Originally Posted by
DX-MAN
I have YET to have a cassette ruin a freehub, either.... I'd be suspicious of your 'source' on that.
http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#aluminum
Originally Posted by
bhdavis1978
My bike is a 2009 Jamis Aurora Elite, so I believe the hubs are Shimano Tiagra 32H hubs.
Your freehub is steel, as most are. You can run any compatible cassette and not be concerned about damaging the freehub.
Originally Posted by
bhdavis1978
Anyway, the guys at the shop said that the cassette was okay, but that the chain was really stretched, and that if I changed the chain then I needed to change the cassette and the chain ring at the same time, otherwise it wouldn't mesh well.
Chains should be replaced before 12 full links stretches past 12 1/8". Doing so will allow your cassette to wear less quickly and it will last through several chains. Elongated chains will grind away at cog teeth so that they mesh better.
http://sheldonbrown.com/chains.html#wear