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A worn chain can negatively affect the performance of your bicycle's drivetrain, and lead to poor shifting, skipping gears, and even chain slippage. Regular checks of your chain allow you to address wear well before it can significantly impact your ride.
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So what is the best way to stay on top of chain wear?
A chain checker tool really is your best bet.
Time to check for chain wear
Regular use of a bicycle chain checker tool is really one of the easiest, yet most beneficial things you can do to stay on top of your bicycle chain wear. A good healthy chain is a great way to help keep your shifting crisp and precise. Not to mention, it is one of the best ways to help extend the life of your cassette and chainrings.
We realize there are a lot of chain checker products available from which to choose. Which tool should you use? Is one tool style better than another? It's confusing. We get it.
In this article, we'll take a look at 10 of the most popular bicycle chain checkers tools. We'll share a few pros/cons, and rank each tool based on its pricing, ease of use, and its measurement accuracy. We will even explain how tool design might be adding roller wear (aka: slop) to your pin wear reading
Remember, the goal here should be to check for chain wear more often... not less often. The idea is to catch the wear before its (negative) impacts are great. Regardless of whether a tool includes roller wear or not, whether you use one tool or another, the convenience of using these tools is just far too great not to use them.
As Winston Churchill said, "perfection is the enemy of progress". Don't let your quest for finding the best, or maybe the most accurate tool, stop you from making a chain wear check part of your regular maintenance routine. Get started now. Get yourself a chain checker, and know how much life you have left in your chain.
Table of Contents
Not all chain checkers are created equal
When we're talking about measuring chain wear, we are referring to the amount of pin wear (excluding roller wear) that is found in a chain. Measuring a chain's pin wear is the commonly accepted standard for determining its wear. Yet sadly, not all chain checker tools measure this wear with the same level of accuracy. That is, not all tools actually distinguish pin wear from roller wear. That means, some tools are prone to reporting a pin wear reading that is over-valued... over-valued by the amount of wear measured in the rollers (should any exist). And since roller wear is inconsequential to the overall pin-to-pin wear (elongation) of a chain, such an overage will result in a pin wear reading that may be prematurely reporting your chain as worn. Even when there may still be a fair bit of life left in your chain.
Not so cool, right? Especially if you've always assumed that your tool was reporting wear accurately.
Been there, done that!!!
Know what you are measuring
So why the differences in tool measurements?
Well, the measuring discrepancies come down to a simple matter of tool design. Specifically, how the chain checker tool inserts into the chain has everything to do with it being able to isolate pin wear... or not. Meaning, the direction in which the chain checker pushes against the rollers and pins is the determining factor as to whether the pin wear measurement is accurate or over-valued.
Here's what we mean... with illustrations pulled from the article Chain Wear Measuring Tools to provide visual understanding:
Tools that measure chain wear by pushing the rollers and pins in opposite directions will incorrectly add roller wear to the pin wear reading.
Meaning, as both rollers wear, the distance between the "heel" and the "toe" of the tool increases, and it increases by the amount of roller wear at both ends of the tool. This is the over-valuation.
Tools that measure chain wear by pushing the rollers and pins in the same direction will isolate pin wear, and will not include roller wear in the pin wear reading.
Meaning, any roller wear that exists on either end of the tool is eliminated (canceled out) from the pin wear reading.
So before you make your chain checker tool purchase... or even if you've already got one, do yourself a favor and go through the exercise of understanding the design of the tool. In which direction does the tool push the rollers and pins? Is your tool adding roller wear to the pin wear reading?
Know what the tool is measuring, and what it is not measuring.
Our take on measuring chain wear
In the end, you're really just making a rough measurement of your chain wear. And you are measuring this wear amount using tools that may or may not be highly precise. So industrial level precision is really not something you are truly going to achieve, nor do you necessarily need that kind of precision. Even tools adding in roller wear are acceptable, if you understand their function and can adjust accordingly. It is all about knowing how to use the tool and remaining consistent in how you interpret and react to the wear level readings.
And don't forget, you don't need to limit yourself to using just one tool. Using multiple tools is perfectly okay, and in some cases, it may actually suit your needs better.
Truth be told, we actually prefer using a combination of three different chain checker tools. That is mainly because we actually don't dial in our attention to pin wear until we notice that the total wear (both the pin wear and roller wear) is approaching the 0.5% wear level. And we keep a Park Tool CC-3.2 in our ride bag to do that check before each ride.
