Replace partially worn chain when installing new chainrings and cassette?

[MikeJD]

Hi all, I have a bike that's done roughly 4000km in 2 years. I’m about to change out the chainrings and cassette which seem to have plenty of life left in them, I'm just switching out for some lower gears.

Having checked my chain with a chain checker tool it’s not worn enough to require changing, however, I was wondering if not changing the chain at the same time would have a detrimental effect on the new parts?

I don’t want to bin a perfectly good chain, but likewise I don’t want to degrade the lifespan of the new chainrings and cassette (anymore than usual).

Thanks for the help.

 

[fossyant]

Cassettes usually wear first. For the cost of a chain, I tend to replace cassette and chain at the same time. Chain rings last many many 000's of miles on road bikes.

I'm on my second chain ring on the MTB, and still the original cassette (but a replaced chain).

 

[steveindenmark]

Change the chain as well. They cost next to nothing.

 

[Kajjal]

If you put a new chain on you can forget about it and just ride.

 

[MikeJD]

Yeah, I was thinking it was probably best to change it, the 11 speed chains I've been looking at (Ultegra and KMC X11EL) are £25-30, so was just seeing if I could avoid that expense really.

 

[ianrauk]

Yeah, I was thinking it was probably best to change it, the 11 speed chains I've been looking at (Ultegra and KMC X11EL) are £25-30, so was just seeing if I could avoid that expense really.

Get a SRAM chain, cheaper, compatable and very good,

 

[fossyant]

Your expense is the chain rings.

£50 for an outer ring on my MTB, and it's only small.

 

[raleighnut]

Fit a new chain but keep the part-worn one, when the drivetrain gets a bit worn so it won't accept a new chain without skipping guess what that part-worn one will run fine.

I keep mine in old takeaway containers part filled with Oil.

 

[MikeJD]

Get a SRAM chain, cheaper, compatable and very good,

I'd read somewhere online the SRAM chains weren't compatible, but after searching further it seems they might well be. Can pick one of those up for £14 (SRAM PC-1130), so that would be a lot more palatable.

Fit a new chain but keep the part-worn one, when the drivetrain gets a bit worn so it won't accept a new chain without skipping guess what that part-worn one will run fine.

I keep mine in old takeaway containers part filled with Oil.

Yeah that's a good idea, it'll come in at some point. Is that how I should be storing a chain, would keeping it dry cause it to degrade/stiffen up?

 

[raleighnut]

I'd read somewhere online the SRAM chains weren't compatible, but after searching further it seems they might well be. Can pick one of those up for £14 (SRAM PC-1130), so that would be a lot more palatable.



Yeah that's a good idea, it'll come in at some point. Is that how I should be storing a chain, would keeping it dry cause it to degrade/stiffen up?

Depending on where it is stored it could rust, keeping it covered in Oil stops that. If you kept it inside and it was completely dry it 'should' be OK too.

 

[ianrauk]

I'd read somewhere online the SRAM chains weren't compatible, but after searching further it seems they might well be. Can pick one of those up for £14 (SRAM PC-1130), so that would be a lot more palatable.

They are
I run SRAM chains with Simano group sets (Ultegra)