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The road bike chain wear test
An open gearbox with twelve sprockets, as is common on racing bikes today, is actually crazy. But it works! Quite well, in fact. At least with precise electronic shifting and a meticulously aligned derailleur hanger. How long the gearbox works without problems depends above all on the chain, its maintenance and lubrication.
This is because road bike chains inevitably wear out - and then the expensive chainrings and sprockets are also damaged; in the case of SRAM, the latter are inseparably connected to form a unit and cannot be replaced individually. In the case of the expensive top Red groupset, the entire cassette is even milled from a single piece of steel. This design is very light, but takes the sprockets into custody. If one is broken, a new cassette is needed - and this costs up to 300 euros for the Red. Shimano and Campagnolo also offer individual sprockets, each costing between 6 and 30 euros.
Small sprockets are more susceptible to wear than large sprockets, as the few teeth are worn more often when the road bike chain buzzes over them. The size of the front chainring also plays a role in wear. The smaller it is, the greater the chain forces and the more wear is to be expected.
From this point of view, reducing the size of the sprockets and chainrings, as in SRAM's AXS concept, is not a good idea. Single-speed drivetrains with a small blade are at a particular disadvantage. If you want low-wear shifting, you should always look for gears that engage as many teeth as possible.
Road bike chains: Well lubricated
The wear mechanism of the chain transmission takes place primarily inside the chain link. The inner plates of the road bike chain move relative to the chain pins each time they swing in and out of the sprockets. The drive force is transmitted via a tiny, linear contact surface. The pin can only withstand these forces if it is extremely hard and well lubricated.
Manufacturers try to achieve this with special hardening processes. If the hardened surface layer breaks, the door is open to further wear of the bolt. This is because the pins are less hard on the inside. The chain then changes its so-called pitch due to the pin wear. The even pin spacing becomes long-short-long, which causes the chain to slip up the tooth flanks and remove material. The chain and sprocket adapt to each other - which can work well for a long time, but reduces operational reliability.
However, a new road bike chain can no longer be ridden on heavily worn sprockets as it jumps over the tips of the teeth when pedalling. You should therefore keep an eye on chain wear and change it in good time before the sprockets suffer. Gauges that are swivelled into the chain are used to measure the chain.
Hard, hardener, chain pin
We test the road bike chains with a machine. High chain force, sand and deliberately inadequate lubrication with simple motor oil put extreme strain on the chains. This allows the wear to be assessed in fast motion. In real road bike life, the best chains can reach 10,000 kilometres and more with optimum care.
We let the chains run on the test bench for 36 hours. An intermediate measurement after 20 hours shows how the wear is starting to develop. The result is clear: Of the big three manufacturers, Shimano builds the most durable chains. Dura-Ace and Ultegra show only minimal signs of wear during the test period. The pins are therefore extremely wear-resistant. The cheaper 105 chain shows slightly more wear, but is not worn out after the test. Campagnolo's chains are at a comparable level. SRAM shows the most wear.
The Rival chain in particular is weak, wears out rapidly, needs replacing after 20 hours and is completely worn out after 36 hours. The Force chain wears more slowly, but breaks several times, which indicates problems with the production batch. According to our research (see below, risk of breakage?), this rarely happens in practice. The SRAM Red is at Force level in terms of wear and lasts. All in all, the Ultegra offers the best price-performance ratio. But beware: SRAM riders cannot fall back on Shimano, the AXS groupsets are no longer compatible.
Risk of breaking the road bike chain?
The Force chain broke a total of three times in the test, after running for between 20 and 36 hours. This is new. We have never had a chain break on our test bike before. Cracks are also not to be expected because the breaking force of the chain is around ten times higher than the tensile force we apply. We also use a maximum of 20 per cent of the chain strength on the bike.
Internet research has shown that Force chains have also broken in practice. In some cases, riders have experienced multiple breakages, but not often overall. This points to faulty production batches, as Shimano has already experienced with eleven-speed chains; at that time, chains broke under the influence of road salt and aggressive cleaners.
A KMC chain also broke in winter conditions. Tip: Protect the chain well from corrosion and road salt, especially in winter, keep it clean and inspect it carefully from time to time; the breaks are presumably harbingers in the form of fine cracks. Sprockets can also break, but more often off-road than on the road, because the chain forces depend on the gear you are riding in. The smaller the chainring, the more tension is exerted on the chain. Gear ratios with as many teeth as possible minimise wear.
Projected operating costs per kilometre
According to our calculations, Shimano's Ultegra has the lowest kilometre costs as far as the drivetrain is concerned. However, poor maintenance or replacing the chain too late can multiply the costs. Weaker chains and very expensive cassettes drive up the expected operating costs for SRAM.
Only the operators of large fleets, such as rental stations on Mallorca, know the true operating costs; our extrapolation is based on plausible assumptions. We have set the best chain in the test at 10,000 practical kilometres and extrapolated the rest accordingly, plus a surcharge of 1,000 kilometres for low-threshold loads. We have to make further assumptions about the sprockets. Depending on the design, we calculated a new cassette after two to four chain lifetimes and new chainrings after three.
