FIRST. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE THE VIDEO. SECOND. You're the best when it comes to giving honest mechanical advice. The average bike shop will not say change the chain, they just offer you a new bike.

Another mechanic/owner here, and I have been sharing the same story with my customers for years. Great video, thanks for sharing!

I've been running the same 105 cassette and Ultegra crankset on my bike for years now. I usually change chains when they go past 0.75%(it's 10 speed) The only time I ever wore out a cassette was on my 2nd road bike which was 6 speed IIRC. Didn't keep up with chains at all. Much happier now that I know my chains are t wearing out components. My Dad visited last summer with his road bike (he lives pretty far away) and doesn't keep up his chains. Gave his bike a once over, and he was way past the 0.75. Changed the chain first, and wound up having to change the cassette too. The only time I ever changed chainrings was on my mtb, which someone was throwing out and they probably didn't maintain it, since the bike was in pieces on the curb and I had to rebuild most of it. Wound up changing the whole crankset since the chainrings weren't removable (Shimano Altus crankset). It rides like a dream now, but doesn't get ridden as much as my road bike, gravel bike, and fixed gear. Btw, this video is solid advice.

One measure of chainring wear that works for me is use a new roller (get it from new chain off cut links) put it into the new chainring in the correct seating position, take a phone photo and it records the width of the gap (to the rear) as well as the tooth profile. Compare every 8 months or so by repeating to track chainring wear ………..simples.

Here is how I maintain my chain: - Silca Wax ( pot ) In an extremely clean chain - Then I apply Silca bottle wax every 150 miles As long it does not rain, I do above up to 1K miles and then clean chain, re wax and repeat. If it rains then I fully clean the chain and repeat. I can easily get 8K+ miles from a single chain!

Replaced my first chainring last year. 30,000+ miles on the original maybe? It didn't really look bad at all but when I upgraded to 11sp etap - FD (kept original Red crank), was shifting like poop. Swapped the chainrings and no further drops or under shifts. Etap FD is finicky yall. Thanks for the videos George!

Very nice and timely video. Guess I'm shopping for a new chainring. Would be great if you could show a follow up video after installing the new chainrings. A before/after type might be helpful.

Crosschaining chews the teeth more than power. Same with shifting under power

Last summer a friend told me his bike was crap and he needed to get a new one, I took it to the car wash and degreased it, put a new chain and lube it, he said the bike was like brand new. Cyclists today are like people with a car, they drive till it dies, same with bikes.

Just ran across your channel and then liked & subscribed. I have a 2015 Emonda with full Dura Ace 9000. Recently had to replace chain and cassette. Still had shifting issues and then discovered Hollow Tech crank had delaminated. So purchased new crankset off EBay and new chainrings. Bike shifts like new again now ! Bike had about 40 K miles. This was an expensive lesson in doing better with maintenance.

Great visual description. I'm going down to check mine now. I'm obsessive about changing my chains in time and keeping them waxed. So I'm hopeful.

Great tip, thank you. In 2017 I purchased my first (decent )bike since the ‘80’s, an Ultegra equipped Cannondale CAAD 12. Rode 6,500 miles and my chain started popping off under climbing load. Then realized I should probably put a new chain on. I discovered the old chain had grown a full extra length in slop (1”). I was still having problems 500 miles later, and then decided it’s really my cassette wearing, so that’s changed out now. I’m hoping my Cannondale spider chainrings are okay. I better inspect these next.

Chain, cassttte and rings use till worn point depends on indoor to road to dirt conditions. CX/off tarmac bike gets old parts, as parts get destroyed faster in cx conditions/trail/ bad weather use. Indoor/old road bike parts last much longer.

Thanks awesome video. Learning something new today!

My knees hurt just thinking about that big of a chainring. My skinny legs will keep spinning the 95rpm. Kudos to him though, and thanks for the video.

Wow. Must be one powerful rider!!! Wish I had his problems 😂

Thanks that was a very informative video and like you said you need to know why! before how do we fix

I do the wax melt in crock pot thing and rotate 5 chains. And I rotate the 5 chains between my 2 bikes. So basically, I'm rotating 5 chains and 2 cranks equally. I'm hoping that I never wear out any part of the drive trains. Based on your experience, I'd say I have a chance. Thanks for the video.

