How To Know When To Change Your Chain, Cassette And Chainrings

[@charlestoast4051]

Since watching Oz Cycle's KZbin channel, I've switched over to lubing my chains with paraffin (candle) wax. My whole drivetrain stays clean, and you can handle the chain without getting dirt on your hands. I have three chains on the go for any one bike, and swap them out around every 200 (dry) miles, a process made so much better by the lack of oil and grease. Even the drivetrain on my hybrid bike, which I commonly use on light trails, stays clean.

[@PMoney365]

That trick for checking the cassette is gold. My chain was skipping right after I changed the chain and I thought it was improperly indexed. After indexing it was still skipping. I tried the trick at 3:32 and indeed my chain was lifting. Thanks GCN!

[@KeenxLimit]

I ruined my cassette in about 500km when I just started cycling and used no lube or clean my bike at all riding in really dusty conditions Definitely learned my lesson and now I keep my drivetrain immaculate

[@JTS21]

Serviced my hub bearings yesterday with your instruction video. Smooth as a baby's bum now! Keep up the great work

[@reillystuff]

It's because of videos like this, why I love this channel. Keep it up GCN Team!

[@FightingThroughPodcast]

Excellent! Nice clear close ups and explanations. Thanks.

[@roooooar9018]

I love these how to's! Starting to treat my bikes with a bit more TLC, which is making them last longer and ride like new all the time. Thanks GCN!

[@fatbikefreak5962]

The chains in Spain, stretch mainly on the plains..

[@AgentSmith16]

hahahahahahahahahahahaha, well played mate.

[@benpar8120]

😣

[@Deadbuck73]

Damn damn damn... I’ve become accustomed to her bio-pace...

[@bobrussell8339]

lol I needed that!

[@RobMaynardDJ]

Excellent instruction sir!! I shall take full notice and get both my bikes fully serviced 🙇🏽‍♂️🙏🏼❤️

[@makantahi3731]

what is here excellent? it would be if he have answer that would save you of buying new cassette or ring gear when they are worn

[@imhs81]

thanks a lot for the 8 inch info! no need to buy the special ruler then~

[@HooxNZ]

have you experience with other peoples 8 inch devices?

[@CristianCiupitu]

There's a downside to the ruler method: it doesn't measure the wear on the inside. The pins might be in place, but the rollers might be worn out.

[@kenny2PWRR]

If the rollers are worn then the pins will be further apart.

[@chocolate_squiggle]

@@alexanderbeazley2400 It's boring, tired, obvious & juvenile. That's why no-one else is appreciating it. I avoid people that constantly have to make remarks about sexual innuendo - they're usually the loudmouth 'look at me' type of people desperate for any attention.

[@ITsupportian]

There like 7 bucks, when you have like $2k bike

[@ContactFault]

Stumbled across this video after replacing my chain, brake pads and disks, glad I did after watching. Thankfully my cassette is still good so all that needed was a thorough clean.

[@charlificity]

Thanks Si, you just answered all my questions - just changed my chain yesterday and now it skips. Bike-saver!

[@brunokabbaz5779]

Awesome video, in fact I just had to replace my chain and cassette because it wore out without me knowing how to measure it...now I do, actually, after it wore out, I just bought this steel chain verifier to avid it from happen again...had I known that a simple ruler would do the job...Thanks a lot Si!

[@meliss9536]

You guys have videos for everything! I love it. Thank you.

[@WmCRobison]

Good advice, thank you for including some idea on how long to expect a chain to last. It is useful to have an idea on what to expect.

[@makantahi3731]

wax it every 100km and chain will last 6-8 times longer

[@grasho]

I ride my current Ultegra 6750 drivetrain with 2 Dura Ace 7901 chains, switching them on every 2000 kilometers. So far I have done 40 000kms like that and I just started experience some little chain skips, especially after switching to the other chain... Now I will change the chainrings, cassette and the chains altogether, but they lasted so much... I really think changing the chain every 3-5k kilometers will hit my budget harder, and I doubt that the chainrings will last more doing so.

[@9555464647]

the 8 inch measure is precise. Thanks for varied info! cheers GCN!

