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Hello.
2 schools of thought as I see it over drive train replacement strategy
1. Change chain after 0.5 wear but before 0.75. Change chainring and cassette when they wear out.
2. Run everything into the ground and replace the whole lot.
Generally I’ve been in the type 2 camp and this has served me reasonably. Usually get about 18 months out if it, give or take.
Bought a new bike last may and it was 12 speed gx eagle mech and shifter with a sunrace cassette, my first 12 speed. Ride last week my chain snapped, not at the quick link but a standard rivet.
The chainring was shark like so replaced that and the chain. Hoped I might get away with not replacing the cassette. Fitted it all last night and it skips in the smallest cog, dammit.
12 speed cassettes are not cheap, £67 for the nx! So I have no choice but to fork out for one and could do with saving costs as the wife’s out of work at the mo and thinking about swapping to strategy 1.
For those currently using strategy 1: How long do you reckon you get out of a chain before it needs replacing? And how many chains do you get through before you have to replace the cassette?
I ride generally twice a week, maybe average 30 miles a week.
Too many variables to try and work out the best method but I prefer method 1. It also means crisper performance more of the time.
Mostly 1.
3 or 4. But also 2 or so n/w chainrings too.
1. Change chain after 0.5 wear but before 0.75. Change chainring and cassette when they wear out.
Firmly this for me, if I catch the chains in time.
Stuff seems to last fairly well, except some chains seem to go quick.
1: How long do you reckon you get out of a chain before it needs replacing?
Not sure, maybe six months.
And how many chains do you get through before you have to replace the cassette?
About three, mainly use Sram GX 11sp cassettes though, which are tough AF.
I tried to change my chain at 0.6 on gx eagle and its was gone to far! I got 18 months out of it but according to strava it was only 950km! So I'll adopt the strategy of xo1 chain and change it before 0.5 now.
Pretty sure 12 speed changes are supposed to be changed at 0.5, where as 11 speed is good till 0.5-0.75
The raceface chainring seemed to have worn really fast as well. It was a case of try a new chain/chainring but that doesn't seem to play nice with the cassette, so begrudgingly I changed that as well at £110! lesson learnt.
Bike are fun, aren't they! haha
How long is a piece of string? It depends on so many things such as how much mud goes all over the drivetrain and I'm sure these days some are deep-cleaning and relubing their chains too often.
Option 1... Maybe 6-9 months?
You might get your new chain to work better with old cassette if you do a few rides staying in a single sprocket, before then using the whole range.
The raceface chainring seemed to have worn really fast as well.
Superstar ones are durable, come in a multitude of formats and seem to work well with 11 or 12 speed.
1 cassette 2 or 3 chains but don’t wait for the chain to wear to 0.5 before changing, use all 3 from the start rotating through each one when cleaning
I was always option 2. That changed when I saw the horrendous prices of the SRAM replacement cassette that came on my MTB in 2015. At that point I decided to replace the chain often. This has so far served me well - I'm still on the same X01 cassette on that bike (having been through 4-5 chains).
Still option 2 for my commute bike. 10 speed cassettes are cheap and I'm too lazy to do the sort of preventative maintenance stuff on that bike. I just replace it all when it becomes annoying.
@jimmy748
Member
1 cassette 2 or 3 chains but don’t wait for the chain to wear to 0.5 before changing, use all 3 from the start rotating through each one when cleaning
Same strategy here.
I go for approach 1 (and this is on MTB's).
Change chain at 0.5% wear. Cassettes (XT or Sunrace, yes I'm on 10 & 11 speed) are lasting around 2500 miles BUT chains are 350 - 400 miles.
Chain rings - superstar - usually 2 chains/800 miles then a new chain rumbles on them.
Similar stats for Miss4real but SRAM GX cassettes except the SRAM chainrings are both over 2000 miles under her light weight !
Has anyone who does the chain rotation thing ever got to 0.5 on the third chain and then started again with chain one? I am making the assumption that you would usually change the chainrings and cassette at this point but instead leave them on and start a second rotation of the same chains so that the whole drivetrain is wearing at the same rate. I wonder how much more life you could get before performance starts to go down the pan.
I usually go for 1, but for some reason a recent crash killed the mech and damaged the cassette, so have just changed pretty much everything in one hit, you just can't factor in stupidity for crashing!
I'm option 2 .but I buy stuff over the year to spread the cost a bit, plus with decent cleaning i can stretch it out to 15-18 months if I'm careful. I do similar mileage to you
The reason I gave up on option 1 is that at about 3 or so chains and you're soon near the price of a cassette anyway. And over time regardless of how many cables you get through the shifting eventually degrades to the point where you do need to buy everything anyway, so you may as well plan for it.
Everyone's different though.
The disparity between the speeds on cassettes is ludicrous! Considering going back to 9 speed just to save money. Would I really miss those extra cogs?
34 max on 9 speed and 36 on 10.
Can't be that bad, I rarely go into the 50t dinner plate. *swoon* 😄
I use 11 speed Sram gx with the full steel cassette and I use their steel direct mount chainrings too. They seem to last ages and ages - although I have no idea on mileage I do. Most of what I do on strava is probably commuting on a road bike miles.
I did measure a chain and found it was stretched last 0.75 but the 1.0 bit wouldn’t drop into the chain. I changed it and the cassette / chainring took the new chain fine. Think it’s on it’s 3rd chain in about 3 years so far.
My view is to
1: Change the chain as soon as it shows the 0.5 side of my Park tool chain checker fits in - this way I feel the cheapest part (the chain) gets changed before it causes excessive rapid wear on chainring and cassette teeth which are expensive items.
2: Obviously at some point the Chainring and Cassette will also wear out (even with regular chain changes) so at this point I would change the Chain, Chainring and Cassette - which is expensive but I feel if I change just one (cassette or chainring) the other part will be fairly worn by this point which will cause more rapid chain wear and therefore more rapid wear of the new part I just replaced.
Running everything into the ground is not a policy I would like to take as things will suffer, such as shifting and chain suck and I dont want that on my rides plus in the long run I feel its more expensive this way....
[Goes without saying I would think, but keeping everything clean and lubed helps a lot as well]
Generally option 1 unless I forget and then it might as well be option 2.
Using either Shimano or Sunrace cassettes, KMC chains, Absolute Black chainring. I get the following:
2 possibly 3 chains per cassette depending on conditions and whether I catch the chain wear in tim.
2 cassettes per chainring.
I suspect/believe that using multiple chains in regular rotation will extend drivetrain life better than using chains consecutively from new until 0.5% worn.
Theory leads me to think that the later chains will wear more quickly to 0.5% because they have to match the sprocket pitch.
Unfortunately I don't keep the kind of records that would be required to show this is the case. Has anybody seen data on that? Unfortunately, most 'chain rotaters' are also more likely to be 'chain deep clean relubers', whereas 'consecutive chain users' might top-up lube, wipe the outside only, etc.
Option 1 for me seems to work well. I also give the chain at least a quick clean and lube after every ride, with a proper clean every couple of months. I don’t know if this helps but it doesn’t seem to hurt....and no I’m not going to try Putoline 😉
I am^. So there!
I just run it all until it's knackered and replace the lot. Di2 shifting doesn't seem to change as parts wear, it just keeps working.