If we noticed the total wear is approaching the 0.5% level, or if we noticed any issues with our shifting during the ride, then we turn our attention to pin wear when we get back to the workshop. In the workshop, we grab our Pedro's Plus II chain checker (sometimes our Park Tool CC-4) to better understand the wear. Is the 0.5% wear reading leaning more towards pin wear, or leaning more towards roller wear?
If we see that it is the pin wear that is getting close/near the 0.5% level, then we pop the chain off the bike, stretch it out across the workbench, and use our trusty 36 inch ruler to look more closely at the wear.
As far as replacement, if the bike is ours, we do tend to replace our chains just before the 0.5% pin wear level. But we only do that if our trusty ruler tells us we are close to that wear level. Yes, this might be a bit more costly in terms of the number of chains we replace, but this protocol has definitely gotten us quite a bit of extra life out of both our cassette and chainrings over the years. When it comes to customer bikes, we do tend to stick closely to the industry standards for recommended chain replacement. After all, it is their bike and their money, so we give them the choice.
So whether you opt for a chain checker tool, a ruler, or some combination of tools, you're really just trying to "gauge" where things stand with your chain. There is no need to obsess about it. Getting your chain wear measurement in the ballpark is really good enough. You just need to catch it before it has wider impact on your drivetrain.
Our chain checker tool review parameters
Here are the parameters we used in review and testing of the chain checkers:
Each tool was tested then ranked and scored (from 1 to 10 with 1 being the best) in each of four categories.
price
ease-of-use
measurement accuracy
availability (for purchase)
overall score
Testing was performed on three different 10 speed chains
new chain
used chain... worn to just over 0.5% wear level
used chain... worn to roughly 0.25% wear level
The chain wear base-line measurement for each of the three chains was established using a 36 inch metal ruler across four separate sections of chain.
For better head-to-head tool comparisons, all chain checker testing was performed on a chain in its normal on-bike configuration.
Terms usage
"ranking" applies to categories where only one tool can hold a numerical results position.
"score" applies to categories where multiple tools can hold the same numerical results position.
A Quick Glance: Our Pick for Best Bike Chain Checker Tools
Unior Professional 1644/6 Chain Wear Indicator
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Chain Checker Product Reviews
Park Tool CC-2 Chain Wear Indicator
Price Ranking: 10
Ease of Use Score: 2
Accuracy Score: 6
Availability Score: 2
Ease of Use & Accuracy Score: 8
Overall Score: 19
Pins spanned by tool: 11 pins (including end pins)
This chain wear indicator (as compared with a go/no-go chain checker) allows you to quickly determine the chain wear (also known as "elongation") of nearly any bike chain. Simply insert the tool's pins into into two links, lightly press the swing arm gauge, and then check the gauge window for the chain wear reading. Though this tool is available for purchase on sites such as eBay, this tool has been discontinued and was replaced by the subsequent release of newer models such as the CC-3 (discontinued), the CC-3.2 (discontinued), and the CC-4 chain checkers.
The CC-2 is compatible with most single-speed and derailleur chains, including Shimano XTR 12-speed chains. As recommended by Park Tool, use the Park Tool CC-4 Chain Checker for SRAM® AXS 12-speed road chains, SRAM® Flattop™ chains, and SRAM® T-Type 12 speed chains.
While not explicitly noted, this tool does not isolate pin wear. This tool pushes the rollers in opposite directions, and therefore will measure roller wear (if any) and incorrectly report it as pin wear. And as we know, roller wear is inconsequential to the actual pin wear (elongation).
The size of the tool, and its ease of use are certainly reasons why it was quite popular. And this makes it easy for you to check three, four, or five different sections of chain easily.
Overall, we like this tool, but only recommend it when used in conjunction with another more accurate chain checker. Not to mention, this tool adds in roller wear over-valuing, and the extra care needed to not bend the pins. Oh yeah, and the fact it has been discontinued by Park Tool.
Pros :Â Small, easy to use, and provides clear wear measurement readings from 0% to 1% in 0.25% increments; Recommended chain replacement levels are printed on side of tool.
Cons :Â Pins are thin, and can be bent with too much force or incorrect storage; Amount of force applied to swing arm can affect reading; Does not exclude roller wear (if any) as part of wear reading; Price is a bit higher than we would expect for a tool with inherent roller wear inaccuracy (but could be related to availability/phase out); Product has been discontinued by Park Tool.
