Don't throw your cassette out!

[GL1]

So just a comment that if (or when) you bend a tooth on your cassette, don't throw it out or spend money on a replacement just yet!

I have heard of people replacing them immediately if they bend a tooth which we all know is common on eBikes. I do my best to shift "softly" but it happens and especially when shifting under load (like a quick climb) or when it gets caught under load during the transfer of the chain from one cog to another. At any rate, on most cassettes you can easily remove the cassette, place it flat and pound the bent tooth back with a hammer and a punch (or if it's a single cog, a vice) of any sort. If it's a cog in the attached cluster (as the one below was), you can also use a combination of pounding and slight bending against the other cogs with a flat screwdriver to get it straight. I have done it three times and no issues.

Below is the worst I just had happen. It was skipping in that gear like crazy and I could not ride it in that cog. I was beginning to think it was new cassette time after that one...HOWEVER...it literally took less than a minute of precise pounding and a little screwdriver bending and it's back to shifting like butter.

No "after" shot but here is the "before." Pretty bad on a mid-level SRAM cassette (whatever came on my 2020 Levo Comp.)

So don't replace them until you have at least tried to pound / bend them back!

 

[steve_sordy]

I would do exactly the same with confidence.

I once bent a tooth back on my front ring when I bent it on a rock (I was on a 2x at the time). The tooth snapped clean off! But it didn't matter and I could not tell whilst riding. The ring worked for absolutely ages after that until all the teeth were worn down. In the pic, the snapped off tooth was at approx 11 o'clock.

 

[Binhill1]

I would do exactly the same with confidence.

I once bent a tooth back on my front ring when I bent it on a rock (I was on a 2x at the time). The tooth snapped clean off! But it didn't matter and I could not tell whilst riding. The ring worked for absolutely ages after that until all the teeth were worn down. In the pic, the snapped off tooth was at approx 11 o'clock.

View attachment 43013

My cassette looked horrendous 3 chains and 2600 miles it never slipped yet. I changed everything because the motor went . I've done 400 with new train on but took chain off to wash last week and not happy when I put it on may be different direction than before. If you stop peddling when you start it clunk a bit so needed to swap out I think .

 

[GL1]

My cassette looked horrendous 3 chains and 2600 miles it never slipped yet. I changed everything because the motor went . I've done 400 with new train on but took chain off to wash last week and not happy when I put it on may be different direction than before. If you stop peddling when you start it clunk a bit so needed to swap out I think .

Well you could take it off and flip it to see if that solves it for now...if it was directional. Or, throw a new one on and see how it goes. I'd recommend the PCX1.

At 1000 miles I just changed the original chain out. I don't think it needed it but I figured it was a good mile mark to do it and I wanted to change it out before it was too late and had worn the other components (cassette & chainring). I went with the SRAM PCX1 and as others have said it does now shift better than it did with that original chain. And, no skipping or anything at all. So honestly I do think that the original chains, cassettes, and chainrings have pretty long life.

 

[GL1]

My cassette looked horrendous 3 chains and 2600 miles it never slipped yet. I changed everything because the motor went . I've done 400 with new train on but took chain off to wash last week and not happy when I put it on may be different direction than before. If you stop peddling when you start it clunk a bit so needed to swap out I think .

Oh and make sure it's sitting down properly on the wide / narrow teeth on the chainring and not getting caught up anywhere in the chainguard and that it's winding properly through the derailler and not dragging anywhere there. Just a thought.

 

[gaba]

If you look at the chain/chainring on a narrow wide setup there is a specific way the links on the chain should be mated with particular teeth on the chainring (wide with wide). I’ve found some combinations that will allow the narrow part of the chain to sit on the wider teeth.(Many do not fit) It may be obvious (or maybe not) but the wider links need to mate with the wider chainring teeth. If you have a setup that allows the mismatch, it will cause noise, issues with chain drop, unless mated properly.

 

[Theterrorwheel]

Never ever had that happen, including my non e-bikes!

 

[Binhill1]

Well you could take it off and flip it to see if that solves it for now...if it was directional. Or, throw a new one on and see how it goes. I'd recommend the PCX1.

At 1000 miles I just changed the original chain out. I don't think it needed it but I figured it was a good mile mark to do it and I wanted to change it out before it was too late and had worn the other components (cassette & chainring). I went with the SRAM PCX1 and as others have said it does now shift better than it did with that original chain. And, no skipping or anything at all. So honestly I do think that the original chains, cassettes, and chainrings have pretty long life.

Have flipped it but still same four ways it could have been . May put on new one and test . They can bed in if you take it easy . It's just the initial starting after you stop peddling then ok .

 

[kendo]

So just a comment that if (or when) you bend a tooth on your cassette, don't throw it out or spend money on a replacement just yet!

I have heard of people replacing them immediately if they bend a tooth which we all know is common on eBikes. I do my best to shift "softly" but it happens and especially when shifting under load (like a quick climb) or when it gets caught under load during the transfer of the chain from one cog to another. At any rate, on most cassettes you can easily remove the cassette, place it flat and pound the bent tooth back with a hammer and a punch (or if it's a single cog, a vice) of any sort. If it's a cog in the attached cluster (as the one below was), you can also use a combination of pounding and slight bending against the other cogs with a flat screwdriver to get it straight. I have done it three times and no issues.

Below is the worst I just had happen. It was skipping in that gear like crazy and I could not ride it in that cog. I was beginning to think it was new cassette time after that one...HOWEVER...it literally took less than a minute of precise pounding and a little screwdriver bending and it's back to shifting like butter.

No "after" shot but here is the "before." Pretty bad on a mid-level SRAM cassette (whatever came on my 2020 Levo Comp.)

So don't replace them until you have at least tried to pound / bend them back!

View attachment 42982

No problems with shimano steel cassettes on ebike, worn two out but never bent any teeth...Sram gear renowned for being like butter, I stopped using their stuff on all my bikes years ago.

 

[GL1]

No problems with shimano steel cassettes on ebike, worn two out but never bent any teeth...Sram gear renowned for being like butter, I stopped using their stuff on all my bikes years ago.

If I did a full drivetrain replacement I would go shimano too. But as it is...Levo is heavily outfitted with the sram.

 

[urastus]

I've never had that happen either. Having some experience or knowledge with steels though (edged tools), I'd be inclined to heat up the effected area before straightening. I'm no expert, but I'd go for red hot, straighten it, then temper it in water or used engine oil. If it cools down while straightening, get it red again before tempering. That way you shouldn't suffer from metal fatigue. Don't use the engine oil if you're new to this ; water won't catch fire.