Chainwear vs Cog and Chainring Wear

[Skylark]

I've noticed that even if you replace your chain well within wear limits or even I suppose if you fitted a new chain each week, if you don't spread your usage evenly over the cassette you will get premature wear on some cogs relative to the rest of the cassette and the cassette will need to be prematurely replaced, same with the chainrings. Obviously that is relative to the conditions you ride in and how often you clean and lube your drive train but it will inevitably happen. I've noticed especially the 11t cog gets worn before the rest, fortunately it's easily replaceable but not the others.

 

I used think just keep changing chains well within wear limits, keep the drivetrain spotless and the cassette/chainrings will just about last forever, the extra caveat though is spread the usage over all the cogs on the cassette?

 

Does that sound about right?

[Grease_Monkey]

Sounds about right...

 

I aim to replace my chain every 1000km - usually at the 50% mark on the chain checker device. I clean and lube the chain after every single ride. After the third chain replacement I cycle back to the first chain and use for another 500km. Looks like this:

 

Chain 1: 0-1000km

Chain 2: 1000-2000km

Chain 3: 2000-3000km

Chain 1: 3000-3500km

Chain 2: 3500-4000km

Chain 3: 4000-4500km

Chain 1: 4500-5000km

Chain 2: 5000-5500km

Chain 3: 5500-6000km

 

Replace Cassette and start over. There is no real science to this, just find it works well for me. From 4500-6000km there is the occasional chain slippage, especially on the 42t cog - which I use quite often.

[Skylark]

Sounds about right...

 

I aim to replace my chain every 1000km - usually at the 50% mark on the chain checker device. I clean and lube the chain after every single ride. After the third chain replacement I cycle back to the first chain and use for another 500km. Looks like this:

 

Chain 1: 0-1000km

Chain 2: 1000-2000km

Chain 3: 2000-3000km

Chain 1: 3000-3500km

Chain 2: 3500-4000km

Chain 3: 4000-4500km

Chain 1: 4500-5000km

Chain 2: 5000-5500km

Chain 3: 5500-6000km

 

Replace Cassette and start over. There is no real science to this, just find it works well for me. From 4500-6000km there is the occasional chain slippage, especially on the 42t cog - which I use quite often.

 

I think I can understand now why people cycle 3 chains, no matter how well you look after a drivetrain(MTB that is) some of the individual cogs/chainrings will wear sooner than the rest and you may as well have 3 good chains with similar wear to use than a situation where you have gone though 2 chains and the 3rd brand new chain slips on some cogs virtually from the moment its fitted.

 

I'm assuming you never let any of chains wear past 75%?

And you no doubt also need to replace the chainring by the time the cassette is ready to be replaced?

[BaGearA]

On  my bike the 42 will wear out wayyy sooner than the rest 

 

I use one chain at a time and replace soon after the .5 drops in 

[Shebeen]

On my bike the 42 will wear out wayyy sooner than the rest

 

I use one chain at a time and replace soon after the .5 drops in

then your chainring is too big , cool Harvey

[Shebeen]

Sounds about right...

 

I aim to replace my chain every 1000km - usually at the 50% mark on the chain checker device. I clean and lube the chain after every single ride. After the third chain replacement I cycle back to the first chain and use for another 500km. Looks like this:

 

Chain 1: 0-1000km

Chain 2: 1000-2000km

Chain 3: 2000-3000km

Chain 1: 3000-3500km

Chain 2: 3500-4000km

Chain 3: 4000-4500km

Chain 1: 4500-5000km

Chain 2: 5000-5500km

Chain 3: 5500-6000km

 

Replace Cassette and start over. There is no real science to this, just find it works well for me. From 4500-6000km there is the occasional chain slippage, especially on the 42t cog - which I use quite often.

this was the conventional thinking for years not sure how it changes with 1x systems

[BaGearA]

then your chainring is too big , cool Harvey

No I just train wayyyy to little for the hills I ride 

[Grease_Monkey]

I think I can understand now why people cycle 3 chains, no matter how well you look after a drivetrain(MTB that is) some of the individual cogs/chainrings will wear sooner than the rest and you may as well have 3 good chains with similar wear to use than a situation where you have gone though 2 chains and the 3rd brand new chain slips on some cogs virtually from the moment its fitted.

 

I'm assuming you never let any of chains wear past 75%?

And you no doubt also need to replace the chainring by the time the cassette is ready to be replaced?

 

Yes, correct, I do not let it wear past 75% - at this point it will start to seriously damage your cassette and you will have hectic slippage. The amount of km you get out of a chain may not be the same as me - I tend to spin more than grind, so I think I would get slightly more out of a chain than someone who likes to grind in heavy gears.

 

And yes, by the time the cassette is replaced I also replace the chainring.

[Grease_Monkey]

this was the conventional thinking for years not sure how it changes with 1x systems

 

I don't imagine 1x systems would have too much of an effect on this formula - but, I could be wrong.