[@WatchesnguitarsDK]

Thank you. I'm new to this and my chain really needed to be changed!

[@ze3bar]

I've been riding the same drive train on my bike for 5 years. I didnt know the chain needed to be replaced frequently lol this year I was having a ton of problems with shifting so I took it in. They told me I have to replace all my gears and the chain lol

[@LuKaS2oo9]

ouch

[@sdqsdq6274]

lol , nothing last forever

[@ze3bar]

@@LuKaS2oo9 lesson learned Doesn't really matter since they have to be changed anyways when you ride enough.

[@alvinz4865]

Another train of thought. What if your cassette and chain are the same entry-level price? Wouldn't wearing them both out at the same time past 0.75% be more economical until there is a problem like yours? 5 years... jeeez.

[@ze3bar]

@@alvinz4865 There's a performance hit if that's something that concerns you. You can run them until the chain snaps if all you're looking for is economy.

[@GNX157]

You will get more life from the cassette and chainring by replacing the chain often. Whatever wear level you replace the chain at, that is the level the cassette is now worn to. An advanced method is to replace (don't throw away) the chain say, every 500 miles (to keep things simple in this example). Do this with 3, maybe 4 chains. (Do this technique only on a new cassette) Then go back to the first chain with 500 miles and install that again and run for 500mi. Repeat again with the other chains, doing the same thing again at 500 mile intervals. The cassette will basically wear to the most worn chain but in this case you get to do it with 4 chains. When all 4 chains reach the .5 or .75 wear level (whichever spec you use), it will then be time to replace the cassette with the idea being you get more mileage from the 4 chains and cassette than you would have going the traditional route.

[@makantahi3731]

yes i do that on 3 bikes, first 3000km on my road bike, next 3000km on my mtb and last 3000or more km on my wife bike, so 1 hg70 chain can hit 10000km on wax

[@petrjandal5197]

I didnt know how check whtere I need change the cassete. Now its clear. Super. THX

[@gcn]

Glad we could help 🙌

[@reidwagner1508]

Thanks for the tips. Just went out to check my chain

[@TheHAPHAZARDENT]

You guys rock for all your hard work in your videos. So helpful!

[@arthurd6495]

replaced my chain and my main gears started skipping. This video mentions it explicitly as a result of a worn out cassette. Just what I was looking for. Thanks.

[@TubeDeviant]

Just changed the crank, cassette, chain and pulley on my old Rocky Mountain because of the chain skipping, but still glad I found this video for future reference..

[@smmaniam]

Thank you a million. Wonderful tips especially on the chains. Simple easy tips.

[@makantahi3731]

if you thank me a million times more than him , i will discover to you the big secret how almost you will never buy new cassette or ring gear

[@amorphousblob]

This was very well explained, thank you.

[@HeatherSpoonheim]

Thank you so much. I figured out on my own that my chain was stretched by noticing how it was riding up on the teeth of the chainring rather than snug inside the gaps. Changed it, with some help from another one of your videos - and what do you know, my third and fourth biggest gears on the cassette were slipping like crazy - just as you described here. Off to get a new cassette in the morning.

[@gcn]

You're welcome Heather, hope you have some great shifting after this :)

[@HeatherSpoonheim]

@@gcn New cassette installed, shifting adjusted, first test ride felt great. I'll be riding rather carefully for the fist bit - it's going to take a while for my confidence to return enough to stand up and start mashing my way up a hill again - oh, and riding season is almost over here, sadly.

[@bentstrider]

I'm not a weight weenie myself, so I usually go with the cheaper, yet heavier and sturdier components.

[@abbisalmi1948]

Great video and easy to understand. Big up!

[@Demon09-_-]

so was the cassette worn on here? when he showed the push down test and it moved a little? or was that normal movement from slack to tension? he didn't clarify so hoping someone will be able to chime in. thanks in advance

[@robert8077]

New Chain if replace on time just before they worn close to limit you be able use old cassette for more miles but i always replace chain and cassette same time just best in my opinionq

[@horiabass]

@@robert8077 For most cassettes outlive 2, maybe 3 chains.

