The real ebike chain life thread. LOL

Utah Rider

Well-known member
Jul 4, 2019
147
189
Utah
So I have two 17' Levos with 1 X 11 set up. A stock 32 Praxis up front and stock SRAM GX XG-1150 rear cassette. The first thing that I can say is if you ride an ebike then throw your chain wear gauge away. It is useless. Back in the day before the 1X systems the threat of chain suck was very real. Most people that talk about it have never even had it happen or don't know what it is. Chain suck is when your drive train has so much wear or dirt that the chain sticks to the chain ring or cassette. When this happens you get a mechanical lockup.
Traditionally, the other reason that chain wear is measured is to prevent damage to expensive drive train components. As of today, the pricing on a 32 tooth Praxis chain ring is $30 from the LBS or $20 online. A XG-1150 rear cassette can be had for $65 on Amazon or slightly more other places if you look for deals. Why keep throwing new chains at your bike to supposedly save a $100 drive train. Save your money, run them chains 1000-1500 miles. I've bought KMC chains from the UK and shipped to the U.S. for $30. They will go 1000-1500 miles. Just make sure you keep some quick links with you for the inevitable chain break.
I think the SRAM PCX1 11sp chain has better shifting and is stronger than the KMC. It is also around $30 with free shipping. It will easily go 1000 miles in the dirt. I am testing one now for a final tally.
So back in the day a mountain biker (like myself) would be grinding up the mountain in granny gear. Thus granny gear would wear out first. On my ebike I use all 11 gears. The chain rarely stays on a single cog for long so the wear is evenly distributed on the cassette. The front Praxis chain ring is steel and basically bullet proof. One of my bikes has 4600 miles on the Praxis 32t and it is still working great. My plan is to change out the chain ring and cassette at 5000 miles/ 8050 KM .
My chain maintenance is basically to remove the chain and clean it with an ultra sonic cleaner like maybe every two months. I never clean it after a ride. I use Maxima Chain Wax for motorcycles. It doesn't wash off like teflon lubes and it will hold up to moon dust like none other. You can literally go weeks between applications while riding in moon dust. You can get a 13oz can for $15 and it will last for two years.
Anyway, thanks for reading. Cheers.
(riding weight 200-215 lbs including spare battery)
(yearly elevation gains around 350,000 ft)









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TheBikePilot

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Oct 9, 2018
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I totally agree.

Change out the drivetrain when it's slipping. I changed a chain at the wear indicator 0.75 and it then ended up slipping like hell under load. Swapped back to my old chain and no problems. I Changed my drivetrain as a precaution at 800 miles as I was doing the Megavalanche but I am sure I had loads of extra mileage on it. Like you say, I've got 3 spare quick links and had one break on the trail. Changed it out and it's run good for 100 miles. I'm on 500 miles on this drivetrain with just that one chain break.

A new chain, front ring and cassette is max £130 as opposed to about 3 chains if you change when they 'recommend' and still having to the change the Cassette and front sprocket.

I've changed out my cassette to a Steel one as I'm not a weight weany on drivetrains on an eBike.

@Utah Rider Do you need to clean off all traditional lube before applying Maxima? I've heard mixed reports about chain wax but that was applying it in a 'wax bath'..?
 

Utah Rider

Well-known member
Jul 4, 2019
147
189
Utah
The biggest problem people have with the chain wax is that they don't let it dry overnight. They spray and hit the trail which results in a black chain. The videos about chain lube testing don't do the wax correctly either. They spray and then test immediately. The liquid flies off and then the test reports are not good. Also keep in mind that they are testing the chain for wear and then measuring with the chain wear gauge. That might be great for an uber light roadie bike but in the ebike world it amounts to bupkiss. We are looking for strength. Wear on the chain gauge and actual chain strength are not the same thing.

After cleaning the chain I put it in a small round tin. Then I spray it thoroughly and make sure it gets inside the rollers. Every couple of weeks I do a refresh spray while on the bike. It inevitably causes a wax buildup on the derailleur pulley which can be scraped off with a screw driver. I don't worry to much about chain color but if the buildup gets bad then it's cleaning time. Even some moto guys freak out about build up on the chain but if there is wax on the chain it is preventing corrosion and lubricating. That is the goal.
 

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