Replacing cassette?

Bongofish

Member
Aug 27, 2018
299
253
Leeds
So I fell off my bike today and it looks like on the highest gear some teeth have broke off causing the chain to come off when selecting this gear. The cassette was a Shimano hg500 and a 10 speed. Should I just buy the same cassette or is it worth upgrading and does it make a difference upgrading?

Can anyone suggest to me any good upgrades if it is worth while for the 10 speed cassette?

Will take to local bike shop for a look over and setup but would prefer to buy the cassette online and take it to them to fit it .
 

knut7

Administrator
Author
Subscriber
Apr 10, 2018
670
1,380
Norway
I like the 10 speed Sunrace CSMS3 11-42t cassette, all steel cogs. makes it pretty durable.

But are you sure it's not the dropout hanger that's bent after the fall? Not all teeth are equally tall on a cassette, to improve shifting.
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,702
the internet
Are you sure some teeth have broken off
The profile (height) of the cassette teeth changes around the sprocket's circumference to aid shifting.

Shimano-CS-HG500-10-10-speed-Cassette-universal-11-42-43864-185977-1499436837.jpeg


It's more likely you've bent the mech or hanger meaning it doesn't sit in line with the largest sprocket. Just losing cassette teeth in a crash would be a pretty freak occurrence.
 

Bongofish

Member
Aug 27, 2018
299
253
Leeds
Ooo I did not know that the teethe height was different. How do I silolve a bent mech hanger? The only thing is it throws the chain off only in the highest gear...other gears lower down work fine.
 

khorn

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Patreon
Jul 19, 2018
980
1,055
Denmark
From that picture it looks like normal wear and nothing extraordinary. However it looks like your cassette have done quite some miles and not far from a trip to the bin. That could be the culprit for not shifting well.

Karsten
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,702
the internet
cassette looks perfectly normal

check the alignment of the hanger by eye. the mech cage should be perpendiculat to the seat tube in all gears.

Replace or bend hanger straight
mech could have bent also
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,702
the internet
contrary to what Karsten is saying. if the chain is not slipping just keep using it until it does. (It'll slip in the small sprockets first. not the largest ones)
It won't be the culprit of poor shifting at all, worn jockey wheels, sloppy pivots, worn/dirty/corroded cables or a bent mech/hanger will though.

If I'm not mistaken isn't the cassette Karsten has armchair diagnosed to be terminally ill the one on your new (matter of weeks old) non-E hardtail?
 
Last edited:

Bongofish

Member
Aug 27, 2018
299
253
Leeds
contrary to what Karsten is saying. if the chain is not slipping just keep using it until it does. (It'll slip in the small sprockets first. not the largest ones)
It won't be the culprit of poor shifting at all, worn jockey wheels, sloppy pivots, worn/dirty/corroded cables or a bent mech/hanger will though.

If I'm not mistaken isn't the cassette Karsten has armchair diagnosed to be terminally ill the one on your new (matter of weeks old) non-E hardtail?
Yes your totally right this is like my 5th time out on the bike and it's probably done 15 miles in total ?. I'll check the mech isn't bent when I get home. Why can't you live next door @Gary ....I would be forever knocking on your door to fix my broken bikes when I fall ?
 

Bongofish

Member
Aug 27, 2018
299
253
Leeds
So if the mech hanger is bent can I just pull it with hand to straighten it? Remove chain first? Anything I need to know. I know I've said it 10 times before but I'm learning new things about bikes everyday and the mechanical side of things but I am definitely not an expert or even close to it.
 

Bongofish

Member
Aug 27, 2018
299
253
Leeds
I wonder if this forum has room for a non e bike section. Just hidden away somewhere to talk about other bikes....or is there already one? Just don't want to talk non e bikes in the general forum of an e bike forum but also would be nice to have one main site to come to and post...also helps that a fair few of you are very knowledgeable and helpful with e bikes and none e bikes?....Maybe a sub forum called 'the other bikes' or something @Rob Hancill
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,702
the internet
I know your fingers are fine... the rest I'm not so sure about... but that's nothing to do with your wee unplanned dismount ;)

Eye the rear mech cage from behind and check it hangs paraller to the seat tube/wheel
next pull the cage forwards up to the chainstay and check it aligns with the wheel from above/below.
Check it's not the mech that has bent/twisted by rotating in in all directions and seing if the parallelogram and sprung pivot planes are off. The mech cage should stay parallel to it's fixing point in all positions
Options
  • Bend the hanger by hand (try not to bend the mech) with mech/chain etc. still fitted if it's a simple replaceable mech hanger like the one on your hardtail
  • remove the mech (just undo the bolt and leave the chain in place) and use an adjustable spanner flats on the hanger to bend it. you need a good eye for what you're doing to do this well
  • use a proper derailleur hanger alignment tool. Knock my door and I'll do it for you (I have the tool). bring beer or blunts
  • Take it to a good shop for the above procedure - you might need to substitute cash for the B/Bs
  • buy a replacement hanger and fit it yourself
The forum doesn't need a non-ebike forum... Nothing other than BB/chainsets and weight is any different about a an non-Ebike mtb
 
