There is undoubtedly an assumption amongst those versed in bicycle maintenance, like myself, that everyone knows they should check their bike's chain regularly for wear. Yet I am sure that every day, in trusted bike shops around the world, riders are shocked when they are presented with a bill in excess of hundreds of dollars. Most likely for a seemingly trivial symptom, such as poor gear indexing or chain suck.
It's as simple as this: check your chain wear regularly with a chain wear tool like Pedro's Chain Checker Plus II. Once the chain starts to show signs of wear, replace it before it's too late. Replaced at regular intervals, a single cassette should last several times longer than running a single chain to the point of no return. When you consider that, with a groupset such as SRAM Red, a cassette can cost nearly $500 it's a no-brainer to grab yourself a $15 tool and keep an eye on wear. After all, a chain costs only a fraction of that to replace - $80-90 tops.
Unfortunately, not all chain checkers are made equal, which is why you should consider taking advantage of this small discount, if nothing else, during Amazon Prime Day.
As I mentioned, not all chain checkers are the same, and a significant reason for this is that many groupsets are now 12- and 13-speed. Before, roller diameter was one of the last long-standing 'standards' in the bicycle industry, at around 7.6mm. SRAM's new 13-speed flat-top chain features a roller diameter closer to 8mm. Which, when measuring decimal distances between rollers to check for wear, is quite problematic and guarantees a false reading.
Most modern chain wear checking tools are also relatively short, which, when measuring 'stretch' or 'elongation' of the chain, doesn't offer the most accurate reading. Basically, the longer the better. This is even more important when looking for those smaller 0.5% increments of wear.
I think it goes without saying that all this geeky attention to detail will enable your drivetrain to perform better for longer, with cleaner shifts and no chain suck or drops. It will also save you a lot of cash.
This small discount is only available via Amazon.com, however check out below to see if there is a deal in your region. If not, it is still a super affordable tool that will certainly save you money long term. For all the best Amazon Prime Day Bike Deals, check out our dedicated page for some of the best savings of the year.
