Chain Swapping

[Winger]

Today I replaced my chain, which I thought was early, in an attempt to avoid having to replace my chainrings & cassette. Unfortunately I must have been too late as my chain jumped under load. For the time being, I'm going back to my old chain until it is definitely worn out.

But, that led me to a question...a thought.....
I'm using SRAM PC-991 chains w/ powerlink and I remove the chain to clean it.

What if I alternated between 2 chains?

I would start with 2 brand new chains. This way I would always have a clean chain ready to go on the bike. Am I wrong to think they would also stretch at about the same rate? Would this allow me to get 2X the life out of the cassette?

Thoughts, comments? Thanks.

[Gabriel Zink]

That would work bc the chain streach is the main source of cassette wear. 2 chains will yield almost double the life.

[gurp13]

I'm not trying to be a weener or anything but...

Isn't this a little bit, say, overzealous? I mean, what's the life of a properly maintained chain and cassette? Thousands of miles, right? If you clean and lube your chain like you're supposed to, then it's going to last for several thousand miles. What's that in riding time? Years? So, a chain is about $15 and a cassette averages about $60. So, for a $75 investment you get years of riding? Seems to me it's not worth worrying about.

Also, chains don't "stretch". They call it that, but in actuality it's the teeth on the cogs that get worn and the rollers on the chain wearing. See Sheldon Brown.

Just trying to help. Should go and f**k off instead?

[Kid A]

other option is to keep it "dirty" and rename thread (ball &)chain swapping

[genusmtbkr5]

Originally Posted by gurp13

I mean, what's the life of a properly maintained chain and cassette? Thousands of miles, right? If you clean and lube your chain like you're supposed to, then it's going to last for several thousand miles.

Show me a chain and cassette that last thousands of miles and I'll buy it. Most will last only a several HUNDRED miles if that. I do maintain my bikes well. I guess it all depends on the type of riding you do. You should always try and replace chain, cassette and at least the middle ring at the same time, but if you can replace just the chain before the teeth of your rings or cassette start to "shark tooth", you may get more miles out of your cassette. Now you have to think of how much $ are you willing to spend on a good chain? That is a very good article by Sheldon Brown. The method he mentions on how to measure "chain stretch" is right on and is good practice. So I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. Afterall, it would be about a $25-$35 experiment(PC-971, PC-991). That beats spending $80 or more on a cassette any day.

Originally Posted by Winger

What if I alternated between 2 chains?

I would start with 2 brand new chains. This way I would always have a clean chain ready to go on the bike. Am I wrong to think they would also stretch at about the same rate? Would this allow me to get 2X the life out of the cassette?

Thoughts, comments? Thanks.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to try. Afterall, it would be about a $25-$35 experiment(PC-971, PC-991). That beats spending $80 or more on a cassette any day.

[SAR_boats]

What I don't get is why on an old cassette shark toothing is bad but on the new titanium ActionTec ones they are built already shark toothed. They are designed that way.
here is the link:

Action Tec

Any thoughts as to why it is bad in one case and not the other?

[Winger]

Originally Posted by gurp13

I mean, what's the life of a properly maintained chain and cassette? Thousands of miles, right? If you clean and lube your chain like you're supposed to, then it's going to last for several thousand miles. What's that in riding time? Years? So, a chain is about $15 and a cassette averages about $60. So, for a $75 investment you get years of riding? Seems to me it's not worth worrying about.

Valid points.

I'm at 1500 miles on the dirt for this year. I degrease the chain once a week and oil it.
My first chain lasted 633 miles before breaking.
My current chain has 935 miles, but still has 25% life according to the chain checker tool.
At this rate I'll be replacing cogs at least once a year.

I started pricing things out and a new cassette is $40 and 3 new chainrings are $60. I was thinking that if I could save $100 by spending $30 on a 2nd chain then I'm in good shape.

[Shu]

My chain is totally into swapping but is very particular on what bike she rides...

[Waldo]

Funny: I almost feel guilty for not swapping out my chain, etc. yet. I'm pretty sure I'm over a thousand miles on my current chain/rings/cassette, yet they're showing very little wear. I wipe down everything and lube with ProLink after every ride, but I don't use one of those chain cleaner tools or any degreaser (never had a need to, and it seem like a bad idea to me).

A few months back I built up a new, larger frame using my existing components. I had a hard time getting the chain length right and kind of butchered it to the point that it came apart after a few rides on the new bike. I've had a hard time trusting that chain since, knowing what I did to it, so I bought a new chain. But after reading several comments here about new chains not getting along with broken-in rings & cassettes, I didn't bother. But I still wonder when the sins of my chain-mangling past will come back to haunt me.

[genusmtbkr5]

Originally Posted by Waldo

But I still wonder when the sins of my chain-mangling past will come back to haunt me.

When your hammering up a long and steep climb like the ones on the Main Divide.

[Kid A]

sounds like too much work to me. i just clean it and run it. when worn replace. repeat

Originally Posted by gurp13

I'm not trying to be a weener or anything but...

is the term "weenie"? hey, my whole life i strive to be a big weiner and it's working for me (and my wife).

[tkblazer]

haha that weener has the taillights off a firebird

[gurp13]

I have nearly 2000 miles on my commuter that has the original chain and cassette from 1994.

I have about 1000 on my Stumpjumper. It shifts beautifully.

I'm closing on 1000 on my road bike. I sometimes can't tell it shifted except that the pedaling effort changes.

Now, granted, the only one of those three bikes that sees the dirt regularly is the SJ. But, like I said, I clean the cassette and chain pretty good and always lube it well. Pro Gold is my friend. I guess if the chain was going to break or the cassette was bad that I'd be feeling something wrong already.

Am I way off base? I fully admit that I might not know what the f**k I'm talking about here. I was going off what my experience is right now.

[SAR_boats]

Originally Posted by gurp13

Am I way off base? I fully admit that I might not know what the f**k I'm talking about here. I was going off what my experience is right now.

The phrase "go with what you know" comes to mind. If youre getting those types of results from what you're doing then you are obviously doing something right.

[soul rider]

ride it until it explodes

[Pain Freak]

On my road bike I typically get between 3500 to 5000 miles on a chain. On my mtb's I typically get between 1500 to 2500. If I do anything on a regular basis it's change the oil in my vehicles and to lube my chains.

On my road bike I was over 15,000 miles before I replaced my rings, and casette, and I wasn't really having problems. I'm fast approaching 10,000 miles on my second drive train and it's working flawlessly.

[dirttorpeedo]

Hey!

HEY! change your stuff when you want,gurp you shood change the chains on the bikes but its not going to hert anyone.but i wanna no what letters are these **??