Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

Chain Stretch

2K views 44 replies 17 participants last post by  umarth 
#1 · (Edited)
Vertical drop-outs; no chain tensioner; no eccentric bottom bracket -- how long can I run this set up before I can expect chain stretch* to give me problems?

*short hand for increase in distance between pins due to chain wear (so relax).
 
#5 · (Edited)
markj2k4 said:
Also is somewhat dependent on your riding style and weight. Hammertime and fat ass = more chain stretch than putzing around town and waif.
Thanks -- I'm somewhere between hammertime/fat ass and p.a.t/waif. I'm 6'0"-170 lbs and use this rigid SS to fool around on neighborhood single track with mild climbs when I get tired of riding my full-suspension xc bike.
 
G
#7 ·
Some chains dont stretch. Depends on your chain and other factors mentioned already in this post. You really shouldnt worry about chain stretch. Over time it will happen if your chain isnt stretch proof but if and when it does happen doesnt mean your drivetrain is going to be a problem.
 
#9 ·
umarth said:
Why does everyone hate tensioners so much?
they were responsible for the black plauge and AIDS. If you have a tensioner, please use a condom.

But in all reality, yea, never had a problem with mine. I actually had less issues with it than some singlespeed specific frames, to be honest.
 
#10 ·
umarth said:
Why does everyone hate tensioners so much?
It's not so much that I hate them, but when I tweaked the one I had on the bike, I thought I'd try to get a "cleaner" look by setting the bike up without one. The Surly tensioner looks nice, but this is a budget build and I don't want to drop $35 - $40 on one.
 
#11 ·
Chain STRETCH is actually chain WEAR
The standard way to measure chain wear is with a ruler or steel tape measure. This can be done without removing the chain from the bicycle. The normal technique is to measure a one-foot length, placing an inch mark of the ruler exactly in the middle of one rivet, then looking at the corresponding rivet 12 complete links away. On a new, unworn chain, this rivet will also line up exactly with an inch mark. With a worn chain, the rivet will be past the inch mark.
This gives a direct measurement of the wear to the chain, and an indirect measurement of the wear to the sprockets:

•If the rivet is less than 1/16" past the mark, all is well.
•If the rivet is 1/16" past the mark, you should replace the chain, but the sprockets are probably undamaged.
•If the rivet is 1/8" past the mark, you have left it too long, and the sprockets (at least the favorite ones) will be too badly worn. If you replace a chain at the 1/8" point, without replacing the sprockets, it may run OK and not skip, but the worn sprockets will cause the new chain to wear much faster than it should, until it catches up with the wear state of the sprockets.
•If the rivet is past the 1/8" mark, a new chain will almost certainly skip on the worn sprockets, especially the smaller ones

God Bless Sheldon Brown
 
#13 ·
sean salach said:
Chains, as a single unit, do stretch. This stretch is caused by the wearing of individual components of the chain. To stretch is simply to elongate, and since it has become longer, a worn chain has stretched, by definition.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/stretch
The elongation is not from actually stretching the chain. It hasn't stretched at all, it has merely increased the play in the pins. You can still compress the chain back down.
 
#14 ·
Schmucker said:
The elongation is not from actually stretching the chain. It hasn't stretched at all, it has merely increased the play in the pins. You can still compress the chain back down.
I'm with this guy. I hate the term chainstrech.
Anyway, back on topic...I ran an Imperial with no tensioner, and my chain was tight with a new chain. I went thru 2-3 chains a summer, 3ish rides a week. Because I think chains wear and get longer, not actually strech, I think weight and leg strength have less to do with lifespan then keeping it clean and lubed. IMO.
 
#16 ·
Schmucker said:
The elongation is not from actually stretching the chain. It hasn't stretched at all, it has merely increased the play in the pins. You can still compress the chain back down.
All 'stretch' means is that the object in question got longer. The chain itself, taken as one whole unit, has stretched when it is longer than it once was. The links of a chain don't stretch, and the individual pins and rollers don't either, they wear, but the combined effect of all those worn pins and rollers is, by definition, a stretched chain.

A bungee cord can return to it's original length, despite being stretched.
 
#18 ·
sean salach said:
All 'stretch' means is that the object in question got longer. The chain itself, taken as one whole unit, has stretched when it is longer than it once was. The links of a chain don't stretch, and the individual pins and rollers don't either, they wear, but the combined effect of all those worn pins and rollers is, by definition, a stretched chain.

A bungee cord can return to it's original length, despite being stretched.
Thank you for interjecting a little common sense. Everyone knows that "chain stretch" refers to a worn-out chain -- fortunately only a few need to demonstrate how clever they are with somewhat condescending posts.
 
