Velorution has a post discussing when to replace the chain on your bike. It does a good job of explaining why and how chains wear, how worn drivetrain parts influence your ride, and what it’s going to cost you to repair.
If you’re having problems with your shifting or your drivetrain is skipping, head on over and check it out.
2. Posted by A quick cable lubing tip » The Biking Hub | 10:57 pm, 13 February 2006
[…] Good shifting is dependent mostly upon the condition of your bike’s cables and cable housings. In a perfect world, you’d always have clean shifting parts but, in reality, dirt and grit get inside the housing and can cause excess friction, something that makes it difficult to get the shifters to engage and causes problems when moving your chain down the cogset. While the best solution to imperfect shifting is new housing and a new cable (or a new drivetrain), this isn’t a realistic option for most people, especially if you ride in a wet/gritty environment. […]
3. Posted by A bent derailleur hanger can cause poor shifting » The Biking Hub | 8:44 am, 14 February 2006
[…] Well, it looks like it’s drivetrain week on the web and everyone’s searching for flawless shifting on their rides. Following up on Ashwin’s piece on a quick cable lubing technique and Velorution’s thoughts on worn drivetrains comes a short entry on The Steeps about misaligned derailleur hangers. […]
1. Posted by Ashwin | 1:13 pm, 12 February 2006
This page
http://www.execulink.com/~dtierney/wmc/SRAM/chains2.htm
Shows pictures of how to measure a chain for wear, and also has some great tips for using a SRAM quick link.