Normal for a freewheel to go on a 6 month old bike?

[Robster]

Bought a GT Aggressor 3.0 last September.

Been using it daily for work and back, and the very occasional longish ride into town and forests, tiny bit of off road. Been suffering from a skipping chain for a while, it's been back to the shop, and they gave it back the next day, charged me £6 and told me it's all sorted...

Two days later it starts skipping badly again under load

Got myself a chain wear indicator and 0.75 slotted right in no issue, and 1.0 almost went in also. So I popped a new chain on there - gears 1-4 and 7 are fine, but 5 and 6 skip, 5 is especially bad, skips constantly

gears 5 and 6 are the ones I use the most on my way to work, so I guess these have worn down faster than the other ones. But a 6 month old free-wheel shouldn't wear down so quickly should it??

Had a look at 5 and 6 cogs, and a few of the teeth look completely worn! like sharpened into a point!

I mean i've not been slinging it down the road, i've come off it once lightly, and it has seen mud all but once in its lifetime. The rest is a short, 3/4 mile bimble to work and back.

This is my bike, that colour too:
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/gt-aggressor-30-2013-shop-soiled/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=gt%20aggressor%203%20exact&utm_campaign=RTC_gt&referid=googwig&utm_adgroup=P_GT_Aggressor%203.0%202013&gclid=CO3yq_Prm70CFeXLtAodgHUAHg

Granted its not top of the range, but I really wouldn't expect the shocking dip in material quality.

What's also annoyed me is that it's been back to the shop a couple of times, last couple of times they just charged me £6 for looking and did nothing with it, whereas my inexperienced self managed to diagnose a worn chain/freewheel in one evening.

I partially blame myself for not checking properly, but i'm hacked off that the shop couldn't spot a worn chain/freewheel, surely it's the first thing one would check, but like myself, they probably thought its a nearly new bike so it couldn't be worn out yet... I'm off back to the shop this lunchtime to see what they have to say for themselves.

Edit: Just to add, gears have been indexed, shifts up and down correctly, doesn't make any noise pedalling without load, adjusted H and L screws appropriately. Other thing I can add is maybe if the gears aren't adjusted properly, it'd cause premature wear on the cogs?

TL:DR Freewheel's gone in 6 months on a cheapo GT Mountain bike, shop is shit at diagnosing it

[Llama-Farmer]

I'm not sure they should have charged you anything really. What's the bikes warranty?

I'd take it to another cycle place, get them to have a quick look. The Bike guys at Halfords know more about bikes than any of the other staff know about anything else, they're pretty good, or if you've got an Edinburgh Bicycle place near you I've heard great stuff about them.

It should only take a minute or two to have a quick look, see what the damage is and see whats causing it. I'm sure they'd only charge you to fix it, not diagnose it.

[Robster]

I think I might go back and have a bit of a rant. I stupidly misplaced the receipt but i'll enquire about warranty at lunchtime. It's all Shimano gearsets so I thought it'd be fairly decent. Worse case scenario i'll just fork out for a new freewheel.

Wishing I paid an extra £100 and bought a Trek/Giant instead

[Ste]

I think you mean cassette rather than freewheel.

The components are Shimano but they're at the lower end of the quality scale.

By skipping, do you mean that it's not staying in gear?

[Llama-Farmer]

I haven't bought one for a several years, but I've had 3 GTs and they've all been solid, no issues. Maybe they're made in China now

[lihp]

Photos of the wear would be really useful

[stinkwheel]

A new casette isn't very expensive. I'd consider it to be as disposable as the chain.

Someone fitting a 7-speed casette to a brand new bike in 2013 tells you a lot about the quality of the bike in general to be honest.

A brand new 7-speed casette and the tool to remove the old one will set you back £9.40 on a popular online auction site. Undo the lockring, slide the old casette off, clean off any muck, light smear of grease of the splines/thread, slide the new one on, replace lockring.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Robster]

Ste, I was calling it a cassette too until I was corrected in the bike shop. It stays in gear but just skips along. Shifts up and down without issue

Ben-B: I do indeed think GT's are made in China now. My brother bought a GT Pantera back in the mid-nineties - he's still got it now and its been tank-like, hence me wanting a GT too.

PhiLDawson8270: I'll try and get some pics tonight. I just got another Shimano freewheel (cassette) which i'll whack on and have a go with.

It's pretty worn down in 5 and 6 to be honest, so I reckon that should (hopefully) sort it.

[Ste]

Two tools are required to remove a cassette, but I'm guessing you've got an awesome bodge that means a chain whip isn't necessary?

I'd be hesitant to replace it with another 7 speed cassette as the other drivetrain components won't be far away from death so the OP will need to be replacing cheap components every six months.