Park Tool CC-3.2 Chain Checker
Price Ranking:Â Â 3
Ease of Use Score:Â Â 1
Accuracy Score:Â Â 5
Availability Score:Â Â 1
Ease of Use & Accuracy Score:Â Â 6
Overall Score:Â Â 10
Pins spanned by tool:Â Â 15 pins (including end pins)
This drop-in style "go/no-go" chain checker is designed to indicate when a chain reaches the 0.5% and 0.75%, wear levels (improved from the CC-3 that reported wear at 0.75% and 1%), the two points at which most chain manufacturers used to recommend replacement. Though this tool is available for purchase on sites such as eBay, and Amazon, this tool has been discontinued and was replaced by the subsequent release of newer models such as the CC-3.2 (discontinued), and the CC-4 chain checkers.
The CC-3.2 will work on most 5 to 12 speed chains.
While not explicitly noted, this tool does not isolate pin wear. As with other like tools that push the rollers in opposite directions, this tool will likewise measure roller wear (if any) and incorrectly report it as pin wear. And as we know, roller wear is inconsequential to the actual pin wear (elongation).
The size of the tool, and its ease of use are definitely reasons why it was quite popular. And this makes it easy for you to check three, four, or five different sections of chain very quickly.
Overall, we do like this tool, but only recommend it when used in conjunction with another more accurate chain checker. Its ease of use is hard to beat, so it you use this tool as a means to alert you to taking a deeper look at the chain wear, you can certainly make good use of this tool.
Pros :Â Low price; Light but sturdy steel tool; Small in size though slightly longer than CC-2; Quick drop-in nature of tool gives immediate visual indication when a chain reaches 0.5% and 0.75% wear; Measures across 15 pins which does enhance measurement accuracy.
Cons :Â Product has been discontinued by Park Tool; Does not exclude roller wear (if any) as part of wear reading.
Park Tool CC-4 Chain Checker
Price Ranking:Â Â 5
Ease of Use Score:Â Â 3
Accuracy Score:Â Â 2
Availability Score:Â Â 1
Ease of Use & Accuracy Score:Â Â 5
Overall Score:Â Â 11
Pins spanned by tool:Â Â 15 pins (including end pins)
This slightly modified drop-in style "go/no-go" chain checker is designed to more accurately indicate when a chain reaches the 0.5% and 0.75%, wear levels, the two points at which most chain manufacturers recommend replacement.
The CC-4 tool will work on any 5 to 12-speed derailleur chain (including SRAM AXS and Shimano XTR 12-speed chains).
While not explicitly noted, this tool does isolate pin wear. Unlike most chain checkers on the market, the CC-4 pushes the rollers in the same direction, thereby eliminating roller wear (if any) from the elongation measurement.
The size of the tool makes it longer than most of the other chain checker tools available. This change in length appears due to the change in design intended to exclude roller wear from the reading. Not to mention, this length also retains the same 15 pin measurement length as its predecessor the CC-3.2.
Effectively speaking, this tool uses the same measurement design as the Pedros Chain Checker Plus II tool. Though far more accurate, this tool design is just a bit harder to use than drop-in go/no-go tools. This makes the speed with which you can quickly measure three, four, or five sections of chain a bit slower. But the small loss in ease-of-use is a very fair trade-off knowing that this design makes it one of the most accurate tools available.
Overall, we do like this tool and do recommend it to give you an accurate assessment of your chain pin wear.
Pros :Â Light but sturdy steel tool; Uses three points of contact to exclude roller wear so that only pin wear is reported in the reading; Keeps 15 pin measurement length.
Cons :Â A bit longer than most chain checkers; The three points of contact design requires manual compression of chain using hand to accurately provide reading.
Pedro's Chain Checker Plus II
Price Ranking:Â Â 4
Ease of Use Score:Â Â 3
Accuracy Score:Â Â 2
Availability Score:Â Â 1
Ease of Use & Accuracy Score:Â Â 5
Overall Score:Â Â 10
Pins spanned by tool:Â Â 11 pins (including end pins)
This tool is extremely similar in design and look to the Park Tool CC-4 Chain Checker. As such, its ranking/scoring falls effectively in at the same level as the Park Tool CC-4 and the Unior 1644/6 tools. That is if you exclude this tool's bonus features: a chain hook tool, and a chainring nut wrench. This tool is likewise a slightly modified drop-in style "go/no-go" chain checker designed to more accurately indicate when a chain reaches the 0.5% and 0.75%, wear levels, the two points at which most chain manufacturers currently recommend replacement.
