premature cassette/chain wear?

asjc

Anybody got any experience of either shimano HG50 cassettes(tiagra I think) mixed with sram pc 971 chains?
This is the combination I put on my good weather commuting bike in april this year, I use this bike in the dry /damp but not really in the rain as have got a separate bike for that and a separate one for snow and a separate one that is awesome, I digress , anyway, my chains/cassettes are always clean and lubed with MOTOREX dry lube and although it goes black quite quickly doesn't really seem to attract the crap.
This combo has now done about 3k miles and it has started to do the dreaded skip over the teeth on the cassette, only happened 3 times under load from a stand but has signalled the end. Anybody got any thoughts re this or am I just being a moaner? The ultegra stuff the this replaced lasted loads longer, I normally change my chains only after this sort of mileage (possibly a little less) I realise that the cassette and chain were very cheap-25£ but I really thought that as it was a bit heavier/robust that it would last longer. Have just got a KMC chain and hg 50 cassette in the hope it will last longer.Any advice welcome re this. sorry to ramble, just a bit of a new one on me....

CiB

Normal school of thought here is to get 3-4 chains per cassette, changing it at about 1000-1500 miles each time. 3000 doesn't sound too bad, but I'd have expected more.

Bozman

10000 miles per cassette - roughly 3 chains.

rolf_f

Depends. If you ride at the weekend and don't bother when the weather is crap you'll get vastly greater mileage out of cassette/chain than if you commute 5 days a week whatever the weather. On that basis, you should be able to get a high mileage if you do the chain rotation thing and keep everything clean.

dilemna

Have you got a chain checker? If not get one. When the chain has reached 0.75 you need to change it.

Probably your bike's transmission needs adjusting properly. What are your bike maintenance skills like? I doubt that the cassette is worn. Even if it was it would only be one or two of the sprockets, the ones you use most frequently. How about the chain rings are they worn as well? Are they made of cheese too? By comparison I have always worn out a cassette or chain ring prematurely despite getting 30+k miles out of them. I ride 12-13k miles each year and am just having to replace my first wheel rim with new wheel after what must be 40+k miles. I just change the chain when it has reached 0.75 on the Park tool, keep the transmission clean and well lubed and rims free of muck.

asjc

I must admit to previously thinking they didn't give any useable figure but sounds like I should invest, good advice.
It is only the sprocket I use most yes, gears are adjusted well with no noise or poor shifting, I spend loads of time cleaning and maintaining and subsequently don't have breakdowns....(kiss of death there) .totally anal about that on all my bikes, chain rings are 9 speed 105 as is the rest of the groupset-think your reference to 'cheese' may well be the issue here-thought tiagra would wear well but obviously not. That will teach me to be a tightwad but its amazing how expensive it is to keep a few bikes in consumables, I will take your advice and buy the chain checker. Cheers people.

rolf_f

The Park chain checker is overly conservative as it measures both roller wear (which doesn't matter) and pin wear (which does). You are better off just using a ruler. Or using the chain checker as a first pass - and when it gets to 0.75 using the ruler thereafter. Otherwise you are throwing chains away early.

asjc

I have just read some measuring chains info and am going to get a ruler ! I think i should change my chains more often too and stop being a tightarse.

So is tiagra more or less durable than 105 or ultegra? providing i change my chains when they reach 1% worn.
Not bothered about weight just looking for a hard wearing cassette/chain combo.
Any thoughts re this?
thanks
Adam

keef66

Ribble are doing a 10 speed KMC OEM chain for £13.56*, and that includes a joining link.

* if you spend over £35, which is so easy to do once you start clicking on stuff

t4tomo

asjc wrote:

I have just read some measuring chains info and am going to get a ruler ! I think i should change my chains more often too and stop being a tightarse.

So is tiagra more or less durable than 105 or ultegra? providing i change my chains when they reach 1% worn.
Not bothered about weight just looking for a hard wearing cassette/chain combo.
Any thoughts re this?
thanks
Adam

No discernable difference in durability. It gets very marginally lighter and prettier as you you move up but they should all wear at the same rate.