I just purchased a new set of wheels and cassette. My local bike shop recommended getting a new chain for the new wheels/cassette. However, I plan on training on my “old” wheels and racing with the new ones. My local bike shop recommended that whenever I switch to my “old” wheels that I use the old chain (i.e. with the old cassette). This seems like a pain in the behind.
I’m curious what others that own multiple pairs of wheels do in such circumstances.
I just keep the chain on the bike clean and lubricated. I change it somewhat frequently and don’t have an issue with swapping wheels and cassettes. There is really only an issue where you have used the same chain and cassette/chainring for 1000’s of miles. As the chain wears (stretches), your gears also wear to match. Once this happens, you’ll potentially have issues with a new chain properly meshing with your worn gears, or your old chain working with a new cassette. Change your chain every 3000 miles or so, and you should be fine. Mileage may vary depending on how good you are about keeping the chain clean and lubed, plus how hard the miles are (i.e. lots of steep climbing, or lots of cross chained riding).
Problem solved: Buy a race bike to put your new wheels on, and you won’t have to worry about pesky issues relating to matching chains, cassettes, and chainrings. ;p
I’m in the same boat as you. The only problem I have with the “change the cassette whenever you change the chain” argument is that over the course of several hundred miles, won’t the chainrings also wear to match the chain? So why don’t we have to change the chainrings every time we change the cassette? I put a new chain, cassette, and chainrings on my bike around 600 miles ago, and the chainrings show more wear than the cassette does. I know, I’m not helping.
Damn it, Jim! I’m a biker, not a metallurgist!
even easier… just use your new cassette on both wheels… or buy a nother new cassette.
Chains and cassettes wear together, if you mix them all of the new stuff will wear out faster. But changing the chain everytime would be a pain in the ass even if you have a master link chain (whipperman or SRAM) it would be pretty simple to swich cassettes or buy another cassette