Reddit reviews Park Tool CC-3.2 Chain Checker for Bicycle Chains

Noticeable stretch. How are you computing this "noticeable" stretch? Are you using a chainwear tool?

Dusty conditions = dry lube. Dry as possible. I recommend Rock & Roll Extreme.

Even with cleaning and lubrication you will replace the chain. And yes, worn chains (those past 75%) will start to wear the cassette, and then the chainrings once the chain goes past 100%. I wouldn't be concerned with derailer cogs.

For example: https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-CC-3-2-Chain-Checker/dp/B000BR3LHQ/. A $10 chain measuring tool like this could save you much more money in drivetrain components in the future.

Edit: Take two with some input thanks to u/LukeWarmCage for teaching me some Reddit knowledge. We all learning lessons today...

My same post from before:

I was gonna suggest something similar. I've always been mechanically inclined, taking apart things like RC cars as a kid to see how they worked. But I got into road biking with zero experience working on bikes. I now have 6 bikes and do 90% of the maintenance on all of them myself. I learned most things from books and Youtube, when I would get stuck I'd take a bike to my LBS and make sure to ask them what I was doing wrong. Usually they are happy to offer advice and direct me toward a tool or technique I was missing. The only thing now that I'm not comfortable working on myself still are things involving bearings, especially if they are press fit. I don't have the tools to work on them and don't want to damage something trying to go without. I've been slowly converting my bikes from hubs with open bearings to cartridge bearings because I hate repacking hubs, and cartridge bearings last long enough that I don't mind taking a wheel to a shop for new bearings when needed.

u/dinkinflickin (great name BTW) While by now I have a pretty sizable selection of bike tools and a stand, you can do a lot of the stuff your bike needs regularly with really basic tools: a set of Allen wrenches, screwdrivers and maybe an adjustable wrench. Do invest a couple bucks in those plastic tire levers for fixing flats and get a chain gauge, which is a helpful little tool that tells you when you should think about replacing your bike chain. A worn out bike chain will still work fine for a while, but it is increasing the wear on your gears and they are more expensive to replace.

Things like your shifters and brakes are most likely to need occasional fine tuning. These are also both things that many new cyclists can mess up because they require some feel to get right. I've seen a lot of cyclists who notice their shifters aren't shifting smoothly and they adjust the wrong thing and make the problem worse. Here's GCN's video on indexing a rear shifter. "Indexing" is the term for getting the shifter to be properly lined up with the rear gears. This process is not easy as it takes some trial and error to learn at first, having someone show you how it's done is really helpful. Lastly since your bike is new you are unlikely to have to replace any components for a while, but as cables break in you may need to fine tune shifters. Chains, brake pads, and tires all have a finite lifespan and one of them is likely to be the first thing you replace in the first year or two.

The best thing you can do now IMO is leaning to clean and properly lubricated your bike. The grease and oils on your bike collect dirt and other contaminants and eventually turn into a gritty paste that starts doing more harm than good to the components. Keeping the bike clean and lubricated will reduce wear and protect your bike from corrosion. GCN also has a bunch of videos about cleaning and oiling bikes. Too much oil can be just as bad as too little because it picks up dirt. A chain cleaner like this one makes cleaning your chain much easier as you don't have to remove it from the bike.

Just Riding Along.

chain checker will check for pin wear (sometimes called chain stretch. It's one dynamic of wear that can be measure. Lateral slop can't be measured as it were but can affect shifting and performance.

You can spin chain rings and cogs to see if they're straight.

I would look at getting a chain checker to see, and for cabling I would reset the cable at the derailer and adjust it if it really is stretched.

1500 miles seems low, not unheard of just low. Maybe take it to another shop for a second opinion or learn to do the work yourself. Save money and gain skill in the long run.