Road bike chain wear test - chains in detail
Campagnolo Chorus
- Market price: 45 Euro >> available here
- ClosureRivet pin
Road bike chain wear test - measured values
- Weight: 243 gram
- Number of links: 114
- Weight per link: 2,13 gram
- Width: 5,17 millimetre
- Elongation per joint: 0.026 millimetre
Description of theThe Campa chain with the best price-performance ratio. Very good shifting characteristics, the durability is also good and identical to the Super Record. The only difference is that it is slightly heavier due to the lack of hollow pins. A chain lock would be an asset.
Durability rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Campagnolo Super Record
- Market price: 60 Euro >> available here
- ClosureRivet pin
Road bike chain wear test - measured values
- Weight: 224 gram
- Number of links: 114
- Weight per link: 1,96 gram
- Width: 5,17 millimetre
- Elongation per joint: 0.024 millimetre
Description of theNomen est omen: The Record holds the weight record. Hollow bolts shed 19 grams compared to the Chorus. Durability is good, but does not quite reach the level of Shimano. Handling suffers from the rivet pin lock and requires special tools.
Durability rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Shimano 105
- Market price: 30 Euro >> available here
- ClosureDisposable chain lock
Road bike chain wear test - measured values
- Weight: 258 gram
- Number of links: 116
- Weight per link: 2,22 gram
- Width: 5,27 millimetre
- Elongation per joint: 0.028 millimetre
Description of theHardly distinguishable from the Ultegra on the outside, also durable, but measurably less durable than its more expensive sister. According to the specification, the inner plates are not chrome-plated. The shifting behaviour is identical to the more expensive chains. Chain lock can only be used once.
Durability rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Shimano Ultegra
- Market price: 40 Euro >> available here
- ClosureDisposable chain lock
Road bike chain wear test - measured values
- Weight: 258 gram
- Number of links: 116
- Weight per link: 2,22 gram
- Width: 5,27 millimetre
- Elongation per joint: 0.013 millimetre
Description of theThe workhorse from the market leader's range is also used on mountain bikes (XT groupset) and impresses with its excellent endurance. Chrome-plated inner plates and extra-hard pins make the chain stable. Easy to handle thanks to the single-use chain lock.
Durability rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Shimano Dura-Ace
- Market price: 60 Euro >> available here
- ClosureDisposable chain lock
Road bike chain wear test - measured values
- Weight: 248 gram
- Number of links: 116
- Weight per link: 2,14 gram
- Width: 5,26 millimetre
- Elongation per joint: 0.015 millimetre
Description of theThe top model combines excellent endurance with lightweight construction and is also used in the XTR off-road groupset. The difference to Ultegra is the hollow pins, which make the chain 10 grams lighter. The surcharge of around 20 euros for the small weight advantage is sporty.
Durability rating: 5 out of 5 stars
SRAM Rival
- Market price: 20 Euro >> available here
- ClosureDisposable chain lock
Road bike chain wear test - measured values
- Weight: 271 gram
- Number of links: 120
- Weight per link: 2,25 gram
- Width: 5.00 millimetre
- Elongation per joint: 0.014 millimetre
Description of theDisappointing durability. Externally, the chain resembles the Force, but runs in much faster. Heavy wear even in the intermediate measurement after 20 hours. The shifting characteristics are very good. Not compatible with Shimano due to the larger roller diameter.
Durability rating: 1 of 5 stars
SRAM Force
- Market price: 31 Euro >> available here
- ClosureDisposable chain lock
Road bike chain wear test - measured values
- Weight: 271 gram
- Number of links: 120
- Weight per link: 2,25 gram
- Width: 5.00 millimetre
- Elongation per joint0.039 millimetres (up to the break)
Description of theThe chain breaks several times on the inner plates - unusual, as the loads in the test are far below the breaking force. Halfway wear is identical to the Red, better than the Rival, but below expectations. The chain lock is good, but can only be used once.
Durability rating: 3 out of 5 stars
SRAM Red
- Market price: 40 Euro >> available here
- ClosureDisposable chain lock
Measured values
- Weight: 261 gram
- Number of links: 120
- Weight per link: 2,18 gram
- Width: 5.00 millimetre
- Elongation per joint: 0.066 millimetre
Description of theThe top model falls short of expectations in terms of wear and does not reach the level of SRAM's best MTB chains. The hollow pins reduce the weight by 10 grams compared to the Force. Very good shifting characteristics. Good chain lock for single use.
Durability rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Road bike chain wear test - How TOUR tests
We rivet several chain sections to form a test chain and tension it with 1000 newtons of tensile force. We let the drive loaded in this way run at 70 rpm (gear ratio 50/14 or 48/13 for SRAM). The running time is 36 hours, which corresponds to around 1200 kilometres with the equivalent of just under 700 watts of pedalling power. Simple motor oil as a lubricant and the addition of fine quartz sand promote wear. We determine the joint elongation, which is decisive for the wear of the chain.
