What happens if...

[Beekeeper]

What happens if you run your drive train into the ground and decide not to change anything? Does anyone do this?

I’m guessing the first symptom is poor shifting following by skipping and finally a chain snap?

I’m at 2000 miles and cassette would not accept a 3rd chain today. Skipping like mad in top 2 gears. I always replace at 0.75 chain wear and also the small Bosch front chain ring with every chain.

My intention was to put all the old stuff back on if I detected skipping and simply run it all
Into the ground. In the end I couldn’t be bothered and will put on a new cassette tomorrow instead.

I only ask because the price of a new cassette has gone from £47 to£75 in less than a year.

Maybe there is some logic in running these things into the ground?

 

[CjP]

When mine started skipping and I persisted, it dug it’s teeth into my driver. Lesson learnt!

 

[steve_sordy]

It goes against my grain to run stuff into the ground. I'm all for not wasting money, but if that means crap shifting, clunks and bangs, missed changes, chain suck, getting stranded on the trail miles from anywhere, and so forth then count me out!

I'm doing my own version of it currently. My OE chain got to 0.4% and the OE cassette was looking a bit worse for wear, not bad, just not good. So I fitted a new chain and new cassette. When the new chain gets to 0.5%, I'm going to put the old chain back on and run it until it gets to 0.7% and then put the previous chain back on. If at any time, the cassette looks worse than the one I took off, I'll refit the old one and carry on. This is all subject to satisfactory operation. I will keep my eye on the chain ring, but so far it still looks as good as new. I get the strange wear% by removing the chain and measuring 100 links (50") with a steel tape measure.

 

[Beekeeper]

I’ve replaced the lot. New chain, cassette, front chain ring, new main bearing seal.
Never replaced a cassette before. Fairly easy process. Good job I stocked up on consumables pre Covid.

 

[Gary]

What happens if you run your drive train into the ground and decide not to change anything?

Nothing

Does anyone do this?

Yes. Me.

I’m guessing the first symptom is poor shifting following by skipping and finally a chain snap?

Nope. guess again. Eventually it will slip under load but shifting performance remains good. and why would you think the chain would snap?

I’m at 2000 miles and cassette would not accept a 3rd chain today. Skipping like mad in top 2 gears. I always replace at 0.75 chain wear and also the small Bosch front chain ring with every chain.

I just changed my cassette, chain and chainring after 5000miles. No pointless chain swapping.
Chain worn to just over 1.0 and beginning to slip in the 13 and 11t sprocket but only when using boost at low cadence.

I only ask because the price of a new cassette has gone from £47 to£75 in less than a year.
Maybe there is some logic in running these things into the ground?

My cassette, chain and chainring cost £47 in total

Look after your drivetrain. keep it clean, gunk free and properly lubed and don't shift under load... Or fuck about spending money and time fitting multiple chains and get half the mileage anyway

 

[Gary]

When mine started skipping and I persisted, it dug it’s teeth into my driver. Lesson learnt!

er... The what now?

 

[CjP]

er... The what now?

Sorry a little more clarity. My first Kenevo I used to race change under power, eventually the teeth wore out and some bent and I used to get horrible teeth jumping and mis shifting and I would just keep cycling. As a consequence the inside of the cassette eventually chewed into the driver teeth.

 

[Gary]

Thanks... But..

As a consequence the inside of the cassette eventually chewed into the driver teeth.

This is the bit I was querying.
the internal spline interface of a sprocket isn't affected by wear on the actual teeth.
Alu HG freehub body splines often get chewed/pitted/gouged/damaged by steel sprockets (on any bike) but it's not really connected to tooth wear.
Or do you mean the sprockets deformed/failed completely gouging the freehub splines in another manner?

 

[CjP]

Thanks... But..

This is the bit I was querying.
the internal spline interface of a sprocket isn't affected by wear on the actual teeth.
Alu HG freehub body splines often get chewed/pitted/gouged/damaged by steel sprockets (on any bike) but it's not really connected to tooth wear.
Or do you mean the sprockets deformed/failed completely gouging the freehub splines in another manner?

I just remember while I was cycling up gradients it used to skip/clunk in certain gears real bad, me being the idiot I am kept pushing through and I assume this is what was eventually digging into the spline. It was shortly after this I noticed the gouges in the free hub.

 

[Gary]

No. Those two things are unconnected.

 

[CjP]

In any case I learn to shift properly and now I don’t break shit. 2000+ kms on the 10speed and still going strong!