nickp08

hey guys,

i dropped my bike off at my LBS yesterday to install my new wheels and i figured i'd have new brake pads put on while i'm there since mine were trashed.

they called me earlier saying that they had my bike on the stand and that my chain was pretty well worn and i should replace that, and that the cassette should always be replaced at the same time.

my bike has about 1300-1400 miles on it, so I'm not shocked the chain is worn, but i was surprised (perhaps this is my relative "newbness" with road bikes) that the cassette should be replaced at the same time. just seems a little premature. never had any problems with shifting up to this point, it's still butter smooth, and i've never skipped a gear or anything. they said the chain was 80% worn. would it be dumb to just have them replace the chain or should they always be replaced together?

Thanks.

Capecodder

It depends on how long the chain has been worn. I change the cassette every other time, and sometimes third time. The longer you ride a worn chain the faster the cassette wears.

flaco

Unless you've really been abusing your bike, I bet neither chain nor cassette needs replacing. And, cassettes last a lot longer than chains. Find a new bike shop, maybe.

You can measure the chain wear yourself, you don't have to take anyone's word for it.

gregf83 

If you've been lubing your chain regularly, it should last longer than 1,400 miles and you certainly don't need to change the cassette every time you replace the chain. I would ignore everything else your LBS is telling you and measure the chain yourself. Get a 12" steel rule and measure 12 links. If it's longer than 12 1/16" it's time to replace your chain. If it's 12 1/8" then your cassette is probably shot.

Jed19

+1.

Tell them not to replace the chain and cassette. Then check yourself per the instructions of gregf83.

Capecodder

A chain can easily be worn at 1400 mile depending on rider weight, strength, riding style and maintenance.

nickp08

thanks for the instructions. i told them not to swap either of them, but i wouldn't be opposed to swapping the chain out. i'll give it a measure tomorrow when i get the bike back.

thanks guys.

i like this shop, they've been pretty nice to me but on the other hand, if this turns out to be BS, i won't be thrilled (obviously).

Andy_K 

+2 on checking the chain yourself and not replacing the cassette. It's possible the chain needs to be replaced. I can't imagine that the cassette does.

johnny99

Your bike shop probably assumed that if you don't have the skill to install new wheels all by yourself, then you don't have the skill to properly maintain your drive train. Pretty easy for them to check if your chain is shot but not so easy to tell if your cassette is shot (without wasted labor), so they just assume you were abusing it and recommend replacing the cassette at the same time.

Mike F

Its kinda a myth that the cassette should be changed every time you get a new chain. As mentioned above there are many variables such as how worn the chain was, when was the cassette last changed etc... If this is the 2nd or 3rd chain on that cassette it could be worn but it sounds new.

fstshrk

Especially when a cassette is $100+. Check for yourself before replacing it.

GP 

If I put a new chain on and it skips, I'll replace the cassette. I get 1500-2000 on chains and 10000-14000 on cassettes.

Drew Eckhardt 

Get a new LBS.

With the chain replaced before it gets to 1/16" of stretch over 1' it's unlikely to have worn steel cogs out.

With good weather I'd be surprised.

It would be dumb to have them replace the chain. They're most likely lying to you about the cassette and can't be trusted to give an opinion on the chain.

Put tension on the chain, measure the spacing between the same point on pins approximately 12" apart using a ruler (I like my 15" ruler) and don't worry about replacement until it measures 12 1/16".

Don't replace the cassette unless the new chain gets skipping on your most used cogs or doesn't shift like new. This is likely if you let the chain stretch to 12 1/8" before replacing it.

emveezee

Replace your chain, cassette, chainrings every 500 mi. Bar tape, saddle, and brake pads every 2 rides. Carbon fork, rear triangle, and hubs every 1000 mi.

nickp08

thanks for the feedback guys. i'll definitely measure it myself when i get it back tomorrow. as i mentioned earlier, it still feels great, i haven't had a single issue, it still feels and shifts great, and i really only use a few cogs (maybe 3 or 4). i keep the chain lubed up and the RD adjusted.

i've had pretty good experiences with my LBS, so this is making me a little uneasy.

wphamilton

Why can't your bike shop look at the cassette and tell that it's worn or not, instead of that silly "always" replace the cassette?

roccobike

As has been said, 1400 miles on a cassette is actually low mileage and I'd be real surprised if it needs replacement. I did have a 105 chain that was worn at about 1400 miles, that's why I switched back to Ultegra. It's possible that your chain may be on the brink of needing replacement, so they made the call to let you know to replace it. But recommending that you replace the cassette is a bad sign. I don't know if I'd trust them to replace the chain. Would they purposely adjust the derailer to cause skip? If they're rip out artists, it could happen. I'd take it to another shop for the chain.

