How Often Should A Race Bicycle’s Drivetrain Be Replaced?

I’ve heard some pretty crazy stuff listening to videos on YouTube… including a suggestion that called for installing a new drivetrain every couple of years.

I almost fell out of my chair. Every couple of what? Now, if you’re riding in the UK, where you’re undoubtedly riding in the rain a lot, then I can absolutely see having to replace your drivetrain fairly often. All I can say, with the cost of a new drivetrain approaching $800 (Shimano Ultegra Mechanical, Rim Brake)… I thought cycling was expensive before! I simply couldn’t afford having as many bikes as we do right now if we were replacing drivetrains fairly often.

The drivetrains on both of my race bikes are better than ten-years-old and still going strong! Beside the fact I don’t ride my bikes in rain very often, I hope believe that I take meticulous care of our bikes matters to the longevity of our bikes’ drivetrains.

Now, that said, there’s nothing like a new drivetrain on a race bike. Dura Ace, Ultegra, 105… Red, Force… Super Record, Record… they’re all super-nice when set up properly. But every couple of years?

But what do we get in terms of longevity? Well, I change the chain once every season. A new cassette every two chains. I’ve never had to change a brake rotor, but that beauty will likely need them before long (I’ve got the ultra-light steel sandwiched aluminum rotors on it). Let’s see, the synch belt will be more than a decade before I need to think about a new one… and I’d say new chainrings every ten years or so – and I don’t go with the Amazon knockoffs anymore, either. Those don’t shift well and they wear out quick – even if they are light. I stick with the OEM chainrings whenever possible.

I’ve also had to replace a few shifters that were simply beyond repair, and I’ve found I really like MICROshift’s stuff (though I haven’t bought anything from them in years, their 9-speed shifters worked great – I also hated that the cable exited the top of the hood for the throwback shifters). Their shifters are great for drivetrains you can’t find shifters for anymore. I used them on my Trek for a while, before upgrading the Venge’s drivetrain to Ultegra, which left me with a spare 105 ten speed drivetrain to use on the Trek.

To the point! How often should one replace a drivetrain? Weather dependent, of course, use a chain checker. One cassette for every two chains, and new chain rings every five cassettes, say. Then, when the shifters go, replace the set.

Of course, that’s a guess. More important, if you can’t afford a new drivetrain, throw some aftermarket stuff at it and hope for the best! It worked half the time for me; MICROShift shifters worked, aftermarket chainrings were a flop. Happy cycling.