This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Suffered terminal failure of my mountain bike rear derailleur, an SLX, at just over 1500 miles in the last nine months.
Apparently I've done a high mileage or so I'm told. Didn't think that is a lot, so out of interest how many miles do others do?
Apparently I've done a high mileage or so I'm told. Didn't think that is a lot, so out of interest how many miles do others do?
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
Put it this way my old hardtail has an xt derailleur from 2003, my road bike has a 105 from 2006. They've both covered a lot of millage no idea how many though.
That said, is it a 1x setup? Do you ride paths, trails, mountain? Different terrains and conditions will certainly wear the mech differently.
What exactly has worn on it - jockey wheels are replaceable, the sorting rarely breaks.
Put it this way my old hardtail has an xt derailleur from 2003, my road bike has a 105 from 2006. They've both covered a lot of millage no idea how many though.
That said, is it a 1x setup? Do you ride paths, trails, mountain? Different terrains and conditions will certainly wear the mech differently.
What exactly has worn on it - jockey wheels are replaceable, the sorting rarely breaks.
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
Nope my current MTB derailleur is past 17,000 miles and still going. It's Shimano XT.
Nope my current MTB derailleur is past 17,000 miles and still going. It's Shimano XT.
1
In reply to Pesda potato:
Edit: yes a 1x setup, so more strain on the derailleur maybe.
> Do you ride paths, trails, mountain? Different terrains and conditions will certainly wear the mech differently.
Yes all of those, but mainly been trials. I appreciate different terrains and conditions wear differently, have not real complaint with it failing at that mileage as such. It just made me wonder what mileage others got out of them!> What exactly has worn on it - jockey wheels are replaceable, the sorting rarely breaks.
Not specific wear as such, it broke. Was pedalling alone, on Tarmac, changed down a gear, heard what I thought was a miss change, changed again and bang. The derailleur ended up over the top of the cassette and jammed into the wheel spokes, and the chain jammed in between the cassette and wheel spokes. Just unlucky.Edit: yes a 1x setup, so more strain on the derailleur maybe.
Post edited at 09:31
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
That sounds like the derailleur was out of line and went over the block. Which would be a maintenance issue. I've seen this happen a few times and lack of service has been the issue.
If it had taken a knock previously that could have done it, or the pivots were worn giving too much free play on the cage. But I am surprised if it had gone wobbly in that mileage
That sounds like the derailleur was out of line and went over the block. Which would be a maintenance issue. I've seen this happen a few times and lack of service has been the issue.
If it had taken a knock previously that could have done it, or the pivots were worn giving too much free play on the cage. But I am surprised if it had gone wobbly in that mileage
In reply to gear boy:
Anyway, just one of those things.
> That sounds like the derailleur was out of line and went over the block. Which would be a maintenance issue.
Most likely. It had been serviced after the previous ride out so maybe something missed.> If it had taken a knock previously that could have done it, or the pivots were worn giving too much free play on the cage. But I am surprised if it had gone wobbly in that mileage
I'm thinking it's been knocked without knowing, and maybe something to do with the limit screw, since it had been changing normally in the previous 4 miles before. Though I've seen in the past slight out of alignment does not show up in the work shop but does when under tension of climbing a hill.Anyway, just one of those things.
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
About 16,000 miles on an Ultegra GS, year round commuting. Replaced it last autumn when the spring got too weak.
> Apparently I've done a high mileage or so I'm told. Didn't think that is a lot, so out of interest how many miles do others do?
About 16,000 miles on an Ultegra GS, year round commuting. Replaced it last autumn when the spring got too weak.
1
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
I have much older mechs still going strong, albeit with replaced jockey wheels.
Sounds like your chain somehow got caught, causing a wrap - stuck jockey wheel most likely, maybe a bit of road crud flicked up and jammed something.
I have much older mechs still going strong, albeit with replaced jockey wheels.
Sounds like your chain somehow got caught, causing a wrap - stuck jockey wheel most likely, maybe a bit of road crud flicked up and jammed something.
In reply to LastBoyScout:
Could have. The LBS said chain had slight damage to it in one place. Then again I would have expected that with the force it would have had put in it when the derailleur broke and jammed.
Impressed by those 16/17000 miles done. That's serious mileage!
Could have. The LBS said chain had slight damage to it in one place. Then again I would have expected that with the force it would have had put in it when the derailleur broke and jammed.
Impressed by those 16/17000 miles done. That's serious mileage!
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
That's the mtn bike, much higher mileage on road bike.
> Could have. The LBS said chain had slight damage to it in one place. Then again I would have expected that with the force it would have had put in it when the derailleur broke and jammed.
