Drivetrain life, a survey/record of facts for 1x11, 1x12

A survey about chain life. I'd like to hear about only your most recent drive chain details.
I am only in about 700miles on my latest, so I'll post the answers as a sample

I'll start a with a simple format:

Chain brand/model: KMC/11 speed DLC
Miles:700
Hours:70
Lube: mucoff wet conditions lube/T9
Cassette: e-13 9-44
Chainring: wolftooth 30t
Reason you replaced: still great condition

 

Chain: Sram 1130
Miles: Don't know, don't keep track
Hours: read above
Lube: RNR Absolute Dry
Cassette: Sram 1150 10-42
Chainring: Wolftooth 34t
Replaced 10 speed

 

what timing...I'd like to know others timing too.

My bikes is at the Path now getting mostly new drivetrain. this is a sram 1x11, xx1 drivetrain, except for the Cranks which are race face.
Currently in the shop for Rear Cassette, Chain, chain ring, RD pulleys.
Chain, 6 months and stretched. installing new XX1 chain.
Chain Ring, race face 30t. also 6 months old. Being replaced.
Cassette, 10-42 XX1; This is I'd estimate a little over a year. going with X1 this time.
Pulleys, original 3 yrs old. New being installed.
Also ordered new rear hub bearings..why..just 'cause.

Lube, I'll change almost every bottle, currently Rock & Roll gold.

How many hours etc? I don't know, but 2-4 rides per week ave 14 miles each and 2500 ft. Guess I could check Strava and add it up, but only record about 2/3 of my rides.
Figure this about matches the cost of a gym membership and wayyyy more fun.

 

Ripley (xx1 shifter & derailleur)
Chain brand/model: Sram PC-XX1/11 speed
Miles: 3000+
Hours: Lots & Lots
Lube: Rock N Roll Gold
Cassette: e13 9-44T
Chainring: Raceface 28T
Reason you replaced: Haven't yet but thinking about it

Pivot LES (XT shifter & XTR derailleur) & (bought used so add ??? miles to whatever I list)
Chain brand/model: Shimano XT CN-HG701/11 speed
Miles: 1639
Hours: No idea
Lube: Rock N Roll Gold
Cassette: Sram XX1 XG-1199
Chainring: Wolftooth 32T oval
Reason you replaced: Just installed e13 cassette last week for extra gear range but thats it

 

Not sure how accurate these numbers really are.

Banshee Spitfire, SRAM X1 derailleur and X01 shifter

Chain brand/model: SRAM X1
Miles: 180
Hours:
Lube: Rock n Roll Blue
Cassette: SRAM XX1 with 44T
Chainring: Garbaruk Melon 30T (560mi)

Chiner 29r (Workswell 062), SRAM X0 derailleur and shifter

Chain brand/model: YBN SLA 101
Miles: 226
Hours:
Lube: Rock n Roll Blue
Cassette: Response Free Ranger 10sp 11-42 (~700 miles)
Chainring: OneUp Traction 30T (160mi)

I don't necessarily wait till my stuff is worn out to replace. Most of the time I'll replace parts just because I want to try something different. The only things that do wear...that I'll actually wear out are probably brake pads.

 

Hard to compare chain/drive train wear. My watts/kg is pretty damn high, but my wattage numbers absolute aren't. So I don't put on as much stress as someone who is 200+ pounds.

In addition, how you ride and how you maintain, will have have big impacts. I clean and relube every ride, but I often put in more mileage under stress compared to others too (lots of hard sprinting up hills and such).

 

Chain brand/model: Shimano HG-X11
Miles: approx. 1500 miles
Hours: 130 hours(?)
Lube: Finishline Dry Lube
Cassette: Shimano SLX 11-42
Chainring: Shimano SLX 30t
Reason you replaced: seems fine(?)
fwiw: 5'7", 135 lbs

 

1 x 10, so you don't care.

Neither do I. I replace preemptively (±every 350 smiles) and try to stay out of granny, so stuff lasts way long. XT/cheap Shimano/Raceface NW DM.

 

Also running 1x10 on all of my bikes. Old skool...

What I have learned about using 1x drivetrains:
* Aluminum granny gear cassette cogs wear out prematurely (due to less than ideal chain line).
* Chain stretch wear seems to be about the same as when running 2x.

 

I get about 800-1100 miles out of KMC 10 spd chains.

2500 miles out of Renthal SR4 Chainrings

5000 miles out of Surly SS cogs


On my wife's Tallboy.....
SRAM PC-1x chain...600 miles +>.75
SRAM PG1170 cassette...600 miles ,like new
One Up 30t N/W Direct mount, 600 miles, like new

 

This is the info on My Trek.
The other bikes are too new to have relevant data.