HokuLoa

At less than 1500 miles that sends up serious danger flags. Neither should be shot at that point unless you are REALLY bad at maintenance and/or and incredible hulk masher.

BTW, do yourself a favor and learn the basic skills needed to check, maintain, and work on your own gear. It may be intimidating but stuff like installing a wheel, changing cassettes/chains/tires/brakes etc are unbelievably simple tasks that anyone can easily learn to do themselves. Empower yourself and DIY the basic repairs. It really pays off in the long run

doctor j

13,000+ miles and still going on the cassette on one of my road bikes, and 10,000+ miles and still going on the cassette on the other road bike.

Unless there has been some sort of extraordinary wear, I suspect your cassette is just fine.

StanSeven

A different viewpoint here. 1400 miles could be a lot or a little for chains. A lot depends on how and where you ride. Strong and heavy riders, sprinters, mashers, riding on hills, riding with lots of stop and goes, all shorten chain like. Weather does as well. People that get long chain life typically are light weight riders on the flats and spin. In short, they don't put strain on the drivetrain.

People here keep accusing shops of ripping customers off by recommending a cassette replacement. I really doubt shops do that for maybe $20 markup on a cassette. Maybe it's a easy out to say a cassette needs replacing rather than check. Visual inspection usually can tell when a cassette is shot but sometimes the only way to tell for sure is put a new chain on and ride it for a while. Can you imagine how upset customers are when they take their bike in, leave it for a couple days, pay for a new chain, and find a few days later they still have problems?

dnuzzomueller

Despite what others are saying here, don't demonize your bike shop just yet. I can tell you that after working at one for a while now there can EASILY be miscommunications between mechanics and the person who gives you the call. Sometimes there is a game of telephone going on in the shop and mistakes are made. Heck, I have seen crappy chain measurement tools be used that make brand new chains "look" like they have seen 1000 miles of riding right out of the box.

Give them the benefit of the doubt. If you are on good terms with them dont just jump to the conclusion that they are trying to put the nails to you.

rc51crazy

I have a Campy Chorus chain that has well over 6000 miles on it and still measures good. Yes i keep the chain clean and lubed, almost fanatical about it. Yes i am changing it this year just for safties sake, but since i don't regularly ride this bike anymore, it is not necessary. So 1400 miles on a chain should be nothing.

Rx Rider

don't take this wrong but when you ask to have brake pads replaced, these guys probably smelled blood in the water, noob alert. not that all shops are bad but they gotta pay the rent. that's why some places resell the part that was "trash" a week before.
keep the chain cleanoiled and wait for the first misfired, and replace the chain yourself, parktoolsdotcom.
the cost in tools is nothing. then learn how to replace the cassette, the cost in tools for that is more nothing. not if you stay with bike for very long.

renton20

I'd say that the line about always replacing a cassette is BS. I sometimes go through 10 chains on a cassette. At the same time I also replace chains every 1000-1500 miles. While it is true that if your chain is too worn out it can deform a cassette to the point where a new chain will skip, "always" is an exaggeration. Honestly, I'd ask the reasoning behind the suggestion, it may be that they can clearly see wear on those 3 or 4 cogs you always ride on. If they really stick to their guns and stick to the always line, I'd ask to talk to the service manager and find out if that's really the official policy. If it is, find a new shop because that is crap.

nickp08

thanks for the feedback.

i actually am fairly comfortable wrenching on my bike for basic stuff... i've swapped tubes/tires, brakes, done basic derailleur adjustments, etc. I've frankly never even thought about chain wear before (rode a beater MTB for two years, i've had my road bike for a year now), but it's now something I'll keep in mind an definitely measure and keep an eye on from here on out.

My understanding is that the cassette needs some special tools to get off so I took it to the shop for the new wheels, and it needed new brakes too so i figured i'd save myself the effort... had i not been dropping it off for the wheels i would have definitely installed the new brake pads and adjusted the brakes myself.

given this:

I wasn't too shocked that my chain might be a bit worn since I'm almost certainly on the more 'abusive' end of that scale, and I guess intuitively it made sense to me. while i do maintain my bike, i do weigh ~188 lbs and i have pretty strong legs, i think (by and large) i fall more on the "mashing" end of the scale, and i ride virtually all of my miles in new york city and the surrounding area, so i end up stopping and going a lot. although i do ride primarily on flats and in good weather, so that might balance it out a bit.