How many miles can a chain & cassette do?

[BentMikey]

Change your chain before it's so worn that it starts to wear other components prematurely.

This is good strategy with three chains costing £lots, and a cassette a whole lot less?

 

[phaedrus]

Hub gear for commuting. YKIMS

 

[GrasB]

I'm up to around the 1100 mile marker on my SRAM red groupset & the chain is getting to the point of needing changing, maybe another 200-500 miles left in it. The cassette is still good to go. My experience is the SRAM 1070 cassette & chain are more durable than the 1090 variants. Also any 10 speed Shimano cassette & chain will work with the SRAM groupset.

I'm with fossy on this, SRAM Red is NOT a good choice for commuting duties.

 

[rb58]

You should be able to get at least 3 chains to 1 cassette, on my winter bike I'm now up to about the 5th chain and about 6000 miles on the cassette.

Change your chain before it's so worn that it starts to wear other components prematurely.

That's what my LBS told me too. Changing the chain (typically at 1,000 - 1,500 miles) will preserve the rest of the running gear.

 

[Howard]

Hub gear for commuting. YKIMS

Yeah. An entire Alfine hub is around the same price as this chap's cassette. Bonkers.

 

[BigSteev]

Threads like this always remind me to check mine so, the Campag chain on my Condor has now done over 5000k, hasn't ever jumped and according to the tool, still hasn't even stretched .75%.

 

[GrasB]

Yeah. An entire Alfine hub is around the same price as this chap's cassette. Bonkers.

But you're comparing apples with oranges. You're comparing something which is engineered to be the lightest it can be with very little expense spared & marketed as the premium performance line in the SRAM stable with something aimed mainly at the commuter/trekking market & that is designed for life expectancy & reliability within a budget.

 

[fossyant]

Envy isn't a very attractive characteristic

I'd still scalp you on Fixed......

 

[Watt-O]

I'd still scalp you on Fixed......

In your dreams sunshine! Maybe I'll get a Tifosi Pista CX for the commute. It's < 10 miles eachway and only a couple of small hills.

 

[jimboalee]

I've decided how to measure the life of a chain.

Firstly, I assessed the job it is doing. ie Transmitting Power.
Secondly, I remembered the unit of power, ie Watt.
Thirdly, I remembered the unit for duration, ie Hours.

So, putting them all together, a chain should last.... kWhrs.

Please fill in the blank.

 

[Davidc]

I've decided how to measure the life of a chain.

Firstly, I assessed the job it is doing. ie Transmitting Power.
Secondly, I remembered the unit of power, ie Watt.
Thirdly, I remembered the unit for duration, ie Hours.

So, putting them all together, a chain should last.... kWhrs.

Please fill in the blank.

Interesting idea, trouble is that in my yoof (long time ago) I twice managed to write off a chain in less than a day, which on your measure would have me competing with Sizewell B!

 

[HLaB]

According to a chain checker I normally get 1500 miles out of a chain before its 0.75% worn and I usually get 3000-4500 miles out of a cassette. As an experiment I've decided to let my chain go longer, its now at 3000 miles (same cassette).

 

[cyberknight]

For commuting i change the chain and cassette together once a year , maybe 4000 miles, i know i should change the chain 2 times maybe nut i am an obsessive weekend cleaner.
This is on an 8 speed block though so maybe i am getting less wear.

My subway 1 got changed last year but has done only maybe 1000 miles so i intend to make it last another year as i only use it as a winter/back up bike.

 

[mark i]

I use an 8 speed set up, have some hills, and usually carry a couple of panniers ranging from mostly empty to completely full over 15 miles. I clean my chain once a week (100 miles). Did not really think about chain wear last year and 5000 miles was too much. The cassette was gone and the chain looked a little sick. Now checking chain wear more regularly and have a couple of chains to rotate. I make a reasonable average speed (first half of my commute is through coventry so a fair bit of start / stop for lights etc, then straight roads towards Solihull, average speed varies between 17 and 20 mph over 15 miles depending on how hard I try etc).
The big question for the next bike is hub gear or not...

 

[jimboalee]

Interesting idea, trouble is that in my yoof (long time ago) I twice managed to write off a chain in less than a day, which on your measure would have me competing with Sizewell B!

Hmmm...

That 'Rubishes' that theory.