[@robert8077]

@@horiabass True but i always replace both every time anyway

[@horiabass]

@@robert8077 Why though? The loss, if any, hasn't and probably cannot be measured/quantified. OCD I can understand.

[@robert8077]

@@horiabass Cause I have bit of ocd just feel like on 1st cassette since bike new little bit worn so wear out new chain quicker

[@samleonard1916]

GCN video's just keep on giving!

[@dgb5820]

You are great at this subject

[@79reynevan]

Thanks for that video, well done as always!

[@FitzroySymisterArt]

Very good information

[@tritoobe]

Thanks for the video. Always great source of tech information!

[@alanng2400]

you are SO professional....thanks

[@SS8styles]

Yes, this is just what I needed as I install my new groupset...want to keep this one prime

[@giladbaruchian7522]

you should also talk about lubing the chain to decrease friction and make everything last longer

[@christianmitchell499]

What do you mean by "hooked like shark's teeth"? Pointed or shaped like waves (one side steeper than the other side)?

[@bobrussell8339]

My question exactly! How many people have seen sharks teeth up close?

[@songofyesterday]

That explains a lot. I started sprint training and suddenly I’m changing chain after a month. Back to endurance rides then.

[@MegaFred13]

Pull the chain off the chainring! Thanks! Great trick!

[@JasonD19736]

Good vid as always, but what I want to know is whether GCN is coming to the Tour Down Under? Come on we need you down here!

[@oversteer46]

Excellent video

[@neverowns]

This is very informative, and the techniques you use to diagnose issues are clever too. Would it be the case if like me you re-adjust your back wheel in the dropouts to alter chain tension, that it would become trickier to diagnose whether the chainring is worn?(i.e. is the test relative between the chain and the chainring or is it a definitive test)

[@kasirbarati3336]

Thanks for the amazing work, Just a quick question. My bikes sprocket is loose and it make noise when I am pedaling. It is exactly like loose wheel bearing you experience. But not the wheel itself, but the sprocket. Any tut on this, Do I need to replace the entire sprocket or I can replace soly the bearings if there is one somewhere inside the sprocket.

[@LAUDOGNE]

Splendid, many thanks.Very helpful.

[@mikemikes]

Great video. Very informative. Thank you.

[@KieranSulikosky]

Super handy trick with the rear casette measurement! I did 4000+ km on some pretty shit roads with a near new Ultegra 6800 set. I started to lose the chain when I put some watts down on the big ring (1000+ watts) and couldn't figure out what it was. Replaced the chain as it was past the 1mm on my tool, closer to 1.5mm me thinks - I will definitely change it more often now. Still have the same issue with the chain dropping. Casette is fine by the looks of it. Must be the chainring so I'll replace it ASAP and update this.

[@fender1000100]

I use J&L chainrings. Never had a single chain drop even after 4 months and 2,000 km. They have some serious deep teeth.

[@Fidasaind]

My shop offers free maintenance as part of buying my bike. So I have my first century on Sunday, will do a recovery ride on Monday, intervals on Tuesday and am dropping my bike off Wednesdays. It'll be at about 2200 miles so I'm having them put on a new chain. Anything else I should ask them to do? I have an unexplained creak that nobody seems to be able to track down. It sounds an awful lot like a broken or loose spoke but I've had the wheels checked and trued multiple times. It happens when I'm coasting and pedaling, in or out of the saddle, and does not seem to get faster as I get faster. Shop has looked numerous times and the best they can guess is it is just the spokes rubbing (32 spoke, 3 cross pattern I think). They are greasing everything, going to give both wheels minor truing, checking to see if anything else is worn (I've known the owner a couple years and he's treated both me and my wife very well so he's earned quite a bit of trust from me when it comes to suggestions about replacements or upgrades). I'm going to ask if if the wiring looks good since I saw one fraying a bit and had it trimmed and recapped. We live in very dry conditions but there is plenty of dust. I do the "5 minute clean" every 100-200 miles. And I'm a heavier rider so I do expect to have worn things a bit faster than normal (hence the 32 spoke wheels, owner gave me even trade on 32 spoke Mavic Open Pro rim, Ultegra hub custom wheels for the stock Bontrager TLR wheels)

[@TypeVertigo]

JAWS reference at the end... "You're gonna need a bigger bike" LOL

[@philmiller5081]

I recently had to buy a new chain and new cassette because the cable for my gear shift broke after extended use. Anyway, I took it to the bike shop and got a new chain, new cassette, new cable, and all installed for $85 after about 10,000 miles, which is about 3 years worth. $85 every three years isn't so bad.

