Life of a drive train?

[BearPear]

hi everyone, I'm posting a question on behalf of my husband. He has a Trek Madone which is 3 years old, summer ride only so 18 months old in "road years"! The recent service carried out at a local bike shop says that the drive train needs replacing. This is on top of 2 bottom brackets in previous years. Is it normal for a quality bike to need this kind of work? He rides 50-60 miles at the weekend with maybe a commute of 20 miles every other week or so.

Thanks

 

[subaqua]

how long is a piece of string ?

depends on so many factors.if its gritty dusty roads then wet it makes a grinding paste which will wear sooo quickly.
not lubing properly will also exacerbate wear.

 

[Spiderweb]

It's difficult to say, if he looks after the drive train regularly cleaning sprockets and chain rings but especially the chain the components will last much longer. It is important to lube the chain after every clean.
If the chain is left dirty and gritty then the mixture of oil, grit and road dust will act like a grinding paste causing excessive wear.

 

[lpretro1]

Commuting bikes take some hammer - so they need looking after well. If u just ride them for that length of time and do nothing then yes they will wear out. Made worse if you ride in the wet - which there was a lot of this winter. For commuters we recommend servicing every six months - usually round October time so it's ready for winter and then about this time of the year/ April once winter has gone. That way you keep on top of things like chain wear etc and minimise the bills

 

[Smokin Joe]

If it's running alright leave it, though a new chain every 1500 miles and a cassette at three times that is a good idea. Chainrings last many times that and the only time I've ever replace them is to alter the gear ratios, and I've had some in service for ten years or more.

It seems to be the standard cry of more than a few bike shops that the drive train needs replacing, invariably they are talking bollocks.

 

[fossyant]

Unless the chain ring teeth have become hooked, then leave it. New chain and cassette is usually all that's needed. Be aware, many current chainrings can look worn due to the shifting profiles on the teeth.

 

[lpretro1]

Chainrings can last a long time as long as you look after the chain - if you just let it go and wear beyond wear and then some it will wear the rings and if you ride with the rings full of crap, grit etc then more so. It is unfair to say any particular shop is 'talking bollocks' about changing rings unless you have first hand knowledge of the rings concerned or a crystal ball - you have not seen the state of the bike...

 

[jefmcg]

65 miles a week for 18 months? 5000 miles of (mostly?) dry riding? I was disappointed when my BB failed after about 8,500 miles. I tend to wait too long, so replace both my chain and cassette at the same time, every 3,000-5,000 miles. Chainrings are 25,000km (16,000 miles) old still going fine. So if by "drive chain" he means cassette and chain, that's probably due. 2 bottom brackets (3 total) in 5,000 miles is a lot, but sometimes components fail early and he may have just been unlucky.

Mind you, higher quality components don't necessarily last any longer than cheaper ones. The price is for higher engineering standards, and for a few grams of weight. I found my original tiagra chain lasted much longer than ultregra one that replaced it. That's probably random, reflecting different riding patterns, or me replacing it when it was starting to age rather than when it started slipping gears.

If he's got a Madone, surely he's using strava. If so, he should set up his bike here https://www.strava.com/settings/gear and record components as they are swapped in and out. Then he can see what sort of use he is actually getting, and possibly complain. If I only got 1000 miles on a BB, I'd expect a free replacement. But I'd have to know that's all I did on it.

If he's not using strava, is that even allowed with Madone?

 

[lpretro1]

Don't know what is is with some BBs - we've seen failures at only 600miles and yet others go on for thousands of miles

 

[jefmcg]

Don't know what is is with some BBs - we've seen failures at only 600miles and yet others go on for thousands of miles

And they are not something you should leave. My BB was clearly dying, but I couldn't get an appointment with the cycle shop for a replacement. It failed catastrophically on the road, and my bike was no longer rideable. Lucky I less than a mile from a station, and wearing SPDs

 

[BearPear]

Thanks all. Yes he uses Strava but wasn't aware of the option to monitor your kit, will investigate this.
Seems that the usage to wear ratio has not been as expected, and for a bike of that value it's disappointing (and yes, I am aware of the price -v- price spouse is usually told!) I can't see him re-purchasing another Madone any time soon.

 

[Apollonius]

Don't blame the Madone. It will have much the same drive train as other bikes in its class. The cassette and chain are consumables, and how they wear will vary dramatically with the conditions they are used in and how they are maintained. A ride on a wet and muddy day can put a month's wear on the chain and sprockets. Shops are always cautious about worn drive parts, as a worn part can accelerate wear in other, unworn parts. I can understand them saying "replace the lot" even if it isn't strictly necessary. You might get away with just changing the chain, but you might not.

 

[BearPear]

He bought his first Madone 2nd hand and it faired better than this one. Well cared for, mostly dry Summer rides, cleaned, dried & lubed thoroughly after use. Maybe just bad luck, definitely not poor care on his part. Ah well, someone pass the credit card!

 

[Ajax Bay]

Replace chain and cassette and see how it goes.

 

[jefmcg]

The other thing is, if you take the bike in for a "service" then they will replace things that are going to wear out before the next service. On a high end bike, they are definitely going to err on the side of replacement. You don't want your ride deteriorating for the sake of saving a few pounds.

So if he takes his bike in for a service at the beginning of his season, they will replace any parts they think might fail over the next 6 months. That's going to cost more than you have to spend, but it's all pocket change compared to the original outlay.

I keep an eye on the components of my bike, and order new parts as they need replacing. If I don't have time or the skill, I'll take it to a bike shop and specify exactly what I want done. I had to do this with my folder, as ... boring story, but you can't get good service on a folder, unless it's a Brompton.