Just replaced the chain on my hardtail, as although shifting was still good, it was looking a bit manky after the winter (bit rusty). I don’t use the bike a lot as I ride mostly on the road these days. It’s mostly for XC racing. Chain was a SRAM 9speed (990 I think – reasonably top end). Put on a KMC X9-SL (silver not gold!). Cassette is not massively used, and is Ti/ steel XTR 970. Figured due to Ti cogs it wouldn’t be too worn to cause probs with new chain. However, shifting in the bigger cogs is now all over the shop and have tried pretty much everything with alignment and cable tension.

So, I think I know the answer to this, but should I just man up and buy a new eXpensive To Replace cassette?? I use KMC chains on my road bikes with no problems, but not used on MTB before.

Thanks.

Replace cables first eh?

APF

(1) Tried the cable? Could well be causing your problems

(2) Or the mech hanger?

All good advice. Thanks. Have a mech hanger alignment tool, so will check that.

Check 1 on the shifter is 1 on the cassette, and 9 is 9. Easy mistake to make that will cause problems with setting up shifting. If it don’t work, no need to replace cassette, just put perfectly serviceable but slightly manky chain back on 🙂