That's good to know about how much wear can be on the chain rings. I keep me chain lubed with Finish Line wet lube and wipe the excess from it. I run a KMC chain on an 11 speed Shimano GRX.

Yeah, that makes sense. Just put a new chain, and I am getting slippage like your customer at the red light. MY old chain was very rusty but still good. That is likely why this new one is slipping and has not got worn in like the old one.

I changed my chains regularly. Even when the bike shop says it’s fine! Good video!

I'll take that 25t cog if nobody wants it😁 Dude definitely got his money out of that chainring.

The guy in cuenca Ecuador pointed and said "Tiburon". My chain and 32T were shot.

Time to update to belt drive/IGH. I've been slowly converting and we'll see how it turns out but so far the observations are very positive. I bend rings more than anything - I just can't help it with the ol' smashy smashy, breaking derailleurs and tensioner/idlers, I will miss losing two of my front gear rings but in all fairness it's only like 14% of the original range (3 front x 8 rear) I'm losing (Enviolo CVT) but I can dial it so I get better low end or higher end, depending on whether it's my road/gravel bike or my trail/park one, simply by swapping out single pulleys instead of dealing with multiple chain rings front/back.

Check out Zero Friction Cycling to support the points George has made about changing chains. The info from that site is not opinion but long term testing of chain wear and efficiency when using hot paraffin wax as the lubricant. Thank you George for a top class explanation of drive line wear.

The method that I use is to take a spare piece of chain and insert the roller between the teeth. Note how much/little of the roller is engaged between the two teeth, compared to a new chain ring. In George's example, there was no point in bothering to check with a rollwe; you could see the big ring was used up without even checking.

Shark teeth. They eat chains and cassettes for breakfast.

Never had to change a chain ring. I ride 25000km per year. I think mine did just 70000km

Yeah. When you do winter driving in a climate where there are actual inters you will have to change your chainrings on the cranks no matter what.

that bike owner had money to buy it but he is too skimpy to buy new chain before makes more damage on gears

If you ride 10,000 miles a year, then you should be replacing your chain about three times.

WOW that is one of the most smoked chainrings I’ve ever seen . He must’ve really let his chain go!

The owner of the bike must be Eddie Mercx. Lol

Also.. that was a really good video.. never knew what exactly to look for with worn chainrings. Will a worn cassette have pointy teeth as well?

Only test I can think of.. using an fully inflated balloon (Park Tool #BLN-001).. gently lower it on suspected chainring teeth- if balloon pops, replace chainring

Bought my first MTB and I'm having issues with my gears. I guess the term is called ghost shifting. It lead me here, I think my front chain ring is causing this issue or possibly the rear derailleur hanger.

Who rides that bike, the hulk?

Great video thanks.

Hey George, I've watched three of your worn chainring videos. I've learned something different each time and subbed. :) My bike runs Shimano Sora FC-3550 chainrings. I'm aware it's old tech and you don't see many replacements or photos online. I had a new set installed in 2015 on a road bike that I use mainly for commuting. I remember the shark fin my old ones had which someone else mentioned in the comments. Luckily it's not that bad this time. Looking at new photos, I find the outer ring teeth look like they are pointed whereas the inner ring teeth are square. Is that normal? Thanks in advance. :)

If somebody came up with a measuring tool, I think they'd sell very well. Until then, if you pull at the chain at the 3:00 position on the worn chainring vs the fresh chainring, wouldn't the range of slop be somewhat measurable/comparable?

Is Shimano's 16 teeth only for road cranksets, their GRX 810 crankset is a 48/31?

Is this gentelman Caleb Ewan?

Is that a 3-pawl hub on a carbon wheel set?

that chainring look like a damn saw 💀💀

Might be a stupid thing to say but if the rider that strong he might as well go with a TT bike

watching this after I crashed because my chain slipped

Can i ride with a new chain and the used chain ring? Will it damage the new chain?

Where you finde 55/42

03:40 it can be saved by teeth reshaping

Wrong,there a way to measure chainrings and cassettes wear before they round look Zero Friction Cycling videos

Measure your chain and replace when it's 0.75 worn (chain measuring tool) then your chainrings will last 10x longer.

I judge people based on the condition they keep their bicycles. This guy is an animal and I would never ride with him, he would probably get me killed.

Who rides that bike, the hulk?