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"...now can you just replace that bent rear mech and get it going again?"
Slightly frustrated that they are about to get a rather expensive bill which could have been avoided with a couple of £20 chains :-/
Slightly frustrated that they are about to get a rather expensive bill which could have been avoided with a couple of £20 chains :-/
Not really. It would still be worn to buggery but he would have a preworn chain to fit
Not really. It would still be worn to buggery but he would have a preworn chain to fit
True enough. I've warned this particular rider more than once that running a chain this worn is fine, until it snaps (which is more likely, given the wear) at which point you've probably no choice but to pony up for a new transmission there and then...if you can find one wherever you might be when it happens.
Changing chains, vs letting it all wear out together is a bit of a religious topic here, I know!
Cant be arsed with this - I just let it all wear out...
On my last bike I did the chain swapping at 0.75 thing but sod's law intervened and a snapped rear mech, twisted chain and damaged cassette meant I didn't see any savings. I haven't measured the chain wear on my current bike, but I'm on 1500 miles and it's still running silent and shifting fine so I don't plan to measure it any time soon.
I used to change chains often, but on a previous bike I decided to see how long it would last using Squirt, so plan was buy bike and only use Squirt on the chain and see how it goes. Bike was ridden weekly but not massive miles, but it lasted just after 3 years. Cassette was steel and lasted but did need changing as well and the chainring as well, but it shifted perfectly all the time.
I suspect the mileage wasn't high enough but that is the longest I've ever ran a drivetrain.
Edit - yeah, as suspected, looks like only 500-750 miles per year (just checked Strava), so not huge miles but it was used frequently in all weathers. This year I'm probably looking at 1200 miles so a decent increase, but drivetrain is still running sweet (as it would as chain, chainring and cassette are all wearing together).
3 of my bikes have gone past 0.75.
I have swapped chain in the past and it's kept the cassettes going longer.
Not sure if it's worth it now. They are not quite at 1.00
Because of the truly frightening cost of a replacement cassette, my X01 cassette has been through at least 10 chains over 5 years. It's remarkably still going although the newest chain doesn't like 1st gear any more (so I'm going to replace just the largest sprocket on the cassette).
So I'm definitely on team chain-checking!
Never check mine but replace it every spring so I have a new chain from spring to autumn and a old chain through the winter where it is getting the most abuse from wet and grit. Only ride around 2,500 miles per year so works out quite well over that period. No gears so no expensive cassettes to worry about.
Is no-one going to mention the 2 quicklinks?
I had an expensive ti cassette once, I was doing a lot of riding and it was my only bike. I changed chains frequently (this was back when they were £6 each) and the £150 cassette lasted 18 months, as opposed to about 4 months if I ignored it.
I don't know if I came out ahead or not, in terms of total expenditure (I suspect it was probably similar) but I had a nice smooth drivetrain for the whole time which was nice and I had the benefit of a 100-150g lighter bike 🙂
As old as the hills this.
Given the eye watering cost of decent 12spd transmissions, its even more relevant to discuss now.
I'm currently running a 12 spd GX set up with a steel X-sync2 chainring that has received three chains in rotation, one of which is the first to cross 1.0 just last month.
The transmission was 3yo in August this year and still shifts fine. I've been through 3 sets of jockey wheels over two mechs.
Whilst it shifts fine, backpedalling now sees the chain drop down the cassette, and there is the very occasional chain drop on the front where previously its been rock solid.
Interestingly Ive just put the next chain on that is currently at 0.75. I was expecting it to slip and jump in the higher torque gears, but its been fine too.
I think this would probably limp through another winter, but I won't get a chance to find out because I'm expecting a kingdom Vendetta next week and that will get new shiny!
Because of the truly frightening cost of a replacement cassette, my X01 cassette has been through at least 10 chains over 5 years.
I’ve an XO1 cassette that’s 4.5 years old, probably done 3500 ebike miles, in all conditions. Original chain and chainring.
Still works fine, I’m curious as to what I have to do to kill it.
Is no-one going to mention the 2 quicklinks?
I have 5 in one of mine, because, well, GX chains blow up.
Still works fine, I’m curious as to what I have to do to kill it.
I'm curious as to why you haven't!?
I just leave the drivetrain on until it's dead. My last cassettes on my MTBs were a Sunrace 11 speed one which I got 4.5 years out of, including a good few endurance races and the Strathpuffer at least twice, and a Sram XX1 which was five years old when I replaced it and the chain.
My gravel bike is a whole different kettle of fish - I don't swap chains and get about 3,000 miles out of a drivetrain that's exposed to disgusting conditions all year. Unfortunately, that means I get about 12 months out of it before it looks like this (but it'd be the same if I swapped chains, so I save myself around £60 a year on decent chains)-
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50558948857_5931fce14e_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50558948857_5931fce14e_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2k2HQ3M ]DSC_3610[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/183377889@N06/ ]Luke Bradley[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50558825656_3a698ed946_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50558825656_3a698ed946_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2k2HcqC ]DSC_3600[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/183377889@N06/ ]Luke Bradley[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50558826091_1d2726a565_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50558826091_1d2726a565_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2k2Hcy8 ]DSC_3604[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/183377889@N06/ ]Luke Bradley[/url], on Flickr
Urgh, that's just disgusting Luke 😀
Putoline does away with that awful commuter gunk BTW (though that's an entirely different thread and won't stop ninja-star chainring-related shinjuries!).
I’m curious as to what I have to do to kill it.
Keep swapping chains so they never mesh quite right. Use cheap chains with lousy rollers that wear quickly because you're replacing them every 2 months so you don't want to spend £50 on them.
My own experience with an x01 11 speed cassette mirrors yours. 6 years use, all weathers, average of 60mi a week off road plus occasional commutes. It still hasn't died.
My unfashionable yet cost effective solution is to use old school 8 speed.. £7 a chain, £12-15 a cassette, £15 chainrings and less adjusting to get accurate shifting.
I had an expensive ti cassette once, I was doing a lot of riding and it was my only bike. I changed chains frequently (this was back when they were £6 each)
vs £8 now?
Disclaimer .. still running 11sp cos the chains are cheap. (and sometimes they go up to a tenner but I buy a bunch when they are reduced)
Probably have about 8000 miles on my current dura ace chain/chainset and ultegra cassette. No idea what you people do to you drivechains. Don't ride enough offroad a year to really know how much i do a year, but always amazed at the amount people change their chain/cassette and even more so their chainrings on here.
11 speed chains are cheap? I never seem em under £20?
@munrobiker
I'm honestly impressed with those pics of the drivetrain mate.
Your doing the 2 things I wish I did.
Ride a sh*t load if miles AND don't get all "princessy" about the bike like I do.👍
I see that's a Superstar Raptor chainring. They're a bit soft. Usually knackered and causing problems long before the chain or cassette in my experience.
My chainring is so worn it’s narrow-narrow and I’m scared to properly clean my chain as I think it would end up too sloppy to work. Just hoping it lasts till spring!
ferrals
Free Member
My chainring is so worn it’s narrow-narrow and I’m scared to properly clean my chain as I think it would end up too sloppy to work. Just hoping it lasts till spring!
Just being nosey! What drive chain you using matey?