an expensive continuing problem. Are you guys seeing this? And is there a stronger less stretchy chain?
FWIW My bike guy is really cool and doesn't charge me most times for things like gear adjustment. So I bring a six pack of craft beer for his trouble.
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