Where are all the cassettes?

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
PH
Posts: 13106
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by PH »

Mick F wrote: 31 May 2021, 4:35pm Given my cycling life again, I wouldn't hesitate in buying 35 chains. Must've bought that many already and could have saved an absolute fortune.
I bought ten of the KMC chain recommended for Rohloff, they'll probably outlast me. RRP is about £30, they're sometimes on offer around £20 and I paid a little over £15 inc P&P.
It's all a gamble of course, next week there might be a better chain at half the price, or it's quite likely I might not cycle far enough to use them. What if you'd bought a roll of 8 or 9 speed chain?
nosmarbaj
Posts: 366
Joined: 17 Aug 2011, 3:02pm
Location: West Berks

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by nosmarbaj »

PH wrote: 31 May 2021, 4:24pm
nosmarbaj wrote: 31 May 2021, 4:13pm It's straightforward to work out the length of a chain, since each link is 1/2". Typical chains for upright bikes are somewhere around 112 links, i.e. 56" or just over 1.4m. So 50m will give you ~35 chains. If the total cost is £400 then that's £11.43 per chain.
Yes and no.
There's no wastage in that calculation, you might buy 112 (or 116) links, but how many do you use?
Depends on the bike. I think my 2 bikes with triple rings and MTB cassettes need 112 or 114 links; I expect my bike with a road double chainset uses slightly fewer. I could go and count the links but I'm not going to bother :)
User avatar
Sweep
Posts: 8442
Joined: 20 Oct 2011, 4:57pm
Location: London

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by Sweep »

Mick F wrote: 31 May 2021, 4:35pm Given that I use Campag 10sp chains at circa £30
£30 for a chain?
Remind me why you ditched that oh so last century 9 speed?
Sweep
Syd
Posts: 1230
Joined: 23 Sep 2018, 2:27pm

Where are all the cassettes?

Post by Syd »

Sweep wrote:
Mick F wrote: 31 May 2021, 4:35pm Given that I use Campag 10sp chains at circa £30
£30 for a chain?
Remind me why you ditched that oh so last century 9 speed?
My best bike has a £90 KMC 11 speed DLC chain on it.

Why?

Because I want to. It’s all about enjoying life; not penny pinching.

You may as well ask why folk pay £x,000 or £xx,000 for a bike when one can be had for £x00 or even £x0.
User avatar
Sweep
Posts: 8442
Joined: 20 Oct 2011, 4:57pm
Location: London

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by Sweep »

Syd wrote: 31 May 2021, 9:38pm
Sweep wrote:
Mick F wrote: 31 May 2021, 4:35pm Given that I use Campag 10sp chains at circa £30
£30 for a chain?
Remind me why you ditched that oh so last century 9 speed?
My best bike has a £90 KMC 11 speed DLC chain on it.

Why?

Because I want to. It’s all about enjoying life; not penny pinching.

You may as well ask why folk pay £x,000 or £xx,000 for a bike when one can be had for £x00 or even £x0.
My view has nothing to do with penny pinching, nor an inability to enjoy life or my many bikes.*
For my sort of cycling, no racing or competitive racing, just utility, touring, day rides, some long, some very long, I don't see any benefit to going above 9 speed. And with 9 speed I see no need (in normal times at least with normal prices) paying more than £10 to £15 for a chain. Can't see any benefit.
* Having a lot, not going above 9 speed also simplifies spares holding - I can sit out a fair bit longer of the covid hell supply issues. No panic buying here.
Sweep
francovendee
Posts: 3148
Joined: 5 May 2009, 6:32am

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by francovendee »

For some the pleasure comes from having the 'best', others like myself wait to see if a higher price means a real improvement.
If a £90 chain lasts longer than the £15 ones I buy by a factor of 7 or more they represent a bargain. Do they?
tatanab
Posts: 5033
Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by tatanab »

On one machine I use 10 speed Campag Veloce chain at about £35. In most other places I use midrange SRAM 8 speed chains at about £15. I remember when I fitted a Campag chain for the first time, it felt just so smoooooooooooooooooth. Do they last longer? I don't know, but I doubt it.
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by Mick F »

I've been 10sp on Mercian since 2006 and I've always used Campag chains. First with Chorus, but they don't make them now, so on Veloce.
Record have hollow pins and lightened plates, but Chorus only have the lightened plates. Veloce looks just like a "normal" chain.

Campag chains last much longer.

I had Wiperman on Moulton but it was rubbish. I tried a KMC (can't remember which) and that wasn't very good either, so now Moulton has a Veloce chain too.