> Impressed by those 16/17000 miles done. That's serious mileage!
That's the mtn bike, much higher mileage on road bike.
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
As others have said, it sounds like an alignment or stop screw fault, although it could have also been something (stick, stone) temporarily jammed up in the chain/mech. I had this happen several years ago, although to be honest it was pretty obvious what had happened.
Fortunately rear mechs like SLX are pretty cheap.
Stuff gets broken on MTBs - we just have to suck it up! (Says he, just having forked out for a new rear wheel).
N
As others have said, it sounds like an alignment or stop screw fault, although it could have also been something (stick, stone) temporarily jammed up in the chain/mech. I had this happen several years ago, although to be honest it was pretty obvious what had happened.
Fortunately rear mechs like SLX are pretty cheap.
Stuff gets broken on MTBs - we just have to suck it up! (Says he, just having forked out for a new rear wheel).
N
In reply to cousin nick:
LOL. I know! If you have fun with MTBs, it will cost accordingly!
Hope to get my bike back today with my upgrade to XT. Maybe the LBS having stripped it down will have a better idea of what went wrong. Does not really matter though, I just want it back! The actual cost of the part is as you say pretty cheap.
Now only if this weather would improve ...
> Stuff gets broken on MTBs - we just have to suck it up! (Says he, just having forked out for a new rear wheel).
LOL. I know! If you have fun with MTBs, it will cost accordingly!
Hope to get my bike back today with my upgrade to XT. Maybe the LBS having stripped it down will have a better idea of what went wrong. Does not really matter though, I just want it back! The actual cost of the part is as you say pretty cheap.
Now only if this weather would improve ...
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
Someone once described sailing as standing in a shower ripping up £10 notes.
Mountain biking is similar, with the added bonus of having mud thrown at you.
So many factors in how long stuff lasts - where you ride, how you ride, when you ride. SLX is entry level for proper MTB and 1500 miles equates to 200-300 hours - which is certainly more than most. I average slightly more, but that's split over 2 bikes, and have replaced derailleurs on both once in the last 4 years
Someone once described sailing as standing in a shower ripping up £10 notes.
Mountain biking is similar, with the added bonus of having mud thrown at you.
So many factors in how long stuff lasts - where you ride, how you ride, when you ride. SLX is entry level for proper MTB and 1500 miles equates to 200-300 hours - which is certainly more than most. I average slightly more, but that's split over 2 bikes, and have replaced derailleurs on both once in the last 4 years
In reply to Chris the Tall:
Thanks for that. Maybe I've done well. Certainly seems to have been out in the wet/mud more than previous bikes. Also think that the wider tyres kick up more debris and this will make the likes of the derailleur more susceptible to damage. Not going to stop me though!
> Someone once described sailing as standing in a shower ripping up £10 notes.
> Mountain biking is similar, with the added bonus of having mud thrown at you.
> Mountain biking is similar, with the added bonus of having mud thrown at you.
> So many factors in how long stuff lasts - where you ride, how you ride, when you ride. SLX is entry level for proper MTB and 1500 miles equates to 200-300 hours - which is certainly more than most. I average slightly more, but that's split over 2 bikes, and have replaced derailleurs on both once in the last 4 years
Thanks for that. Maybe I've done well. Certainly seems to have been out in the wet/mud more than previous bikes. Also think that the wider tyres kick up more debris and this will make the likes of the derailleur more susceptible to damage. Not going to stop me though!
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
I've been eating chains this winter.
I use 2 chains- alternating (almost) every time I clean up the bike, depending on how mucky its been. By alternating chains I get longer out of the chain/cassette combo before needing to replace the lot. Started a new cassette and 2 new chains in late Sept 2015. Both chains now showing >1% wear on the chain gauge. Before anyone asks, yes I do keep it all lubed (X country Finish Line wet). Its just been so wet and muddy this winter - hence the rear wheel giving up (I'm still a V-brake dinosaur and can hear the wheels wearing out every time I brake!).
N
I've been eating chains this winter.
I use 2 chains- alternating (almost) every time I clean up the bike, depending on how mucky its been. By alternating chains I get longer out of the chain/cassette combo before needing to replace the lot. Started a new cassette and 2 new chains in late Sept 2015. Both chains now showing >1% wear on the chain gauge. Before anyone asks, yes I do keep it all lubed (X country Finish Line wet). Its just been so wet and muddy this winter - hence the rear wheel giving up (I'm still a V-brake dinosaur and can hear the wheels wearing out every time I brake!).
