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Off to Alps in 2 weeks and am trying to decide whether to replace my drive train in advance. Chain gauge drops through on the 1.0 setting so everything is pretty much completely worn out. However, she is riding sweet as and shifts clean with no issues at all. No chain drops either. I have already purchased the complete drive train to replace it but given that most riding over there will be uplifted it seems a bit daft to change it just for the sake of it. Will obviously take everything with me and tools to change if needed.
What would STW do? Not take the risk and get it changed now, or leave well alone. After all, if it aint broke don't try and fix it.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. There's definitely such a thing as over maintenance.
I would. Got my alps trip coming up.
Forks fully serviced by TF this week despite being 6 months old
new Bottom bracket
new bigger rotors
brakes bled by the shop despite feeling ok
mind you I’m out for three weeks but based on the past 8 summer trips, any minor niggles will work there way to the top very quickly
Fork & shock all done a few weeks back (finally as they have already done 2 previous Alps trips and been on there for 3 years already.... ooops 🙂 ) and new tyres going on this week.
Alps is hard on bikes. May as well get it done now. Won't make it any worse, and you can do it right at your own pace and get it running sweet, not in a rush at someplace, sods law sats you will forget something, or take the wrong thing with you.
Depending where you’ll be, parts could/ will be super expensive to replace.
if you think it will crap on either buy the bits here and take them or replace it all now and make sure it’s runs correctly.
Remember crc have 360 day return policy so you could buy the stuff just in case and return if in perfect unused condition if you and the bike survive.
I would leave well alone and take the parts and tools out with me. That's what we do and have as we are sat on train in the tunnel now. Chances are if you fit new you will smack something on the first run and be back to square one.
Surprised someone that comes across as experienced as you is even asking.
A week of mainly uplifted riding.
How much strain is that going to put on your drivetrain?
I bet it'll be a lot less than another 3 or 4 weeks of riding at home.
Fork, shock, bearings and brakes sorted. That'll be all that matters.
Yep forks frame tyres, sorted.
Order a replacement group set and anything else from CRC, then return when you’re back if not required. No way I’d put a fresh group on before going - snapped a mech on the first day last year.
Take a spare chain with you, fit it if you need it.
Surprised someone that comes across as experienced as you is even asking.
He justs wants to mention he's going to the Alps 😉
lol @ Mark90. You know me too well! Got it in one, busted 🙂
Was just idle mussing really. I have already bought everything to change it over.... way too late to simply replace a chain, tis all or nothing now. But a good evening trip down Staunton on Wednesday evening made me wonder whether it was worth even changing it in advance. As I said it was running sweet as. I expect it all to fall apart on Sundays' ride 🙂
I've only been to the Alps once, and pedaling wasn't something we did very much of at all 😉
edit: sorry not very helpful. Agree with those above who say stick with existing drivetrain and take the new one as spare.
He justs wants to mention he’s going to the Alps
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Meh.</span>
Has he not already been on a European riding holiday in the mountains.😛
Our first was two months ago.
****ing farmers. Always claiming they have to look after animals and shit.
Sheep seem to be fine to me roaming around eating grass and stuff without any looking after.😜
He'll be rushing to spend his euro grant for growing nothing and the grant to build a shed to put his nothing in while he can.
Wooohhha
No idea what my editing just did
Double edit
It's changed again to be less in your face big.
Driving? Take a box of spares (including your spare drivetrain), brake pads, set of cables and a tyre or two. Fit and fettle as required out there.
If something is near to failure, fix. Otherwise leave it. The bike will be half destroyed on an off road Alps trip so will be replacing stuff immediately after anyway.
Chain gauge drops through on the 1.0 setting so everything is pretty much completely worn out
That's not worn out. That's just chain manufacturers (probably in a deal with Park Tools) telling you to buy more chains, and then a cassette because a new chain won't mesh with that cassette. Though old chain will.
Keep it going. It'll still be fine unless it's skipping, especially with a narrow wide chainring (though maybe replace the chainring to prevent it dropping).
If driving though, take spares. The local prices will be expensive, and anything exotic may not be available.
Crikey, what do you boys do to your bikes out there. Ive spent 4 weeks out there and broken nothing yet. During all this time the only breakage any of our riding party suffered was a broken spoke on a wholly unsuitable hardtail. Likewise ive only had one flat when I blew a tyre off a tubeless set up.
Fix your bike and prep it well. I always do. Feel happy knowing that my bike will be at its best.
any of our riding party suffered was a broken spoke
@tpbiker: fun. Yes - the spokes are the victims. Same with me. Loose rocks banging into the wheels.
Feel happy knowing that my bike will be at its best.
@bobbyspangles: yes. That's a mental thing. But some time in advance to "test the new stuff" is helpful as well. When I had chains snapping they normally were "new"...
I’m off in two weeks too. It’ll get more descent time in a week than a will in months at home, so forks, shock, frame bearings, brakes, tyres all freshened or replaced.
My cassette is borked, but isn’t slipping yet and it and my chain look like they’ve been dipped in crude, couldn’t give a monkey’s 😉
Got back from the alps last week (now in girona for bragging purposes). 15 folk at whiterooms I'd say on average each evening saw at least 3 bikes being fettled. My issue was the rim tape on the tubeless set up just let go. Even though 1 day had 12m of climbing and 2250m of descending pedaling was required.
If the drive-in is fine then it should be ok. Take good pads though I took uber race and they squealed a lot, let those behind me know where the braking points were, which is nice.
At just under two weeks in (for two bikes/two riders)...
- one rear wheel (tensions out of whack so spare wheel fitted)
- two chains (one worn out (experiment in ultrasonic cleaning probably responsible), one bent)
- one pair brake pads
- two new rotors (larger), one more on the way out
- fork lower leg service x2 (forks fully serviced before coming out, but the lowers service made a hell of a difference inside two weeks use)
- new purchased chainguide x1 (one bike had one already)
- one new direct mount chainring (to clear chainguide)
- one gear cable (snapped)
- one pair new flat pedal shoes (Five Tens sole detached / ripped again)
- one puncture (sniper rock at speed)
- tyre mounted on the spare (fitted) rear wheel is a worn out joke that's kinda fun to drift around and amazingly still finds some grip but it is not much longer for this world
Brought loads of spares and full toolkit so haven't felt caught out. Have been able to help a few friends along the way as well.
I'd be gutted to lose a day or more waiting for the bike to be fixed in a way that would have been easily preventable. Preventable but obvious is mostly wheels, brakes, suspension, cables.
Worn drivetrains do tend to drop the chain more often (I don't believe in narrow/wide as being sufficient prevention and definitely prefer to run a chainguide). Have had a chain off moment trash a wheel, derailleur and hanger (and chain), but as luck would have it that was the last run of the trip two years ago.
In your situation (which I've been in the last couple of years when taking my bike to the states) I'd put new stuff on, making sure to give it a good shakedown beforehand and then re-fit the old stuff when you get back to finish it off. That way you minimise the potential down-time of a knackered bike when you've paid top price for your riding but then get the maximum out of your old stuff too.
Hi mark *waves* I think you should buy a new bike
What Bob says, get it running well. There's definitely more risk of under than over maintaining.
Went to Molini with some mates 4 years ago, one guy who had a lax attitude to his bike got less than a quarter of our ride time in over the week, despite being warned beforehand. Even that cost him a fortune, having to but new brakes and cranks from an Italian bike shop....
He was warned about his brakes in particular, but instead spent a ton on some nice POC knee pads....
A new bike? On my income! you must be joking 🙂
Actually think that Daves idea above is not a bad one. Hadn't thought of doing that before, but has legs.