I have the SC Heckler 9 EMTB with the Shimano E801 motor, XO drive train and the new AXS transmission. The other day the chain popped off the chain ring which was a first. Checked the chain guide which was OK. It popped off a couple more times on the next ride. After thorough inspection I found that the chain was worn beyond recommended specifications. This was the original chain with 740 miles on it. Wow! I love this bike though. The drivetrain is awesome.
SRAM XO T-type chain wear
- Thread starter bikerider
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks. This is my first EMTB, so I'm not used to having to replace a chain this soon. But taking into consideration that with a motor, there is extra force being exerted on the drive train, it does seem reasonable as you say. More weight, more power, more wear.
The consensus seems to be a cassette will need replacing every three chains . . one option is to have three chains and rotate them to even the wear.
7000 miles on a EP801 and never had that happen, with a Shimano cassette.
That is terrible if your taking care of your chain. Buddy with ep801 just got 2000+ miles out of chain and cassette, but he is easy on it and has electronic shifting.
Im harder on the drivetrain than he is, and I originally got that kind of mileage with manual shifting, did 3 cassettes with about 800 ish miles on them. I switched to electronic shifting and now I get double the miles out of chain and cassette.
I just got another ebike with their best T type cassette and chain. This blows the shimano stuff out of the water, shifting is far superior with this set up, I suspect 2000+ hard and fast miles.
dip the chain in MSW every two rides and more in winter.
Simply not true on an ebike. That means some people would be going through chains every 300 miles if their cassette goes at 900. Only once have I ran a second chain on a cassette, the one im replacing next week. On Shimano anyway. The cassettes wear out and a new chain never helps them. The chain starts jumping cogs when worn, usually the smallest cog. At that time the original chain is still in specifications. In the last year and half ive logged close to 10,000 miles. I spend a lot on brake pads and rotors and chains and cassettes.
Depends on how you ride I guess. I replaced cassette at 3000km having replaced 4 chains but never had it jumping, it just wasn't changing smoothly. TBF I never use the smaller cogs or wear out rotors because I only ride interesting single tracks so speeds are never that fast.
I ride a mixture of everything, im 2 miles of pavement above single track, but im constantly using the smallest cog on single track. I ride as aggressive as one can.
100% true. But I have yet to see a chain wear out so much, that the park tool slides in showing excessive wear. Even my buddies 2000 mile chain is still in spec, as all of mine have been. None of my friends have wore out a chain before the cassette. If you are someone who uses multiple chains im not knocking you, it makes it much easier to swap out a waxed chain with a dirt chain, and ensures you have a tighter chain, which would factually result in a longer cassette life. Weird side note about Shimano Cassettes. They are cheap as dirt, and you can feel the cheapness in shifting quality. Some with shift perfect and some do not, and some will hop cogs even when new when your chain gets dirty, some do not and ride well and shift well for 1500 miles. Only because ive gone through 6 or 7 im the last year can I provide this data. One fact is true, no shimano cassette comes close to the Sram T type shifting quality. I also have a lot of buddies who have trashed shimano derailleurs in wrecks, and the Sram seem to last longer being built more solid. I wreck fast about every 4 -6 months, and still have my shimano without issue.
My experience with the XO chains are that they fail quickly with all the ebike torque. I've replaced three of them over the last year. Two of them broke withing a few weeks of putting it on the bike. I used the XO because I wanted a black chain on my build. I will say the second one I had break quickly I put a quick link in and it was fine for a few more months before failing again. I'm riding a newer Bosch. I don't know if the torque is just too much for those chains. It's a bummer because I like using the black ones. At this point I'm going to try and use the GX t-type version and see how that fairs.
Im with you now. My black T type failed a little over 600 miles snapped on FHDL on a night ride. Which also took out the cassette.
I replaced chain with a blk one, but im doing what you are next chain. Cassette was replaced with the cheaper version as well. Seems to shift no different.
According to Dave Rome from Escape Collective, who does a lot of nerdy testing, the XO chain is the most durable one.
If you wear through them at a very high rate, it might be interesting to look at your cadence. I see full power riders often mashing in a big gear, which will accelerate chain and cog wear.
I have about 500 miles on my Fazua system, which has lower torque and I ride it with higher cadence because of that, and I have minimal chain wear on my XO chain so far. I'm about 200lbs and do almost only winch and plummet riding, which should be hard on the chain compared to flatter riding.
If you wear through them at a very high rate, it might be interesting to look at your cadence. I see full power riders often mashing in a big gear, which will accelerate chain and cog wear.
I have about 500 miles on my Fazua system, which has lower torque and I ride it with higher cadence because of that, and I have minimal chain wear on my XO chain so far. I'm about 200lbs and do almost only winch and plummet riding, which should be hard on the chain compared to flatter riding.
Bogdan_CH
Active member
Got the Park Tool caliper to check the hear on two XO transmission
1. My brother's Fazua bike - 1600 km = no wear
2. Mines Bosch 100 ebike - 500 kms = no wear
1. My brother's Fazua bike - 1600 km = no wear
2. Mines Bosch 100 ebike - 500 kms = no wear
@Bogdan_CH - which Park Tool caliper are you using? Just be mindful that not all of them work as intended with the larger rollers of transmission drive trains. The CC 4.2 is supposed to work OK, the CC 3 I don't think so.
Chains don't like small gears. All chain wheels are not round, they are polygons which induce vibration. As the numbers of teeth increase, they get closer to approximating a circle. But as the numbers of teeth get smaller, they get further and further away from a smooth circle and the vibration increases. Just saying...
Chain wear increases in small cogs because the chain rotate moves slower at higher tension, for a given speed. It also contacts fewer teeth on the rear cog, which then wear more quickly.
I'm not sure that vibration affects chain wear significantly, but maybe.
The stress on the chain increases as the non-round chain gear tugs on the chain. It is an impact also that yanks all the components together. I don't claim that it is the major cause of wear, just one of many.
Bogdan_CH
Active member
CC 4.2, bought is specifically for the T Type chains. I was surprised as well but both are working like day 1. Bought a spare chain as after 1500 kms I was expecting honestly to replace it. Shocked as well
Similar Threads
-
Sold 2024 SRAM X0 SRAM X0 Drivetrain Bosch £795: Jedburgh Scottish borders
- Started by deertrackdoctor
- Replies: 0
-
Sold 2024 SRAM SRAM XO AXS T Type 2025 Transition Bosch 949: Scottish borders
- Started by deertrackdoctor
- Replies: 1
-
UNNO MITH (DJI Avinox) – noise ONLY on rear suspension compression (developed all of a sudden)- Started by advanced
- Replies: 8
-
-
Sram GX T derailleur/eagle drivetrain hack...anyone with old AXS try it?- Started by TCFlowClyde
- Replies: 10