The Pedro's chain checker tool will work SRAM® Eagle® 12-speed chains, and SRAM® Flattop™ chains.
This tool does explicitly note that this tool does isolate pin wear from roller wear. Unlike most chain checkers on the market, the Pedro's tool pushes the rollers in the same direction, thereby eliminating roller wear (if any) from the measurement. Kudos to Pedro's for having this design and also for marketing its accuracy. (Park Tool is missing this marketing opportunity for its CC-4 which also correctly isolates pin wear).
This tool uses the same three point contact point measurement design as the Park Tool CC-4 and Unior 1644/6 tools. It is shorter than the CC-4 and therefore measures across 11 pins as compared to the CC-4's 15 pin measurement. As with the CC-4 and Unior 1644/6 tools, the Pedros tool is likewise far more accurate than most other tools. We do still find this tool design is just a bit harder to use than drop-in go/no-go tools. This makes the speed with which you can quickly measure three, four, or five sections of chain a bit slower. But the small loss in ease-of-use is a very fair trade-off knowing that this design makes it one of the most accurate tools available.
The Pedros Chain Checker Plus II tool also includes a chain hook tool, perfect for simplifying chain removal and installation, and a chainring nut wrench, essential for removal and installation of chainrings. While we like the chain hook addition, we are not big fans of the nut wrench addition. We found this perpendicular curve of the metal at the end of the tool problematic for storage, and increased the chance for bending of the tool.
Overall, we do like this tool and recommend this tool to give you an accurate assessment of your chain wear.
Pros :Â Light steel tool; Shorter than Park Tool CC-4; Uses 3 points of contact to exclude roller wear so that only pin wear is reported in the reading; Bonus: as part of tool it includes a chain hook tool for install/removal of chains, and chainring nut wrench for installing chainrings.
Cons :Â Slightly less sturdy (thinner metal) than Park Tool CC-4; Uses shorter 11 pin measurement length than CC-4; The three points of contact design requires manual compression of chain using hand to accurately provide reading; Addition of chainring nut wrench makes storage a concern (to prevent bending).
Unior 1644/4 Wear Indicator
Price Ranking:Â Â 6
Ease of Use Score:Â Â 1
Accuracy Score:Â Â 5
Availability Score:Â Â 2
Ease of Use & Accuracy Score:Â Â 6
Overall Score:Â Â 14
Pins spanned by tool:Â Â 11 pins (including end pins)
This tool is extremely similar in design and look as the Park Tool CC-3.2 Chain Checker. As such, its ranking falls effectively near the same scoring as the Park Tool CC-3.2. This tool is a drop-in style "go/no-go" chain checker designed to indicate when a chain reaches the 0.2%, 0.50%, 0.75% and 1% wear levels. This rough 0.2% to 0.25% measuring increment is a distinct advantage over its direct competitor the Park Tool CC-3.2 tool. This tool, while still available for purchase, has been replaced by the new model Unior 1645/6 chain wear indicator.
While not explicitly noted, this tool does not isolate pin wear. As with other like tools that push the rollers in opposite directions, this tool will likewise measure roller wear (if any) and incorrectly report it as pin wear. And as we know, roller wear is inconsequential to the actual pin wear (elongation).
The size of the tool, and its ease of use, are certainly reasons why it is popular. We thought the price of this tool to be just a bit higher than its direct competitor Park Tool CC-3.2. We really like the fact that this tool measures wear in increments of roughly 0.2% to 0.25% increments from 0% up to 1%. This is really a great feature that gives you better idea of the wear right down to the 0.2% wear level. This increment may somewhat offset the fact that this tool design does not exclude roller wear from the reading. The "go/no-go" design of this tool does makes it easy for you to check three, four, or five different sections of chain super fast.
Overall, we do like this tool, but only recommend it when used in conjunction with another more accurate chain checker. As with the comparable design Park Tool CC-3.2, this tool's ease of use is hard to beat, so it you use this tool as a means to alert you to taking a deeper look at the chain wear, you can certainly make good use of this tool.
