How long should a chain and a cassette last?

[vvill]

Bike part manufacturers will say 10/11-speed chains will need replacing after as little as 1000 miles. 2-3k is more reasonable imo, but it depends on riding conditions.

Chain ~$15-30, cassette $30-60 for non-fancy ones.

In terms of services, I mostly use LBS for advice and stuff like removing a stuck seatpost from seat tube, stuck BB from BB shell, stuck cassette from gouged freehub, stuck fixed cog on threaded hub, etc. and some other annoying/larger projects like cutting/installing a fork/headset, wheel builds, replacing internally routed cable bits, etc. Most bike maintenance is fairly simple and teaches you a lot about your bike. I do still need to learn how to service hydro disc brakes but other than that I’m good with all the routine stuff.

[Vicegrip]

@EasyRider 147024 wrote:

Agree … but also a question of how much free time one has to do the work themselves, and how much one values it.

Yes, there is value in letting others do the work at times. Running a gas line in the house is not a DIY item. Also some folks are better at some things than others. I can’t carry a tune even if I had a bucket but can fix a bike.
Most DIY on bikes takes less time to do than the time spent loading up the car and taking the bike to the LBS, loading it taking it in going over the work driving home coming back later paying, loading it up and driving home.*
Having basic DIY skills is a positive safety item when you have problems while out riding. The second time you change out a bike chain it will be real easy and take perhaps 15 min start to finish including clean up. Unlike working on cars as example bike work is quiet work that does not take up a lot of space and does not expose you to dangerous, conditions, procedures or materials. A good basic bike tool kit can be had for far less than even some single tools I own for cars. There is also a certain satisfaction you get out of work well done and knowing how you steed works that cannot be purchased. You carry this with you when you ride as well

*riding to the shop and hanging out while Pete or another one of the other fine mechanics in one of the local shop does the laying on of hands while you drink coffee and talk bikes is a whole nother thing.

[hozn]

I stopped checking chain wear since it didn’t matter — just run until it skips — BUT for my next road bike config, I am probably going to start measuring and changing chains in short intervals since I am looking at more expensive ($160-180) cassettes.

I get 4000-5000 miles from a chain and cassette now (replacing the first time it skips), so the OP’s experience sounds pretty good/normal. (When I measured and changed chains I got maybe 1000 more miles from a cassette but it cost me 3 additional chains which made no economic sense.)

[sethpo]

@hozn 147060 wrote:

I stopped checking chain wear since it didn’t matter — just run until it skips — BUT for my next road bike config, I am probably going to start measuring and changing chains in short intervals since I am looking at more expensive ($160-180) cassettes.

I get 4000-5000 miles from a chain and cassette now (replacing the first time it skips), so the OP’s experience sounds pretty good/normal. (When I measured and changed chains I got maybe 1000 more miles from a cassette but it cost me 3 additional chains which made no economic sense.)

Yeah but that new chain feel!!! (smell???) I dunno. I like replacing my chains when that little tool tells me to. It makes me feel engaged with my bike’s core being.

[lordofthemark]

Reasons to have the shop do it

1. I do not need to drive the bike there. As long as the bike is functional, I can ride it to Bikenetics. It is a lovely ride up the W&OD. Y’all should try that some time;)
2. Since I need to take it there for the annual tune up anyway, the incremental time is less than it is taking me to type this
3. IIRC, Bikenetics charges me for parts, but not labor to install, as part of the original deal when buying the Dew.
4. I am not so concerned about the time it would take, as worried I would do it wrong.

Reasons to do it myself

1. I could order the parts cheap on Amazon (but that would mean not supporting my LBS)
2. I would learn something I could use “in the field” (though on the other hand, in the field I would not have all the tools available in my bike room)
3. I would get all this mntnce cred.

So I will probably start using the chain measuring tool, and at some point may change the chain myself, but probably will not change the cassette myself.

[huskerdont]

@hozn 147060 wrote:

I get 4000-5000 miles from a chain and cassette now (replacing the first time it skips), so the OP’s experience sounds pretty good/normal. (When I measured and changed chains I got maybe 1000 more miles from a cassette but it cost me 3 additional chains which made no economic sense.)

Mind if I ask which chain you’re using? I wouldn’t mind me some of that 5k action.

I went ahead and ordered a cassette for the 11-speed to have on hand for when changing the chain makes it skip. Although, come to think of it, there’s no reason now to change the chain; I can just wait until it starts skipping, which could be 5k.

(Ultegra on the 11-speed, Sram 971 on the other).

[TwoWheelsDC]

@lordofthemark 147064 wrote:

Reasons to do it myself

1. I could order the parts cheap on Amazon (but that would mean not supporting my LBS)

Or split the difference and buy the parts from the LBS and install on your own. Also, the techs at Bikenetic may be willing to show you how to do it if you ask nicely (just don’t ask if you don’t buy the part from them!).

