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I've done >1800km on my Orbea Rise, and I was expecting the chain (Shimano 12 speed) to be toast by now.
I've got a Shimano TL-CN42 (which is supposed to be the only tool that measures wear accurately) and a Park CC-2 (which is really easy to use and gives an indication of how worn it is rather than just 'done'). The shimano isn't saying its' worn and the Park shows about 0.5
Do 12 speed chains actually last better than I've heard or do I need something else to check them?
Trust the tools. I've found my 12sp Shimano chains to be surprisingly durable. Not sure if the rise uses a beefier version to cope with the extra power? Perhaps they last longer.
not shimano but i've been surprised by how long my X01 chain has lasted, always used GX before but due to stock had to get the X01 last year, was twice the price but would have easily been through 2 GX chains by now.
pick one and stick with it? I use the Parktool one too for my SRAM chains, X01 chain has lasted for ages where as the NX before was toast pretty quick!
snapped my Xo1 chain which rather surprised me last week, it had done 1280km according to strava and at .5 wear. I ride in a lot of shitty conditions
So not that bothered as I was going to change it before .75 anyway.
Do 12 speed chains actually last better
Yep - much better than wider chains.
Quite counter intuitive but as chains have got thinner, they've made them out of tougher materials and they actually last longer...
Zero Friction Cycling tests most chains and lubes using a standardised test scenario - the thinner chains last longer before hitting the same elongation.
IIRC The SRAM Force 12 sp chain is the longest lasting ZFC (Zero Friction Cycling) has tested so far.
https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/
https://cyclingtips.com/2019/12/the-best-bicycle-chain-durability-and-efficiency-tested/
snapped my Xo1 chain which rather surprised me last week,
thought i had snapped mine a couple of weeks ago, turned out to be the quick link. it was the one that came with the chain but i do ignore sram's single use instructions for it so that might not have helped.