Serious question, did anyone else's bike chain stretch way faster than they expected?

I've always thought chain stretch was overblown by shops trying to sell parts. But I put a new KMC chain on my commuter back in March and after maybe 400 miles it started skipping gears hard. Checked it with a ruler and sure enough it was stretched past 1/16th inch. I guess I was wrong about it being a scam. Has anyone else had a chain wear out that quick on a normal road bike?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaret991mo ago

and then you start noticing it everywhere once it happens to you. Had the same thing with tires on my old car, thought people were just buying premium stuff for no reason until a cheap set nearly left me stranded. Chains are the same way, they're a wear item like brake pads or bulbs, not something you can baby forever. The real scam is when shops push chains long before they need it, but 400 miles is legit fast even for that.

-1

ben4021mo ago

Well shoot, Marg, a buddy of mine had a chain snap at 300 miles on his way to work and it cost him a new engine.