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Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. 😉
Never found chain stretch to be an issue but then i dont ride fixies....the constantly adapting rear mech takes care of what minimal chain stretch you'll get if you look after the drive train properly.
My bike is usually filthy but i'm OCD about the chain from years spent motorcycling.
i love to see a properly fettled bike, a mate even takes his cassette off after each ride to soak and clean it.
he uses XO and XTR.
i would do the same if i use such fine components.
i use deore rear mechs, which seem to work fine covered i gloop and grime.
i keep 2 new ones as spares just incase.
I took the cassette off when i bought new wheels recently and then took each sprocket apart....i was amazed how much crap collects between each piece, gave it a good clean and its probably something i'll do a couple of time a year now.
I find that if you stay on top of it you don't need to disassemble as much. I still do it a couple of times a year, disassemble rear mech and cassette and what not.
Chains don't stretch, the pins wear, so the links get 'slack' and the chain gets longer, which is known as stretch, they don't actually stretch. I personally find chains are very worn after about 3 months, I either change then, or keep the whole drivetrain for the whole season. Always used to do the latter, but now cassettes are so expensive I tend to do the former!
Went for a 40k run today and halfway through broke an sram hollowpin chain.
Luckily I had the tools and links to fix it. I now realise I only bought it cos it was a bit bling, won´t be making that mistake again.
It´s easy to be drawn to shiny stuff but after its caked in mud and cowshit all rear mechs look the same. I´m gonna try and stick more to what works and less to what looks good.
btw I now hate my x9 rear mech, upgrade/downgrade or go to shimano?
I don´t ride as much as I´d like to but when I do it gets pretty rough, so I was thinking of just throwing on dh-proof gear. Any recommendations?
Saint rear mechs, short cage ones, bomb proof IMO.
Err XTR has I think 4 titanium rings which XT don't so I'm afraid XTR scientifically will be mire durable than XT. TBH if your XT cassette last 8 years you ain't doing that many miles no matter what the cleaning regime. For the record my XTR has done 2 trips to Spain, Morocco, Tran alps and 3 x solo 12 hour races + loads Enduros in between. Not to mention training and at least one good trail centre session a week in all Weathers. All it's needed is new chains and cables. I'm impressed enough to buy XTR again. I think your view will differ depending on how and what you ride. Afan was riding very nice today 🙂
For the record my XTR has done 2 trips to Spain, Morocco, Tran alps and 3 x solo 12 hour races + loads Enduros in between.
Thanks for letting us know.
Awaits flame
When you say "two trips to Spain", I take it you mean you have ridden your bike in Spain, not that you have ridden[i] to [/i]Spain and back twice ?
Didn't take long 🙂 it was ment constructively but I know how some would view it 😉
Sorry, I missed off the smiley. Only meant as a friendly wind up really.
On some weightlifting or running forums, it's common for people to have their PBs or competition results in their profile or signature.
That way, if someone asks a question and gets conflicting replies, they can make a judgement on which advice they want to take.
Unfortunately, there's a lot of people on STW who would rather mock other's achievements than admit their own failings.
On another thread, I recommended the KMC Z610 as a singlespeed/hub gear chain.
Anyone who knows me, my weight, my monthly mileage and race results would probably think, "If it's good enough for Graham "Frame Breaker" Phillips, it's good enough for me".
How do I convince people who don't know me that my experiences of what lasts and what doesn't are probably more valid than most other peoples's though, without being accused of willy waving ?
Err XTR has I think 4 titanium rings which XT don't so I'm afraid XTR scientifically will be mire durable than XT.
To be fair, that makes it less durable, hence it being only the biggest rings. Ti cassettes don't last as well. There's no appreciable reduction in longevity on XTR though, and xx is more durable than anything despite being the lightest!
my experiences of what lasts and what doesn't are probably more valid than most other peoples's
What makes you think that? Are you expecting people to bow down to your superior knowledge?
Offer advice and it's upto people to take it or not.
See what I mean ? 🙄
No not really.
Np MTG was chilled after ride 🙂 I was just trying to differentiate between usage.
XTR titanium is on the lowest gears not highest 😉 the ones we use most. Science will be surprised when they learn titanium dont last. Thank you science officer.
To add to the controversy 🙂 never tried SRAM 🙂
No not really.
Oh well. Perhaps someone with more patience than me will take the time to explain it to you.
What makes you think that?
He said why not re read his post
Are you expecting people to bow down to your superior knowledge?
dont think so he is suggesting that he may know what he is talking about on certain issues due to hos usage/mileage. Not an unreasonable suggestion IMHO
Offer advice and it's upto people to take it or not.
Really is it ?
Better to get advice from someone well informed than someone not well informed.
Does anything else confuse you? I have oodles of patience as i have worked educating the under 5's. I can probably pitch my explanation at your level but let me know if it gets too complicated.
Do you want to know what a troll is?
irony of the Ops user name?