I have three chains, and swap them over now and again so I'm not using a a worn chain which wears the sprockets more of course.
Mick F. Cornwall
leftpoole
Posts: 1492
Joined: 12 Feb 2007, 9:31am
Location: Account closing 31st July '22

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by leftpoole »

Syd wrote: 31 May 2021, 9:38pm
Sweep wrote:
Mick F wrote: 31 May 2021, 4:35pm Given that I use Campag 10sp chains at circa £30
£30 for a chain?
Remind me why you ditched that oh so last century 9 speed?
My best bike has a £90 KMC 11 speed DLC chain on it.

Why?

Because I want to. It’s all about enjoying life; not penny pinching.

You may as well ask why folk pay £x,000 or £xx,000 for a bike when one can be had for £x00 or even £x0.

Full marks for a voice of reason. I too squander when I can.
leftpoole
Posts: 1492
Joined: 12 Feb 2007, 9:31am
Location: Account closing 31st July '22

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by leftpoole »

Sweep wrote: 1 Jun 2021, 6:34am
Syd wrote: 31 May 2021, 9:38pm
Sweep wrote:
£30 for a chain?
Remind me why you ditched that oh so last century 9 speed?
My best bike has a £90 KMC 11 speed DLC chain on it.

Why?

Because I want to. It’s all about enjoying life; not penny pinching.

You may as well ask why folk pay £x,000 or £xx,000 for a bike when one can be had for £x00 or even £x0.
My view has nothing to do with penny pinching, nor an inability to enjoy life or my many bikes.*
For my sort of cycling, no racing or competitive racing, just utility, touring, day rides, some long, some very long, I don't see any benefit to going above 9 speed. And with 9 speed I see no need (in normal times at least with normal prices) paying more than £10 to £15 for a chain. Can't see any benefit.
* Having a lot, not going above 9 speed also simplifies spares holding - I can sit out a fair bit longer of the covid hell supply issues. No panic buying here.
All mine are 9 speed except Moulton TSR 30 which is a 10 and I have no interest in going to more.
leftpoole
Posts: 1492
Joined: 12 Feb 2007, 9:31am
Location: Account closing 31st July '22

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by leftpoole »

Mick F wrote: 1 Jun 2021, 8:31am I've been 10sp on Mercian since 2006 and I've always used Campag chains. First with Chorus, but they don't make them now, so on Veloce.
Record have hollow pins and lightened plates, but Chorus only have the lightened plates. Veloce looks just like a "normal" chain.

Campag chains last much longer.

I had Wiperman on Moulton but it was rubbish. I tried a KMC (can't remember which) and that wasn't very good either, so now Moulton has a Veloce chain too.

I have three chains, and swap them over now and again so I'm not using a a worn chain which wears the sprockets more of course.
In my experience and opinion both Wipperman and KMC are very good chains.
swagman
Posts: 72
Joined: 9 Mar 2009, 6:07pm

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by swagman »

My summer road bike 10 speed 10years old this year.
I ride about 1000 miles on it a year.
It's on its third chain and cassette and the 50t rings due for replacement.
It's SRAM rival.
I'm 90 kg.
Maintenance is wipe with a rag and a dry lube.
I don't know how you wear a chain in 500 miles.
hamster
Posts: 4131
Joined: 2 Feb 2007, 12:42pm

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by hamster »

swagman wrote: 1 Jun 2021, 10:43am My summer road bike 10 speed 10years old this year.
I ride about 1000 miles on it a year.

I don't know how you wear a chain in 500 miles.
Ride in the winter?
User avatar
foxyrider
Posts: 6044
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 10:25am
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by foxyrider »

swagman wrote: 1 Jun 2021, 10:43am My summer road bike 10 speed 10years old this year.
I ride about 1000 miles on it a year.
It's on its third chain and cassette and the 50t rings due for replacement.
It's SRAM rival.
I'm 90 kg.
Maintenance is wipe with a rag and a dry lube.
I don't know how you wear a chain in 500 miles.
1000 miles a year? you running a museum :lol:

as someone who usually gets 10x that from even fairly cheap chains all i can think is that the 500 mile chain sees a lot of dirt and abuse.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
David9694
Posts: 908
Joined: 10 Feb 2018, 8:42am

Re: Where are all the cassettes?

Post by David9694 »

So glad I raised the topic of chains and the cost!!! Didn’t know about reels, wish I did 5 years ago!
Spa Audax Ti Ultegra; Genesis Equilibrium 853; Raleigh Record Ace 1983; “Raleigh Competition”, “Raleigh Gran Sport 1982”; “Allegro Special”, Bob Jackson tourer, Ridley alu step-through with Swytch front wheel; gravel bike from an MB Dronfield 531 frame.
Post Reply