I appear to be a cycle destroyer

[Ihatehills]

My spesh sirrus is just over a year old with about 2800 miles on the clock, during that time I've fitted 3 chains, 2 cassettes new gear cables and brake pads and now I've got a rear mech that's sloppy on its pivot bolt and a bottom bracket that crunches horribly whilst climbing hills ( I think its the bb anyway)

For the first 800 miles I didn't really do any maintenance more than lagging the chain in GT 85 every couple of weeks, since then I've been more judicious in my maintenance attempts but clearly I'm doing something not right I really don't understand the rear mech, is this something that I should have to change regularly?

 

[lpretro1]

You should not have to change a rear mech regularly - they should last miles & miles. Sounds as if you need to be a bit more pro-active on the cleaning & lubing front. Mechs needs to be cleaned and wiped down, cacky taken off jockeys and all the pivots lubed regularly and same with brakes - pads need to be checked for any metal/dirt lodged in them and rims should be cleaned. If you ride without any mudguards and in bad weather even more so - as all the grot gets thrown up into the bike parts

 

[Yellow Saddle]

You have consumed too many cassettes per chain. That ratio is wrong. By replacing the chain at it's critical wear point (not before, not after), you should get at least three chains per cassette and your chains should last you approximately 1500kms.

Either you really neglected the chain and replaced it when it was too late or, someone lied and told you to replace the cassettes before replacement was due.

Stay away from lubes that call themselves lube and oil your chain with oil - something that doesn't have a technical or fast-sounding name like GT-this or QX that. Just use plain old engine oil and of course soap and water between oiling.

 

[si_c]

your chains should last you approximately 1500kms.

You should get much more than that per chain surely.

 

[Deleted member 35268]

Story of my life, fixing and maintaining

 

[I like Skol]

You should get much more than that per chain surely.

Not really, so many variables that it is almost impossible to predict.
I manage around 1.5-2k from a chain on my hybrid before it reaches 0.75% wear (I am not going to engage in any debate over measurement methods @YS ) but I am not a fanatical chain cleaner and consider myself to be a pretty powerful guy. I do however make sure the chain is always damp with a regular cycle chain specific OIL (TF2) and wipe it clean'ish with an old rag occasionally. Someone who completely neglects the chain could get a much shorter lifespan while someone who is less powerful, rides only in dry dustless conditions and regularly cleans and PROPERLY re-lubricates the chain could get many 1000's more.

 

[Ihatehills]

@Yellow Saddle, the first chain was significantly worn I think, which probably knackered the cassette, the next two chains have been replaced at 0.75 % according to the chain checker, when I replaced the chain this time it was slipping on the 5th sprocket, which a new cassette has cured, I'm still not changing gear particularly smoothly though. I've been using muc off wet lube, I'll try reverting to engine oil that's what I used as a kid.

@I like Skol that's pretty much how I've been approaching maintenance, I'm certainly not fanatical about clean shiny chains but neither do I neglect it to the point of running dry, I give the chain a wipe and re lube at least once a week

 

[Yellow Saddle]

You should get much more than that per chain surely.

I've quoted a typical low end when the chain is poorly maintained. I regularly ruined a chain in a single tour with approximately that distance, when I never cleaned, just oiled it.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

@Yellow Saddle, the first chain was significantly worn I think, which probably knackered the cassette, the next two chains have been replaced at 0.75 % according to the chain checker, when I replaced the chain this time it was slipping on the 5th sprocket, which a new cassette has cured, I'm still not changing gear particularly smoothly though. I've been using muc off wet lube, I'll try reverting to engine oil that's what I used as a kid.

@I like Skol that's pretty much how I've been approaching maintenance, I'm certainly not fanatical about clean shiny chains but neither do I neglect it to the point of running dry, I give the chain a wipe and re lube at least once a week

Your chain checker is probably rubbish. the figure of 0.75% is meaningless. Look up the method of checking using an inch rule.

Your hygiene regimen is poor. Giving a chain a wipe is useless, you may as well save rags and stop wiping it. The parts that need cleaning are inside and cannot be reached with a cloth. You need to wash the chain or put up with the type of results you've been getting.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Yellow Saddle I get 3,000 miles or so per chain, current cassette on its third chain at 7,200 miles or so and whilst there is some thinning of the teeth at the top of some cogs the profile still matches those of another cassette I have for each size cog, I am not as maticulate as you point out but it is removed and thoroughly cleaned every so often. I don't trust chain checkers either.

@Ihatehills I wore the pivot pin on my first RD an Acera after about 10,000 miles

 

[mjr]

So @Yellow Saddle is one of the few on here who does not agree with the @mickle method?

For what it's worth, I think it's worth wiping the chain, I think TF2 is much better than engine oil if you ride anywhere other than fairly clean roads and I use a 12" steel rule to check my chain. Oh and neither a rear mech or a BB should die that fast but meh, I don't like Spesh so I could believe they make some Friday afternoon bikes.

 

[fossyant]

Keep the drive train relatively crud free - old t-shirts work great in between sprockets and chain rings - fold an edge, and run the fold between the sprockets. Also keep the jockey wheels clean.

You've eaten too many cassettes and chains

 

[keithmac]

GT-85 is ok for cleaning but it's not a lubricant.

3in1 oil would be far better.

GT on a rag is a great way to clean the chainstay and surounding areas, derailleur can be cleaned with GT and a toothbrush the lube the pivots with oil.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

So @Yellow Saddle is one of the few on here who does not agree with the @mickle method?

For what it's worth, I think it's worth wiping the chain, I think TF2 is much better than engine oil if you ride anywhere other than fairly clean roads and I use a 12" steel rule to check my chain. Oh and neither a rear mech or a BB should die that fast but meh, I don't like Spesh so I could believe they make some Friday afternoon bikes.

I have no idea what TF2 is but it sure sounds fast.
I'll be interested to hear what makes it better than engine oil.
If you use a 12" ruler to check your chain, how do you measure up to 12 and 1/16" ?

 

[mjr]

I found engine oil collected more crap and stayed on the chain rather than shedding, resulting in a thick black paste. TF2 either isn't holding as much grit on or is droppiing off - I don't know, I'm not lab testing it. I'm not sure what's in weldtite TF2 but at least it doesn't sound as fast as Castol GTX or Finish Line Pro

My garage steel rules and calipers are marked beyond their stated length, presumably for this sort of reason