Cadd

Can you show me how to use a ruler to check for chain wear?

rmwkokomo

From Sheldon Brown:
The standard way to measure chain wear is with a ruler or steel tape measure. This can be done without removing the chain from the bicycle. The normal technique is to measure a one-foot length, placing an inch mark of the ruler exactly in the middle of one rivet, then looking at the corresponding rivet 12 complete links away. On a new, unworn chain, this rivet will also line up exactly with an inch mark. With a worn chain, the rivet will be past the inch mark.
This gives a direct measurement of the wear to the chain, and an indirect measurement of the wear to the sprockets:


If the rivet is less than 1/16" past the mark, all is well.

If the rivet is 1/16" past the mark, you should replace the chain, but the sprockets are probably undamaged.

If the rivet is 1/8" past the mark, you have left it too long, and the sprockets (at least the favorite ones) will be too badly worn. If you replace a chain at the 1/8" point, without replacing the sprockets, it may run OK and not skip, but the worn sprockets will cause the new chain to wear much faster than it should, until it catches up with the wear state of the sprockets.

If the rivet is past the 1/8" mark, a new chain will almost certainly skip on the worn sprockets, especially the smaller ones.

sharkey00

Just over 2k per chain. I replace the cassette when I need to. I generally give the cassette thorough look at 6k for wear. Of note- My chain gets the bare minimum of cleaning.

Based on my MTB experience I would say climbing has an impact. I went through chains and cassettes every 3 months when I lived in the mountains as opposed to every 5 years when I lived on more rolling terrain.

MDcatV

chain every 6 months

cassette on everyday wheels 1x/year

primary race wheels I change cassette at end of every season, rotate it to a secondary or backup race wheels

waterrockets 

Note that it's much easier to just use the edge of a plate than a rivet. Just measure back 12" to the same plate edge (easier than centering on a pin).

It's also a bit easier to align a hash mark other than 0 for the start. I use a tape and center 1" on the first rivet and look for the other edge at 13".

MD45

I have 3 bikes set up with 9 speed Ultegra. I change chains at about 2500 miles and have never worn out a cassette. I switch wheels between bikes when I don't feel like fixing a flat and have race wheels with brand new cassettes. The oldest cassette has well over 10,000 miles on it. Shifting is the same no matter which wheel is used on which bike and I have no skipping issues. Take care of your chain and you will not need to worry about cassettes.

umd

So to actually answer the question, I have I think 4 different cassettes that I have on various wheels. I haven't replaced any cassettes this year, although I did get a different size cassette that I swapped on recently, and haven't ridden on much (a few hundred miles).

I had 3,366 miles on my Rovals before the front died and the replaced the set. I think I may have gotten a new cassette when I picked up the new wheels, which how have about 1,100 miles.

I have about 3,200 miles on my Reynolds, which had a Red cassette for most of the time, but recently have had the 11-28 I picked up for Everest Challenge.

I have 4,200 miles on the R-SYS, and about 1,000 on the ES's. I think that the R-SYS and ES were actually sharing a cassette so that's probably about 5,000 miles on that one.

There are no signs of wear on any of them, and they all shift fine, but I change my chains fairly regularly so that I can swap wheels around between 2 bikes without any adverse affects.

mayukawa

I had to change out my 8-speed cassette after about 75K miles (most of the teeth were quite worn and the chain started slipping (even with a new chain). Of course not all the gears have the same amount of wear. My 10-speed Dura-Ace cassettes are beginning to look worn down with just about 10K miles (especially the six middle gears). The teeth on the end-gears still look like new, so compared to the worn teeth (they're totally sharp and has no flat edge to the teeth).

As for chains, one Dura-Ace chain has about 14K miles (it's getting worn down, but still serviceable). The other Dura-Ace chain (which I just changed out) on my other bike (has about 9K miles); some of the rollers actually disintegrated (leaving just the pin); also only 90 degree of the links are in phase on the chainring (as opposed to about 180 degrees on a new chain). The bike with the 14K chain is ridden mostly on flat roads (with my wife), while I'm a bit more rough on the second bike with the 9K chain (more sprinting; out-of-saddle riding; stop-and-go acceleration).

Metaluna

A good 12" machinist's rule (e.g. Starrett C604R-12) works well because the ends are ground to measure precisely 12" from end-to-end. So you don't have to worry about lining up hash marks. Just butt one edge of the rule up against the edge of a side plate or pin (it's even easier if the pin sticks up enough to "catch" the edge), and then lay the rule along the chain and see if you can see any of a pin/plate peeking out from under the other end of the rule. The downside is at that point you've run out of ruler so you have to guesstimate the amount of pin showing.

I do this while the chain is on the bike. With the rear wheel resting on the ground I grab the crank and apply a little tension to the chain as it comes over the top of the cassette, and then take the measurement(s) under tension. My bikes have longish chainstays though. It might be a tighter fit to get a 12" rule in there on a racing bike.

Cadd

Thanks!

RIC0

I replace my cassette monthly.

Reynolds 

I replaced the chain on my Veloce 9sp at 6100 km/3800 miles when it reached the limit according to Campagnolo. The cassete didn't show any wear. Probably the chain could've been good for another 1000 kms.

whitemax

I won't replace my DA cassette until I find some pork barrel money to pay for it with.

Machka 

Something in the neighborhood of 30-35,000 kilometers ... same with my chain.

Why do you ask?

Cadd

Is there a way to tell a worn cassettte vs a new cassette? I'm not sure what to look for.

urbanknight

When a cassette gets worn, many of the teeth start to look like shark fins.

Cadd

I tried to google pictures of worn cassettes vs new cassettes, but couldn't find any

garysol1 

banerjek

For my 9 speed commuter that gets ridden in slop, I got about 25K miles out of the first cassette, 20K miles out of the second. For my other bikes, I swap cassettes for different riding conditions enough that I'm not sure I've worn any out yet.

If you put a new chain on a worn cassette, it will skip -- and ruin the chain if you ride very far without replacing the cassette.

Hocam

Like most things in cycling, miles don't mean anything. Hours, like they use in machine industries, do.

As well as average cadence.

MDcatV

worn looks like shark teeth. most frequently seen on your 19t cog, as 53x19 is a very common gear for general riding. probably a photo on sheldon brown site, iirc.

Treker

I have a buddy new to the sport. Of all things, he had the audacity to purchase his OCR2 while I was on vacation. In the process, he bought from an LBS that I would have recommened against. Any hoo, he recently took his OCR 2 in for it's free 30 day tune up and the LBS recommended chain replacement.

He only had 1200km! After reading many posts above and seeing the mileage many of you have reached, me thinks he's been had. Sure it was only $30 but still....

On the upside, he's thrilled with his purchase. He was on a $200 big box store road bike look-a-like POS. His wife wasn't amused at the time so he bought her an FCR. She's happy now.

Johnny Bags

Sorry for being unclear. For speed I meant 9-speed, 10-speed etc. Not moving speed. Carry on.