[@Velo1010]

I like your honesty about buying tools specific for some jobs. Just leave that stuff for the bike shops to buy. But your right, the drivetrain is the first to wear out, just like the transmission in a car.

[@armcomdes]

Nice piece! Thanks.

[@hul8376]

mm is a nice thing to use when measuring.

[@Tsnor150]

Excellent video. Can anyone point to anything that tells how to FIND COMPATIBLE CHAINRINGS? (1991 rx-100 group set which is like 105 for most pieces, how do I find compatible chainrings )

[@vicentesoare]

excellent video.

[@dalefeeney2211]

Could you add the links at the end to the description in future? I can't click on them from a mobile device.

[@luizaugustowagner]

You guys rocks! Thanks!

[@aaronroldan8682]

Hello GCN,I have prob, my chain, Chainring, cassete is okay, but my problem is its all covered with rust,Does that mean I should replace it or I should buy a thing(any thing you suggest), And my Bike is a BMX, I dont really mind my chain,Chaingring,cassete cause I dont mind I just go out and pedal out,then I saw the rust,and im not a good owner on the bike what should I do?

[@AndrewBlucher]

Looking young there Si!

[@chicobato]

Thank you very much for this guide. Now I'm able to get a new cassette and a new chain. I believe it's pretty accurate to change them based on your daily performance. I ride my bike 4 times a week on an average of 60kms per day. I think its time for a change. Any advise in terms of brand? Shimano 10 speed cassette or sram? Thanks always.. Cheers from Dominican Republic..

[@gcn]

+Jesus de la Rosa Glad the video helped and thanks for getting in touch!

[@Corieorieorie]

+Global Cycling Network you ignored his question.. ha

[@chicobato]

Its ok though....

[@Dev9172]

Thanks . Good video . I need a new chain .

[@domeysmith7700]

Ha ha you have to buy a chain lol

[@stefancameron]

Thanks Si. What about changing pedals? I've had the same Look pedals for years. Is there a recommendation of when to change them? Do they ever need to be changed?

[@gcn]

Pedals are pretty hardy, but you might find you need to change them if the bearings start to go. Give them a wiggle and see if they have a lot of 'play' in them. You might be able to just change the bearings though.

[@paskrell]

@global Cycling Network: I had a shop recommend to keep the first chain and use it again when the second chain is worn and then reuse the second one after. This would make the cassette and chainrings last longer. What do you think about that? Cheers and greetings from Switzerland.

[@georgevalentine3823]

Provided i change out my chain at the correct intervals, typically how many chains would i get through before i would have to replace some of the other components? Cheers guys

[@scruffygit771]

George Valentine Depends on a huge variance of cycling conditions but i use as a general rule of thumb, 3 chains for every cassette and 3 cassettes for every chainring.

[@meadowsmartin]

With the "old school" method you describe, where you put the chain on the large chainring then pull the chain toward the front of the bike to check for stretch, in what gear should the chain be on the rear cassette? It looks like you have it on the 21-tooth sprocket. Should it not go on the largest sprocket?

[@gcn]

Martin Meadows It doesn't matter actually. The chainring itself takes the tension out of the rest of the gears.

[@rokolczuk]

Great video!

[@vinceking7878]

Can having a chain too tight wreck parts? My bike front cogs look a bit worn(but the cassette is strangely fine) . The hybrid bike hasn't done many miles and as never had any drivetrain parts replaced. I degrease and oil the chain extremely regularly (though I don't put enough on the sides of the chain). I think I tightened the b tentioner skrew too much when the bike was newer (I am 15 and like learning).

