Component Life

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Aushiker
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Component Life

Postby Aushiker » Tue Apr 29, 2008 2:56 pm

G'day

Having being caught out not being prepared for the tyres to wear out so quickly and now the chain needing replacing, I was curious as to what folks estimate is the life cycle of various parts of a bike or more specifically a commuter which is used all year round (rain and dry).

My thinking is to plan ahead having the replacement parts purchased at a reasonable price and on hand before they need replacing.

Thoughts?

Regards
Andrew

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Postby Deanj » Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:06 pm

Just bought a new chain, cassette and chain rings for the commuter. They are that worn out though just going to keep running them untill they start causing me problems.

I bought a park tool chain wear indicator (tried the measuring it with a ruler thing, and its not for me) as I was about to change the chain on my roadie. Its done just over 6000kms and according to the park tool its still good. Think it will be a good tool as I'll keep a regular eye on my chains from now on and change the chain as soon as needed.

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Postby Aushiker » Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:13 pm

needsapush wrote:Just bought a new chain, cassette and chain rings for the commuter. They are that worn out though
What sort of km?

Andrew

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Postby sogood » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:05 pm

It's different for everyone and for components of different quality. I have read people "stretching" their chain from 1500km to 10,000km. The variability suggests that you just have to try it and find out for your setup. The Veloce 10-speed chain on my Bianchi is still going strong after 5000km. Nowhere near the spec replacement point. Yet again, I rarely ride in the wet and always wipe the chain down after every ride.
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Postby Deanj » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:06 pm

I'm not sure as I've only been logging kms since bikejournal. I've been real slack in the past with cleaning the chain. The chain is stretched well past the 1% mark though, and in certain gears on the cassette, theres no flat parts on top of the teeth, it goes straight to a sharp point. It doesn't slip though and shifts ok.

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Postby Bnej » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:18 pm

Cheaper cogs aren't nickel plated and wear faster. Cheaper chains can wear faster too. High end SRAM chains supposedly wear faster than Shimano chains.

Then there is the load the chain is pulling, amount of gear teeth the chain is usually pulling on, etc. Sand and grit can grind away at components over time.

Your Milage Will Vary. ;)

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Postby Deanj » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:30 pm

Wasn't there a SRAM vs Shimano 10000km 'shoot out' article in a magazine lately? Only a quick read but I think it was mentioned in there that the SRAM chains didn't last as long as Shimano. Did anyone read it?

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Postby Aushiker » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:30 pm

sogood wrote:It's different for everyone and for components of different quality. I have read people "stretching" their chain from 1500km to 10,000km. The variability suggests that you just have to try it and find out for your setup. The Veloce 10-speed chain on my Bianchi is still going strong after 5000km. Nowhere near the spec replacement point. Yet again, I rarely ride in the wet and always wipe the chain down after every ride.
Yep which is why I framed my question in the context of commuters who ride in the rain and dry, i.e., a sub-set of riders plus if we get some data a ball park figure can determined at least as a starting point.

Andrew

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Postby sogood » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:37 pm

Aushiker wrote:Yep which is why I framed my question in the context of commuters who ride in the rain and dry, i.e., a sub-set of riders plus if we get some data a ball park figure can determined at least as a starting point.
Yes, then you should also ask about the type of equipment, rider's ability, weight etc. They all have some bearing.

But back to your original reason for this thread. I for one stocks up on spares when the price is right. I would start to scour for new tyres and other components at a good price once I can see EOL (end of life) on any of them. Plan ahead and order a few items together to save up on P&H. Saving money this way is just too easy so just do it.
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Postby Aushiker » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:57 pm

sogood wrote:
Aushiker wrote:Yep which is why I framed my question in the context of commuters who ride in the rain and dry, i.e., a sub-set of riders plus if we get some data a ball park figure can determined at least as a starting point.
Yes, then you should also ask about the type of equipment, rider's ability, weight etc. They all have some bearing.
No, that is just being over the top IMO and is unnecessary given what I am trying to achieve here which is a ball park mileage figure for components, a starting point, as to the likely time a replacement will be needed. For example should I expect a BB to need replacement around 10,000 km? Once I replace a component then of course I can get more accurate data and over time I can build a database and that would be more useful for me.

