SRAM T-type cassette worn out after 940 miles

Pazman

Active member
Dec 8, 2022
133
117
Uk
I have canyon strive on car ltd with sram t-type xo transmission, done 940 miles on it ,i cheated the chain with a chain checker last week and it showed over 0.5 and under 0.75.
so I brought a new t-type eagle gx chain and fitted it , when riding under load up an incline the chain slips on the teeth when in 7th gear only .
bike shop said it sound like that gear is worn out !
I thought t-type as suposed to last 3 times longer than a standard cassette.
does this sound normal ?
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
9,076
9,542
Lincolnshire, UK
940 miles does seem a bit low. I would be disappointed as well.

Just a few questions, not designed to piss you off, just finding out.

Do you use all the gears on the cassette? Or do you stay in the same one and just change the power mode.
In case you believe that nobody would do that, @johnc and I rode (briefly) with a guy that did exactly that.

Is there a chance that your cassette is counterfeit?

Do you use boost/turbo most of the time?

What is your maintenance regime like? In other words, do you look after your transmission?

Is 7th gear your most used gear? It's a big gear so it should wear less than the smaller gears, unless it is a softer material.

Finally, I am not intimately familiar with the T-type XO cassette, but is the 7th gear the first of the alloy gears, vs the smaller steel ones? You may find that the larger alloy gears are about to show wear next.

If you give yourself a clean bill of health, then I would assume that the same is going to happen again, so change your chain sooner next time, but keep it to swap out with the second chain at a similar wear point. Then repeat.

I'd have to check, but I feel sure that I read somewhere of a SRAM tech guy saying that the T-type transmission set (all gears and chain) should be run until destruction and then replace the whole lot in one go. On that basis 940 miles is merely the start of your journey!
 

Pazman

Active member
Dec 8, 2022
133
117
Uk
Hi

im constantly changing gears , drive train always clean and lubbed
100% genuine sram parts that came on the bike from new .
7th is different to the others as the deraler uses that gear to self set its self up .
using to distruction may have lasted a long time but I would want to have it fail as it would at some when say 20 miles from my car or home .
 

steve_sordy

Wedding Crasher
Nov 5, 2018
9,076
9,542
Lincolnshire, UK
I doubt by "use to destruction" that the SRAM guy meant breaking into bits, but "no longer usable, or getting close". :unsure:

If that is indeed what the SRAM guy said. You should check that for yourself.
 

mustclime

Active member
Apr 19, 2023
448
359
New Jerzy
Alloy cassette cogs ware out fast? Omg, my world is rocked. To bad sram doesn’t make an all steel cassettes for transmission….. my $89 sram nx cassette is still good after 2000 miles( chains replaced every 500 miles.) Cable shifting FTW.
 

Pazman

Active member
Dec 8, 2022
133
117
Uk
Update on the issue

I did some google searches and found others with the same issue on gear 7 , some Hod it with gear 3 .
The fix was to release the rear wheel axle and undo the UDH derailleur ,rest the derailleur tension and nip up the axle , it should be to 11nm but axl has a bar you pull out to undo or tighten the axle so I don’t know what nm I nipped it up to ,but i wasn’t very tight .
all the 7th gear slipping has now gone and every runs sweet now ,so it wasn’t the cassette at all .
Not sure why a new chain would upset things as it did but hey it’s all good now .
 

sethimus

Member
Dec 31, 2023
136
121
Switzerland
you are not supposed to change the chain, but to ride both the chain and the cassette to the ground

Chain wear intervals for Transmission will be different than Eagle Drivetrain. It's generally expected that you would replace the chain a few times over the lifespan of a cassette with an Eagle Drivetrain, but with Transmission we expect that the chain and cassette will wear together and be replaced at the same time. This is due to the increased durability of T-Type chains.
 

Pazman

Active member
Dec 8, 2022
133
117
Uk
you are not supposed to change the chain, but to ride both the chain and the cassette to the ground
Hi

Do you have a link to this information please ?
Because I’m don’t willing ride my e-bike like that tbh , I could miles from anywhere when the chain eventually goes and last time a had a chain snap it broke the derailleur and chain guard making the bike un rideable
 

bonescro

Member
Feb 20, 2022
15
34
Pensacola, Florida
You're supposed to replace your chain when you hit 0.50. I had the same thing happen, although it took about 2000 miles. For the past twenty years, I had religiously changed at 0.75 with no problems. That all changed when I went to a 12-speed. I replaced it for the third time, and had skips in gears 4 through 8. It took some research, but Park (and other sites) says to replace it at 0.50.
 