[@iivv_nn]

hello, Does.5=replace chain? .75=replace chain+cassette+ rings? Also do you have to place the tool on the top chain (above the chainstay)

[@hastie1738]

the good old days of gcn

[@MarkGardiner1976]

I`ve never had a road bike before but want to get one mostly for road use but also for some hill climbing. I have been told that you want to aim for a cassette that is at minimum 10 or 11 speed and a 32-34 and a compact crank. I can`t seem to find a bike in my price range, maximum £600-700 that has those. They seem to have the 32-34 cassette that is only an 8-9 speed. Was that advice good or bad? Also, if I buy a bike that doesn`t have the 10-11 speed can I buy a new cassette and have more gears on the bike that way? I`m sorry if those are stupid questions but I have never ridden a road bike before. Many thanks for any answers that you can give to me in advance. Thank you.

[@spanish111japan]

+Vegan Minimalist Mark Nonsense dude, for your first bike, a 9 Speed is perfect, 10-11 Speed need much more mainteinance and have more expensive replacements. I have a Focus Culebro 4.0 with Sora groupset, 9 speed, cheap replacements, had to adjust the shifting twice in 3.0000KM so far. You can't mix casettes with any groupset you want, you must use the same aount of gears that your hand shifters/rear derraileur can do! Don't rush buying a new bike, look arround, research a lot, even a month if you need to.

[@willek1335]

1:45 A chain last 3000 to 5000 km? ^^ The store told me 1500 is enough to wear out my chain. I use a low end merida ( silex 200). Wash it once a month since for 4 months when I bought it.

[@richflint5423]

Without measuring tools how do you know when the chain is TOO LONG or just worn? will REMOVING a couple of links help tighten it up?

[@Christophe_L]

Rear derailleur will be too loose, meaning it will swing up way too much, which you can tell by putting it in the lowest gear combo and seeing if it still has slack.

[@fredjacobs6484]

So smart and so lovely. Thanks 👌

[@paul6925]

For chain ring I don't understand what he meant by hooked like shark teeth. You mean asymmetrical so they are worn on 1 side? Or they are getting pointier?

[@hasurohit4780]

Do you have any book? Seeing which we can study the theory

[@hymen0callis]

You don't always have to change your whole cassette. Since I ride the same gear on my commuter bicycle pretty much 90% of the time, I only had to order one new cog (about 5 EUR) to make everything work like a charm again. (Not possible with SRAM I guess.)

[@bikeanddogtripsvirtualcycling]

changed my 1st cassette at around 5.30am this morning. only took me 3 weeks to manage it as i had been trying to remove the entire rear hub and couldnt (lack of tools). i felt quite the fool when i realised how easy it actually was

[@TheAtkinson118]

That's funny😆

[@sinagong69]

I use two chains in tandem and when I have to replace them I replace the cassette. Saves any problems later on.

[@clippydaclip]

it's weird for 5 years i've ride a old gitane which was 30 years old (use to belong to my dad and he didn't want to buy me a recent bike ) the bike was runing on an old campagnolo and nothing has been changend since 1984 , i get rid of the bike only a month ago (after a nearly fatal crash ) but the bike was running fine even climbing the"maïdo" (that's a epic climb on my island la Réunion if you guys want to search about that) so , what are the risk of riding on an old drive train ?

[@bobbyhempel1513]

Metal fatigue could cause the chain to snap or even (though uncommon) teeth on either chain ring or cassette to snap off any of which could cause you to slam a knee or worse your face into your headset and even worse go over the bars in an epic crash.

[@allbunsglazing]

4:26 - pause, bask in the gcn strong content.

[@sisophous]

I have 4,000 miles on my chain and cassette which was last replaced just over 4 months ago. The bike shifts perfectly and I do clean the chain and cassette when it needs it, roughly every 2 weeks. No sense in replacing parts that do not need it. My bike shop wants the labor so of course they tell me to replace parts that are working just fine.

[@samirhafsa9818]

Thank s

[@TheSuperMotoHooligan]

Will this work on my motorcycle?

