My question is: are all chains/cassettes created equal?

On my commuter bike I seem to need to replace the chain & cassette every 3 months due to wearing out the smallest 2 or 3 sprockets (probably due to stomping up the hills).

I keep the drivetrain clean & lubed, so there’s minimal wear and tear due to grit and what-not.

I generally run a SRAM chain & cassette as these tend to be available on offer a lot of the time, particularly from CRC.

I am wondering if buying cheaper parts is a false economy? (i.e. would an XT cassette last longer than Deore or SLX)

Or whether certain brands are more durable? (i.e. do SRAM chains have a longer lifespan than Shimano)

Any comments from experience welcome.

Cheers.

Tick.

This could be an interesting one.
I was of the understanding that as price increases, so does the quality of the coating but the actual material stays the same (although there may be less of it).

Having said that, XT is still my cassette of choice.

Personally, I find that SRAM chains out last KMC and Shimano.

personally, I run Sram chain /shimano cassette as I find the shifting performance better on the shimano cassettes but I used to snap their chains regularly. I’ll tend to get 3 chains out of a cassette if I catch them at about 60-70% wear.

As regards wear rates, I ride my CX bike a lot more (well, mileage wise) but I go through chains and cassettes quicker on my MTB. I think this is down to riding style more than anything, I tend to pedal a lot smoother on my CX bike as it’s a commuter and more rythmic, whereas I put a huge amount more torque through the MTB (35″ inside leg) and I tend to ride in too high a gear and with too low a cadence (I try and correct this, but the more I think about it, the more ditches I end up in).

As regards quality (price) vs longevity: I have an old 11-34 XTR M950 cassette (when they were mostly ti) and that is still going strong on a winter hack. But usually I buy around XT level for that sort of thing as I wear them out quickly and being 14 stone I’m not bothered about the grammage.

/2p

On my commuter bike I seem to need to replace the chain & cassette every 3 months due to wearing out the smallest 2 or 3 sprockets (probably due to stomping up the hills)

I would think that the reason they wear out quickly is because you are riding on the smallest sprockets. The less teeth, the higher the wear per teeth as the load isn’t spread over so many points.

When riding an MTB off road, you (well, I) tend to be using a wider range of the cassette, evening out the wear. I also spend little time on the ‘small’ end of the cassette, and stick to the middle of the cassette more.
On my commute mtb, I do spend a lot more time at the ‘small’ end of the cassette.

What chainring are you using on the commute bike? Perhaps go up a couple of teeth so you will move to the mid-range of the cassette.

I find that KMC chains seem to last well, whereas the SRAM that was supplied with my Stumpjumper was barely used before it reached 1%.

Crikey, do you ride through grinding paste? Or do you have a very strict definition of worn out?

My commuter is on the original cassette and 3rd chain after 6,500 miles.

IME cheaper cassettes last longer as they are made of heavier/more material and so wear better. As for chains – buy a proper chain checker

With that wear rate though I’d be investing in an Alfine hub and heavy duty BMX chains

What chainring are you using on the commute bike? Perhaps go up a couple of teeth so you will move to the mid-range of the cassette.

I have a 48T chainring, coupled with an 11-32 cassette.

I guess I could swap to a 52T or something, but I’m not sure it’d fit without contacting the rear triangle (it’s an MTB frame)

Or I could try and spin higher gears on the climbs. I’m naturally a churner when it comes to pedalling cadence.

do you ride through grinding paste? Or do you have a very strict definition of worn out?

My drivetrain is maintained well & is only exposed to the usual grit/dust & rain from a road commute.

I replace the chain/cassette when the chain starts skipping under load going up some of the steeper hills on my commute. That’s about as technical as I get with measuring the wear.

I find that KMC chains seem to last well

Maybe I’ll try one next time I replace my SRAM, for a comparison.

joao3v16 did you borrow my bike without telling me, I’ve got the same set on my HT!

Most of the shimano cassettes have replacable sprockets for the top 3 or 4 gears. Is that an option on yours?