Question re: Chain & cassette life and renewal.

[Deanno1dad]

Having had my Road bike for a year on the original chain and cassette and probably covered about 2000 miles, whilst in my LBS today I got the chain checked and it was just below max stretch etc.
The guys there advised to change the chain at the same time as the cassette,obviously this adds a larger expense to the whole package.
What sort of mileage do you folks get from your chains and cassettes and do you always change both together?
Secondly I have a shimano cassette and the LBS advised to only use a shimano chain..I've been told that KMC chains are more hardier..Is there a problem using a new KMC 10 speed chain with a new 10 speed shimano cassette?
cheers..Dean

 

[PpPete]

After 2000 miles I would be surprised if the chain had stretched so much as to impact the cassette.
My expectation (no guarantees**) would be that a new chain would be fine with the old cassette ... and I'd definitely suggest KMC over Shimano, not so much because it is "tougher" but because the joining method is infinitely superior.
TBH I'm less than impressed with the advice you are getting from your LBS.

As a general rule if you change your chains before they stretch more than 0.75% then a cassette should last through three chains.
How many miles they last depends on many factors including your riding style and the conditions in which you ride.
And buy your own chain checker tool - they are not at all expensive.

** I say this because the OEM may have fitted a crappy chain in the first place. It is one of the areas where they can skimp to meet a price point without the customer really noticing until it’s too late. And if, as a result, it has gone past the 1% stretch mark that is your cassette fooked.

 

[MichaelO]

I've done 3,750 miles on my road bike since I bought it (at about the same rate as you). I changed my chain last May, after winter had passed at roughyl the 2k mile point (it wore far quicker than I expected, but that was probably down to winter riding). Haven't change the cassette, and don't plan to for a while yet - certainly doesn't look too badly worn! Will change my chain again in the spring.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I too would be surprised if the chain stretch has done any issues to the cassette at 2000 miles, but it will depend on how clean it has been kept - chain and cassette because dirt acts like sand paper and wears metal away surprisingly quickly. Add to that a nice salty water mix from winter roads and you have a wonderful method for grinding down metal and wearing it away very quickly.

My experience of chain wear has ranged from WTF to fantastic....My current set up has been on for 3,500 miles or so and has not yet reached 0.75% of the chain checker. As a rule though I don't change at the 0.75% wear mark, I run them to 1% mark and then change the chain, but this has not caused any issues on my road bike. As for makes & models. My KMC & Shimano stuff wore out a lot quicker than my SRAM stuff has - but I rinse the salt off my bike after every ride, dry & clean the chain over with an old towel and add a touch of oil after each and every time I use the bike - but max once a day! (I live down a muddy farm lane in Cheshire - it is necessary)

 

[helston90]

My road bike I got in Feb and had to change both the chain and cassette in December after 2200 all weather miles.
The cassette I suspect would have been fine had I kept an eye on it- however I didn't- I just kept going until the whole lot was skipping so got all new.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

I always use Shimano chains as not doing so impacts the shifting quality. I would not use KMC chains. I would expect to get somewhere exceeding 3000 miles from a chain and double that from a Cassette

 

[Widge]

I have always wondered whether not using a Shimano chain on a pukka Shimano (Hyperglide or whatever hype they put on it!) cassette has any bearing on shift quality. I tend always to use KMC or SRAM chains.....if only because they are somewhat simpler to join (if you're lucky) and have heard that Shimano chains do not have a good rep for longevity but never proved it to myself.

Does a big S chain shift better on a big S cassette?

 

[smokeysmoo]

Is there a problem using a new KMC 10 speed chain with a new 10 speed shimano cassette?

No, and I bet your LBS don't sell KMC chains either

FWIW I've exclusively used KMC chains for a few years now after a Shimano one snapped on me, and I have not experienced any difference in shifting performance at all.

 

[Colin S]

I changed my 1st chain ( a Tiagra level Shimano one) after just short of 1000 miles as it was over the 1mm stretch for a KMC chain which lasted better, it was nearly at 1mm stretch after about 2000 miles which to me is a lot better. There seems to be a lot of people who prefer KMC to Shimano and I would agree with them for both wear and ease of fitting as I find Shimano joining pins to be a bit of a faff.

C