Any tips about reducing chain wear? I am apparently hard on my chains... just needed to replace my chain (and cassette!) after only about 1000 miles. I trust my bike shop not to replace things that don't need to be replaced, and it was shifting really poorly, so I don't doubt that it needed it, and I guess even if I go through a couple of chains a year that's still a fairly reasonable expense compared to my other transportation options, but it seems like other people are getting more life out of their chains.
I do ride in very bad weather and am not always great about washing down the bike after rain and snow and salt... mostly I'm just not sure where/how to do it (no outdoor covered space, and although I know some people will wash their bikes in the bath, that is not for me!). I have a new watering can and could probably use that to give the drive train a quick rinse after a bad-weather ride. I'm going to get a chain measuring tool, too, to make it easier to notice when the chain is getting old.
Yeah, keeping it clean and lubed will extend it's life. However, riding in wet weather is terrible for chains. All that road grit gets in the links and acts like internal sandpaper. I also have to replace my chains pretty frequently.
One thing I've realized in the past year though is that rear casettes with more gears require thinner, more expensive chains than cassettes with fewer gears. The thinner chains are stupidly expensive and prone to breaking. I ride a silly carbon racing style road bike and it has a correspondingly silly 10-speed rear cassette. When those gears wear out I'm going to replace them, and the chain, with an 8-speed. It'll be cheaper and more durable. I live in a hilly area so I don't need the higher end gears anyway. I'm either grinding uphill in a low gear or coasting down without pedaling.
There are a few things to consider when changing the number of gears.
1) Your shifters (guessing they are indexed brifters) are probably indexed for 10 so you may need to get new shifters - Sheldon Brown says that this shouldn't be a problem having extra clicks.
2) Your front and rear derailleurs are also designed for 10 gears and may not work well with the smaller cassette - Sheldon Brown suggests that the rear derailleur probably doesn't care, and the front derailleur may only be a little fussy, so this may not be a large concern
One thing I would look at is maybe getting a new crankset. Are you running a 53/39 or 52/39 crank? You could switch to a compact which would be 50/34. This doesn't require new cassette, derailleurs, or shifters, just an adjustment to the front derailleur to lower it, and possibly removing a couple links from the chain due to the smaller circumference.
Another thing to consider on the rear cassette is going for a lower geared rear, a standard set used on road bikes is 11/25, but you could switch to a 12/30 which is commonly used for climbing, this might allow you to be in the big ring more especially in combination with a 50/34 front crankset.
The real differences between the 7/8, 10, or 11 cassette is in the steps between shifts. An 11 speed cassette has the same top speed as the 9 or 10 if the cassettes smallest cog only has 11 teeth, but you can maintain a smoother cadence between shifts because the steps are smaller. With a 7 speed cassette with the same size small and large cogs you would have an average of 2 teeth change between each gear in an 11/25 setup, whereas a 10 speed would have 1.4 teeth change, or 6 with 1 tooth steps and 3 with 2 tooth steps.
Originally I thought you were wrong on the 10 speed being thinner, but Sheldon Brown suggests that you are correct. Myself I put about 1600 known miles on my 10 speed before changing the chain and have since put another 1300 without it getting to the warning wear indication with the Park Tool chain wear tool. This includes plenty of uphill, and racing. I have not changed my rear cassette yet, which would have 3900 miles + however many the previous owner put on it. I also got the bike in November and road it all winter and spring rain or shine.
More reading:
Sheldon Brown - SpeedPotomac Pedalers - Cycling GearsAny tips about reducing chain wear? I am apparently hard on my chains... just needed to replace my chain (and cassette!) after only about 1000 miles. I trust my bike shop not to replace things that don't need to be replaced, and it was shifting really poorly, so I don't doubt that it needed it, and I guess even if I go through a couple of chains a year that's still a fairly reasonable expense compared to my other transportation options, but it seems like other people are getting more life out of their chains.
I do ride in very bad weather and am not always great about washing down the bike after rain and snow and salt... mostly I'm just not sure where/how to do it (no outdoor covered space, and although I know some people will wash their bikes in the bath, that is not for me!). I have a new watering can and could probably use that to give the drive train a quick rinse after a bad-weather ride. I'm going to get a chain measuring tool, too, to make it easier to notice when the chain is getting old.
As far as washing the bike goes, I've been horrible at this, but getting better. During the wet season I'll at least wipe down the bike once I get home to keep the chain from rusting overnight, and lube at least once a week. I've been getting into the habit of actually using degreaser and a toothbrush to clean the drivetrain once a week, and lo and behold my chain is actually silver! I find the jockey wheels can be particularly grimmey. It's actually fairly relaxing being in the garage with a beer and taking the time to clean the bike. I use a
folding bike stand for parking my bikes and they work great for doing maintenance.
Also for riding in inclement weather I highly recommend
full fenders. 1) the will keep the mud off your back and water out of your face, and 2) they do the same for your drivetrain. Full fenders on the rear will come around down to your bottom bracket, my road ones even have a little extra side covering on the drivetrain side.
Thanks everyone for the inspiring stories. I've been feeling a little burned out recently and have been taking it easy on the extra rides, your stories help motivate me to keep being badass. I'm probably going to end up riding to my friends house again this weekend unless my wife decides to come along, so should look forward to adding another 60+ miles on Saturday.