Have I Killed My Chain ?

[Seight_Returns]

Changed the chain on my commuting bike last week after ~2500 road miles on the chain/cassette.

Had hoped to get away without a new cassette - but clearly not to be - chain skipping all other the cassette at anything over modest effort. Had to get to work so rode it gently in and back (18 mile round trip) with the chain jumping occasionally. Ordered a new cassette and won't ride the bike again until I've fitted it.

Have read that using a new chain on a worn cassette like this can damage the new chain very quickly. Will my 18 gentle road miles have done it in ?

Am I likely to have killed my new chain by doing this ? Should I try using this chain to see if it's ok when I get the new cassette on - or does this risk damaging the new cassette ?

[donfisher]

Maybe stating the obvious but have you knocked the deraieur out of whack when you were fitting the chain. Have a go at adjusting the position of it using the fittings at each end of the cable first.

[Parrot of Doom]

No you won't have killed the chain. Buy a chain wear tool, like http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod... , and you won't have this problem again.

[Seight_Returns]

Parrot of Doom said:

No you won't have killed the chain. Buy a chain wear tool, like http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod... , and you won't have this problem again.

Thanks. Do actually have one of those but rarely use it except to check that a chain is completely knackered.

Just to clarify - are you saying that if I get into the habit of checking the chain stretch regularly and change it as soon as it gets marginal, rather than running it into the ground - then I won't wear cassettes out ?

[Funkateer]

I've learnt the hard way how a chain and gears will wear into each other such that when I needed to replace the chain, the new one skipped over the existing gears. I ended up bodging up the old chain to get me home. Unfortunately a chain wear tool didn't indicate too much stretch on the chain and the only answer was to replace the rear cassette and the front chainrings.

I now clean the chain and gears regularly and relube - ideally after each ride, which is something I rarely used to do.

I also tend to replace a chain every 750 miles or so, but it is mainly off-road mountain biking on some very abrasive surfaces, and I tend to err on the side of caution these days. Probably could get away with doing this a little less frequently!

[AVeryNaughtyBoy]

Seight_Returns said:

Parrot of Doom said:

No you won't have killed the chain. Buy a chain wear tool, like http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?Mod... , and you won't have this problem again.

Thanks. Do actually have one of those but rarely use it except to check that a chain is completely knackered.

Just to clarify - are you saying that if I get into the habit of checking the chain stretch regularly and change it as soon as it gets marginal, rather than running it into the ground - then I won't wear cassettes out ?

Yes... and no!

A cassette will still eventually wear out regardless of chain replacement policy but regular chain replacement will extend the life significantly.

I have never bothered to work out the maths though, i.e. how many chains used vs extension in cassette life vs the cost of both. I just like my bike to work properly.