My opinion would be get the chain replaced and then see how it helps with the slipping. Then if the slipping continues then consider getting the cassette. Just my 2c.

---

http://www.austint3.com

How many miles of riding and what type of chain maintenance have you done?

If the chain went thousands of miles with little or no care, it's totally possible that it has stretched (worn, really - they don't literally stretch) to the point where it has worn the cassette out as well. As a chain stretches, it wears the notches in the cassette to match. Hence, putting a brand new chain on a worn cassette will usually result in poor performance. However, it is possible that the new chain will seem to run fine on the old cassette, but if it's worn badly enough, the old cassette will chew through the new chain in record time - so if the cassette is worn badly, you're basically wasting the new chain even if it feels fine and doesn't skip.

For what it's worth, I've had chains wear in as little as 1,500 miles, or last several times that - depending on maintenance and riding conditions. If you maintain your chain and change it before it's too worn out, you should go through several chains before the cassette is toast.

Life span on these components is highly variable depending on riding style, weather conditions, component care, etc....

Get a new chain only at first. If it fixes the problem, you are are fine. Keep the new chain clean and lubed and it should last a while. If it doesn't fix the problem, get a new cassette also. A few days with the new chain on the old cassette won't have hurt the new chain if you end up needing both.

[reply]A few days with the new chain on the old cassette won't have hurt the new chain if you end up needing both.[/reply]

True, but you might not know you "need" both until a month later, when your new chain is shot in 500 miles because the old cassette was bad enough to wear it out, but not bad enough to skip like mad.

In the end, I'd just show the cassette in question to an experienced mechanic and have him evaluate. No one makes a tool to measure cassette wear, but it's pretty obvious to a trained eye.

> No one makes a tool to measure cassette wear

Rohloff does ...

Dre'

---

-----------
...

"Keep the new chain clean and lubed and it should last a while."

Note the first part -- CLEAN. If all you do is lube it...

What do you get when you add lube to something that's already dirty? Grinding compound.

---

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

Are there are "experience mechanics" out there that either want to describe/load up pics of what to look for?

---

//semi retired - old school = http://www.iwilltri.com //

I'm not an experienced mechanic, but you're looking for teeth that look like shark fins instead of being symmetrical. The effect may be more pronounced on some cogs than others. Compare the shaped of the teeth on the cog you use most to the one you use least (eg, middle vs smallest cogs).

It doesn't even have to get as far as "shark's teeth" to cause a chain to wear quickly. Just look at the "valleys" on the cogs, and you'll see that the ones you use most will have longer "valleys" than the others.

---

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/