New chain and cassette?

[50000tears]

I still count myself a newbie when it comes to any bike maintenance so only just considered that I might need a new chain. Current chain has done 4000+ miles over mostly dry conditions. Whenever it gets wet it gets a clean as soon as I get back and other than that I "Mickle" every week.

I have ordered a new cassette and chain and a chain checker tool. I assumed from reading up that with 4000+ miles done my cassette may be finished too and so wont take a new chain.

My question though is that if the chain is beyond the 1% point of no return then is it better to just run both cassette and chain into the ground and then swop over? The shifting is still perfect and I never get any skipping or slipping. So to change both at the moment feels a little like I am doing so because "I read it on the internet" rather than because the bike was giving me any issues. I know the front rings need to be considered too but is this the reason why I should change both at 1% regardless?

 

[jack smith]

Rubbish to what they say online if its working fine leave it til its not then replace if it aint broke dont fix it

 

[fossyant]

Just change it. It's not expensive.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Once ran a chain and cassette combo certainly over 7,000 miles and possibly near to 8,000 miles, and the chain is currently on another bike freewheel combo, and whilst i never ride it, I did take it out for a short spin, and no problems, mind you that doesn't mean the freeweel isn't worn.

 

[50000tears]

Just change it. It's not expensive.

True enough as the 105 cassette was £22 and the KMC chain £11. But if in theory I should be changing the chain every 2000 miles and the cassette every 3 chains, with my mileage over the next few months I will need a new chain every 12-14 weeks and a new cassette every 9 months. Is this to be expected?

 

[TissoT]

+1 change it ...
I would sooner change mine at home than be 70 miles out and wished I had ...

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I would expect at least 3,000 miles from a chain, I have a KMC 10sp X93, about £17 I think., I have done 1,100 on my current set up since july 17th, but I have had a few problems it would have normally been closet to 2,000miles.

 

[50000tears]

+1 change it ...
I would sooner change mine at home than be 70 miles out and wished I had ...

So does this imply that by letting it continue to wear it could suddenly give up on me and make the bike unrideable out of the blue?

 

[fossyant]

I do my commutes on fixed. I get through a chain and sprocket in 5000 miles. These are tougher than multi speed chains.

Just keep a check on the chain.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

+1 change it ...
I would sooner change mine at home than be 70 miles out and wished I had ...

Only ever had one chain go on me, and that more likely due to my maintenance on the chain i.e. putting a link back in and nor quite getting the pin right and that was over two years ago.

 

[andrew_s]

You will already almost certainly need a new cassette. You can keep riding the current chain and spockets until you get problems after maybe 5-7000 miles total, but the longer you leave it, the more damage you are doing to the chainrings. My experience is that a chainring will last 2 or 3 cassettes and chains (I do most of my riding in the big chainring). Once a chainring slips, it become unusable very quickly.

observe the tops ripped off the top of the teeth on the right.

What's cheapest in the long run depends. When I worked it out, I decided that it was best to buy 4 chains, and rotate the chain on the same cassette every 5-600 miles, and keep on going until the cassette was knackered too, the general idea being to get maybe 4000 miles out of each chain and 16000 out of the cassette. This does of course depend on you not forgetting to change chains in a timely manner like I did.

 

[andrew_s]

I would sooner change mine at home than be 70 miles out and wished I had ...

Chains hardly ever break due to wear. It's normally either improper joining or a faulty chain.

 

[50000tears]

Thanks Andrew and the others who posted, all clear to me now. Will change the cassette and chain out as soon as the order comes through.

 

[TissoT]

Chains hardly ever break due to wear. It's normally either improper joining or a faulty chain.

Hardly or never Brake !

Had two separate cases this Year out on club runs !
Down to worn Pins

 

[slowmotion]

I always try and change the chain when it gets to 0.5% stretched. If it gets to 0.75%, both chain and cassette get ditched. I think the mileage is pretty irrelevant given the number of variables such as cleanliness and riding style etc.