A road bike chain is a delicate component that is subjected to extreme forces. In a sprint, for example, the chain has to withstand a weight of around 200 kilograms. But even the strongest rider cannot break the chain. Even a narrow eleven-link chain with 0.8 millimetre thin plates still has a cross-sectional area of eight square millimetres and therefore a tensile strength of just under one tonne. There is only a risk of breakage if chains are riveted incorrectly or have been damaged by corrosion - which has already occurred in winter (salt), especially on Shimano chains.
Despite the strength reserves, the chain is one of the most wear-prone components on the bike. The pressures in the chain link are so high that even the best lubricants cannot completely prevent metal rubbing against metal, which inevitably leads to abrasion. To make matters worse, the chain joints are not sealed. Penetrating dirt increases the wear of the metal surfaces rubbing against each other. The abrasion on the pins and inner plates causes the chain to elongate over time and the so-called pitch - the distance from pin to pin - increases. Initially, the pitch is 12.7 millimetres. Due to joint wear, the spacing becomes uneven and the pin spacing becomes a sequence of long-short-long. To prevent damage to the pinions, the elongation should not exceed 0.075 millimetres per joint. For reasons of comparability, we have tested the wear in the laboratory.
You can find the test results of these eleven-fold chains below as a PDF download:
- Campagnolo Chorus
- Campagnolo Record
- KMC X11 SL
- Shimano Ultegra CN 6800
- Shimano Dura-Ace CN 9000
- SRAM PC 1170
- SRA Red 22
Downloads:
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