I was hoping/thought that some forum members would have an idea of what their mileage is and that would give some idea.
But back to your original reason for this thread. I for one stocks up on spares when the price is right. I would start to scour for new tyres and other components at a good price once I can see EOL (end of life) on any of them. Plan ahead and order a few items together to save up on P&H. Saving money this way is just too easy so just do it.
That is my plan, just that I was looking for guidelines as to component life. So using my BB example if it is likely to last 20,000 km then I don't need to get one in the next 12 months, however, if it is likely to last 10,000 km then a purchase at a good price in the next six months becomes more viable.

Andrew

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Postby Aushiker » Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:59 pm

The other aspect of this question which maybe is not clear is that it gives an idea as to what components that I should expect to replace in due course. As someone new to riding this is not something I have a great understanding of.

Andrew

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Postby Bnej » Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:03 pm

If you e.g, stick the gear in the 12t at the back and stand & mash all the time, the 12t sprocket will wear out quickly (only ~4-5 teeth will be taking the load at a time), and the worn sprocket will wear the chain faster.

On a 26t sprocket the load will be distributed around ~12 teeth, and there are more teeth to wear down as well. If you're using all your gears relatively evenly then there are over 100 teeth for the wear to distribute around on.

Shifting under load damages the chain & gears over time too.

Good technique and use of gears will have as much impact as riding in the rain or regular maintenance.

So really probably more than 2,000km and less than 10,000km.

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Postby Aushiker » Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:18 pm

Okay, I give up.

Andrew

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Postby mikesbytes » Tue Apr 29, 2008 6:56 pm

Also bigger and/or stronger riders are going to wear out the drive train quicker than smaller and/or weaker riders.
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Postby sogood » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:16 pm

Aushiker wrote:Okay, I give up.
Well, the other thing to realise is that components wear out at different rates and you can adjust your inventory accordingly. Tyres, tubes and chains wear out the fastest or may get cut up or break that'll require immediate replacement, so you should have enough spares of these all the time. For other drive train components, you'll usually have enough warning of significant wear if you check them every 2-3 months. Even when worn, you'll still have time to extract a bit more life out of them and give you time to order.
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Postby toolonglegs » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:16 pm

Just stock up on tyres,brake pads,chain and rear cluster.Dont worry about the front as they last a lot longer unless you run a triple or compact then maybee the granny and middle.Maybee a cable set will come in handy.Apart from that it should be just general care of wheels/hubs.Bottom brackets should last a long time on a commuter.As long as you dont fall off or ride in too much muck everything should last the life of the bike.

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Postby sogood » Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:28 pm

toolonglegs wrote:Dont worry about the front as they last a lot longer unless you run a triple or compact then maybee the granny and middle.
Why did you specifically pick out the small chainring on the CT? Is there something that predisposes it to accelerated wear?

I've switched across to CT on both of my bikes and have found that I rarely use the 34 small ring. So if anything is going to get worn out, it'll be the large ring first I think.
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Postby toolonglegs » Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:07 pm

sogood wrote:
toolonglegs wrote:Dont worry about the front as they last a lot longer unless you run a triple or compact then maybee the granny and middle.
Why did you specifically pick out the small chainring on the CT? Is there something that predisposes it to accelerated wear?

I've switched across to CT on both of my bikes and have found that I rarely use the 34 small ring. So if anything is going to get worn out, it'll be the large ring first I think.
Only because if you spend a lot of time in a 34 I suppose it will wear out quicker than if you spend a lot of time in a 39T.Just going from experience on mtb's...the 34 wears out pretty quick compared to the 44.I ride in both equal amounts but have only worn out a 44 once...although it is scary when you are in a 44 and get the chain slipping on it while putting the power down.

