welcome back to cycle every day. going to be about the chain, and also the tools that you need to do it and how to do it as I mentioned in my recent post, my chain has been at the end of its life for a while. So what we’re going to crack straight on with the how do you know when you need to change the chain, and also the tools that you need to do it and how to do it as well. So we’re going to crack straight on with the how do you know when to change your chain and when it’s near the end of the live. What we’ve got here is a little chain tool, and basically this chain tool measures how old the chain is. So if we look, all you do is basically put this on your chain like this, and it measures 75 % and 100 % okay. Now, you can pick these up at places like Halfords or any other bike shops. Now, what we do is rest it on the top of your chain where it’s flat, and if it fits, if this little recess fits into the chain at 75 %, it means that it changed 75 % worn, and it’s time to start thinking about maybe changing the chain or not.
Obviously, when we turn it around, if we put it in at 100 % and it fits in, then obviously your chain is 100 % worn and you need to start thinking about changing that as well. Now, this is a new chain, so I’ve already put the new chain on here. Obviously, this is not worn. The other key thing is also when you change the chain, you should also change your rear sprocket as well because they wear together. If you don’t change the rear sprocket and you just change the chain, there is a chance that it will slip. If you don’t have one of these tools, there’s other things you can look at in terms of knowing when your chain is near the end of its life. For example, when you’re riding along on the other day when it was wet, I was riding into work and I found that it started to slip a lot more. So when you’re pedaling and putting some pressure onto the pedals, you might feel that it’s starting to miss and slip as you’re going along. So that’s another indication. Now, I’ll be honest with you guys, I did have the set up so that I was going to change the chain and show you how to do it.
It was all set up, video camera on, recording. Actually, when I came to actually finish doing it and came back to the video, the memory card had run out. So I’d already changed the chain by the time I got to that point. What I’m going to do is put a link into a really good video by Hannah from Brilliant Bites because that’s the video I looked at as well. And it’s really informative and very easy to follow. So I’m going to put that link in so you can follow that if you want to change the chain yourself rather than doing one all over again. Some of the tools that you need, Quick Link breaker. So on the Brompton Chain, you have Quick Links or one Quick Link. You can see that here. And basically, all this tool does is it fits in between the two Quick Links. And basically, all you do is press it together and they come apart and then you can tie the chain off. But follow those guidelines on Brilliant Bikes because if you don’t do things like tensioner off, it’s going to spring back. So yeah, check that video out before you start doing anything else.
And it’s really going to help you out. I know it really helped me out. Next thing, guys, is make sure you’ve actually got the right chain. So obviously on the Brompton, we’ve got lots of different set up. So my Brompton is a free speed and this is a 50 tooth front and a 30 in two from the back. when you buy your Brompton, you’re probably going to know because of when you ordered it. But if you like me, you got your prompts in secondhand, you might not know how it’s set up. So on the front, what I did for this was actually just counted the teeth. So what I did was made a little mark with a marker pen and then basically counted round the teeth to double check. So when I counted it, it was 15. On the back, there’s actually a mark on the sprocket which tells you how many teeth it is. So I know this one was a 30 in teeth. The other key thing is before you order this new sprocket that you order the right one for your setup.
So for example, mine’s a Sturmy Archer, three spline. Obviously, that’s really important because if you order the wrong one, the sprocket won’t fit. So you’ve got to be really key in terms of what you’re ordering. The sprocket cost five quid. The chain cost £15. So altogether it cost £20. This chain tool, I picked this up from Halford, I think this was 10 quid. A ll together, it cost 30 quid. Next time, obviously, I won’t need to buy this because I’ve already got it. I’ve had just over 3,000 kilometers on the chain. I think that’s pretty good, really good value for money. The chain probably is going to wear out a bit faster on a bike because it’s quite low to the floor as you can see compared to other bikes. So you get a lot more dirt and grime. So the key thing to making your chain last a bit longer is cleaning it. And we’ve already gone through that in a few of the videos which I’ll link about keeping it clean, keeping it oiled, and just looking after it really to make it last as long as possible. One last thing, guys, is I’m also doing a charity bike ride for diabetes UK in April.
I’m going to put a link down if you want to sponsor me. I’m going to be riding 500 miles during April and all the money goes to diabetes UK. What I’m also doing is all the money that’s made on the channel during April is going to be donated as well. Even if you can’t donate, you’ll still be helping out by watching the videos. And like I say, any money that’s made during April from the YouTube channel is going to be donated. So if you can sponsor me, brilliant. If not, don’t worry about it, it’s still fine. Still appreciate all your support, guys. But yeah, that’s it for today’s video. I just wanted to share the fact about how easy it is to change the chain really more than anything else and things to look out for if you’re worried about the chain on the Brompton. Thanks for watching, guys, and I’ll catch you in the next one.
