How To Maintain Your Drivetrain

Just like tires, chains wear and need to be replaced. The bicycle chain requires proper maintenance as it is the main component of the drivetrain that can collect all kinds of dirt and debris. As the chain ages, it begins to wear and 'stretch.' Stretching of the chain will often affect shifting performance and will eventually wear down other drive train components like your chainrings, rear cassette, and pulley wheels – or worse, it could break mid-ride. If you ride with a worn-out chain too long, your shifting will degrade and wear out your cassette and chainrings. To fix this, you will have to invest in a new drivetrain which is much more expensive than a chain alone.

How often should you swap that chain?

A quick google search will turn up various answers - 2,000 miles, 1,000 miles, 750 miles. Unfortunately, miles aren't the only factor to best determine when to swap out your chain.

The truth is, it's going to vary by bike, riding conditions, type of chain, and the rider. If you ride a mountain bike and are slamming gears and torquing up hills, your chain is under a lot of stress and will begin to wear much sooner than that of a chain on a road bike. Also, mountain bike chains tend to encounter a lot more dirt, dust, and mud. These contaminants on the chain expedite drivetrain wear. That said, a road rider in the Pacific Northwest that rides year-round in the rain will likely experience more premature chain wear than a mountain biker in sunny Southern California simply from environmental conditions.