Chain Stretch

John Webinga has written in to us about his chain stretching problem, but there is little you can do to eliminate this. We explain a few things and make our suggestions on how to help the problem

Question:
I recently had a severely stretched chain on a road bike. It ate up the large bottom bracket gear and minimally affected the cassette. I thought I was keeping it lubed well enough to eliminate this problem, but no. Is there a recommended way to keep a chain in good shape and eliminate stretch?

Hi John,

There is no way to stop chain stretch, but you can help your chain to last longer. A large and strong rider will stretch and wear out a chain quicker than a lighter rider, also the chain of someone who rides smoothly and evenly will last longer than the rider who jumps hard on the pedals and has a jerky style.

You say you lubed the chain well; did you also clean it first? You need to clean all the grit and grime from the between the links of the chain and the rollers as this wears it out quicker. To do this you can either buy a chain cleaning machine which has small brushes inside and you add a chain cleaning liquid, the chain runs through the machine and you don’t get the liquid all over yourself or the bike.

The old fashioned and cheaper method is to cut the top of an old water bottle to hold the cleaning liquid and use a paint brush for application. The best cleaning liquid is a degreaser, there are many specifically for bike chains, but if you go to a car parts supply shop they will sell you a large and cheap can of degreaser. Be careful where the degreaser goes as it is not good for the tires and some times can affect the paint on the frame if you use a very strong degreaser. You can use diesel, but this is very strong and you should wear gloves and protect everything around including the bike.

After cleaning, wash with water and dry it with an old towel.

The best lube is one with Teflon, if you ride in the rain a lot then go for heavier cross country oil. Use a spray with an extension tube to get into the rollers. Let it dry and then wipe off any excess. In dryer areas you can use a lighter oil or a chain wax, but never use WD40 or similar as these are not a lubricant but more of a water displacer and they become very dry and don’t protect the chain. I hope this all helps?

TOP TIP: Remember, if you change you chain as it gets worn then the cassette will last longer.