I think it's recommended to degrease the cassette and chainrings. We basically don't want any old wet lube mixing with the wax. I don't think it needs to be as obsessive as the chain. I did toss my cassette into the ultrasonic cleaner with some degreaser when I switched, but I could have just degreased it by hand (but I'd do it off the bike, and clean each cog). I don't think I've heard people recommend you clean the cassette with alcohol afterward.

Aside from that, I think the main issue with a used chain is that it might take a lot of solvent to get the thing clean enough and all the dirt out.

I absolutely intend on stripping the old oil line/grease off, I just didn’t know if a brand new chain would slip or cause a loss of wattage on worn rings/cassette.

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

I think you're fine on rings/cogs still in the prime of their lives.

Sprockets and chains on motorcycles are usually changed together due to deformation of the sprocket teeth, but from my experience new chain with old good sprocket is fine on bicycles.

I followed Josh’s advice from Silca on cleanings the chain. For my rear sprocket, I couldn’t get all the grease out from between the cogs so I took the wheel off and then turned a piece of cardboard up on its edge and put it between each cog and rotated the sprocket until the cardboard came clean. Worked great!

If you install a new chain and the drivetrain skips, but it was not having problems before, that is usually a sign that you waited too long to change your chain or that your drivetrain is really worn and needs to be replaced. And old worn chain with an old worn cassette have molded themselves together replacing one or the other will cause problems. Cassettes and chainrings last forever if you pay attention to chain wear. I have some that have some worn teeth and look a little rough but don't have any issue shifting with a new chain.
I've been waxing chains for about six months now and will never go back. Having a little deep fat fryer makes it so easy, it feels like those red EASY buttons from the commercial. I just waxed my chain this week after realizing how much drivetrain noise I was hearing. Now it is back to silent but deadly. And I think my chains are last a lot longer.

The only risk here is if your previous chain was sufficiently worn to the point that it was wearing the cassette or rings. As was said, if you put the new chain on and it skips under power you will need to replace the rest of the drivetrain.

Once you are full on waxing, you'll find that the entire drivetrain lasts much longer. We have some test drivetrains in our lab with 25,000+ miles on them (all of those miles at 250-600 watts!) and everything still in spec. You can expect a good 10,000 miles from a chain if you are waxing it regularly and easily 2x that from your cassette and rings.

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