When you pick up your new chain, also pick up a chain checker. Replace when the chain gets to .75 slack... http://amzn.com/B000BR3LHQ

http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-CC-3-2-Chain-Indica/dp/B000BR3LHQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1377578171&sr=8-4&keywords=chain+checker+tool

FYI you can get a chain wear indicator to check you chain. this takes the guess work out of when you would need to replace your chain. The tool only measures for wear on the chain so rear cog replacement can still takes some guessing.

link for chain wear indicator.
https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-CC-3-2-Chain-Indica/dp/B000BR3LHQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1499892870&sr=8-2&keywords=chain+checker

link explaining chain wear
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/chain-wear.html

Learn to take care of your bike and be aware that stuff will wear out much faster than you're used to. Lube your chain with actual chain lube regularly (and don't forget to wipe off the excess - too much lube is almost worse than none at all). Pay attention to chain wear (I'd suggest getting an inexpensive chain checker and learning how to use it properly) and replace the chain when it's worn to avoid wearing out the rest of your drivetrain prematurely. Pay attention to tire wear and know how to change a flat. Don't forget your brake pads either. Be prepared to replace cables and housing at least once a year - more if you're riding in nasty conditions regularly.

One of the biggest mistakes that I see messengers (new ones, at least) make is not taking care of their bike. They do no maintenance until something stops working entirely, then come into the shop and are shocked at how expensive the repairs will be because they haven't been maintaining things.

I would do it in the spring, if you can get away with it but it is a risk. Winter weather is tough on the transmission.

you run the risk of breaking your chain if you don't get it changed. Happened to me on my commute home and walking the bike through the snow was awful. How long is your commute? If you don't have one already, I suggest buying a chain checker. They are $10 or so and will tell you how much wear you have on the chain. I would not go through winter if you are at 50% or less.

https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-CC-3-2-Chain-Checker/dp/B000BR3LHQ/ref=asc_df_B000BR3LHQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312111916046&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14744392110579954068&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1016367&hvtargid=pla-493478287143&psc=1

That's interesting, I'm riding an internal hub bike now, similar 22km commute in city.

With my non-internally geared bikes, I'm getting maybe 3500km per chain, but single speed I was getting closer to 11,000km per chain, probably helped by the always-straight chain-line and never mashing gears. Hoping with the reduced tension in the chain on my new internal hub I could push chain life further.

Get a chain checker tool, they're great for figuring out when you need to get a new chain without much fuss.
With achain checker if the thing on the end doesn't slide into the chain, your chain is still good enough.

Buy or borrow a simple chain checker, and re-index your gears. In addition, two simple cleaning steps can make things a lot smoother: wipe the gunk off your jockey wheels and clean between the cassette cogs by using a cloth and "flossing" between the cogs. Those steps can really make things work a lot better, especially if they've built up a lot of gunk.

Good luck!

Those cogs look fine man, if you suspect chain wear theres a tool for that

Park Tool CC-3.2 Chain Checker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BR3LHQ/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_BMtSCbQXRJKF6

Chain checker. Or you can measure distance between pins.

I'm 5' 10" 160lbs
Last 6800 ultegra chain got replaced at 2k miles.
Might have been work before that but if I recall was still good at 1500.

Used this wear checker and replaced when it fell through .75
http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-CC-3-2-Chain-Indica/dp/B000BR3LHQ

The following will get you out of most mechanical issues:
workstand
mini ratchet
set of hex bits for ratchet
1-10ish Nm torque wrench
10-100ish Nm torque wrench with adapter for 1/4" drive bits
Park spoke keys
homemade bearing/bb press out of plumbing odds and ends
Park chain checker
Park mini chain tool
Park chain whip
Park master link pliers
Park hollowtech crank cap tool

You probably favor that chainring thus it has more wear. The more wear on the chainring the more space there is between the teeth.

When you put a new chain on it will not align perfectly with the teeth on your worn chainring (or your cassette cogs as your chain "stretches" over time, causing a little bit of a mismatch between chain links and teeth).

Since there is a little bit of a mismatch you will hear pops, creaks and your chain might slip occasionally. You can usually ride it out over time and allow your drive train to re-align itself (it can take a couple hundred miles if it's bad), but it's not a best practice. Ideally when this happens you would replace your cassette with your chain and any chainrings which are too worn. Chainrings tend to last quite a bit longer than cassette cogs.

Also, you can mitigate this in the future by buying a chain checker tool (like this). This tool will measure your chain elongation and when it becomes too elongated you simply replace the chain and avoid additional wear on the rest of your drive train, giving you a bit of added life (though I still replace my cassette about every ~5 chains and chainrings when they need it)