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New chain and cassette
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
Being fairly new to riding, 3 years roughly, I was surprised to hear that I need to put on a new chain at least 1-2 times per year and a cassette around that as well,,or 2 chain replacements to one cassette, as a rough guide. I ride Manly Dam twice a week, more in the holidays. Had a new cassette and chain put on about 5 months ago, was advised that the chain needs replacing, is that about right?
cheers
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Yes.
You might want to consider replacing your smallest chain-ring too. Bigger chain-rings last longer as the load is spread over more teeth.
Get yourself a chain checker. Eg:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/au/en/park-to...
You are meant to replace a chain between 0.75-1% stretch. However, if the cassette/rings become too worn then they won't mesh with a new chain and you will have to replace them too.
Basically - don't go by an 'every 6 months' rule, go by how much wear and tear your drive train has had.
Chains wear quickly especially when used on gritty dirt/sand especially Manly Dam type trails. A worn chain will wear out your cassette and front chain rings quickly and vice versa.
Regularly cleaning your drive chain will prolong it's life but won't stop the issue. You can purchase a chain wear guide for less than $10 that will tell you your chain health.
Thanks for the advice and feedback, that's very helpful.
thanks, great advise.
There are two schools of thought on this. 1. Replace your chain, cassette and chain rings regularly. 2. Ride them until they don't work no more.
Personally I've never understood the need to replace a drive train that is still working properly. If the gears aren't slipping and the changes are ok, why replace it? To take this to the extreme, I've just replaced the chain and cassette on my commuter after 21 years and thousands of ks. No issues until the last 2 rides. No doubt a bike shop would have recommended a change much earlier.
I do understand the concept of replacing the chain before it damages the cassette but people doing this still seem to replace their cassettes more regularly than letting an old chain and cassette mesh together.
Ofcourse all this is personal preference.
I don't buy into scheduled replacement of drivetrain components, or anything really.
I've done 1,000km of hard riding on an XT chain and cassette with no visual or measurable signs of wear.
I thoroughly lube and wipe down my drivetrain after every ride. WA's dry dust will stick to anything, so the less lube you run the better.
Likewise, I've done an 'out and back' ride. 40km out on a perfectly operating drivetrain. Within 60 seconds of turning around the heavens opened up. By the time I got half way back to the car, sand and grit had worn everything down. New chain, cassette and chainrings.
Check chains with a wear tool as listed earlier. Sprockets visually.
Thanks for the info, I lube and clean the chin almost every ride, especially after its been a little wet. I probably dont clean it as thoroughly as I ought to. I'll put more effort into it.