I just checked the chain of a road bike I picked up second hand with one of those chain checker tools, and it was well overdue replacement. Thing is the chain never skipped, not once! I now have no idea how to tell how badly worn the cassette is, looks ‘ok’ to my untrained eye but really I’m guessing. Is there a way to tell by looking at it? No idea how long it had been on there although the bikes from 2007 – and the cassette looks original spec! That said the bike looked pretty well looked after.

Anyhow, my dilemma is do I:

a: Stick it back on, ride it till it fall apart then replace cassette and chain (and possible chainrings/jockeys?)
b; New chain – use the old cassette and see what happens
c: Replace both, not ideal from a cash perspective.

Thoughts? Preferred option in B, however i’m thinking running a new chain on an old (worn) cassette, even for a short time won’t be a great idea

Option B – keep replacing chains until a new chain doesn’t fix the slipping.

So, is it all still working fine? I don’t personally see the point in fixing something that isn’t broken, just on the say so of a measuring tool. If you start to get shifting or skipping issues, then fix it.

you can’t do anything better or worse than putting a new chain on to see if it meshes. if it doesn’t and you don’t ride it like that for a prolonged period you can always change the cassette at a later date.

If the chain is as worn as you say, option B won’t work, the chain will skip.

Toss up between A and C.

With a 1×10 transmission, when the cassette and chain are worn out and replaced, can you flip the singlespeed front ring around so it runs as new?

Once a chain has stretched too far no point using a new one with the cassette/chainrings as the chain won’t last long even if it doesn’t skip. Keep what you’ve got whilst it still works though the chain might explode eventually!

thanks

Would a bike Mechanic be able to tell by eye? I’d happily run as is if I didn’t think I’d be grinding my ultegra chainrings to dust…

that said, they might also be totally f*cked by now..I really have no idea!

No.I would’nt 😉

Chain rings are easier to tell by eye when they’re worn – shark teeth. I’d imagine they’re worn so stick with what you have and try to change your chain more often in future – at the 0.75% point. You can try to cycle your chains so that you change a few at 0.75% then leave one on until the 1% and then go back to the 1st ones.

Yes I would, and so could any other mechanic worth their salt. However, for the cost of a chain, I’d go with option B. Fit a new chain and see how it goes.

Three outcomes are:-

a) It works! your quids in.

b) Worn cassetts tend to cause slip, where as worn chainsets tend to cause chain suck. If your getting slip and no suck, I’d get a new cassette.

C) your getting chain suck. Put the old chain back on and get every pennys worth out the old rings whislt you save up to replace the lot.