Doe my cassette look worn?

[richardfm]

Nooooo! Shortening a chain is a piece of cake. Adding links is another matter! I always tend to buckle them.

As long as you don't push the pin all the way out when shortening it is easy enough to put the removed links back.

 

[I like Skol]

Those numbers

As long as you don't push the pin all the way out when shortening it is easy enough to put the removed links back.

Have you tried this since 7/8 speed drivetrains became old hat? I think you will find that unless extremely lucky you will simply bend the rear plate when trying to reintroduce the pin.

 

[Deleted member 89023]

How about adding a couple of quick links to increase the length.

That's an idea, although I'm not sure about have three or four quick links in a chain?

 

[richardfm]

Those numbers


Have you tried this since 7/8 speed drivetrains became old hat? I think you will find that unless extremely lucky you will simply bend the rear plate when trying to reintroduce the pin.

I've tried it recently, but maybe it was on a 5,6 or 7 speed chain. I don't remember

 

[Smokin Joe]

Those numbers


Have you tried this since 7/8 speed drivetrains became old hat? I think you will find that unless extremely lucky you will simply bend the rear plate when trying to reintroduce the pin.

You might get away with nine speed, but 10 and above are a no-no.

 

[Ajax Bay]

How about adding a couple of quick links to increase the length. Would that work?

How about having a wee think about that?

 

[I like Skol]

How about having a wee think about that?

Exactly, how do you add quick links into a chain to increase the length......

You can always split the chain and add quick links to replace the removed outer plates, but that gains you nothing. Or, you can build a section of extension chain using quick links and the removed inner plates & rollers! Rather you than me. I'm not saying it won't work as a get-you-home kind of fix, but no way I would run that as a new install!

 

[Sea of vapours]

you can build a section of extension chain using quick links and the removed inner plates & rollers! Rather you than me.

Whilst quite expensive - in that quick links are not as cheap as the original links - why is that a problem? OK, it's certainly a little inelegant, and it's hard to imagine that it's not a tiny bit less secure than a normal link, but quick links aren't prone to failure if installed carefully, correctly, and once, and not then used to 'break' the chain. If one quick link in a chain is adequate then I'd have thought two or three would be too.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Yes, I'm not suggesting that using two quick links to insert an inch and a half of chain wouldn't be possible nor do I think (agreeing with @Sea of vapours ) there'd be any detriment to the chain's function, but the OP (and @Paulus) cannot just
"add a couple of quick links".
I carry two quick links and a short (38mm) bit of chain in case of chain damage (never happened so it must work).

 

[ColinJ]

Whilst quite expensive - in that quick links are not as cheap as the original links - why is that a problem? OK, it's certainly a little inelegant, and it's hard to imagine that it's not a tiny bit less secure than a normal link, but quick links aren't prone to failure if installed carefully, correctly, and once, and not then used to 'break' the chain. If one quick link in a chain is adequate then I'd have thought two or three would be too.

Yes, I'm not suggesting that using two quick links to insert an inch and a half of chain wouldn't be possible nor do I think (agreeing with @Sea of vapours ) there'd be any detriment to the chain's function, but the OP (and @Paulus) cannot just
"add a couple of quick links".
I carry two quick links and a short (37mm) bit of chain in case of chain damage (never happened so it must work).

I actually over-shortened the last chain that I installed () and used 2 quick links and a short length of the hacked-off bit to restore it to the correct length. All is now well.

I have lots of spare quick links so that wasn't a problem. It was an annoying mistake to make though!

 

[Chislenko]

Funnily enough I took my winter bike out today for the first time this year. I had cleaned it all off last spring and in readiness for this season fitted a new chain. Guess what, it skips like nobody's business so off to order a new cassette which must be older than I thought it was!

It made for a very unpleasant ride before turning back!

 

[Chislenko]

Cassette is arriving today between 10.32 and 12.32! Not a lot of availability on 8 speed now. Have always used Merlin in the past but no stock. Got one from a company called BikeParts.co.uk who have come up trumps for a couple of items recently. Quite good prices and have yet to pay any postage.

 

[fossyant]

Cassette is arriving today between 10.32 and 12.32! Not a lot of availability on 8 speed now. Have always used Merlin in the past but no stock. Got one from a company called BikeParts.co.uk who have come up trumps for a couple of items recently. Quite good prices and have yet to pay any postage.

Don't tell me that - I run 8 speed on three bikes, of which one is the commuter. I do have a spare SRAM cassette. The microshift 8 speeds seem OK.

 

[Chislenko]

Don't tell me that - I run 8 speed on three bikes, of which one is the commuter. I do have a spare SRAM cassette. The microshift 8 speeds seem OK.

Yes, it is a SRAM I have en-route. I suppose with changing times and "bike fashion" they will become less stocked. There didn't appear to be any Shimano stuff on the sites I looked at.

I see an awful lot of bikes nowadays with a single chainring and a serving dish on the back!

Personally I like my 3 x 8 on my winter "plodder"

 

[Big John]

Eight speed? Eight speed? I could only DREAM of having eight speeds! I only have seven on my 'go-to' bike these days 😉