[hozn]

@huskerdont 147067 wrote:

Mind if I ask which chain you’re using? I wouldn’t mind me some of that 5k action.

I went ahead and ordered a cassette for the 11-speed to have on hand for when changing the chain makes it skip. Although, come to think of it, there’s no reason now to change the chain; I can just wait until it starts skipping, which could be 5k.

(Ultegra on the 11-speed, Sram 971 on the other).

So, I use KMC 10.93 chains. This is for the commuter (10sp). The road bike has had chains changed more because I don’t have patience to wait that long before changing something like ring sizes etc.

First cassette since my “no more changing chains!” resolution was closer to 4k miles. That included the last half of winter, though. We’ll see how the wear goes this winter.

[Crickey7]

So, I asked several mechanics this question, and they all said if it’s a 10 or 11 speed cassette, you should plan on 1200-1500 miles per chain, and if you wait longer you’ll be replacing the cassette with it. The newer drivetrains are less robust and less tolerant of wear.

[Vicegrip]

@hozn 147076 wrote:

So, I use KMC 10.93 chains. This is for the commuter (10sp). The road bike has had chains changed more because I don’t have patience to wait that long before changing something like ring sizes etc.

First cassette since my “no more changing chains!” resolution was closer to 4k miles. That included the last half of winter, though. We’ll see how the wear goes this winter.

How do you keep the elongated chain from eating chain rings too? I went too long on a chain and had to replace the chain, cog set and $$ chainring to get back to the silky smooth feel of properly meshing metal.

[Harry Meatmotor]

I’ve got over 7k miles on my road bike’s chain and cassette and chain stretch measures at less than 0.50mm on a Rohloff chain checker, i.e., less than 50% worn.

On my commuter bike (that i’m trying to kill) i typically get 2k miles out of a chain.

An old auto mechanic adage: “grease is cheaper than steel”. if your chain makes noise, it probably needs to be cleaned and lubed. milage doesn’t matter. number of speeds doesn’t really matter, either.

Also, buying bike parts from a reputable brick and mortar bike shop means we all go home happier.

[hozn]

@Vicegrip 147116 wrote:

How do you keep the elongated chain from eating chain rings too? I went too long on a chain and had to replace the chain, cog set and $$ chainring to get back to the silky smooth feel of properly meshing metal.

Well, this is a 1x setup, so there’s no front shifting; maybe that makes a difference? I run chainrings for 2 — maybe 3 (we’ll see) — cassettes. In the most recent case, I couldn’t tell any difference in performance between the new Wolf Tooth chainring and the 10k mile X-Sync that it replaced. I would have kept using the X-Sync, but the 46t chainring rubbed my replacement frame, so it had to go.

During the life of the cassette, I usually will end up fine-tuning the tension at least once. Perhaps it’s because one can be a little sloppy with tension when a cassette is new but as the ramps wear down it needs to be more exact? But I’ve never had any problems getting crisp shifts on SRAM cassettes for the full 4-5k that the chain (and cassette) lasts. I feel like Sram 1:1 shifting helps a lot there, since I felt like shifts were always sloppy with Shimano (and I was changing chains more back then).

I’m trying out XT 11-36 cassettes right now (with KMC chain) and so far I would say these do not shift as cleanly as the PG1070 (SRAM) cassettes they replaced. Maybe things just aren’t adjusted right, but I’ve tuned it up at least once since putting on the cassette and there is still some occasional sloppiness in shifts between the little cogs. I’ll check again, but at this point am pretty sure I’ll either go back to SRAM or try something else for the next cassette.

[hozn]

@Crickey7 147113 wrote:

So, I asked several mechanics this question, and they all said if it’s a 10 or 11 speed cassette, you should plan on 1200-1500 miles per chain, and if you wait longer you’ll be replacing the cassette with it. The newer drivetrains are less robust and less tolerant of wear.

That matches what I was measuring — about 1200 miles for the chain to measure 0.50 at which point I’d replace it. I just never saw sufficient savings on life of the cassette; I’d put the 4th chain on and it’d skip in the busy (14-16t) gears. Maybe others are able to get more than 4 chains on a cassette without skipping?

[peterw_diy]

@hozn 147120 wrote:

Maybe others are able to get more than 4 chains on a cassette without skipping?

Absolutely! The key is simple: use a lower horsepower engine!

Less Torque, Less Trouble.

[Crickey7]

@peterw_diy 147121 wrote:

Absolutely! The key is simple: use a lower horsepower engine!

Less Torque, Less Trouble.

I was talking to another mechanic about whether a riding style could toast bottom brackets faster, and he said two things that resonated with me and explained why I quickly destroy a piece of equipment many riders never, ever have to replace. High torque and any unevenness in your stroke will put stresses on the bearings that will cause pitting and eventual failure.

This was at the new location of City Bikes in NW DC. This mechanic really, really seemed to know his stuff, to diagnose my issue with bottom brackets (I run through a new bottom bracket every 12-24 months) without even knowing my riding style.

[Author]

Posts