Drivetrain Lifespan

waddlie

So in mid-April I replaced the chain (KMC), cassette & chainrings (Tiagra), and bottom bracket (no idea).

I've done about 1200 miles in all weathers since, and admittedly my maintenance regime is sub-optimal.

Just dropped the bike in for new gear cables as mine were knackered. They're saying chain, cassette and BB all need replacing again.

Not at all surprised about the chain, but would you expect to chew through a cassette and BB this quickly? Kinda feeling I'm being mugged off by the bike shop...

fenix

If you don't maintain it then it's perfectly possible.

I've only ever replaced cables when I'm swapping kit over - but I do look after my stuff.

Is you BB making noises ? If not I'd leave it.

keef66

1200 all weather miles, minimal maintenance? I'd agree with you. Chain probably needs replacing, but you'd have to have been riding on the beach to wear out a cassette in that time. HT2 BBs can be short lived if they are preloaded too much, or the BB shell isn't square / faced. That said, the Ultegra one on my winter bike is entering it's 5th autumn and is still perfectly fine.

waddlie

Cables were both failing, which was also surprising given they were also replaced in April and were fairly pricey Jagwire jobs. The bike has a rattle which I'd thought was from a loose cassette or freewheel - chap at the bike shop (who wasn't the mechanic who'd inspected it) didn't know anything about it when I asked him if they'd located/fixed it. Fairly sure it wasn't the BB.

keef66

How on god's earth do you wear out both gear cables in less than 6 months?? My 105 RH shifter has a habit of eating them, but it usually takes a year or two.
Not sure you can assume because a cable's pricy it will outlast the bog standard ones that come out of the big box at the bike shop.
I usually use Shimano replacements since they are cheap enough and I know the nipple will a) fit the shifter properly, and b) not drop off prematurely. Well, not before the shifter's eaten through the cable anyway.

waddlie

I'm using mechanical discs, wanted good quality compressionless cables and it was easier to buy a whole set of brake and gear cables at the same time.

The end of the front mech cable had bent itself towards the cranks. After a fair few miles of cable vs crank every rotation, the cable snapped at the bolt on the mech. It's still working ok but I think it's asking for trouble leaving it like that.

The rear cable is seriously frayed where it reappears out of the rear mech and I'd guess 50% of the inner strands have gone. It's probably only a few shifts away from snapping, and living in Hillsville I can't afford to be dumped at the bottom of the cassette for a whole ride.

I don't think I'll be using Jagwire again, nor the bike shop in Portishead that did all the work in April...

jgsi

Waddlie wrote:

I

I don't think I'll be using Jagwire again, nor the bike shop in Portishead that did all the work in April...

Get a better shop, better still , DIY it.

Semantik

Did you give the transmission a good clean before you took it in or did you hand over a dirty bike?
Only reason I ask is because most shops don't take kindly to working on sh*tty bikes. So if they see signs of neglect (and not cleaning your bike is neglect) they are less likely to want to give first class bargain price servicing to owner of said bike.
So they'll recommend new transmission parts to go with your nice new cables
Then again, if it was me servicing your bike I'd put your new cables in for you no problem without looking for extra work. Just wouldn't guarantee you a perfectly functioning transmission on the back of simply new cables.

waddlie

Semantik wrote:

Did you give the transmission a good clean before you took it in or did you hand over a dirty bike?
Only reason I ask is because most shops don't take kindly to working on sh*tty bikes. So if they see signs of neglect (and not cleaning your bike is neglect) they are less likely to want to give first class bargain price servicing to owner of said bike.
So they'll recommend new transmission parts to go with your nice new cables
Then again, if it was me servicing your bike I'd put your new cables in for you no problem without looking for extra work. Just wouldn't guarantee you a perfectly functioning transmission on the back of simply new cables.

That's a fair point, it was pretty filthy...

kleinstroker

LBS will almost always recommend you spend more than you intended to. Go figure

mudcovered

Not surprised on the chain/cassette wear. If its still shifting okay the damage is done and you might as well run both chain and casette into the ground (which is the point at which shifting gets dicy or the chain is massively worn).

Shimano HT BB's normally last fairly well these days as long as the frame is faced square (which it should be if a HT BB is what the bike came with).Even with total ignorance maintenance I'd expect more than 1200miles. Mine has done several times that amount although I don't do much foul weather riding these days.

Cables really shouldn't fray that quickly. I've had the front mech cable on my bike for years and its still working as well as it ever did (shimano 105). Rear cable has also been there for quite a while although that gets replaced more often due to the shimano STI shifter eating the other end after a year or so.

Mike

fat daddy

I chewed through the rear derailleur cable in the 1st 6 month on my commuter

When I pulled the cable out of the outer to replace it it was covered in the same black gritty road gunk that covers the bike during the winter months. .... the cable had literally just worn through with all the grime.

Its now part of my regime to wipe the components down after the crappy rides and get ridd of that black grit gunk off of it before it gets rubbed in

Commuting KILLS bikes

waddlie

So...

Took the bike back to Mike's Bikes in Portishead who did the original overhaul in April and found time to stick it on the stand and give it a proper once over while I was there.

Chain and cassette are indeed FUBAR. I'm now wondering if one of those chain cleaning machines might be a good investment.

BB isn't brilliant but still plenty of life left.

Rear mech inner cable replaced while I waited, to get me back on the road. And booked in for a rear hub service to sort that out.

Massive kudos to Mike's Bikes for finding the time to get me sorted on a busy Saturday when I wasn't booked in.

The Rookie

My chains usually last about 2500 miles, I make sure I change them before they wear enough to cause wear to the cassette and ring otherwise those worn parts will soon kill the new chain - chains are cheap the rest arn't. My last chainring (single alloy up front on the commuter) lasted 5000miles and was still working fine with a brand new chain. My last cassette lasted me 4000miles having been bought used. On my commuter I changed the gear cable once on my last bike in 6000miles.

I make sure all are lubed, routed properly and all OK circa every 250 miles.