N
In reply to cousin nick:
Like the idea of two chains, thanks. Makes it easier to clean and lubricate the chain if it's off also. I got a new chain and cassette today with the derailleur upgrade, so now would be the best time to start with a second chain!
Like the idea of two chains, thanks. Makes it easier to clean and lubricate the chain if it's off also. I got a new chain and cassette today with the derailleur upgrade, so now would be the best time to start with a second chain!
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
I rotate 3 chains on both my MTBS !
Have little bags marked Ivor 1, Arthur 2 etc - not as much hassle as people seem to think. On Strava it's easy to track mileage on each bike and I change every 200 miles or so. I do find I need to change my small chain ring quite often due to chain suck, but it's a lot cheaper than a new cassette.
I rotate 3 chains on both my MTBS !
Have little bags marked Ivor 1, Arthur 2 etc - not as much hassle as people seem to think. On Strava it's easy to track mileage on each bike and I change every 200 miles or so. I do find I need to change my small chain ring quite often due to chain suck, but it's a lot cheaper than a new cassette.
In reply to Chris the Tall:
Thanks. Interesting. New to me as I've always just used one chain at a time on a bike, but makes sense both from a wear point and cleaning. It can take ages to deep clean a chain so just swapping and doing it later would suit me. When I worked with heavy machines years ago we used to take chains off and clean and store in large drums when not in use.
Excuse my ignorance - do you use quick links, other other type of links or a chain splitter on regular links? I'm wondering if the quick links are strong enough when it's a mountain bike.
Thanks. Interesting. New to me as I've always just used one chain at a time on a bike, but makes sense both from a wear point and cleaning. It can take ages to deep clean a chain so just swapping and doing it later would suit me. When I worked with heavy machines years ago we used to take chains off and clean and store in large drums when not in use.
Excuse my ignorance - do you use quick links, other other type of links or a chain splitter on regular links? I'm wondering if the quick links are strong enough when it's a mountain bike.
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
I'm not convinced about the 'deep clean' idea. I don't think you can really get the grit out of the insides of the links and the stuff on the outside doesn't really matter. I've tried cleaning more or less thoroughly and ended up just giving them a quick rince-and-relube with a new one when the wear gets to 0.75%, which is once or twice a year. Just a lot less hassle. I learned not to let the wear get to 1% - that usually means a knackered cassette.
I'm not convinced about the 'deep clean' idea. I don't think you can really get the grit out of the insides of the links and the stuff on the outside doesn't really matter. I've tried cleaning more or less thoroughly and ended up just giving them a quick rince-and-relube with a new one when the wear gets to 0.75%, which is once or twice a year. Just a lot less hassle. I learned not to let the wear get to 1% - that usually means a knackered cassette.
In reply to Marek:
I have no hard facts so you could well be right. Maybe more psychological with a bike chain but I do like to see a clean (or apparently clean) chain! I'm therefore happy to spend a bit of time cleaning them.
I have no hard facts so you could well be right. Maybe more psychological with a bike chain but I do like to see a clean (or apparently clean) chain! I'm therefore happy to spend a bit of time cleaning them.
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
Yes I use quick links, and have never had a problem with them. Tools such as these are a must http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-master-chain-link-pliers (I struggled for years before I discovered those).
If you don't already, always carry a couple of spare quick links with you, although I've never had a chain break on me (usual rule - if you carry a spare you won't need it, if you don't you will !).
The other thing I carry is an old sports sock ! One that been through the washing machine a 100 times and has lost it's softness. Really useful for cleaning the filth off a chain during a long ride. That was a lesson I learnt after my first attempt a 100 mile MTB race (when it rained all day), that paid off on my second (successful) attempt
Yes I use quick links, and have never had a problem with them. Tools such as these are a must http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-master-chain-link-pliers (I struggled for years before I discovered those).
If you don't already, always carry a couple of spare quick links with you, although I've never had a chain break on me (usual rule - if you carry a spare you won't need it, if you don't you will !).
The other thing I carry is an old sports sock ! One that been through the washing machine a 100 times and has lost it's softness. Really useful for cleaning the filth off a chain during a long ride. That was a lesson I learnt after my first attempt a 100 mile MTB race (when it rained all day), that paid off on my second (successful) attempt
In reply to Climbing Pieman:
I don't think that an unreasonable mileage for an MTB rear mech.
I'm happy if a rear mech last a year, but then my bikes getting ridden fairly hard down stuff.