[@lewisfilms]

I have a creaking noise but only when climbing in the three easiest sprockets. Cassette has 5000 miles. Chain only 1600 miles. Creak goes away when on flats and in middle sprockets of cassette. Ideas?

[@skv1991]

Nice video, very interesting to know and keep in mind, thanks! Added subtitles in Russian ;)

[@felixochieng8179]

respect i like your guidance. keep up

[@fultor7846]

thank u

[@p.g.8138]

My chain will go down from 7th to 6th by itself then back up to seventh. I have the barrel adjusted correctly tightened the b screw and clean the chain and cogs and it still does it. I'm almost positive it's the cassette worn out on those two gears because those are the gears I use the most.

[@GNX157]

Definitely check you derailleur hanger alignment.

[@Deadbuck73]

I think my Schwinn has the original chain from when I bought it new in 1989/1990... I rode hundreds of miles on it... still rides nice... I did clean it the other day.... first time I ever did that... hope I didn’t clean away the mojo baby....

[@bobrussell8339]

I'm with you brother. I rode my Specialized hybrid for 19 years almost daily and put 60,000 miles on it. I lubed it once a year for good measure. I took it in for its first tune-up because the bearing in the crankshaft was grinding. The mechanic changed the bearing and recommended a new chain. I asked what the symptoms of a stretched chain were, and he said, "chain slippage." Since I didn't have any slippage I passed on the new chain. After another year I thought maybe I ought to change the chain just for good measure. The new chain slipped like hell so I bought a new bike. Sometimes it is best to just leave well enough alone. Perhaps if I were working with 20 year old legs instead of 80 year old legs it would have made a difference.

[@Deadbuck73]

@@bobrussell8339 right on!

[@claritean]

Great great video !

[@jamesnickless7664]

Morning - appreciate this might make me sound like l'idiot du village, but having watched this excellent video, i've measured my chain and it was at 1%...so new chain and cassette in the post. But when the new cassette arrives, I presume I need to ape the exisiting spacing, rather than just unwrap and plonk on the new cassette? I've never changed these parts before so unsure...! Thanks in advance.

[@gcn]

Hi James. Normally the spacing will be exactly the same with your new cassette, so it should be fairly simple. Here's a guide: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zma6qat6pJl2rLs

[@abedfo88]

hahaha nice one Simon.

[@AeronN7]

Should i also change the quick link too, would you say?

[@ajlong404]

+Aaronmn7 Absolutely.

[@AeronN7]

And I did :) Though the KMC ones say ''reusable'' on the packet

[@ajlong404]

Good. They're cheap enough to change with every chain.

[@MaplePanda04]

Aaronmn7 “Reusable” means you can pop it open to remove the chain for cleaning. It will still wear like normal and you should change it with every chain though.

[@QwnageFTW]

Hi guys, I have found that the measuring with a ruler option is not fool-proof. I had found that the little rollers on the inside of each link moved back and forth literally about 1mm or so each way, the ruler option did not pick up on this.

[@fhowland]

Countefeit shimano chains just wore through my cassette in 1500 miles!

[@robociock]

If the casette is worn do I have to change also chain and sprocket to avoid the new casette to start wearing prematurely?

[@jimbobeire]

Unless you recently changed the chain then yes. It's the stretched chain that wear the cassette. A new chain has the same spacing between rollers that the cassette does, so the load is spread evenly. A chain stretched even 0.5% will be putting more force on fewer teeth of the cassette, and it gets worse with time.

[@MintyRiverboat-px5jd]

How was the 🔗 wearing alongside the cog in circles now flipp forg

[@PitchUpCampsiteReviews]

Looks like I need a new chain and cassette. I've got at 27 Carrera Kraken and it always slips on the bottom 3 gears.

[@dippster357]

Hey, Global Cycling Network, how do i find out what replacement parts will fit my bike is there a website i can look it up? I need a crankset, rear cassette, and chain can you please help me with this it would be very much appreciated thank you in advance.

[@MaplePanda04]

dippster357 How many gears does your bike have in the front and back? What manufacturer makes the drivetrain?