Pros :Â Light but sturdy steel tool; Roughly the same length as the Park Tool CC-3.2; Quick drop-in nature of tool gives immediate visual indication of wear; Measuring wear levels in roughly 0.2% to 0.25% increments is a major differentiator.
Cons :Â Does not exclude roller wear (if any) as part of wear reading.
Unior Professional 1643/4 Chain Wear Indicator
Price Ranking:Â Â 11
Ease of Use Score:Â Â 2
Accuracy Score:Â Â 6
Availability Score:Â Â 2
Ease of Use & Accuracy Score:Â Â 8
Overall Score:Â Â 21
Pins spanned by tool:Â Â 11 pins (including end pins)
This chain wear indicator (as compared with a go/no-go chain checker) allows you to quickly determine the chain wear (also known as "elongation") of nearly any bike chain. Simply insert the tool's pins into into two links, lightly turn rotating gauge, and then check the gauge marking for the chain wear reading.
While not explicitly noted, this tool does not isolate pin wear. This tool  pushes the rollers in opposite directions, and therefore will measure roller wear (if any) and incorrectly report it as pin wear. And as we know, roller wear is inconsequential to the actual pin wear (elongation).
This tool is extremely similar in design to the Park Tool CC-1 Chain Wear Indicator (no longer offered and super hard to find on eBay). It is likewise similar to the Park Tool CC-2 Chain Checker with its slide wear lever.
Overall, we really liked this tool,, but cannot recommend it. This tools solid and weighty feel, really gives it a garage-tool feel that we liked. We really wanted this tool to make the grade. Unfortunately, we found this tool to very consistently over-value readings by 0.25%... even on a new chain this tool reported 0.25% wear. Therefore, we do not recommend this tool.
Pros :Â Super solid, and sturdy steel tool; Same size as Park Tool CC-2; Quick drop-in nature of tool gives immediate visual indication through granular wear level readings from 0% through 1%.
Cons :Â Consistently reported readings with added 0.25% overage; Does not exclude roller wear (if any) as part of wear reading.
Unior 1644/6 Chain Wear Indicator
Price Ranking:Â Â 7
Ease of Use Score:Â Â 3
Accuracy Score:Â Â 2
Availability Score:Â Â 2
Ease of Use & Accuracy Score:Â Â 5
Overall Score:Â Â 14
Pins spanned by tool:Â Â 11 pins (including end pins)
This tool is extremely similar in design and look as the Park Tool CC-4 Chain Checker, and the Pedros Chain Checker Plus II. As such, its ranking falls roughly in at the same ranking/scoring and accuracy as the CC-4 and the Pedros Plus II. This tool is likewise a slightly modified drop-in style "go/no-go" chain checker that is designed to more accurately indicate when a chain reaches the 0.5% and 0.75%, wear levels, the two points at which most chain manufacturers currently recommend replacement.
Works on all 6-13 speed chains, including SRAM flat top chains.
This tool does explicitly note that this tool does isolate pin wear from roller wear. Unlike most chain checkers on the market, the Unior 1644/6 tool pushes the rollers in the same direction, thereby eliminating roller wear (if any) from the measurement. The actual pricing of this tool puts into into the 4th lowest, but adding in shipping costs does drops its ranking to 7th best pricing.
The size of the tool is roughly the same as Pedros, but smaller than the Park Tool CC-4. This tool uses the same three contact point measurement design as the Pedros Chain Checker Plus II and the Park Tool CC-4 tools. Like the Pedros and the CC-4, this tool is far more accurate than most tools. This tool design is just a bit harder to use than drop-in go/no-go tools. This makes the speed with which you can quickly measure three, four, or five sections of chain a bit slower. But the small loss in ease-of-use is a very fair trade-off knowing that this design makes it one of the most accurate tools available.
Overall, we do like this tool and do recommend to give you an accurate assessment of your chain wear.
Pros :Â Light but sturdy steel tool; Same size as Pedros Chain Checker Pluss II; Uses three points of contact to exclude roller wear so that only pin wear is reported in the reading; Keeps 15 pin measurement length.
Cons :Â A bit longer than most chain checkers, though smaller than CC-4; The three points of contact design requires manual compression of chain using hand to accurately provide reading.
