Chain and cassette renewal

[John Scott]

I cycled to work today just to get about 4 miles from home (still had 11 to
do) when my chain broke, link snapped in 2. After some inspection, I left the chain hanging on the
roadside barbedwire fence and freewheeled and pushed back home. I didn't have anything to carry
the chain in and I thought I might as well put a new one on instead of getting it mended and it
breaking again. Anyway I got home cleaned myself up and put the bike in the back of the car and
took the bike in to the bike shop I purchased the bike in, about a year ago. Now they weren't as
surprised as I was at the chain's failure as I said that I had done about 3000 miles on the bike
and the chap in the shop said he replaced his chain twice a year, and they said I should replace
the rear 9-speed cassette as well(as seemingly they wear together). So I did it and it cost me
£42.50. £15.00 for the chain and £27.50 for the cassette.

My question is - should I replace the chain (and cassette) every 6 months ? This seem quite
excessive to me and I thought a bike should be cheap to maintain !

Thanks, John

PS. I hope things don't happen in 3's as our central heating boiler broke down last night, fixed
now though.

 

[Peter B]

"John Scott" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> My question is - should I replace the chain (and cassette) every 6 months
?
> This seem quite excessive to me and I thought a bike should be cheap to maintain !

If you replace the chain more often the cassette will last longer, by how much I don't know.
Personally I run my chains and cassettes into the ground rather than replace at a predetermined
time/mileage and always replace them as a pair. If you go for the frequent chain replacement route
use cheaper ones.

pete

 

[H. Van Beek]

You can check your chain with the caliber of Rohloff. If you have more than ,075 mm more length per
link, you are advised chain renewal, to protect the sprockets from premature wear.

John Scott" <[email protected]> schreef in bericht
news:[email protected]...
> I cycled to work today just to get about 4 miles from home (still had 11
to
> do) when my chain broke, link snapped in 2. After some inspection, I left the chain hanging on the
> roadside barbedwire fence and freewheeled and pushed back home. I didn't have anything to
> carry the chain in and I
thought
> I might as well put a new one on instead of getting it mended and it breaking again. Anyway I got
> home cleaned myself up and put the bike in
the
> back of the car and took the bike in to the bike shop I purchased the bike in, about a year ago.
> Now they weren't as surprised as I was at the
chain's
> failure as I said that I had done about 3000 miles on the bike and the
chap
> in the shop said he replaced his chain twice a year, and they said I
should
> replace the rear 9-speed cassette as well(as seemingly they wear
together).
> So I did it and it cost me £42.50. £15.00 for the chain and £27.50 for the cassette.
>
> My question is - should I replace the chain (and cassette) every 6 months
?
> This seem quite excessive to me and I thought a bike should be cheap to maintain !
>
> Thanks, John
>
> PS. I hope things don't happen in 3's as our central heating boiler broke down last night, fixed
> now though.

 

[Richard Goodman]

John Scott wrote: .....
:: year ago. Now they weren't as surprised as I was at the chain's failure as I said that I had done
:: about 3000 miles on the bike and the chap in the shop said he replaced his chain twice a year,
:: and they said I should replace the rear 9-speed cassette as well(as seemingly they wear
:: together). So I did it and it cost me £42.50. £15.00 for the chain and £27.50 for the cassette.
::
:: My question is - should I replace the chain (and cassette) every 6 months ? This seem quite
:: excessive to me and I thought a bike should be cheap to maintain !
::

The idea is to replace the chain before it wears so much it affects the sprockets too. How many
miles/how long you can keep running with the same chain depends a lot on the type of mileage you do,
but 3,000 miles on the road seems to be a common figure talked of for being appropriate to replace
the chain. It doesn't have to be every six months. Basically, the general advice is that twelve
links should measure 12" from the centres of the first rivets in the length to the corresponding
rivet 12 links away when new. When this distance reaches 12 & 1/16th" then it's time to replace the
chain. If it's up to 12 & 1/8" then the cassette is likely to need replacing too.

To read more about chain wear, consult the oracle: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

Rich

 

[Arthur Clune]

Richard Goodman <[email protected]> wrote:

: chain depends a lot on the type of mileage you do, but 3,000 miles on the road seems to be a
: common figure talked of for being appropriate to replace

This is what I do. It amounts to once a year for the race bike (only ridden late march -> October).
The longest that's amounted to is 4000 miles.

My cassettes are currently into their third year and looking fine.

Keeping the chain clean is very important if you want your cassettes to last though.

As an aside, if you carry a chain tool with you you can re-join the chain and cycle home. I've never
had to use my tools for myself on the road, but have do so for others serveral times (and I tavel
with the smallest under-saddle bag you have ever seen)

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org Power is delightful. Absolute power is absolutely delightful -
Lord Lester

 

[Just Zis Guy]

John Scott wrote:

> My question is - should I replace the chain (and cassette) every 6 months ? This seem quite
> excessive to me and I thought a bike should be cheap to maintain !

As others have said, hell no!

