I'm a recreational biker and I spend a certain amount of time on crushed limestone, which devours chains. When I first got my present bike (Giant Cypress DX) was using 2 chains a season (In Minnesota 'season' means late March to late October) getting about 1000 mi before the skipping started. I found this appalling, so I did some sniffing around. I'm an engineer and some of that background really helped. It looks like cleanliness and pedaling technique are the keys to chain life. I've found that keeping it clean is pretty easy if you use a master link. The chain comes off the bike real quick, and I soak it in citrus solvent for and hour or so and swish it around well in clear water for a while. Wipe the chain down with a paper towel and look for dirt in a paper towel. If the towel shows dirt repeat the solvent and swish routine until the towel stays clean. Dry it real good with a hair dryer and check for dirt one more time. The dirt isn't just dirt, it's finely ground metal from the pins mixed with ordinary dust and grime you pick up from the road. It's a very effective grinding medium, especially mixed with a lubricant, which spreads it all over the mating surfaces of the chain plates and the pins.

When the chain links engage the sprocket the leading link rotates about the pin with respect to the trailing link. Then when the link disengages from the sprocket the rotation is reversed. In doing so the plates rub across the pin. The angle of rotation equals 360 deg/number of teeth in the sprocket--the fewer the teeth in the sprocket, the greater the angle. The actual rubbing distance is 3.14 x pin diameter/ the number of teeth in the sprocket. A very small distance, but it's repeated twice for each revolution of the rear wheel, so it adds up. The point is that smaller rear sprockets have fewer teeth so there's a lot more rubbing going on and a lot more wear. Going from 11 teeth to 22 teeth reduces the rubbing by half.

There's also more pedal effort required when you're using a a higher gear ratio, and the additional load also aggravates pin wear. I found I could double the life of the chain by not riding the small sprockets all the time and using lower gears instead of standing on the pedals when I took off from a stop. It isn't macho, but it sure keeps the chain in good shape. I now get more than a season out of a chain and the casette lasts longer. If you're interested in the mechanics of chain drives, get a copy of Machinery's Handbook from your local library.

>> Nice technical discussion. We usually recommend that riders utilize the larger gears when possible. That as you now know is sound advise. 

I like Citrus ChainBrite from Park but I use that as a last step.

I use the generic degreaser from Home depot because I use a lot of it. If you soak the chain long enough it'll carry away all the fine dust that gets down inside. I think you really need something to float off all the dirt and dust and old lube that's inside the chain. The pressure washer should do it if you know there's no powdered rock or abraded metal left on the pins and the inside of the link plates. The citrus solvent penetrates the layer of lubricant (mixed with metal and rock dust) and you wash the lot out with clean water. After you get no dirt on the paper towel, you can dry the chain and install it and know the fresh lubricant isn't going to mix with any remaining dirt and carry it onto the pin. Water will wet the surface nicely and float off dust, and the citrus solvent and water mix can go right down your kitchen drain, and, unlike mineral spirits or (God help us) gasoline it doesn't stink and it won't burn your house down. I suppose everyone knows not to put clean oil on a dirty chain--it just carries more dirt onto the pins as it penetrates.

I have one of those solvent reservoirs that fits over the chain with rotating brushes inside. They'll take off the outer layer of dirt, but they don't do so well inside. They're nowhere near as good as a solvent soak and water rinse. I don't suppose I'd be nearly such a fanatic about it if I didnt mave a chain with a master link and the little pliers thingie to pop it loose. Like all bike tools, they're priced at twice what they would be if you bought them in a real hardware store, but they're really worth it in terms of lost time fiddling with a filthy chain and lost master links flying off to oblivion when something slips.

The citrus solvent at Home Depot or your big box of choice is great stuff--about $8 for half a gallon with a free spray container. You can wash your whole bike down with it (I use a soft bristled siding brush) and go over the whole thing while your chain soaks. Then let the bike dry in the hot sun while you clean the chain. Last thing I do is install and lube the chain. Takes about an hour and a quarter, without all the noise you get off a dirty chain it feels like you're riding on  a cloud.

CPW

• Just turned 7,000 miles on 2nd chain on the bike that now has 17,000 miles on it. Yeah!

I also use a high cadence of 80 RPMs as stated in a prior post. It looks like everyone agrees that no matter which method of cleaning you choose, that "clean and lubed" is the simple primary key to a prolonged chain life. Sounds like 2nd may be the stress level applied, AKA torque. Smooth pedal stroke with consistent pressure on down and upswings (as is a good form) may be another logical assumption.

The main reason I opt for the WD-40 drench followed by a thorough wipe and then brushing on Mobil-1 is for speed of process. A good spray bottle for the WD-40, if bought by the gallon, or the pressured spray in the regular can placed right next to the chain gets the grit out of the small areas. I do this every ride and it takes about 5 minutes on my Park Tools stand. Also, moisture is a non-issue. For the rest of the bike I use the paper towels that wiped the excess WD-40 from the chain and crank to remove the mineral deposits from my sweat that remains on the bike frame and cables. Last step is a clean paper towel with a small amount of Windex to take off the greasy film from the prior steps. I just got tired of disassembly/assembly time and if I didn't insist on being so picky about my bike being perfect every ride, I probably would have kept using the citris cleaning liguid with the Park Tools chain cleaning tool. The chain just didn't feel as clean when you turned the crank and you still need to thoroughly dry the chain afterwards before lubing but you don't need to remove the chain from the bike. I use the same quick method on my titanium, carbon fiber, aluminum and steel bikes. All have Shmano Dura-ace chains.

Just don't try any of these cleaning methods mentioned in the house or your significant other may object!

I would still recommend using a chain checker for stretch. Once stretched the wear on the gears distorts them and they have to be replaced. They are more expensive than chains by far.  $350 for a campy top of the line cassette makes one think that changing the chain more frequently might be the way to go.

EJ

I think you lucked out on the cassette.  I recommend that everyone carry a tire boot as well in their saddle  bag. They are inexpensive and the best way to repair a torn tire. Park makes then and all your saddlebags should carry one, at least.

Keep spinning.

EJ

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I change my chain about every 2,000 miles.  I have a go-no-go gauge that cost $7 at a local store.  This type of gauge is simple to use.  I rarely change my cassette  except to change the gearing however if the chain skips after replacing the chain you waited too long and need a new cassette.

It's my understanding that all chain's stretch the the same no matter how much you spend.  For this reason I always purchase the cheapest chain I can find. 

When I lube my chain I usually allow it to stand overnight and then wipe the excess off this also cleans the chain.  In more than 40, years of riding I've never cleaned a chain with solvent because this removes all previous lubricants and you have to start the process over.  New lubricant may not penetrate the links that had lube removed during the cleaning process.