Last edited:

sethimus

Member
Dec 31, 2023
136
121
Switzerland
Hi

Do you have a link to this information please ?
Because I’m don’t willing ride my e-bike like that tbh , I could miles from anywhere when the chain eventually goes and last time a had a chain snap it broke the derailleur and chain guard making the bike un rideable
that’s what they tell mechanics in the official service course. source: i work in a shop
 

Brown stripe

Member
Mar 4, 2023
5
4
United Kingdom
940 miles doesn't sound to bad. I've just changed the chain on my Obrea Rise after 800 miles hopefully I have caught it earlier enough and don't need a new cassette. I have spent the last 30 years riding through mud and muck. I would normally get through one cassette, 2 bottom brackets and numerous bearings every winter
 

Pazman

Active member
Dec 8, 2022
133
117
Uk
that’s what they tell mechanics in the official service course. source: i work in a shop
Really ! Good to know , sram say change the chain at 0.8 , so your saying run it until 0.8 then replace Cassette and chain ?
 

Pazman

Active member
Dec 8, 2022
133
117
Uk
940 miles doesn't sound to bad. I've just changed the chain on my Obrea Rise after 800 miles hopefully I have caught it earlier enough and don't need a new cassette. I have spent the last 30 years riding through mud and muck. I would normally get through one cassette, 2 bottom brackets and numerous bearings every winter
I’m very happy with the chain lasting 940 miles , it was just the cassette I want happy with , but it’s all good now , the skipping on gear 7 was caused by some kind of alignment issue . Reset the derailleur and axle torque and it’s all good now .
 

Pazman

Active member
Dec 8, 2022
133
117
Uk
“you are not supposed to change the chain, but to ride both the chain and the cassette to the ground”

Manual says change the chain at 0.8 to limit wear on cassette!

The manual says

Depending on use case, it “ MAY “ be best to change the parts together to restore optimal drivetrain performance.
But not a sure thing .

Not sure what your issue is you talk some sh-t and send links showing you talk sh-t .

Jog on pal
 

sethimus

Member
Dec 31, 2023
136
121
Switzerland
“you are not supposed to change the chain, but to ride both the chain and the cassette to the ground”

Manual says change the chain at 0.8 to limit wear on cassette!

The manual says

Depending on use case, it “ MAY “ be best to change the parts together to restore optimal drivetrain performance.
But not a sure thing .

Not sure what your issue is you talk some sh-t and send links showing you talk sh-t .

Jog on pal
0.8 is for non t-type parts.

it doesn't say anyting about it in the official manual:


CHAIN, CASSETTE, AND CHAINRING REPLACEMENT​

The chain, cassette, and chainring wear together over time as a result of normal use. Parts will last longer with regular cleaning.
To determine if the parts need to be replaced, consult the Transmission Service Matrix. Depending on use case, it may be best to change the parts together to restore optimal drivetrain performance.
also nothing on 0.8 max wear in the service matrix further down


but i'm pretty sure you can provide said info with proper documentation, can you?
 

Pazman

Active member
Dec 8, 2022
133
117
Uk
0.8 is for non t-type parts.

it doesn't say anyting about it in the official manual:



also nothing on 0.8 max wear in the service matrix further down


but i'm pretty sure you can provide said info with proper documentation, can you?
I read and quoted the link you gave me
 

Mike O

New Member
Subscriber
Jan 27, 2024
8
7
Arkansas
Update on the issue

I did some google searches and found others with the same issue on gear 7 , some Hod it with gear 3 .
The fix was to release the rear wheel axle and undo the UDH derailleur ,rest the derailleur tension and nip up the axle , it should be to 11nm but axl has a bar you pull out to undo or tighten the axle so I don’t know what nm I nipped it up to ,but i wasn’t very tight .
all the 7th gear slipping has now gone and every runs sweet now ,so it wasn’t the cassette at all .
Not sure why a new chain would upset things as it did but hey it’s all good now .
I had a very similar experience.

Subsequent to new installation of XO Transmission on a Levo by my LBS, shifting in and through 7 was terrible. Took it back asked the mechanic if he had actually ridden the bike post installation. Escalated to the mechanic I usually use there. He told me that he did exactly as you described - nothing else. Although he has always been spot on I was skeptical as this did not seem a reasonable fix for what I was experiencing at the time. I was quite worried that I had made a huge mistake spending the $.

But I've since ridden 400 miles and the system has been literally flawless.
 

Natch

New Member
Feb 10, 2024
55
28
Oregon
I'd have to check, but I feel sure that I read somewhere of a SRAM tech guy saying that the T-type transmission set (all gears and chain) should be run until destruction and then replace the whole lot in one go.
Can anyone confirm this point? I was about to put on a new chain.
 

