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I’m at the point where I probably need to change my chainring, chain and cassette (and jockey wheels?) as after 2.5 years of not changing anything I’m starting to get a few niggly issues.
Current set up is RF Turbine cinch ring, XT 11-46 cassette though not sure about chain. Always cleaned but not stringent enough (at all!) checking chain in the past - now it’s biting me on the arse!
Yonks ago a mate of mine swore by rotating 3/4 chains a year so nothing ever got too worn in one go...is this still a thing? How often do you check/change bits to maximize life and minimize cost?
Any benefit to going SLX as opposed to XT again, and just how good are oval rings? I know some people swear by them. Any deals around? I know, so many questions...😉
Just get a park tool for the chain and replace when needed. Rest of the drive train should last using this method
Stop riding it.
Trouble is chains are quite expensive and lower end cassettes are pretty cheap. Swapping chains will make your cassette last longer but it'll cost you in chains. If you run an expensive cassette chain swapping makes more sense. TBH a new chain, cassette and chainring every 2.5 years isn't too bad. I'd just do that again.
I like ovals. Seems to help with the climbs with no down side
after 2.5 years of not changing anything I’m starting to get a few niggly issues.
I consider that to be a pretty good run. I generally put new stuff on my good bike, move the half-worn stuff to my spare bike, and put the oldest stuff on my commuter.
Also, steel Deore stuff is cheap and lasts for years. Bit heavier, obviously, but if you're not racing, does it really matter?
Singlespeed. 🙂
Singlespeed +1
Also Putoline.
Putoline on a singlespeed if you really want to make a £6 chain last forever!
Chains can be expensive if you want to spend loads but my current Sram PC1110 chain is about £8 a go. I don't rotate them, i just stick a new one on when it seems about right, nothing scientific I'm afraid. I'm currently at around 2000 miles on my Whyte 901 with no appreciable wear on the rest of the drive chain.
I do clean it regularly though and lube the chain after every ride without exception (dry lube in the summer and wet in the winter).
I have 2 cheap chains the sram ones are pretty good and only £12. I also bought a parktool chain checker. So when one chain is needing a good clean I take it off check the streatch and soak it in chain cleaner/de greaser and fit the clean one, With the reusable split links it takes 5 mins. when I am getting to the wear limit I just replace the chain. 2.5 years dosn't really mean anything it all depends how many miles you do and the conditions you do them in really.
2.5 years dosn’t really mean anything it all
On the contrary, it means everything because he's the one doing the riding that makes his drivetrain last for 2.5 years!
I'm of the use it all together then replace the lot school.
I find cheap sram chains fine although I am still on 8 and 9 speed chains lol
3 chains on rotation, I don't bother checking stretch just replace everything when there's shifting issues.
I've started using putoline as of this weekend, whisper quiet. From now on it'll be wax all the chains then use each one until they're noisy then wax again, rinse and repeat until everything is shot.
Anyone using the Sunrace MX80 11-50 cassette successfully with long cage XT rear mech, or any user feedback generally? And are the Superstar NW rings good as considering one instead of RaceFace...
In 2.5 years we will all be on 14 Speed so why bother keeping it going? CONSUME
I take mine and Rob's recommendations for said products aren't good enough 😉
Yes Sam...the more good feedback the better!
I used to be a chain swapper, but TBH as you've found out, modern groupsets are amazingly tolerant. You've got two choices really.
1. let it all wear out together until it degrades to the point of uselessness, and replace the lot in one go... If it's well set up at the outset the point at which it starts to fail is sometimes (as you've fond out) a surprisingly quite long time.
2. Swap chains so that it's not wearing components out at the same rate, and extend it's life. Personally, I'm not convinced it makes all that much difference on average, but like a lot of things, if you enjoy the process, and find fulfilment in that, then extending your drive train lifespan to huge distances (TJ will oft cite 10,000km lifespans) Its astonishing what some folk can really achieve.
I might as well pile in as well as another riding buddy whose advice is not considered up to scratch....<sniffs haughtily>.
I've found the Blackspire n/w Chainrings on CRC the best mix of value, quality etc.
But as it is me giving this advice I suspect you'll ignore it and ask the rest of STW instead....
So, to save you typing - STW - who thinks Blackspire n/w chainrings are any good?
😊😊
I’ve started using putoline as of this weekend, whisper quiet
I've not used it in many years, and my drivetrain remains whisper quiet also.
The cassette on my bike is X01 11 speed which is an eyewatering £295 at RRP (£200 at Wiggle). So I have been rigorously checking and changing chains when they are worn. I keep a stock of SRAM chains (recently the cheap PC1110s) so I can swap it on at a moment's notice.
I've actually been very impressed at the X01 cassette with this regime. It's 5 years old and no doubt a few thousand miles and still going... Under my old regime of allowing everything to wear out then replace the chain and cassette en bloc* I'd have gone through 2-3 XT cassettes (@£50) and the same number of XTR chains (@£20) in that time I suspect.
So with an expensive cassette I definitely think changing chains often is a good way to go.
The cassette on my bike is X01 11 speed which is an eyewatering £295 at RRP (£200 at Wiggle). So I have been rigorously checking and changing chains when they are worn. I keep a stock of SRAM chains (recently the cheap PC1110s) so I can swap it on at a moment’s notice.
I’ve actually been very impressed at the X01 cassette with this regime. It’s 5 years old and no doubt a few thousand miles and still going… Under my old regime of allowing everything to wear out then replace the chain and cassette en bloc* I’d have gone through 2-3 XT cassettes (@£50) and the same number of XTR chains (@£20) in that time I suspect.
So with an expensive cassette I definitely think changing chains often is a good way to go.
I was just going to post something very similar.
I've still got my XX1 11 speed cassette from when XX1 was first launched. It's on the commuter bike now and still doesn't skip. It's a little noisey in the 16t but otherwise spot-on. Whatever SRAM do with their cassettes they seem to last incredibly well. I'll run this cassette and chain now until they die then just replace everything at once.
I find using an XO1 chain and swapping it out at 0.5 wear the best way to do it.