Has anyone else noticed wear on the sides of their cogs from the chain rivet heads?

I noticed this the last time I cleaned my drivetrain, but I finally got around to taking a picture.



Do like how they're aligned with the troughs of the next cog down?

This is on an 11-speed Ultegra cassette which I've only used with 11-speed chains- specifically Ultegra CN-HG701 and KMC X11- so don't go suggesting I've been using the wrong chain. This is the original cassette that I built the bike up with, so it has maybe 8-10 thousand miles on it. Maybe more, I can't believe I'm only getting 3 thousand miles per chain.

I'm not worrying about it, it's just something interesting to note. Also, it's most pronounced on opposite sides of the cassette, but not noticeable 90 degrees around, where the ramps happen to be, if that has any relation to it.

It's probably not a chain line or cross chaining issue (I'm usually in the big ring), or there wouldn't be the wear on the middle cogs. There's probably no wear on the smaller ones because I'm not on those as much.

No, I'm not going to see if a chain with lower profile rivets (such as a 12-speed chain) changes things.

Nothing wrong with what I see, just common narrow cog spacing chain pin wear. BTW the teeth look to be pretty well worn too. I suspect this cog set has few miles left in it. Andy

Yep. Replace the cassette. Put a new chain on it at the same time.

I guess I never noticed that kind of wear before since my drivetrains never got that clean

The chain was toast, cracked on the outer links in three different places. Maybe from leaving it soaking in solvent for months while I had a different chain in rotation? And yet still I use that same model chain...

Getting a new cassette now.

There was a thread somewhere about a biker soaking chain in Simple Green while riding bike on another chain. The chain that soaked had cracked side plates.

Yeah, leaving a chain soaking in solvent for long periods of time doesn't really accomplish anything, and can hurt. My chains are only shaken in solvent for a couple minutes before they're taken out to dry and be relubed for the next round.

But while interesting to look at, I don't see the pin wear as a problem to be solved.

as the chains had to get narrower, the pins had to be flush or nearly as so ..

as compared with the chains of yesteryear..

scuffing of the plating is all I see, nothing odd..

yea, time to replace chain and cassette.. they are consumables.. wear with use is normal ..








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Interesting- never seen that.

What kind of lube/ dirt conditions has it had?

It appears that you don't use the top four gears much, or at all. Maybe consider switching to a seven or eight speed setup -- they last much longer.

Yeah, I'm on it. And look, no wear on the sides.


How 'bout that 14-28 Ultegra 11-speed cassette?