chain life

Mike Meiser wrote:

I can't even get a thousand miles out of a darn chain.

Wayne replies:

I can't imagine wearing out a chain in less than 1000 miles unless the 
chain is filthy.  How often do you clean your chain?  Does it make a lot 
of noise?

I ride in very hilly terrain and 9-speed chains last several thousand 
miles.  But my chain is clean most of the time because I use Rock-N-Roll 
Extreme which CLEANS the chain every time I lube it.  The chain is 
blissfully quiet.  When the chain starts making noise I know it's time 
for another lube/clean.  I frequently ride in rain, but with fenders and 
on pavement.

Before switching to this lube I just oiled my dirty chain every few 
weeks.  The chain was always noisy and I still got much more than 1000 
miles per chain.

I don't own a mountain bike, but I imagine that chains and cassettes 
have a very short life when you ride often in mud.  It seems to me the 
only way to get long chain life when riding through mud would be to use 
a totally enclosed chain with a Rohloff hub.

Wayne Estes
Oakland, Oregon, USA