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Warning: I used to just eyeball chain wear with a ruler, but that cost me a customer's derailleur hanger
A guy brought in a 3 year old gravel bike with a skipping drivetrain, and my old method said the chain was fine, but a proper checker showed it was at 1.2% stretch. I installed a new chain without checking the cassette, and the mismatch sheared the hanger when he shifted under load a week later. What's your go-to process for a full drivetrain check to avoid missing a worn cog?
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the_luna1mo ago
Been there, done that, bought the new hanger. My rule now is the chain checker gets used first, every time. If it reads over 0.75, I pull the cassette and check each cog for shark-toothing with a bright light. No more trusting my tired eyes after lunch.
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taylorcarr1mo ago
Spot the same thing everywhere now. People skip the right tool and go with a gut check. Saw it with a friend using a bent coat hanger to check his car's oil. The dipstick was right there. We get lazy, trust old habits. That chain stretch is a tiny number you can't see, but it wrecks stuff. Makes you wonder what else we're eyeballing that needs a real gauge.
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