New chain now at 0.5 wear or ride it out and replace both together

Question

Commuter, 10 speed, about 120km a week in all weather. Checker reads 0.5. A chain here is about $30, a chain and cassette together about $95. Money is tight…

lowtech_lior · Accepted Answer

Chain now. At 0.5 on 10 speed you are well inside the window, and 10 speed cassettes tolerate more chain wear than 11 or 12 do.

The maths: three $30 chains over roughly 9000km beats two $95 combos over the same distance, and it spreads the cost. The only reason to wait would be if this cassette has already run past 0.75 once, in which case it is already compromised and you would be buying a chain that skips.

chain_wear_chase · Answer

Buy two chains when they are on offer and rotate them every 500km or so. Wear spreads across both, the cassette lasts absurdly long, and you always have a spare when one gives up.

rust_rescue_rin · Answer

At 120km a week in all weather the cheapest thing you can do is wax it, or at minimum clean and lube properly. Wet chains at 6000km look like dry chains at 3000.

knobandtube_nan · Answer

Skip the top tier chain and buy the one below. Same wear life, less sparkle.

New chain now at 0.5 wear or ride it out and replace both together Drivetrain

7 answers