#19 ·
sean salach said:
All 'stretch' means is that the object in question got longer. The chain itself, taken as one whole unit, has stretched when it is longer than it once was. The links of a chain don't stretch, and the individual pins and rollers don't either, they wear, but the combined effect of all those worn pins and rollers is, by definition, a stretched chain.

A bungee cord can return to it's original length, despite being stretched.
Those two things are nothing alike. A bungee cord stretches because the elastomers have been reoriented within the material to have that elongation, but they maintain their chemical binding. The material has actually deformed. A chain, however, "stretches" from moving the links further apart from the space available. You're just moving parts around. There is no deformation. What you're saying is that having to blocks next to each other, and then moving them apart, you've now stretched the blocks.
 
#20 ·
$10 KMC Z410s only last me about 10 hours before they get floppy. Then I put the Singleator on and squeeze out a few more rides. I think the Florida sand is the main culprit for the excessive wear.

I switched to KMC Z610's which are lasting much longer but still require a tensioner after a few weeks. I am using a Surly stainless ring and cog which don't seem to affected by the chain wear.
 
#22 ·
Schmucker said:
Those two things are nothing alike. A bungee cord stretches because the elastomers have been reoriented within the material to have that elongation, but they maintain their chemical binding. The material has actually deformed. A chain, however, "stretches" from moving the links further apart from the space available. You're just moving parts around. There is no deformation. What you're saying is that having to blocks next to each other, and then moving them apart, you've now stretched the blocks.
Nope, that's not what I'm saying. A chain is one, single unit. It's made up of many components. None of those components stretch under normal use. Those components wear down under normal use. This results in the chain, as a single unit, becoming longer. This is the definition of the word 'stretch', becoming longer. 'Stretch' does not apply strictly to elasticity.

"stretch (strch)
v. stretched, stretch·ing, stretch·es
v.tr.
1. To lengthen, widen, or distend: stretched the sweater out of shape.
2. To cause to extend from one place to another or across a given space: stretched the banner between two poles.
3. To make taut; tighten: stretched the tarpaulin until it ripped.
4. To reach or put forth; extend: stretched out his hand.
5.
a. To extend (oneself or one's limbs, for example) to full length: stretched her calves before running.
b. To extend (oneself) when lying down: she stretched herself out on the couch.
c. To put to torture on the rack.
6. To wrench or strain (a muscle, for example).
7.
a. To extend or enlarge beyond the usual or proper limits: stretch the meaning of a word.
b. To subject to undue strain: to stretch one's patience.
8.
a. To expand in order to fulfill a larger function: stretch a budget; stretch a paycheck.
b. To increase the quantity of by admixture or dilution: stretch a meal by thinning the stew.
9. To prolong: stretch out an argument.
10. Informal To fell by a blow: stretched his opponent in the first round.
v.intr.
1. To become lengthened, widened, or distended.
2. To extend or reach over a distance or area or in a given direction: "On both sides of us stretched the wet plain" (Ernest Hemingway).
3. To lie down at full length: stretched out on the bed.
4. To extend one's muscles or limbs, as after prolonged sitting or on awakening.
5. To extend over a given period of time: "This story stretches over a whole generation" (William Golding).
n.
1. The act of stretching or the state of being stretched.
2. The extent or scope to which something can be stretched; elasticity.
3. A continuous or unbroken length, area, or expanse: an empty stretch of highway.
4. A straight section of a racecourse or track, especially the section leading to the finish line.
5.
a. A continuous period of time.
b. Slang A term of imprisonment: served a two-year stretch.
c. Informal The last stage of an event, period, or process.
6. Baseball A movement in which a pitcher, standing with the glove side facing home plate, raises both hands to the height of the head and then lowers them to the chest or waist for a short pause before pitching the ball. It is used as an alternative to a wind-up, especially when runners are on base.
adj.
1. Made of an elastic material that stretches easily: stretch pants.
2. Of, relating to, or being a vehicle, such as a limousine or passenger jet, having an extended seating area that provides extra space for more passengers, leg room, or amenities."
 
#25 ·
I knew when Canaan typed

"*short hand for increase in distance between pins due to chain wear (so relax)"

it was time to grab the ZIG ZAGs, roll a nice one, crank on some Dark Side of the Moon and settle in for a nice literary trip down ego lane.

I am so stoned now I am willing to bet you that my chain is stretched longer than yours if I wear it or not.
 
#26 ·
ZIT30/34 said:
I knew when Canaan typed

"*short hand for increase in distance between pins due to chain wear (so relax)"

it was time to grab the ZIG ZAGs, roll a nice one, crank on some Dark Side of the Moon and settle in for a nice literary trip down ego lane.

I am so stoned now I am willing to bet you that my chain is stretched longer than yours if I wear it or not.
Glad to be of service . . . .

Apparently riding a singlespeed gives you a really big brain along with the really big quads.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top