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Postby Bnej » Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:25 pm

You would expect chainrings to wear out based on usage per tooth.

Smaller chainrings will wear out faster given the same usage because each tooth pulls against the chain more often & harder (because of leverage from the cranks to the teeth).

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Postby sogood » Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:00 pm

That makes sense. I just wasn't sure if 2Long's statement earlier had some hidden gems that I didn't know about. :wink:
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Postby Aushiker » Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:35 am

toolonglegs wrote:Just stock up on tyres,brake pads,chain and rear cluster.
Thanks toolonglegs and Sogood for your comments along these lines. This is helpful. I have tubes on hand, tyres in the pipeline, brakepads on hand. Just got caught on the chain and really need to get a cluster which brings me to the next question.

I currently have a 12-27 cassette and a 34-50 chain ring. I see at Chainreactioncycles there are other options in respect to the cassette.

In general terms (better hill climbing, faster descents) I assume I am better off staying with this cassette. Would that be correct? I assume the smaller the small gear the better top end speed and the larger the the big gear the better climbing. Have I got that right?

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Andrew

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Postby toolonglegs » Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:15 am

Aushiker wrote:
toolonglegs wrote:Just stock up on tyres,brake pads,chain and rear cluster.
Thanks toolonglegs and Sogood for your comments along these lines. This is helpful. I have tubes on hand, tyres in the pipeline, brakepads on hand. Just got caught on the chain and really need to get a cluster which brings me to the next question.

I currently have a 12-27 cassette and a 34-50 chain ring. I see at Chainreactioncycles there are other options in respect to the cassette.

In general terms (better hill climbing, faster descents) I assume I am better off staying with this cassette. Would that be correct? I assume the smaller the small gear the better top end speed and the larger the the big gear the better climbing. Have I got that right?

Regards
Andrew
If you are using the 27T quite often then I would stick with it....27 being the climbing gear and the 12T being the high speed gear.But if you have never used it you may be better off going for a 11-26 that SRAM do or a 12-25 Shimano.The 11-26 will give you higher speeds in the 11....where as the 12-25 will give you closer ratios between gear changes....or if your riding is pretty much flat even a 11-23.

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Postby Aushiker » Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:04 am

toolonglegs wrote:
Aushiker wrote:
toolonglegs wrote:Just stock up on tyres,brake pads,chain and rear cluster.
Thanks toolonglegs and Sogood for your comments along these lines. This is helpful. I have tubes on hand, tyres in the pipeline, brakepads on hand. Just got caught on the chain and really need to get a cluster which brings me to the next question.

I currently have a 12-27 cassette and a 34-50 chain ring. I see at Chainreactioncycles there are other options in respect to the cassette.

In general terms (better hill climbing, faster descents) I assume I am better off staying with this cassette. Would that be correct? I assume the smaller the small gear the better top end speed and the larger the the big gear the better climbing. Have I got that right?

Regards
Andrew
If you are using the 27T quite often then I would stick with it....27 being the climbing gear and the 12T being the high speed gear.But if you have never used it you may be better off going for a 11-26 that SRAM do or a 12-25 Shimano.The 11-26 will give you higher speeds in the 11....where as the 12-25 will give you closer ratios between gear changes....or if your riding is pretty much flat even a 11-23.
Thanks Toolonglegs. With my fitness or rather lack of it, I do still sometimes use the 27T so suspect that is the better option for me. I wonder if changing the crank would be an idea?

Andrew

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Postby mikesbytes » Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:48 am

Do you spin out in 50-12? I'm thinking that you may not have a use for an 11.
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?

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Postby Aushiker » Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:08 am

mikesbytes wrote:Do you spin out in 50-12? I'm thinking that you may not have a use for an 11.
No. I can only spin out in 34-12. My problem is more that on my commutes I get sections which are long enough to spin out in 34-12 but really are not long enough to justify going up to the big chain ring.

Andrew

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