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I should really know the answer to this. With a spare set of winter wheels (road), should you swap the Cassette across from your good wheels for the same chain / cassette combo, or buy a new cassette to leave on the winter wheels, same chain?
I don't think there's necessarily a right answer but I have two complete sets of wheels(wheels, tyres, cassette, discs) but one chain as I can't be bothered changing it. I went for the easiest option to quickly swap wheelsets.
Are winter wheels a thing with discs? I’ve never bothered switching wheels over but then again it rains all year round here.
I have one cassette and chain for two wheels but I don't change them very often. I also have a cassette tool with pins to hold the sprockets which I find a lot less fiddly than a chain whip. It all works fine.
Well the main question is as above - why do you have winter wheels? Training and race, I could understand.
But I would not swap cassettes. They aren't made to be removed and refitted all the time, and it's a faff, so why would you? Cassettes are consumables, so you're not out of pocket if you buy two because they'll last twice as long.
Cassettes and chains don't 'wear together' like some stuff does. The cassette gets very little wear until the chain elongates, and that then trashes the cassette. At that point, the chain will only work with the cassette it wore with, but at that point they are both trashed beyond their design wear limits. If you keep your chain up to date then your cassettes will last ages and you will be able to swap them along with wheels and not experience an issue.
why do you have winter wheels
The good wheels are £1400 deep section carbons, and the Hertfordshire lanes can be pretty crappy / broken up at this time of year. I happen to have a pair of DT G1800 which didnt sell with my gravel bike which fit the road bike, so it made sense to me to use them for winter duty and spare the others the winter grit, salt and uneven roads.
Answer is get a winter bike - you know N+1 and all that! 🙂
I do a cassette and chain for each set,it gives you the option of different cassette ratios and takes no time with fast links,even more so with the grovel bike.
I have 4 cassettes across 3 wheelsets (two summer, one winter) and the trainer mix and matched between two frames. just keep on top of your chain maintenance and watch for wear; you'll be fine.
I use PG1130 cassettes; they seem to last forever 😀
I have one bike with 3 wheelsets and one with 2. I just swap the cassette over. It takes a couple of minutes to whip one off and refit it.
I guess you'll only be swapping over twice a year anyway?
I guess you’ll only be swapping over twice a year anyway?
Good point, And I only ride say, 4000km a year with most of those through Spring / Autumn anyway, so thats the right answer, and keeps same chain / same cassette.
Excellent, thats £40 saved, thanks.
Nobody swaps cassettes. Get another for winter wheels. Or a winter bike. There will always be a nice spring day when you want the nice wheels. Like swapping tyres. Just don’t bother.
A dedicated cassette on each wheelset, with a dedicated chain for each. Chances are if you're riding outdoors through winter, you will want to ditch that "winter" chain by spring anyway.
I guess you’ll only be swapping over twice a year anyway?
Top tip, leave the wheels you aren't going to be using for the next few months in the way somewhere UNTIL you've given them a good clean and a check over. Or you'll pull them out to use and find large chunks have corroded away to nothingness and the freehub bearings are completely seized and it'll take a couple of weeks to get parts.