Replacement cassette and chain.

Tino4444

Hi All,

I own a spesh allez 18, 2009 model and think I need a new cassette and chain.

I have had the bike since Jan this year but have done a lot of miles on it and the other week the chain snapped when I was out on a 10 mile TT.

I have fitted new chain links to the snapped chain and its now rideable but only when I am in a select few gears (the other gears the chain slips).

I think therefore maybe I need a replacement cassette and chain.

My question is are there any ''racing performance'' cassettes out there that would suit my spesh allez and could this potentially improve on performance and speed etc?

Thanks,

Tino.

careful

I'm surprised that your chain & cassette are so worn in one season unless either you havent been cleaning/lubing them properly or youve done huge miles. Anyhow, you say you put extra links in the broken chain, if you did this using a riveter tool then the chain is likely to break again. You are right in thinking that you need a new chain and therefore a new cassette.
As to high performance chains/cassettes, the more expensive ones eg dura ace are just a little lighter and might change a lttle more smoothly but youre unlikely to notice the difference. Main thing is to get the right number of teeth for the type of riding you do. Oh and make sure it is right for your hubs (Campag or Shimano).

Tino4444

careful wrote:

I'm surprised that your chain & cassette are so worn in one season unless either you havent been cleaning/lubing them properly or youve done huge miles. Anyhow, you say you put extra links in the broken chain, if you did this using a riveter tool then the chain is likely to break again. You are right in thinking that you need a new chain and therefore a new cassette.
As to high performance chains/cassettes, the more expensive ones eg dura ace are just a little lighter and might change a lttle more smoothly but youre unlikely to notice the difference. Main thing is to get the right number of teeth for the type of riding you do. Oh and make sure it is right for your hubs (Campag or Shimano).

Careful, thanks for the response.

With regards to mileage I have done between 1500 and 2000 mile since I bought it and have cleaned and re-oild it often.

However i used GT85 for cleaning it when cycling through the winter months and I have since learned that this is not sufficient as is washes off too easily in winter cycling. I have now bought some ''muc off'' which I hope will do a better job especially once I have purchased a new chain and cassette.

To replace the links I did use a riveter yes and so far so good with the chain but really it needs replacing.

Thanks for your advice.

Tino

maddog 2

check your chain stretch with one of these, or equivalent



http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... delID=5784

GT85/WD40 is a degreaser, not a lube.

As for chains and cassettes, look at SRAM or KMC for a 9spd chain, and a Shimano Ultegra or SRAM PG950/970 for a mid-level cassette. The usual online places have them (Ribble, CRC, Ebay etc.)

John.T

GT85/WD40 is a degreaser, not a lube.

Not strictly true. They are both water dispersants with a small amount of lubricant in them, probably silicone. GT85 has more but neither are any good as lubes. I only use them after washing to get rid of the water, then allow to dry off and use a proper chain lube. I prefer Teflon based dry lubes.
1500 to 2000 miles is not a lot. With care you should double this and probably get 2 chains to a cassette. I get this on my winter bike and get 3 or 4 chains to a cassette on the summer one with up to 9000 miles for the cassette.

Tino4444

John.T wrote:

GT85/WD40 is a degreaser, not a lube.

Not strictly true. They are both water dispersants with a small amount of lubricant in them, probably silicone. GT85 has more but neither are any good as lubes. I only use them after washing to get rid of the water, then allow to dry off and use a proper chain lube. I prefer Teflon based dry lubes.
1500 to 2000 miles is not a lot. With care you should double this and probably get 2 chains to a cassette. I get this on my winter bike and get 3 or 4 chains to a cassette on the summer one with up to 9000 miles for the cassette.

So would ''muc off'' be classed as a lube?

Tino

Slow Downcp

No, Muc off is the opposite - it cleans and degreases.

Get some Prolink Gold.

Tino4444

Slow Downcp wrote:

No, Muc off is the opposite - it cleans and degreases.

Get some Prolink Gold.

Thanks very much.

How often should I apply this to the chain?

Cheers,

Tino

topdude

There is some "Prolink Gold" for sale in the Road Classified section

Wappygixer

Did you reuse the chain rivets that snapped?
On Shimano chains you MUST use a brand new pin which has a snap off guide, if you don't it will always be the weak spot.
Alternatively you can remove the damaged link and replace it with a quick link like this http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/KMC_Chain_Links/5360020546/ This also makes it easy to remove your chain for cleaning.

John.T

topdude wrote:

There is some "Prolink Gold" for sale in the Road Classified section

Cheeky.

How often should I apply this to the chain?

After every chain clean and wet ride. After two or three dry ones. Should be enough. You can not over do it as long as you wipe the surplus off. It just gets expensive.