kapnk

Thank you for reading. My chain is pretty worn (stretched), and the links feel lose. I also get chainsuck on the small chainring if I'm going easy (not climbing). I want to get some kind of SRAM chain that has the PowerLink so it will be easy to clean it. I have 2 questions:

1. What chain should I get, and where? (web site, although if I know a model to look for, I can call around locally)

2. Can I use this cassette, even though it has apparent wear?

The bike (1997 Raliegh M-40) has shimano 7-speed stuff, shimano cassette, AceraX derailers, Tracer crank + chainrings, and GripShifters () if it matters. I use the bike for a lot of road/city riding, and go on singletrack trails once or twice a week. I'm trying to keep mountain biking an inexpensive sport, as my main two activities are school work and biking. Notice $80,000/year job wasn't in there. Hopefully some day though!

Thanks for viewing/replying. If you need any more clairfying/info/pictures/anything, just let me know!

Kevin

Grand Bois

Chainsuck is caused by worn out chainrings and a new chain will make it worse. Take a look at this:
https://tinyurl.com/eyepr
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you need a chain, a new cassette and at least one chainring.

It never ends. The more money you make, the bigger your expenses get. I'm going to be paying at least $12000 for a new roof next week, and believe me, it hurts!

ppc

Like dirtdrop said, you will need a new chain, cassette and rings. If you get chainsuck on the granny ring with a light load, and given how badly worn out your cassette looks, my guess is that you'll find your middle and big rings are worn out too. If you're low on dow, try changing just the granny ring, chain and cassette first, but it feels "crunchy" with the new chain on the other 2 rings, you'll need to change them too asap or you'll trash the new chain.

The best way to save money on drivetrain componentry is to invest in one of these little chain checker gages and change the chain as soon as it's 0.75% stretched. It may seem like a waste of money to change the chain often, but the cassette and rings will last a lot more this way, saving money in the long run.

kapnk

I read the article on chainsuck, and it all makes sense EXCEPT that I never get chainsuck when I'm climbing hard. It doesn't bother me much because I only use the small chainring for climbing.

I've been looking hard at both the cassette and the chain rings, and I can't say/see with any certainty that they are significantly worn. I just got the bike from a guy I know earlier this summer, and he said that he had a shop put a bunch of stuff on the bike...I'm wondering if cassette was one of the things?

I found a similar shimano cassette, and the shape of the teeth looks the same to me. The drive sides of the teeth look the same to me, and the smallest ring is supposed to be angled like that. Here is the link:
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...goods&v=glance

I'm one who needs to see things, and looking at the picture, I can SEE that my chain isn't seating on the gears very well. I can't see any other problems. I'm here to learn though, even if it means bad news for me.

BTW, my chainrings aren't replacable (as far as I can tell) so it means new crankset time. The cheapest one I can find is from JensenUSA link Any better deals? That crank and this cassette/chain package would get me back in the game for $99.44 shipped + whatever tools I need (probably just cassette stuff, have chain tool)

So I guess there are two more questions:

1. Is there any way I can visually see/measure wear on the gears?

2. Would there be a more economical way to go other than the crank/cassette/chain combo above?

Okay, one more
3. I currently have 170mm cranks, the ones above are 175mm. Should the change be okay? I have the seat height maxxed, so I wouldn't mind a bit more room.

Thanks for helping me learn about bicycles.

Kevin

roccobike

I'm not aware of how to measure wear on chain rings, and by the time you can see it, it's way too late. But you can measure the wear on the chain. See Sheldon Brown's website for a discussion on how to use a ruler to measure chain wear. I use a Park Chain Tool device, available at your LBS, that measures chain wear. It has paid for itself eight times over in just two months. Using either or both of these methods you will know when to replace a chain and save your gears. By the way, to answer your first question, which SRAM chain to use, there are three I am aware of, the PC-48 is the least expensive, followed by the PC-58 and the PC-68, the most expensive. The PC-68 is worth the extra expense since the highly polished surfaces of the chain resist rust when cleaning and rinsing, AND it looks real cool.

kapnk

okay, I guess I can understand that. I'll just wait until this stuff wears out completely, then order up the new stuff. It looks like AEBike.com has a decent selection and good prices, so I might go there.

Thanks for clearing up the SRAM chain system to me. Rust resistance would be good for me because this is my all-weather bike.

and Dirtdrop, sorry to hear about the roof. I hope it at least goes well.

Thanks a lot for the help, guys!

MajikMan

I'm not sure that I would necessarily say that the chainring will also need replaced....It does make sense that it probably would, but when I had the same problem, everything cleared up completely by replacing just the cassette and chain. I was in the same boat you are with non-removable rings, but thankfully once I got the cassette and chain replaced, everything rode smooth. I'd suggest trying those two parts before you invest in the new crank.