Getting through a Kozhikode monsoon
Rain finds weak brakes, bald tyres and tired wiring first.
When to change your chain and sprockets
Stretch, hooked teeth and a chain that will not stay adjusted are the three signs.
A chain does not break suddenly on a well-kept bike. It stretches slowly, and the sprockets wear with it. Knowing the signs saves money, because a worn chain eats new sprockets and a worn sprocket eats a new chain.
The first sign is adjustment. If you find yourself tightening the chain every few hundred kilometres, it has stretched past its life. Most bikes have a wear indicator on the swing arm; once the adjuster reaches the red zone, it is time.
The second is the rear sprocket. Look at the teeth. They should be symmetrical, like small mountains. Worn teeth lean one way and look hooked, like a wave about to break.
The third is a test you can do at home. Pull the chain away from the back of the rear sprocket. If you can see more than half a tooth, the chain is worn.
Always change the chain and both sprockets together. Fitting a new chain on old sprockets wears it out in a few thousand kilometres. A clean, lubed chain on a commuter bike usually lasts 18,000 to 25,000 km.