XTR titanium is on the lowest gears not highest the ones we use most. Science will be surprised when they learn titanium dont last. Thank you science officer.
To add to the controversy never tried SRAM
No, the bigger sprockets are ti because the wear is spread over more teeth, nothing to do with those being used more, it's softer than steel. See also full ti cassettes almost always have a steel 11t, because ti doesn't last.
and the award for the Surly misanthrope of the day goes to joint winners:
Grum and Spin
congratulations Chaps you really are wonderful caring people who know how to be constructive members of a forum 🙄
Deary me junkyard. Rattled your cage real good didn't I?
As far as trolls go this guy is my favorite:
[url= 
]Fremont Troll[/url]
So youre saying Spum and Grin are sponsored by Surly ?? 😯
well they are probably both equipped with fat fronts and get ridden by big blokes with beards 😆
Tazzy, you just made me genuinely LOL. Woke up the daughter I'd just got off to sleep.
sorry bol 😉
Spum and Grin?
Is that like Chase and Status?
Wow, getting flamed for 'not doing enough miles' being the reason my chain and cassette last so long. Some folk just need to turn off their cynicism.
FTR - On average I ride at least 80 - 120 miles a week regularly.
That's 1 bike, 1 chain, 1 cassette, 8 years. Guess I was the lucky one to get the diamond coated version. 😀
To be fair, I'd not get anything like that length of time whatever maintenance I did!
if everyone had spent less time posting on this thread, and more time working hard, they could afford the good stuff and stop whinging about people who can afford it..
this forum is over run with students these days...
this forum is over run with students these days...
And bell ends.
get a job slacker
Who? Me? Bless you sweetheart.
Do you know me?
nope, just appears you just got a thing for students ?
Strange. 😕
although your easily trolled.. so you could be one...
No,just wary of stalkers. MUAK!
and the award for the Surly misanthrope of the day goes to joint winners:Grum and Spin
congratulations Chaps you really are wonderful caring people who know how to be constructive members of a forum
Eh?
elliott-20 - Member
FTR - On average I ride at least 80 - 120 miles a week regularly.That's 1 bike, 1 chain, 1 cassette, 8 years. Guess I was the lucky one to get the diamond coated version.
100 miles a week on average then. 5,000 miles a year.
8 years is 40,000 miles, aye? On one chain and cassette.....
8 years is 40,000 miles, aye? On one chain and cassette.....
Maybe he does a lot of pushing 😯
Very impressive stats if thats true. I believe you.
I use sram XO probably do 50 miles per week over 3 offroad rides.
I change my drivetrain once per year on average.
I never clean my bike unless I'm looking for cracks or something due to funny noises.
My last drivetrain cost me 160 quid.
If it takes me half an hour to clean my bike then over a year that amounts to 78 hours per year. Thats 2 quid per hour.
My time is worth more to me than that.
druidh - Member100 miles a week on average then. 5,000 miles a year.
8 years is 40,000 miles, aye? On one chain and cassette.....
I guess by your calculations that can't be far off. About 15 miles a day commute plus another 20 miles offroad a week, more in the summer. The average car does 10k a year. I ride to work.
And yes, there are times I use the car etc (which incidentally only does 5k a year). but in the summer I get out and ride more in the evenings. I was trying to average it out.
Still doesn't distract from the fact I look after my bike and I got that much out of 1 chain and cassette. Again, I must be lucky, just laying down the facts from personal experience.
Tyres on the other hand... 😯
I think most of us were thinking about off road use.
My tyres outlast my chains, road or off road. In fact my brake pads generally outlast my chains.
I managed to keep a set of brake pads on my road bike for nigh on ten years, never went out in the rain see. Still managed an average of 100km per week mind.
only doing anti-clockwise road loops has the same effect (wet or dry) ^^
i reckon 600-900 miles per chain for me if that, mud round hear dont get on with them...you can reck one in a weekend
I think that what we can take from this discussion is that best quality doesn't always mean most expensive.. or have I missed something..?
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I'm pretty happy that my drunken post inspired so many replies!
Thanks for the entertainment!
Al
If the filter down effect really worked, then we'd all be quite happy with tourney rear mechs by now. Unfortunately it is a marketing exercise (not a ploy) to engineer the incremental differences between model ranges so we still perceive the components as having a different value, the decide how much to spack on parts.
I have to be honest SLX stuff seems more than good enough for me, I much prefer x9 to x7 though (DH bike so very specific application.)
There seems to be a lot of people here who seem to think that buying good kit in some way substitutes being able to maintain a bike correctlly. If you value your time to highly, buy a cheaper groupset and pay to get the bike cleaned and serviced a bit more often, I think you'll find some real perfomance benefits..
There seems to be a lot of people here who seem to think that buying good kit in some way substitutes being able to maintain a bike correctlly
And there are a lot of people on here, who like to think that people who buy nice kit do it as they think it will make them faster... when actually they already know its all about the rider.. but just like nice kit.