Chain sram 11 spd Oct 17, 2016 706.7mi Retire |Delete
Front Tire Maxxis Icon Oct 17, 2016 706.7mi Retire |Delete
Bottom Bracket Endoro BB Jan 14, 2017 466.1mi Retire |Delete
Rear Tire Maxxis Icon 2.2 Feb 10, 2017 412.6mi Retire |Delete
Chain SRAM 11 speed Since Beginning Oct 17, 2016 1,194.0 mi Delete
Front Tire Bontreger XR2 Since Beginning Oct 17, 2016 1,194.0 mi Delete
Rear Tire Bontreger XR1 Since Beginning Oct 17, 2016 1,194.0 mi Delete
Saddle Fizik Tandra Since Beginning Jan 22, 2017 1,448.3 mi Delete
Rear Tire Bontrager XR2 team issue (used front) Oct 17, 2016 Feb 10, 2017 294.0 mi Delete

 

Another 10 speeder here. I don't think 11 or 12 are necessary with 26" wheels.
Chain brand/model: Shimano 10 speed with a KMC quick link
Miles: 263
Hours:37
Lube: mucoff dry, (But I just put the wet on a couple of rides ago. That was a mistake)
Cassette: 11-36
Chainring: AbsBlack 34t Oval
Reason you replaced: Whole new drivetrain. (from SLX Mid-cage RD - XT shifter - 175mm crank - Hope 30t, to Zee short-cage RD - Saint shifter - 170mm crank - AbsBlack 34t Oval)

I tend to get much, much shorter chain life and casette life than other folks. Partially from laziness, but also because I can never seem to get my jockey wheels, cassette, and chainring clean. Contrary to conventional wisdom I had even shorter chainlife with 2x10 because the front chainrings were even harder to clean. I'm buying a parts washer, and altering lubing/cleaning practices to see if that helps.

 

Hmmm... Interesting thread. I don't track any of this info, so I can't contribute anything meaningful. I use KMC chains and Rock and Roll Gold chain lube. I have replaced my cassette once in two years on my 1x11 Tracer. I did a chainring (Race Face 30 NW) and chain (KMC) at the same time. This is about the same interval as my 2x10 prior.

So what's the takeaway for me? Replace the stuff when it's worn out or when it breaks.

 

Chain: Shimano XTR/Dura-Ace
Chain Lube: Dumonde Tech or Finish Line dry lubes
Cassette: Shimano XTR /M9000 11-40 (11 speed)
Crankset/chain rings: Shimano XTR / M9000 36x26t
Derailleurs: Shimano XTR

1600 miles replaced rear cassette due to broken tooth and general wear
1800 replaced chain, 26t chain ring, pulleys due to general wear. They were overworn and should have been replaced earlier.
1800 also replaced 17x19t cog on new cassette due to two broken teeth. Have no idea how/when I broke them other than possible rock strike(?)

BB is in good shape. Cranks are worn but in good shape.

 

In reference to above, at approx 1200 miles I have now replaced the KMC chain, the e13 Aluminim 4 sprocket cluster of the cassette, the 30t wolftooth front ring. I probably could have gotten a little more life, but I was having some issues with noisey grinding and crappy shifts. All is great now, but 1 steel sprocket on the cassette has a little issue, but I am resolved to wearing that portion of the cassette much more out before replacing.

 

I must admit I have never tracked this stuff. My chain lasts until it doesn't. I don't think I've ever replaced an existing chainring except to go from 2x to 1x.

I did replace a cassette, but that was to go from 10 speed to 11 speed and so I replaced the shifter, cable, and derailleur at the same time.

I have put 3,500 miles on my mtb...how have I avoided problems?

 

Road miles

Dirt is the bane of all mountain bike drive components. No dirt and you probably cut your wear by 75% or more.

That said, I will freely admit that I was not keeping my chain as clean as I should have been, and since I do a lot of climbing, I spent almost all my time in my small chain ring so it got all the wear.

 

Well, I rode whiting Ranch 2x a week during the crazy wet season. So that was 3 months of sandy water crossings. I am blaming the sand.

 

I'm buying that.

 

I miss my triple, modern bikes suck with no high end.

 

I had a Trek Mamba, with a 44/32/22 chainring and an 11-34 cassette, that I set multiple PRs on that I have yet to beat. Sometimes old skool is gooder!!

 

Yeah.........no.

 

Stats don't lie....

 

I RARELY top out 32x10 on a 29er.

If you need taller gearing than that, than you better be racing for a paycheck.

 

Agreed. Running 28×10 on my 29er I can spin up to 28mph on flat ground. At 200lbs my weight can make up for any loss of gearing on the DH. As far as 1×11 goes I'm still on the lube every ride and swap out chain every 6 months whether it needs it or not. I'm guessing 1.5k plus on the chains and 3x that on cassettes and chainrings.

 

yep, twin will top out about 25 or so, triple 35+mph. I miss my triple. I used to ride Space in the big ring-small cog and pedal as I applied brakes into the switchbacks, now I just coast cause I am topped out. It was a great way to get my CG down before I hit the corner.
Happy fast switch back dropping trails