Mike Murray

If you change your chain before it lengthens it will be a very long time if ever before you need to change the cassette. If you let the chain get too worn the cassette will wear quickly.
Mike Murray - Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Orth
Sender: obra-bounces@list.obra.org
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:53:02
To: OBRA List
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Cassette change frequency?

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Mike Richardson

Was it a rep for a cassette manufacturer? Just kidding mostly.

CX would be different maybe but my experience for road is the chainrings and cassette cogs only wear out if you neglect your chain. Really neglect it.

Mike

On Dec 17, 2012, at 11:53 AM, Tom Orth wrote:

> How often do you all change your cassette? Somebody told me yesterday that it should be every two chains! That's every 4k miles or so if you go by the chain every 2k miles, which is...more than once a year for most riders. I go much longer than that! Am I a neglectful bike owner? I haven't noticed poor shifting or excessive noise from my cassette.
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Rick Johnson

It depends, but almost never that often.
See:
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/workshop-transmission-wear-20788/
and
http://www.rohloff.de/uploads/media/Beschreibung_HG_IG_Check.en.pdf

Rick Johnson
Bend Oregon

* * *

This news has been sanitized for your preconceptions

On 12/17/2012 11:53 AM, Tom Orth wrote:
> How often do you all change your cassette? Somebody told me yesterday
> that it should be every two chains! That's every 4k miles or so if
> you go by the chain every 2k miles, which is...more than once a year
> for most riders. I go much longer than that! Am I a neglectful bike
> owner? I haven't noticed poor shifting or excessive noise from my
> cassette.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org

Dan H

I just put a new chain on my rain/"B" bike and it started skipping. Time for a new cassette.
I used that cassette for about three years of training and rain rides. I use the same wheels (and cassette) on my "A" bike and my "B" rain bike so for me that's around 8 hours a week average. I replace the chain about twice a year on each bike. That cassette has seen about 6-7 chains. I don't worry about miles, I use a Sachs chain checker. Of all the checkers I have tried which is probably all of them, it is the simplest and most consistent I have found. It has no moving parts. If the chain pin locates in the "new" or "good" hole, I leave it on. Any more than that and it gets replaced. My chains (and therefore cassettes) may last longer than most I see in for service because I clean my transmission a lot. I'm embarrassed if I go on a group ride with a grimy bike. My riding style has something to do with it too. I rarely let my rpm's drop below 90 so the tension on the chain is less than if I mashed.
So the short answer is it depends on the riding conditions, your style and even the terrain. More hills = more chain wear.
Interesting test: Put two brad nails next to each other and hang a new chain next to a used one and check the difference in length. I have seen chains worn as much as a full link plate longer than new!
Check Sheldon Brown for more on chains. we could talk about chains all day.

----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Orth
To: OBRA List
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2012 11:53 AM
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Cassette change frequency?

How often do you all change your cassette? Somebody told me yesterday that it should be every two chains! That's every 4k miles or so if you go by the chain every 2k miles, which is...more than once a year for most riders. I go much longer than that! Am I a neglectful bike owner? I haven't noticed poor shifting or excessive noise from my cassette.

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Tom Orth

How often do you all change your cassette? Somebody told me yesterday that
it should be every two chains! That's every 4k miles or so if you go by
the chain every 2k miles, which is...more than once a year for most
riders. I go much longer than that! Am I a neglectful bike owner? I
haven't noticed poor shifting or excessive noise from my cassette.