Chains seem to deteriorate at a more or less constant rate until they hit a Certain Point at which
they fall apart rapidly, destroying the cassette as they go. I replace the chain on the tourer in
Spring (notionally the end of the **** weather), at which point it is, by measurement, about half
worn. I do check the chain for wear every few hundred miles just to be on the safe side.

Chains on bikes which stay mainly on the road tend to wear more in winter IME, and also IME
using oil makes wear much worse. Wax based lubricant is less prone to turning into grinding
paste, but needs relatively frequent re-application. It's also cleaner and washes out of clothes
somewhat better.

I don't race, though, I'm a commuter & Sunday tourist.

Cassettes last much longer on road-use bikes than offorad bikes (for obvious reasons); if you keep
the chain in good order a cassette can easily last out three or four chains.

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#103 http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#104

 

[Ian Walker]

On Wed, 12 Feb 2003 11:39:58 -0000, Just zis Guy, you know? <[email protected]> wrote:

> Wax based lubricant...needs relatively frequent re-application.

You're not joking! I smothered my Brompton's chain in the Finish Line version again and again but
it fell off as soon as a drop of rain landed anywhere within 5 miles of Bath. After an embarrasing
visit to my LBS to ask about the creaking noise from the back (how could it be the chain? I
thought; I lubed it heavily only the day before) I decided that waxy stuff is totally useless for a
commuter bike.

Ian

--
Ian Walker, Department of Psychology, University of Bath. Remove the yummy paste in my address to
reply. Homepage: http://www.drianwalker.com

 

[Arthur Clune]

Just zis Guy, you know? <[email protected]> wrote:
: IME, and also IME using oil makes wear much worse. Wax based lubricant is less prone to turning
: into grinding paste, but needs relatively frequent re-application. It's also cleaner and washes
: out of clothes somewhat better.

I tried wax this winter and gave up very quickly and went back to heavy, gunky oil. The wax just
washed off way to quickly int he really wet weather we've had (like within a 3 hour ride). Arthur

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org Power is delightful. Absolute power is absolutely delightful -
Lord Lester

 

[Just Zis Guy]

Ian Walker wrote:

>> Wax based lubricant...needs relatively frequent re-application.

> You're not joking! I smothered my Brompton's chain in the Finish Line version again and again but
> it fell off as soon as a drop of rain landed anywhere within 5 miles of Bath. After an embarrasing
> visit to my LBS to ask about the creaking noise from the back (how could it be the chain? I
> thought; I lubed it heavily only the day before) I decided that waxy stuff is totally useless for
> a commuter bike.

Ian, I ride my bike on the road every day, rain or shine, 15 miles round trip. On the recumbent the
rear mech is so low that I have known it to be below the level of the floods across the road.

I've used exclusively wax-based lubes since last April when the new chain went on the wedgie. In
that time I've not had to clean the chain on either bike.

The only thing is, during the winter you need the Raceday version (yellow top).

I put a squirt of Raceday on every week and add a couple of drops to the front idler every couple of
days (a Stinger eccentricity).

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#103 http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#104

 

[Dave Kahn]

"Richard Goodman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...

> Basically, the general advice is that twelve links should measure 12" from the centres of the
> first rivets in the length to the corresponding rivet 12 links away when new. When this distance
> reaches 12 & 1/16th" then it's time to replace the chain. If it's up to 12 & 1/8" then the
> cassette is likely to need replacing too.

That's 24 links of course. And the good old 12" ruler is cheaper, simpler, and possibly more
accurate in use than the Rohloff gadget.

--
Dave...

 

[Richard Goodman]

"Arthur Clune" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> I tried wax this winter and gave up very quickly and went back to heavy, gunky oil. The wax just
> washed off way to quickly int he really wet
weather
> we've had (like within a 3 hour ride). Arthur
>

That was my experience as well. Seems like Guy must have found a particularly good brand or a
particularly effective way of applying it!

Rich

 

[Peter Headland]

> ... I tavel with the smallest under-saddle bag you have ever seen

The type that looks like strangulated testicles that have dropped through a slot in the saddle and
are swaying gently in the breeze?

But seriously, where do you put your spare tube if you really have such a tiny bag?

 

[Arthur Clune]

Peter Headland <[email protected]> wrote:
:> ... I tavel with the smallest under-saddle bag you have ever seen

: The type that looks like strangulated testicles that have dropped through a slot in the saddle and
: are swaying gently in the breeze?

That's the one.

: But seriously, where do you put your spare tube if you really have such a tiny bag?

I carry: KoolTool in bag, park tire boots, park glueless patches, a few coins, a credit card, some
tire levers and some drops for my contacts (in underseat bag)

2 spare tubes and some bananas in pockets. 700x23 inner tubes are not that big.

Waterproof goes in middle pocket of my jerset if needed.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org Power is delightful. Absolute power is absolutely delightful -
Lord Lester

 

[Pete Biggs]

> 700x23 inner tubes are not that big.

Especially the ultralight ones. I once had a stupid-light 50g tube that was as big as a packet
of small condoms... er, I mean as big as a small packet of condoms. (I wouldn't know what the
former was

~PB