Marek - After years of not cleaning my bike, I've now gone fully the other way (mainly as I was getting though 1x11 SRAM drive trains which are £££, cheaper now with SRAM GX). I now deep clean my chain and drive chain with a jet wash (and whole bike). It then gets hand dried, blown dry with compressor nozzle (all the nooks and crannies, including chain links), heat dried with a blower for a few hours, then lubed all over with silicon. It's made a huge difference to wear and tear rates and how the bike rides. So yes, cleaning does work! The silicon stops the mud sticking as well.
And the stuff on the outside of a chain does matter as Peak grit eats chains rings, cassettes and jockeys (wheels), as well as chains.
I don't think that an unreasonable mileage for an MTB rear mech.
I'm happy if a rear mech last a year, but then my bikes getting ridden fairly hard down stuff.
Marek - After years of not cleaning my bike, I've now gone fully the other way (mainly as I was getting though 1x11 SRAM drive trains which are £££, cheaper now with SRAM GX). I now deep clean my chain and drive chain with a jet wash (and whole bike). It then gets hand dried, blown dry with compressor nozzle (all the nooks and crannies, including chain links), heat dried with a blower for a few hours, then lubed all over with silicon. It's made a huge difference to wear and tear rates and how the bike rides. So yes, cleaning does work! The silicon stops the mud sticking as well.
And the stuff on the outside of a chain does matter as Peak grit eats chains rings, cassettes and jockeys (wheels), as well as chains.
In reply to Chris the Tall:
I'll add one of those pliers to the shopping list and some quick links.
Thanks for advice, appreciated.
I'll add one of those pliers to the shopping list and some quick links.
Thanks for advice, appreciated.
In reply to ChrisJD:
Thanks, I'll carry on cleaning as I do think it helps as well.
Thanks, I'll carry on cleaning as I do think it helps as well.
In reply to ChrisJD:
i need a cold shower after reading that
> It then gets hand dried, blown dry with compressor nozzle (all the nooks and crannies, including chain links), heat dried with a blower for a few hours, then lubed all over with silicon.
i need a cold shower after reading that
1
In reply to ChrisJD:
Yes, you're right - it really depends on whether you're using high-end (expensive so worth looking after) components or 'value' components (just replace).
By the way I do clean the bike after each ride, but it's a quick hose and drip dry. There's usually several days between rides so there's time for bike to dry and get lubed. If you ride on consecutive days, then my approach is less appropriate.
Yes, you're right - it really depends on whether you're using high-end (expensive so worth looking after) components or 'value' components (just replace).
By the way I do clean the bike after each ride, but it's a quick hose and drip dry. There's usually several days between rides so there's time for bike to dry and get lubed. If you ride on consecutive days, then my approach is less appropriate.
In reply to Marek:
I've gone from not cleaning them at all, to a bit of an obsession
All my riding mates just laugh.
My riding gear doesn't get cleaned mind
I've gone from not cleaning them at all, to a bit of an obsession
All my riding mates just laugh.
My riding gear doesn't get cleaned mind
In reply to ChrisJD
Is the rear-mech-a-year due to damage or wear?
My Xt rear mech is about 16 years old, although the jockeys have been changed several times. Mind you, I ride more XC than trails.
I do recall reading an article about old skool motorcycle riders who would lube a cleaned chain by gently heating it in a pan of lube oil (EP90). Heating and agitation drove out air from the between the pins and rollers, then it was allowed to cool whilst submerged in the oil, so that all the hidden gaps were filled with lube. Seems a bit excessive for mtb though - our chains are comparatively cheap compared to m/c.
> I'm happy if a rear mech last a year, but then my bikes getting ridden fairly hard down stuff.
> Marek - After years of not cleaning my bike, I've now gone fully the other way (mainly as I was getting though 1x11 SRAM drive trains which are £££, cheaper now with SRAM GX). I now deep clean my chain and drive chain with a jet wash (and whole bike). It then gets hand dried, blown dry with compressor nozzle (all the nooks and crannies, including chain links), heat dried with a blower for a few hours, then lubed all over with silicon. It's made a huge difference to wear and tear rates and how the bike rides. So yes, cleaning does work! The silicon stops the mud sticking as well.
> And the stuff on the outside of a chain does matter as Peak grit eats chains rings, cassettes and jockeys (wheels), as well as chains.
Is the rear-mech-a-year due to damage or wear?
My Xt rear mech is about 16 years old, although the jockeys have been changed several times. Mind you, I ride more XC than trails.
I do recall reading an article about old skool motorcycle riders who would lube a cleaned chain by gently heating it in a pan of lube oil (EP90). Heating and agitation drove out air from the between the pins and rollers, then it was allowed to cool whilst submerged in the oil, so that all the hidden gaps were filled with lube. Seems a bit excessive for mtb though - our chains are comparatively cheap compared to m/c.
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...