Transmission/bearings wear out too fast these days...

[GaryA]

Why are transmissions and bearings such rubbish quality?
I'm confing myself to the stuff I've used shamano deore level stuff.
My 9 speeds wear our much quicker than my old 8 and that wore out quicker than the 7 speed.
I dont want a 10 speed transmission!
I know the thinner chains are less durabe but they only seem to stay in good shape for a few months
I maintain them well with decent lubrication
Same with wheel bearings /freehubs they only seem to last a couple of years at most (6000)mls

My old racer used to last a decade between bearings with far greater mileage-in all weathers.

 

[Makins]

I'm finding that all my components seem to wear out too fast as well, on my old mountain bike I was replacing the freewheel and chain almost every six months! Then compared to my Dads old road bike (1950's I think) which has covered literally thousands of miles and hasn't had anything replaced since at least the 1980's! I guess the issue comes down to cheaper alloys and faster production techniques meaning more money for the company and lower quality parts for the rider

 

[bauldbairn]

Why are transmissions and bearings such rubbish quality?

My old racer used to last a decade between bearings with far greater mileage-in all weathers.

My old 1980 5 speed racer went nearly 10 years without replacing anything more major than a cotterpin or tyre.
I cleaned the chain/mechs with parafin, meths and WD40 every year or so, oiled regularilly with "100 in 1" oil and cleaned the wheel bearing/cones and regreased every year or so.

In those days most of the bikes were British and "built to last" now most are foreign and don't - like all our industries they didn't move with the times.

I guess the issue comes down to cheaper alloys and faster production techniques meaning more money for the company and lower quality parts for the rider

Probably - and making parts lighter, making them less durable too!!

 

[Davidc]

I shouldn't be here really, as I stick mostly to roads, but I am anyway.

Although the OP's proposition is probably true, IME the real cost of maintaining a bike hasn't changed much as a result, because the modern far-eastern parts are cheaper.

Bikes are also very much easier to maintain than they were, partly because of design changes, partly because manufacturing tolerances for the components are tighter, and partly because I've been doing it for longer.

My difficulty in comparing these consumables for longevity and costs is that I was very fit and very strong in my teens and twenties and so hammered components, whereas now I'm not so I don't.

I, like you, am quite happy with 8 speed stuff, mainly because I think it's a good compromise between ease of riding and component strength.

 

[dellzeqq]

Why are transmissions and bearings such rubbish quality?
I'm confing myself to the stuff I've used shamano deore level stuff.
My 9 speeds wear our much quicker than my old 8 and that wore out quicker than the 7 speed.
I dont want a 10 speed transmission!
I know the thinner chains are less durabe but they only seem to stay in good shape for a few months
I maintain them well with decent lubrication
Same with wheel bearings /freehubs they only seem to last a couple of years at most (6000)mls

My old racer used to last a decade between bearings with far greater mileage-in all weathers.

I've got a DuraAce freehub that's done 50,000 miles. Perhaps Deore is made of softer metal?

 

[deaksie]

yeah mine wear out far too fast too. I just put it down to the amount of riding/sheer idiocy of the conditions/I'm not exactly "gentle" with the bike.

Apparently I need a new headset soon too - the bike's only 2 years old..............

 

[Globalti]

Are you really surprised that mountain bike components wear out fast? They are expected to work while lubricated by an abrasive sticky mix of mud and oil. Up here in the gritty Pennines parts wear out incredibly fast; I used to be changing my wheel rims every year when I had rim brakes.

Actually this was one of the factors that began to put me off mountain biking. I was getting stale and tired of the expense and the whole MTB scene so road riding came along at the right moment.

 

[deaksie]

I've been told by my local bike shop to get the lube off the bike the second I get home, to stop it solidifying into that sticky, gritty mess. Time will tell but the logic is there. We'll see. Wouldn't give up messing about in the mud though

 

[GilesM]

I've had problems with Deore Hubs and I agree the 9 speed transmissions are not as tough as the older 5,6, or 7, and Race Face bottom brackets are crap (or should I say were), however since I have used hope hubs, headsets, and bottom brackets I've had very few problems. I also agree with Globalti that the mtb conditions are pretty extreme, grit, mud and lots of water is always a problem.

 

[GaryA]

I've had problems with Deore Hubs and I agree the 9 speed transmissions are not as tough as the older 5,6, or 7, and Race Face bottom brackets are crap (or should I say were), however since I have used hope hubs, headsets, and bottom brackets I've had very few problems. I also agree with Globalti that the mtb conditions are pretty extreme, grit, mud and lots of water is always a problem.

Thanks Giles I agree with deore hubs being crap but am kinda stuck with them..being a penniless dad Y' understand

I'm not impressed with Shimano BB or FSA headsets either
I'm mainly x-country these days (having tired of batterings on serious MTBing) which avoids serious mud swamps

I thought these BB were all supposed to be sealed properly anyway?
I'm sick of replacing shimano stuff period
will look for hope or chris king stuff next time

 

[GilesM]

I thought these BB were all supposed to be sealed properly anyway?
I'm sick of replacing shimano stuff period
will look for hope or chris king stuff next time

Many people say how good Chris King are, but I am more than happy with Hope, and the price of Chris King is truly mad.

 

[Mad at urage]

How long do the wheel bearings on cars last? Tens of thousands of miles (which would be absolutely fantastic on a bike)? Hundreds of thousands? Thousands of thousands in some cases (there's a word for those .... Millions?) ? They experience far greater loads under worse conditions (high speed spray of muck, salt, soaps for most of their life); they are made strong enough to withstand that, and cheaply enough. Some automotive bearings are very similar in size, weight and shape to those required for bikes, they could be specified for bike wheels etc and would last far longer than those used.

They are not specified, manufacturers deliberately use bearings that wear with our meager power output and our minimal, low-speed exposure to muck. I noticed this first in the '90s when I was communting around seven and a half thousand miles a year - nothing much has changed.

 

[Zoiders]

8 speed was the happy middle ground for MTB groupsets, it was smooth enough to be real improvement over the somewhat clunky wide ratio 7 speed MTB cassettes of previous incarnations yet still dirt resistant.

Not sure who thought teensy weensy 9 speed and then 10 speed would be a good idea - which may explain the rebirth of the hub gear of late as an off road groupset.

 

[GilesM]

8 speed was the happy middle ground for MTB groupsets, it was smooth enough to be real improvement over the somewhat clunky wide ratio 7 speed MTB cassettes of previous incarnations yet still dirt resistant.

Not sure who thought teensy weensy 9 speed and then 10 speed would be a good idea - which may explain the rebirth of the hub gear of late as an off road groupset.

I like the idea of 10 speed for mtb, one front ring with bash and a 9 to 36 cassette sounds very good, however, if it's too weak to be any use then it won't catch on.

 

[Zoiders]

I like the idea of 10 speed for mtb, one front ring with bash and a 9 to 36 cassette sounds very good, however, if it's too weak to be any use then it won't catch on.

The chain line would be horrible at the extremes plus you would need to add a chain retension device to stop droping the chain. Im not so sold on the whole 36t thing anyway, as a rule I refuse to ride a bike up an incline at a speed slower than that at which I can push or carry it.