[lihp]

[stinkwheel]

[Robster]

I gots a chain whip and a socket for just such an occasion Had it off a couple of times already. If it goes again after this i'll probably flog the damn thing and buy a motorbike instead, whole point i'm posting on here in the first place...

[D O G]

The chain and cassette wear together - if you change the chain on a worn cassette the new chain will slip even if the old worn chain did not. I've had this on several occasions.

Believe the rule of thumb to avoid this happening is a new chain every 800 miles, though that could be bollocks. I never change the chain that frequently so now always change both at the same time.

[bamt]

I normally end up changing the cassette every two-three chains, and get about 3000 miles per chain (very ish, depending upon conditions - winter and off-road use is harder on them). You do have to keep an eye on the wear and replace the chain promptly otherwise it destroys the cassette. Also, you can find that the cassette wears unevenly if you tend to use one or two gears most of the time.

Everything else being equal, a 7 speed drivetrain should last longer than a 9 or 10 as all of the metal is a bit thicker. The downside is that many 7 speed components are made of cheese because they'll go onto a "full suspension mountain bike, RRP £400 absolute bargain at £69" that'll only do a dozen miles in its life before being abandoned to rot at the back of the shed.

You may well find that the cassette on your bike wasn't Shimano, just the shifters and mechs. I'd just slap a new reasonable quality cassette on it and not worry about the shop; it's a wear and tear item like brake blocks. Think how much the cassette costs compared to a tank of petrol, it's nothing.

With regards to freewheels, cassettes, freehubs etc., one thing to watch for on 7 speed is that it is the last size where you could get freewheels rather than cassettes. A cassette is a set of sprockets that slides onto a freehub carrier and is nipped up with a lockring. The freehub has the ratchet and pawls in it. A freewheel screws onto the hub, and has the ratchet and pawls in the freewheel assembly. As you've had yours off already, you know which it is!

[JonB]

Your old chain was really worn, you use cog 5/6 most often, so you've worn those cogs. You've bunged a new chain on and it is skipping because your Cassette is worn. It's basic cycle maintenance. By the way, chances are that your new chain is worn now as well because it will stretch in a worn Cassette.

This is what I do. On a roadbike admittedly.

Fit new cassette and chain.

After 1,000 miles put new chain on and keep old one.
After 2,000 miles put new chain on and keep old one.
After 3,000 miles put first chain on and keep old one.
After 4,000 miles put second chain on and keep old one.

Get the idea? Continue until chain skips.

I'm just overhauling my bike after 6,000 on this cassette as it is starting to skip when off the saddle. Running 10 speed though which is more fragile.
____________________
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[Robster]

New Freewheel on yesterday, and bike is rideable again

Might be a false economy but I went for another Shimano freewheel of similar make - my old one had an extra-large granny gear on it which never got used, new one hasn't.

I take everyone's advice into consideration. I'm still shocked at how quickly the old cogs and chain wore down, i'd liken it to a Chinese motorbike!

Edit: JonB, I used the new chain on the old cassette for four short trips over two days, taking it easy and kept it in to gear 7 which was a non-skipping gear, - which was fun on the hills avoiding 5 and 6. Gave it a measure at home and it's still good

[smegballs]

[KLR600]

I know you say you use the same 2 gears most of the time but I'd also make sure you're not crossing your chain too much. It will wear your chain out much quicker if you cross it and you can get the same kind of gear ratio whilst keeping your chain in a relativity straight line anyway.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/download.php?id=92207
____________________
Now: '00 Kawasaki ZRX1100R - Past: '84 Yamaha DT125, '89 Kawasaki KLR600, '97 Yamaha XJ600N
<My Bikepics Page> <My Yootoobes> <My Websites> <My Photos>
<Take Cool Photos!>

[stinkwheel]

[chris-red]

[JonB]

Cheap Shimano once upon a time probably had the Dura ace or XTR badge on it about 10 years before anyway.
____________________
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[smegballs]

My brother sort of explained it to me as:

Campagnolo: Expensive, well made rolls royce stylee kit, often used propietary threadings/lugs/mountings etc

Shimano: Solid, reliable and well-proven although not always leading the charge in terms of innovating new breakthroughs.

SRAM: Relative newcomer. Products can be a bit hit or miss, although generally good and excels coming up with new ideas/innovation. Shares a lot of cross compatability with shimano threadings and fixtures.

Is that a reasonable appraisal?

[sickpup]

[JonB]

[chris-red]

Completely disagree, if you look at good and cheap Shimano gear old and new you will easily see that is bollocks.

While yes technology will pass down the groupsets the quality of materials does not. The Tourney stuff while the functionality is excellent the materials and the quality of the built is poor. Casting marks and the use of plastics etc etc. My ancient Deore stuff has a MUCH higher build quality better materials and better casting.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.