At what percentage should I replace my MTB chain?

Replace 11- and 12-speed chains at 0.5% elongation, 10-speed and below at 0.75%. Past 1% the chain has already reshaped the cassette teeth and both usually need replacing together.

How many kilometres does an MTB chain last?

Typically 1,500–3,000 km depending on conditions, lube habits and rider power. E-bike mid-drive chains wear 30–50% faster, often 1,000–1,500 km. Distance is a rough proxy; a wear checker is the real answer.

How often should I lube my chain?

Wet lube: clean and re-apply after every wet ride. Dry lube: every 100–150 km in dry conditions. Immersion wax: every 300–400 km. Any lube on a dirty chain grinds paste into the rollers; clean first.

Drivetrain

Chain wear: replace at 0.5%, not when it skips

A chain is the cheapest part of your drivetrain and the only one designed to be sacrificial. Replace it on time and the cassette lasts 2–3 chains; stretch it and one lazy month turns a cheap chain swap into a full cassette-and-chainring bill.

The thresholds

Drivetrain	Replace at	Why
12-speed / 11-speed	0.5%	Narrow chains and taller, thinner cassette teeth tolerate less elongation before re-shaping the cogs.
10-speed and below	0.75%	Chunkier teeth tolerate more wear before damage spreads.
Any, past 1.0%	too late	The chain has already re-cut the cassette profile; a new chain will skip on old cogs. Replace both.
E-bike (mid-drive)	0.5%, check 2× as often	Motor torque adds load the chain was never sized for; wear runs 30–50% faster.

Measure, don't guess

A drop-in checker (Park Tool CC-4, Shimano TL-CN42) answers the question in five seconds: if the 0.5 side drops fully into the chain, replace. A steel ruler works too: 12 full links should measure exactly 12 inches pin-to-pin; 12 1/16" is 0.5% gone.

Check monthly, or every ~500 km (weekly on an eMTB).
Measure in 3 spots around the chain; wear is never uniform.
Distance is a proxy at best: a wet gritty month can double the wear rate of a dry one.

Make the cassette last: the 3-chain rotation

Buy three chains with a new cassette. Swap every ~800 km, rotating through all three. Because no chain ever exceeds ~0.3% while mounted, the cassette teeth keep their shape, and riders regularly get 3× cassette life this way, which matters when a 12-speed cassette costs more than a night in a hotel.

Lube cadence

Lube type	Re-apply	Notes
Wet lube	after every wet ride	Attracts grime in the dry; wipe excess or it becomes grinding paste.
Dry lube	100–150 km	Clean-running but washes off in one river crossing.
Immersion wax	300–400 km	Longest chain life on record; needs a swap-chain workflow.
Wax drip	150–250 km	The low-effort middle ground.

E-bike riders: mid-drive torque is the single biggest chain killer. Shift under reduced load, check wear twice as often, and budget for chains as a consumable: every 1,000–1,500 km is normal, not a defect.

FAQ

New chain skips on the cassette. Why?

The old chain wore past 1% and re-cut the cassette teeth to match its stretched pitch. The new chain rides up the reshaped teeth under load. Cassette needs replacing too; this is exactly what on-time chain replacement prevents.

Do I really need to track chain distance?

Tracking distance tells you when to check, the checker tells you when to replace. Apps like Loam count km per chain automatically from Strava or Bosch ride data and remind you to measure, so the checker actually gets used.

Is a more expensive chain worth it?

Mid-tier chains from the big three wear nearly identically. Spend the difference on replacing them on time. Cadence beats quality here.

Loam watches the kilometres

Per-chain distance clocks from real ride data, wear-check reminders, and lube-type-aware lube nudges. Free, no ads, and your garage stays on your phone.

See a demo garage