Last edited:

Bongofish

Member
Aug 27, 2018
299
253
Leeds
I know your fingers are fine... the rest I'm not so sure about... but that's nothing to do with your wee unplanned dismount ;)

Eye the rear mech cage from behind and check it hangs paraller to the seat tube/wheel
next pull the cage forwards up to the chainstay and check it aligns with the wheel from above/below.
Check it's not the mech that has bent/twisted by rotating in in all directions and seing if the parallelogram and sprung pivot planes are off. The mech cage should stay parallel to it's fixing point in all positions
Options
  • Bend the hanger by hand (try not to bend the mech) with mech/chain etc. still fitted if it's a simple replaceable mech hanger like the one on your hardtail
  • remove the mech (just undo the bolt and leave the chain in place) and use an adjustable spanner flats on the hanger to bend it. you need a good eye for what you're doing to do this well
  • use a proper derailleur hanger alignment tool. Knock my door and I'll do it for you (I have the tool). bring beer or blunts
  • Take it to a good shop for the above procedure
  • buy a replacement hanger and fit it yourself
The forum doesn't need a non-ebike forum... Nothing other than BB/chainsets and weight is any different about a an non-Ebike mtb
That's fine by me. Just don't want anyone thinking I'm derailing the forum ??
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,702
the internet
A bent rear mech/hanger isn't an "accoustic" problem.

The rear mechs on most Ebikes have strings too ;)
 

Bongofish

Member
Aug 27, 2018
299
253
Leeds
Derailing the chain maybe...... but not the forum!

You sorted then?
Haven't had time to look now today. Will try tomorrow ok m hoping it's just something I can bend straight with hand. ABIT disappointed to have a fairly small fall and then the gears don't work properly but it is what it is I guess.
 

R120

Moderator
Subscriber
Apr 13, 2018
7,819
9,190
Surrey
Haven't had time to look now today. Will try tomorrow ok m hoping it's just something I can bend straight with hand. ABIT disappointed to have a fairly small fall and then the gears don't work properly but it is what it is I guess.
Welcome to the world of mountain biking! I went through a depressing period in the early noughts where literally every time i rode my bike i broke something, the economics of it nearly took me out the game.
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,702
the internet
m hoping it's just something I can bend straight with hand.
Something I should have mentioned.
Bear in mind an alu mech hanger that's been bent once and re-bent back into position will be both weaker and easier to bend again should it take another hit. If it bends easily by hand you can imagine just how easily.
Buy yourself a spare mech hanger anyway. They're a handy spare part to have. and probably only about a tenner.

One other thing you can do. if you have access to a vice is to remove your bent hanger and straighten it off the bike. If doing this replacing it with the new hanger means you can keep the old one as a(n emergency)spare happy in the knowledge the one you're running isn't pre-weakened ;)
 

Bongofish

Member
Aug 27, 2018
299
253
Leeds
Something I should have mentioned.
Bear in mind an alu mech hanger that's been bent once and re-bent back into position will be both weaker and easier to bend again should it take another hit. If it bends easily by hand you can imagine just how easily.
Buy yourself a spare mech hanger anyway. They're a handy spare part to have. and probably only about a tenner.

One other thing you can do. if you have access to a vice is to remove your bent hanger and straighten it off the bike. If doing this replacing it with the new hanger means you can keep the old one as a(n emergency)spare happy in the knowledge the one you're running isn't pre-weakened ;)
Again being a noob here...but any particular mech hanger to go for? Or are they all the same or is it worth spending abit more on a better one? Cheers
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
Subscriber
Mar 29, 2018
10,496
10,702
the internet
There are littelrally hundreds of different replacable mech hangers that are specific to one brand but a lot are generic and will fit lot of frames. Your bike being a cheaper Boardman is likely to use a genereic hanger from the factory the Boardman frames are produced at.
Halfords should be able to sort one out for you. otherwise just google it.

There are companies who make replacement mech hangers touting them as stronger. This doesn't really make a lot of sense unless he OEM one is seriously weak as it's a part designed to break and save your frame from damage.
 

EMTB Forums

Since 2018

The World's largest electric mountain bike community.

555K
Messages
28,073
Members
Join Our Community

Latest articles


Top