I’ve changed my cassette because I wanted a different ratio. 105 groupset and a Shimano chain. Perfect shifting. A box fresh cassette was fitted yesterday and it’s fine in the work stand but it’s as crunchy as hell, particularly in the middle of the cassette, when under load.
The obvious diagnosis would be the chain isn’t meshing with the new cassette but it (the chain) is only 500 miles old. Any other ideas?

It makes sense to put a new chain on when you fit a new cassette imho

After just 500 miles? I suppose I ought to get a new chain and try it but £25 on pizza would make me happier than £25 on a chain that may not be needed.

Depends on riding conditions and how well you look after the chain, but I’ve never managed to get 500 miles out of a chain before it’s worn.

Depending on your riding style/conditions/maintanance all cam have an effect on wear but 500 is not allot realisticley iv ran mine for around 6 months prob about 100+ per week commuting all weathers but still not 50% gone on the gauge
u can ither change the chain now and get full life from your new cassette or keep as it is and wear the new block even quicker obviosly something is not happy so id try new chain personaly

£25!
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-105-5701-10-speed-chain/rp-prod50457
£13 and 10% off till tuesday….so £11.80.

Yup , false economy to change one without the other.

The current chain will start to fit again once you’ve a few miles on the cassette so you could keep it for then.

[pointless old man] 10speed chains 🙁 – I’m still (but xmas is coming!!) 9 speed – mrs antigee is 105 10 speed on her road bike – none of the gravel/rain crap that I do but I’m fed up with changing her chain at around 1000Km or less – also I reckon at sportive/challenge events seen more broken chains since 10/11 speed arrived than seen in the decades before [old man wanders off/]

I’m not putting Shimano back on there. They’re made of cheese, evidently.
I’ll pick up a KMC or whatever they’re called.
I’m by no means hard on my components.
If I had to change every chain after 500 miles, my commuter would be costing me more than one chain per month!