Shipped my bike over to Australia, got it built up OK. I didn’t bring the old chain as figured it was due a change, they are cheap enough and I couldn’t be bothered/didn’t have the time to start cleaning it when I was having a mad dash to pack everthing.

Ordered a new chain from Merlin, fitted it and gave it a test yesterday, some gear/chain slip. I checked my gear adjustment last night on my bike, seems spot on.

Test ride this morning, chain seems to slip when pedalling but doesn’t do when not under load. It doesn’t seem to jump gears, just slip.

New chain (Sram PC951 9 speed), old casette, approx 500 miles use on it, some trail centres and some fairly soft local riding.

Worn casette could cause this, but it looks OK to me, have seen much worse!? It was fine with the old/worn chain.

Perhaps the cassette needs a bit more time to get used to being the wrong way up after its move to Australia ?

The smaller cogs look quite worn to be honest. If you keep riding it the chain will stretch quite quickly and it may stop slipping.

The smaller cogs look quite worn to be honest. If you keep riding it the chain will stretch quite quickly and it may stop slipping.

😐

Rock and a hard place time then, how long would it take to stretch in do you think?

Or would you buy a new casette and fit that?

I’d just get a new cassette on it.

I’d just get a new cassette on it.

Seem pretty cheap from a quick look, just need to pay another lot of delivery, keep Merlin in business then!

Chain whip needed to remove the old one?

Have a full set of sockets/spanners and normal garage tools but not a lot of bike related.

chain whip, cassette tool and spanner. Or lbs.

Rock and a hard place time then, how long would it take to stretch in do you think?

Well I’ve seen a badly slipping chain ‘wear in’ within a 50m ride, but it could take longer. personally I’d for a new cassette, and cross my fingers the chain rings are good enough to avoid chainsuck.

500miles is plenty to get the chain past the point of no return.

Worn casette could cause this, but it looks OK to me, have seen much worse!? It was fine with the old/worn chain.

This is quite normal. Once the chain and a cassette are worn beyond a certain point, a new chain won’t work on the cassette, even though the old ones will happily carry on working together.

Why go to merlin from aus?
Are bike bits more expensive there?
Also good opp to visit lbs is it not?

Why go to merlin from aus?
Are bike bits more expensive there?
Also good opp to visit lbs is it not?

Not in a rush for a new cassette, happy riding my road bike. Merlin will have the parts to me in the week, can’t guarantee stock locally.

Parts are lol expensive, I use the LBS if I need something in a rush.

A pair of plastic Park tyre levers that would cost about 5 quid in the UK cost me $20.

Bought a bike for my GF here from LBS ($900 all told) and my road bike shoes. I don’t mind supporting them but don’t like getting ripped off.

New cassette and shiny bits it is then….

Wow- I had noticed lots of people from aus using wiggle now I know why!

Wow- I had noticed lots of people from aus using wiggle now I know why!

Don’t pay VAT either remember as its being exported, so that more than covers the cost of postage.

I got my chain and three spare tubes from Merlin, postage was about a tenner.

No import costs (if less than $1000) and no stupid post office tagging on a massive handling fee at this end either.

Quick photo of the chain rings, don’t look as bad, compared I can see the wear on the cassette easier now.

Need replacing or think they will be OK?

that’ll be fine

Where in aus are you? If close i have all the tools you may borrow.

Where in aus are you? If close i have all the tools you may borrow.

Bathurst NSW, if your close by then that would be cool, but I doubt it!

I don’t mind buying the tools, be less than $20 for a cassette whip and a removal tool, i’ll have everything else already.

Long way to borrow a few tools! Vic here.

Do new chains on old Cassettes always bed in after a while?Or do some never do so?

I dunno how precise an answer there is – most will just replace both.

Also if the cassette is worn differently on different cogs it may never bed in on all of them.

Get a chain wear tool and always change the chain before it wears the cassette too far. Will pay for itself many times over!

Does it really though?

A new chain is bound to wear more quickly as it beds in. I think.

footflaps – Member
Get a chain wear tool and always change the chain before it wears the cassette too far. Will pay for itself many times over!

POSTED 3 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
cynic-al – Member
Does it really though?

A new chain is bound to wear more quickly as it beds in. I think.

Very interesting and the answer could save me a ton of cash over the years, anyone know for definite?

New cassette from Merlin arrived yesterday, fitted and problem solved.

I’ve done the change chain @ 0.75% thing,the run 2 chain alternately thing and the run it in to the ground thing. It all ends up about the same cost/time ratio (unless you’re running xtr/xx cassettes in which case change chains every 15 minutes!!!).

40 quid every 500 miles for a low/mid range chain & cassette isn’t too bad really!

By the way, regarding the comments about the smaller cogs on the cassette looking worn, which always pops up on threads like this, take a look at your new one. They are like that by design so its very difficult to judge wear. Front rings are different, if they have that wave profile they are worn. I just run my chain into the ground and replace both chain and cassette at the same time. If it still slips then whichever front ring is guilty gets changed but that’s less frequent.

tarquin – Member

40 quid every 500 miles for a low/mid range chain & cassette isn’t too bad really!

I disagree!

Running the chain and cassette untill you get slipping is fine for cheaper cassettes. Not for that XTR ot Ti Campag super record cassette they are too expensive