Shimano TL-CN42 Chain Checker
Price Ranking:Â Â 9
Ease of Use Score:Â Â 3
Accuracy Score:Â Â 3
Availability Score:Â Â 8
Ease of Use & Accuracy Score:Â Â 6
Overall Score:Â Â 22
Pins spanned by tool:Â Â 11 pins (including end pins)
This tool was widely acknowledged as the most accurate drop-in style "go/no-go" chain checker tool available. It was the first chain checker to understand the concept of isolating pin wear from roller wear, and actually create the three point contact design that was loosely referenced in the article Chain Wear Measuring Tools. Our impression is that this tool set the three contact point design standard for chain checkers that are now visible in the Park Tool CC-4, the Pedros Chain Checker Plus II, and Unior 1644/6 tools.
While not explicitly noted, this tool does isolate pin wear. Unlike most chain checkers on the market, the TL-CN42 pushes the rollers in the same direction, thereby eliminating roller wear (if any) from the measurement.
The size of the tool, the accuracy, and its drop-in nature (actually more of a snap-in) are certainly reasons why this is popular. We did feel that the design of the "heel" of this tool required a bit more dexterity to actually remove the tool (pop-out) from the chain each time. Ultimately, this made it a bit more cumbersome to actually quickly make our standard three, four, or five wear measurements across different sections of the chain.
Additionally, we should note that the actual level of wear at which this tool recommends replacement is very unclear. We literally could not find conclusive evidence to say whether this tool considers replacement at 0.5% wear or 0.75% wear, or something else for that matter.
Because this tool is not readily available without a healthy Internet search, and a worrisome purchase from sellers in Japan, it makes this tool very much a fabled unicorn. But as noted above, there are finally now tools on the market that do correctly exclude roller wear from the wear readings, namely the Park Tool CC-4, the Pedro's Chain Checker Plus II, and even the Unior 1644/6. And this makes the hunt and purchase of this tool almost a reason not to use this tool.
Overall, we recommend this tool, if you can find one to purchase. Though if/when you do find one, you the price might be more than expected.
Pros :Â Solid and sturdy steel tool; Same size as Park Tool CC-2; Designed as pure "go/no-go" tool; Does exclude roller wear (if any) from pin wear reading.
Cons :Â Hard to find; Tool required "snap-in" to lock the heel into the chain; Likewise requires "pop-out" to remove tool from chain; Unknown specification as to whether the tool is reporting wear level at 0.5% wear or at 0.75% wear level.
Standard Ruler (Imperial and Metric)
Price Ranking:Â Â 1
Ease of Use Score:Â Â 5
Accuracy Score:Â Â 1
Availability Score:Â Â 1
Ease of Use & Accuracy Score:Â Â 6
Overall Score:Â Â 8
Pins spanned by tool:Â Â up to 36 pins (including end pins)
This tool, like the digital caliper, clearly does not fit the classification, nor the design of a chain checker. Though, like the digital caliper, a ruler's ability to measure lengths to a fair degree of precision, proves it a worthy tool for the measurement of pin wear elongation. But for a ruler, this presumes that the distance being measured is sufficient enough to make any elongation visually apparent, however small that distance tends to be. And since the current standard for a new chain is 1/2 inch from pin to pin, it becomes a relatively straightforward task to align the chain pins with the marks on a ruler. Not to mention, by using the ruler's markings, it is far more visually apparent when the distance between pins actually does vary beyond the baseline 1/2 inch distance.
Just to be clear, a 0.5% wear level (elongation) over a 1 inch section of chain equates to roughly a distance of 0.005 inches. That is an incredibly small distance. A distance that is nearly impossible to see, let alone measure using a ruler. The only real way to make such small amounts of chain wear visible to human eye is to consider that same amount of wear across longer sections of chain. Meaning, that although chain wear is never uniform, if we assumed each pin wore to the same 0.005 inch amount, we would stand a far better chance at seeing and measuring the accumulated wear elongation over, say, 12 inches of chain. At this 12 inch length, this assumed uniform wear accumulated amount would equate to an elongation of roughly 0.06 inches over that distance.. Which just so happens to be 1/16 onf an inch. And since we are using a ruler with 16th of an inch increments, this amount would be visually discernable.
So yes, a ruler is a fairly decent candidate to use as a chain checker. However, we would say that it does not necessarily lend itself well to measuring a chain in its normal on-bike configuration. Yes, it can be done, but it is a bit on the cumbersome side. And don't forget, your ruler would need to be slightly longer than 12 inches so that you can actually measure any wear elongation on the ruler. Since rulers are primarily offered in standards lengths of 12, 15, 18 and 36 inches, a 15 inch ruler is a little bit better choice than a 12 inch ruler. Albeit it is tough to get that length of chain exposed for measuring while the chain is on the bike.
