If I had never put on the feeler gauge on, I would never know that the chain is quite stretched – all works fine and dandy. If a new chain works (no slippage) will I actually get more miles out of the cassette and chainrings? Why mess around with a perfectly working system?

I think in theory you could keep changing the chain at 0.75 and never wear out the cassette, cue running XTR cassettes and alu chainrings with cheap chains. I tried this briefly but it seemed to require a new chain monthly, instead of the usual running everything into the ground in a year approach.

I guess the extra ‘slop’ or movement in the links will cause additional wear in the cassette and chain rings…

…and the movement in the links will accelerate the wear in the chain too.

How much wear is the difficult thing to define – which is why the manufacturer sets a limit. So either follow their advice or don’t but be aware they set limits for a reason. Sorry I can’t help any more.

PS: I think my chain is beyond the 0.75 wear point but I’m still using it 😆

I change a chain at 0.75% and can usually get just over a year out of a cassette, with the chainrings lasting longer still.

£15 on a chain every 2.5 months still works out cheaper than replacing chain, cassette and 3 chainrings every ten months.

Over 0.75 chain stretch, why change ?

Because, in my recent experience, you are wearing the rest of the chaindrive out prematurely. The chain is the cheap component to change regularly, compared with chainrings & cassette.

if you change your chain and not the cassette after that point you might find they don’t mesh and it’ll skip and suck on the chainrings

I try and cycle my chains – go through 2 changing at .75 then the 3rd at 1 and then go back to the 1st two changing at 1.

mudshark – Member

I try and cycle my chains – go through 2 changing at .75 then the 3rd at 1 and then go back to the 1st two changing at 1.

and then run it into the ground?

i usually forget to check the chain and end up running it all into the ground and replace once a year.

€50 for XT casette and chain either online or in local LBS (often has a deal in the bargin bin)
€20 for chain rings; last time i paid €8 for the small ring and €12 for the big one (two ring set-up)

or one new chain every 2.5 months (would be more often in my case, perhaps every 1.5-2 months) equals ~5 chains/year, so about €75.

infact, i’m not even sure i replace the whole lot once a year….