Friend got weird LBS advice on cassette replacement

[AndrewB]

While chatting with a riding pal yesterday on an "epic" ride, he told me that he took his bike in to a local shop recently for a tune up, and after 4200 miles, was told he needed a new chain and cassette. We got our bikes at about the same time, and I'm on my third chain, and still first cassette.

He said the LSB tech told him that he should replace the chain every 1500 miles, and the cassette every third chain.

That seems to be extreme, unless you always buy the same chain and can predict the wear. But the cassette? Strange.

[nfmisso]

sounds like the LBS wants to get more of your friends money. Which shop?

I go to WheelAway on Hamilton in Campbell. He looked in my cassette, and said that there was little or no wear, and that it would last many many more miles.

There are no moving parts in a cassette (unlike a freewheel), so you can be pretty aggressive in cleaning it - I actually ran it through the dish washer with no soap. It came out nice and shiny, and very evident that there was no wear.

[AndrewB]

Hey Nigel,

The shop he took it to (and also bought the bike) is Sports Basement in Sunnyvale. It's close to me, and I go there often. The repairs are excellent. But the advice you get from the associates can vary, as with any store that has many employees. I asked them to order a Connex chain, and the one questionable associate wanted to know why order, versus what they had in stock. The SRAM PC1070 I had gotten from them only lasted about 1500 miles, that's why.

I was suspect of the advice he got, so thanks for your thoughts on that.

Ironically, I was thinking of cleaning my cassette soon, once I get the tools to remove/reinstall it. I was thinking of letting it soak in dishpan soap overnight. I'm not sure my girlfriend would want it in the dishwasher.

[Bill]

You could rinse out an old container , like a milk jug, cut out the bottom fill it with your mix leave it sit . Happy rider, happy girlfriend, and happy bike! Nice story

[GeorgeET]

There are no moving parts in a cassette (unlike a freewheel), so you can be pretty aggressive in cleaning it - I actually ran it through the dish washer with no soap. It came out nice and shiny, and very evident that there was no wear.
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Man Nigel, you must be single. My wife would give me hell if she found bike parts in the dishwasher. :-))) Although you are right that works good for motorcycle heads , I have been told.
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AS per cleaning, lots of good stuff around . Some good citrus stuff and simple green, and its friendly. Soak it in a old plastic jug, like Bill said.

[nfmisso]

(06-27-2011, 12:11 AM)GeorgeET Wrote:  There are no moving parts in a cassette (unlike a freewheel), so you can be pretty aggressive in cleaning it - I actually ran it through the dish washer with no soap. It came out nice and shiny, and very evident that there was no wear.
^^^^^^^^^
Man Nigel, you must be single. My wife would give me hell if she found bike parts in the dishwasher. :-))) Although you are right that works good for motorcycle heads , I have been told.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
AS per cleaning, lots of good stuff around . Some good citrus stuff and simple green, and its friendly. Soak it in a old plastic jug, like Bill said.

Married; Diane is very understanding. I washed the cassette in Joy in the sink first, and got as deep as I could with a tooth brush (hotel collection from business trips). It was pretty clean, when I put it in the dishwasher, the hot water spray took care of the last remaining bit

Don't use any soap in the dishwasher with bike parts !! regular soaps foam and will create a mess all over the kitchen. Dish washer detergent is very caustic, and will do a number on any aluminum or cosmetic parts. The water in a dishwasher is hot enough to damage many plastics, so top shelf (cooler) or don't put plastics in there.

[cyclerUK]

You can measure chain wear.
Take a 12" rule and measure across 12 links (that's 12 outers and 12 inners).
On a new chain 12 links should measure exactly 12" from rivet centre to rivet centre.
If the chain measures 12 & 1/16" then it's time for a new chain.
If, after fitting a new chain, the chain jumps on the cassette when pedalling then a new cassette is required.
You will more than likely find that it's only a couple of sprockets that are worn (the ones that get used most) and a cassettes life can be extended by changing only the worn ones, if you can get spares. I have managed a couple of times to rescue a cassette by using spare sprockets from old cassettes.

[AndrewB]

Hi CyclerUK,

I have a Park CC-2 chain wear tool, so I don't need to do the ruler test for chain wear myself. But even his new chain was between .25 and .5 on my tool when measured this weekend before a century ride over a mountain and some big hills. My Connex 10S1 chain, after 300 miles, still can't fit the CC-2 in yet.

We do long bike rides, with hills and mountains, so most gears get used on our cassettes as we push ourselves on our rides.