I’ve just replaced my chain again. It’s my 3rd in 12 months and wonder what I’m doing wrong. Having replaced the chain I’ve now belatedly realised that the cassette isn’t happy this time and have just bought a new one of those too (my third in 2 years).
I use light ‘dry’ lube in the summer and wet lube (oil I presume) in the winter. I use the bike every day – or near as makes no difference – and get through about 80-140Km per week.
2 things then :
1. Is this a correct service life from my chains/cassettes ?
2. Has anyone else noticed the price of these things exploding lately?

I appreciate that winter riding has it’s problems but this is ridiculous. Or am I replacing the chains too early? I change the chain when I can twist a 30cm length through 90 degrees (roughly). Oh – and when the pins have broken more than once/twice and been replaced with new links.

Just curious – it’s starting to hurt the pockets a wee bit….

[Giant xtc4.5, sram 971 chains, sram pg950 11-34 or 11-32 cassette]

It depends on how many miles you do – on my solo I get about 1000 miles out of a chain if I replace it early enough not to have to do the casette as well – that 0.75% worn on a park chain checker tool, Every second or third chain its a new casette as well – so about 2 or 3 chains a year and a cassette most years.

the tandem is worse. 500 miles to a chain and 1000 to a casette

I have recently started using motocross chain wax as a lube which so far ( its earlly days) seems to be lasting a lot better and lubing a lot better than anything else I have tried – filthy faffy nasty stuff tho

I used motorbike chainlube on my mtbs for a while but was ‘warned-off’ doing so. I know that motorbike lube is for the o-rings/xrings really and suppose that it’s not the job for mtb chains. Don’t know what your moto stuff is prescribed for but I agree entirely with experience re “filthy faffy nasty” tho

Last winter chain I just replaced did less than 300km. The one that replaced it has already done that, Sometimes it’s like that.

Teh stuff I am using is for motocross bikes – no O ring – its the solid wax that you melt on the stove. So far its stayed clean and well lubed for about 100 miles of filthy wet riding.

Been using spray-on Castrol chain wax on mine or the last few years, seems to work/last far better than mtb stuff. Rinse off/re-apply after every ride, and clean with white spirit once a month, works fine and much cheaper too.
Also worth remembering that if you put a new chain on a worn cassette and chainring, the first thing that happens is the chain beds in to the old tooth profile (instead of it putting the load evenly across all the teeth it’s wrapped around, if those teeth are worn then they’ll only pull on one tooth/link at a time and accelerate the wear process) effectively wearing out your new chain in short order.

As per coatesy I reckon your problems stem from not replacing ‘everything’ together, a worn cassette should be changed with a chain and at least the middle front ring. Changing ‘just’ the cassette and chain won’t do, as the worn chainrings stretch (wear) the chain which will them not sit right with the new cassette.

You could try getting a chain checker tool, and replacing the chains before or as they reaches the end of there useful life (indicated). I did this last year, put three chains onto the same cassette and chainrings, before leaving the 3rd chain on until everything died – got 12 month in the really crap weather (last summer and over this winter) and grinding paste (very sandy area).
Happy with that, just replaced everything, and am about to start again.

(middleburn chainrings, xt cassette and decent-ish chains)