That being said, we actually suggest that use of a ruler be done in an off-bike configuration to get the best results. Though use of a 12 inch or 15 inch ruler is fairly common practice, we still found it far more beneficial to use a 36 inch ruler to measure the wear. When the chain is stretched out on a workbench, it is much easier to see the accumulated wear of the chain over the longer distance. And full disclosure, we actually consider the 36 inch ruler our final word when it comes to making a chain wear replacement decision.
Overall, we recommend the use of a metal ruler, with 16th inch increments (or equivalent metric ruler, if you so choose). The longer the ruler, the better for assessing your overall wear. But we do suggest that you reserve the use of this tool in an off-bike configuration, namely stretched out across a workbench. As with a few of the other tools, we also suggest this tool is best when used in conjunction with other quick use chain checker tools to alert you to the potential for wear level reading that is in need of more attention.
Pros :Â Readily available tool; Makes inspection and wear detection easier to visualize; Chain 1/2 inch pin standard matches nicely with (imperial) ruler; Chain wear at 1/16th and 1/8th are easily viewed on ruler; Does exclude roller wear (if any) from pin wear reading.
Cons :Â Difficult to align ruler 1/2 inch marks to chain while on bike; Ruler is best used in off-bike measurement; A bit more time consuming to take measurement (if also removing chain from bike).
Park Tool DC-1 Digital Caliper
Price Ranking:Â Â 14
Ease of Use Score:Â Â 4
Accuracy Score:Â Â 4
Availability Score:Â Â 1
Ease of Use & Accuracy Score:Â Â 8
Overall Score:Â Â 22
Pins spanned by tool:Â Â 11 pins (including end pins)
This tool, like the ruler, clearly does not fit the classification, nor the design of a chain checker. And, like the ruler, a digital caliper's ability to measure lengths to a high degree of precision, likewise proves it a worthy tool for the measurement of pin wear elongation. Therefore, we felt that it was worth dropping this tool into the mix for consideration. This tool can be pricey, as is a similar digital caliper chain checker offering from KMC digital chain checker. If digital calipers are your thing, there are also other non-brand name products out there that you might opt for.
Simply dial in the digital caliper to a 0.5% wear level over a series of three, four, or five links (which equates to 3.015, 4.020, and 5.025 inches, respectively). Then align one caliper pointer to the center point of a pin, and then visually inspect the location of the other caliper pointer in relation to the center of the closest pin. If the end caliper point is centered on the pin, then the chain is showing 0.5% wear. If the chain is not worn to this level, the center point of the end pin should appear slightly left of end caliper pointer. You might also want to re-verify the actual wear level by carefully moving the caliper slightly to the left to dial the caliper pointer to the center point of the nearest pin... then note the digital reading on the display. This will show you the actual wear level of your chain. The closer the number in the display is to the nearest inch (three, four, or five), the less wear your chain has.
Note: you will need to be comfortable with understanding chain wear percentage calculations, or at least, know the common wear levels in decimal form.
The tool on the whole is quite difficult to align (sight) with chain pins while the chain is in its normal on-bike configuration. Not to mention, aligning the calipers to the center of the pins takes quite a bit of dexterity and visual sharpness. Clearly use of this tool for measuring chain wear is not something that lends itself to a pre-ride task when out on the road. Aside from getting the calipers aligned with the pins, you'll also be getting your hands covered in grease... and that will likely end up getting transferred to your bar tape. Not a good deal.
Overall, we do recommend this tool based on its ability to provide precise distance measurements. However, like the ruler, we suggest reserving this tool for use while your bike is either in the workstand, or stretched out on a workbench. As with a few of the other tools, we also suggest this tool is best when used in conjunction with other quick use chain checker tools to alert you to the potential for wear level reading that is in need of more attention.
Pros :Â Will provide a very precise measurement of chain wear;
Cons :Â Requires a bit of dexterity in aligning pins to ruler markings when on bike; Not a quick use tool; Can measure to a max distance of 6 inches; Use in conjunction with other quick use chain checkers.
That's it for the review of the 10 most popular chain checker tools. We hope this product review has proven helpful in your product search.
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