I'm about to install a new wheel/freehub and 8-speed cassette on my hybrid (find links to parts below). There isn't any difference that I can see between the new parts and the old, except for this. The (very) old cassette is a Shimano CS-HG40 11-34, and the new one is a Shimano CS-HG41 11-34. I wanted everything to stay the same, but when I searched for the HG40, all I could find was HG41. I'm pretty sure the new parts are compatible with each other, so my first question is probably moot: The cassettes look to be identical, so what's different about them? Compatible with RD?

But here's the real question: My current chain has only a little over 200 street miles on it. Should I replace it anyway?


Shimano Wheel Rear 700 x 35 Silver, QR, Altus RM30 8Sp Hub, 14g UCP Spokes, 36H

Shimano CS-HG41 8-Speed Cassette, 11-34T