Just watched a guy at a group ride snap his chain because he never checks for stretch

I mean, I checked his bike after and the chain had almost half an inch of play over a foot, he said he'd been riding it for 2 years without ever measuring. Have any of you actually seen a chain fail mid-ride like that or am I just unlucky with the people I end up next to?

2 comments

2 Comments

morgan_lewis1821d ago

Damn, that's rough. I feel for you having to watch that happen from right next to him. Half an inch of play over a foot sounds like that chain was basically begging to snap at any moment. I've seen a couple chains fail mid-ride over the years, one time a guy's chain actually wrapped around his rear derailleur and took it clean off the hanger. It's always the guys who think maintenance is just wiping the dirt off that end up with the loudest, most expensive failures.

pat_perry21d ago

Wait, do you really think all those guys skipping maintenance are the only ones snapping chains? I've seen some pretty meticulous riders break chains too, including a buddy who lubed his after every ride and still had one let go on a steep climb. @morgan_lewis18, I get your point about neglected bikes failing loudest, but sometimes it's just bad luck or a weak link from the factory. The guy who wipes dirt off might get lucky for years, while someone with a brand new chain can hit a rough shift and snap it clean in half. I've had it happen on a chain with less than 50 miles on it, no warning at all.