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new cassette- do i need a new chain?

Hi guys,

I'm changing my cassette on my road bike from 12-25 to 11-28, my bike is new and i've only covered 70 miles so far...according to the tech docs I need an extra couple of links for the chain if changing to the 11-28 cassette

most sites recommend changing the chain when changing the cassette but my q is would I get away with just adding a couple of links to the existing chain since it's pretty much new anyway or would I be best buying a new chain too?

any advice appreciated
cheers

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15 comments

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glascymru | 11 years ago
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i have a similar dilemma replaced my chain found it was jumping on rear cogs under stress so replaced cassette. now find it still seems to jump/skip under stress out of the saddle riding but only on the middle ring(i run a triple). should i replace the middle chainring?

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Squiggle replied to glascymru | 11 years ago
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glascymru wrote:

i have a similar dilemma replaced my chain found it was jumping on rear cogs under stress so replaced cassette. now find it still seems to jump/skip under stress out of the saddle riding but only on the middle ring(i run a triple). should i replace the middle chainring?

If it's slipping under load at the chainring end then yeah sounds like you need to replace the ring. If it's at the back then it's probably rear mech alinement or something.

If you are craft-minded you can make a nice shed clock out of it.

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stepho | 11 years ago
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Not suggesting for 1 minute you need to change your chain every 70 miles.

Fact of the matter is the dudes chain is now too short.
If your not mechanically minded and dont have the proper tools then adding a couple of links on to a chain might not be particularly easy and could have disastrous consequences. you could always buy some new links and pay someone else to do it, then the whole argument about cost goes out the window.

Is replacing the chain really so ridiculous?  13

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bikecellar replied to stepho | 11 years ago
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Any half decent bike shop will give the guy a couple of spare links and show him how to use a chain splitter, if he buys one, I have rarely fitted a chain to any of my bikes without removing a couple of links, if he is not mechanically minded and buys a new chain will he not have to still pay to have it fitted? On the other hand I do take your point about having a spare chain I see he has more than one bike, a spare may come in handy. I always move my chains on from summer bikes to winter bikes or Tandem. I recently had half a chain + left over from a crossover drive on a Tandem (the chain which connects front crankset to rear) I added all the odd links I could find and had enough for a chain for the bike on my turbo, £20 saved.  4

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Squiggle replied to bikecellar | 11 years ago
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bikecellar wrote:

I added all the odd links I could find and had enough for a chain for the bike on my turbo, £20 saved.  4

That's brilliant! I make keyrings out of my spare links. I've got Sram PC1090 on my house keys and KMC Gold on the spare.

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Gkam84 | 11 years ago
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Just seen this, I'm F****D then, I've nearly put 70 miles on my trike and it runs 3 10 speed SRAM's.....Better get new ones.

WISE UP, there is NO NEED for a new chain at all, listen to us guys with large post counts, we seem to know what we are talking about  3  3

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giff77 | 11 years ago
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No need for a new chain after 70 miles. Use the 20 quid or so for a meal or a few pints tonight. Everyone else wind your necks in!

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Squiggle | 11 years ago
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+1 for bikecellar's comment. Do you guys pump up your tyres or just buy new wheels when the pressure gets too low?

Do keep on top of it though, I cost myself a couple of chainrings this year because I didn't change my chain. Still that's only £100 or so compared to £3000 for a new chain every 70 miles.  3

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bikecellar | 11 years ago
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YOU DO NOT NEED A NEW CHAIN JUST TWO EXTRA LINKS, ANYONE SUGGESTING OTHERWISE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT, IF 70MLS = NEW CHAIN I WOULD BE GOING THROUGH 4 CHAINS PER WEEK

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ladeside09 | 11 years ago
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Thanks guys, I'll take your advice and get a new chain and keep the old one with the cassette if I ever change back again,
Cheers

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Dutchie | 11 years ago
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After 70 miles i can't see the necessity for a new chain...

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stepho | 11 years ago
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For the sake of less than 20 quid i would just replace it.  1

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Mike_Hall | 11 years ago
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After 70 miles? - Unless it was 70 miles of steep hills and/or particularly dirty weather I doubt it.

However its a good idea to have a spare chain ready to go for when it does need replacing - if you have another chain handy you are far more likely to replace it when it reaches its wear limits. (A chain checker in one's toolbox is always a good idea)

Its a pretty good idea too to keep chains and cassettes as matched pairs so depending on what you plan to do with your old cassette it could be prudent to keep those two together if you ever want to re-fit them. In the meantime if the new chain exceeds its wear limit, the old one should serve as a good replacement, though it would need a few extra links adding, but you'd have them left over from the new chain I would imagine.

If you want to try the old chain with the new cassette, you'll find out very quickly if it works or not - it would sit awkwardly on the cogs and skip under hard, jerky pedaling (like out of the saddle), particularly the smaller ones where there are less teeth are in contact with the chain. It would be very wasteful to throw the old chain away though - there's probably a couple of thousand miles left in it yet.

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cidermart | 11 years ago
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In an ideal world yes to a new chain.

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stepho | 11 years ago
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New chain. Absolutely.

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