Pazman

Active member
Dec 8, 2022
133
117
Uk
Can anyone confirm this point? I was about to put on a new chain.
True or not it’s an expensive idea , ive Just installed a new chain is running great now , there was an alignment issue at first but after reseting the derailleur and re torquing the axle it’s running sweet now .
I found plenty of other that had this issue from a full new install or after changing a chain .
I hope get at least another 900 miles on this chain with the original cassette , two chains and one cassette over 1800 mile I would be happy with .
 

Waynetta

E*POWAH Master
Feb 11, 2020
191
179
Plymouth Devon
I’ve just recently bought a Levo SL pro. T Type transmission axs shifters.
ill be running two chains swapping every 100 miles or so. Hot waxing both chains.
cant see why youd run one chain till the cassette and chain die. Doesn’t make sense.
cassettes mostly wear because the chain gets longer and then your put all the power through less teeth which then accelerates the wear. In the theory with good maintaining and decent lubricant cassettes and chain ring should last for quite few chains if you change the chain when it reaches 0.5% wear.
For top information on all things to do with chain and transmission maintenance check out
Zero Friction on You Tube. Be warned he goes into extremely lengthy detail about why you should do all the above I’ve mentioned ..
 

irie

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
May 2, 2022
2,731
2,788
Chichester, W.Sussex, UK
cant see why youd run one chain till the cassette and chain die. Doesn’t make sense.
We (wife and I Trek Rails) have Shimano mech, cassettes, and chains. We run 2 XTR chains to 0.5% (about 2,000 miles) then when the 3rd chain hits about 500 miles change the cassette and start again with a new chain. Pretty straight forward TBH.
 

sethimus

Member
Dec 31, 2023
136
121
Switzerland
We (wife and I Trek Rails) have Shimano mech, cassettes, and chains. We run 2 XTR chains to 0.5% (about 2,000 miles) then when the 3rd chain hits about 500 miles change the cassette and start again with a new chain. Pretty straight forward TBH.
and what exactly has that to do with t-type chains and system!?
 

High Rock Ruti

Active member
May 13, 2019
431
333
Massachusetts
I have canyon strive on car ltd with sram t-type xo transmission, done 940 miles on it ,i cheated the chain with a chain checker last week and it showed over 0.5 and under 0.75.
so I brought a new t-type eagle gx chain and fitted it , when riding under load up an incline the chain slips on the teeth when in 7th gear only .
bike shop said it sound like that gear is worn out !
I thought t-type as suposed to last 3 times longer than a standard cassette.
does this sound normal ?
High Rock Ruti

That sounds like good life to me, 750 ish miles for cassette, chain usually breaks before that repair with master link, derailleurs once a year usually whind a stick up in the chain snap derailleur in half. Some of it's me bush wack alot

Warm Regards Ruti
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
6,609
5,092
Weymouth
I dont think there is a conflict in the advice given by SRAM. A T type chain beyond 0.8% worn should not be considered for re-use and that would apply if for example a cassette was being changed due to damage.

Meanwhile running both the chain and cassette until noticeable deteriation in performance is experienced and changing both chain and cassette at the same time is how users are advised to use the system. Keeping an eye on chain wear, and when that gets to 0.8% is possibly the best way to get advance warning that you are getting close to replacement time.

I know different riding conditions, maintenance regimes and gear used, all impact on wear rates but in my case it is pretty consistent with GX Eagle kit over quite a few years..............500/600 miles for a chain to 0.5% and c 1200 miles for cassette. I have one bike with Transmission and for me to convinced it is any better than the original AXS I have on my other bike I would want 1 cassette and chain set to last at least 1500 miles and preferably 1750 miles.
 

irie

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Subscriber
May 2, 2022
2,731
2,788
Chichester, W.Sussex, UK
you do realize what the op asked for, right?
The OP said:

"SRAM T-type cassette worn out after 940 miles"

A level of wear which would not occur (or be very unlikely) with a Shimano cassette. Therefore an economic medium/long term option would be replacement with a Shimano transmission. Hopefully that is clear enough for you.
 

Winford

New Member
Oct 29, 2024
67
95
auburn ca
does this sound normal ?
very normal if you ride aggressive. Im lucky to get 700 ish out of Shimanos cassettes. If your fast, you use certain gears way more than others. I average 4000' of climbing every ride, riding as aggressive as anyone can..

Trick is to buy the cheapest cassettes, because they wear out so fast under load
 

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