New cluster - running in?

Rob Woozle:

Quoted message said:

I just had a new rear cluster put on my MTB. The guy in the shop said something
about letting it "mesh" for a while.

Your cassette meshes with your chain as a matter of routine operation.
That's how your drivetrain works. There's nothing to "run in" or "bed"
before optimal operation.

Forget about what the guy said and ride your bike how you like.

Jose Rizal said:

Rob Woozle:

Quoted message said:

I just had a new rear cluster put on my MTB. The guy in the shop said
something about letting it "mesh" for a while.

Your cassette meshes with your chain as a matter of routine operation.
That's how your drivetrain works. There's nothing to "run in" or "bed"
before optimal operation.
Forget about what the guy said and ride your bike how you like.

Agreed. In fact, the drive train will never work as well or be as smooth
as when it's brand new.

Of course, this is assuming your chain is new (or nearly new) also?...
If the chain isnt new, you will certainly "mesh" the cluster soon
enough, possibly along with the family jewels!

--

(Rob Woozle) said:

Greetings all,

I just had a new rear cluster put on my MTB. The guy in the shop said something
about letting it "mesh" for a while. I know I should have asked him what he
meant but the store was pretty busy....so.....what does it mean? Go for a nice
easy ride before hitting the trails again at my regular breakneck speed??

You should have replaced the chain too. The old chain may stuff the
new cluster if it is stretched to much. I think if he meant let it bed
in the chain was pretty cactus.

Regards,

Neil.

Cool - I got a new chain and gear cables as well ;-)

Quoted message said:

Agreed. In fact, the drive train will never work as well or be as smooth
as when it's brand new.

Of course, this is assuming your chain is new (or nearly new) also?...
If the chain isnt new, you will certainly "mesh" the cluster soon
enough, possibly along with the family jewels!

[email hidden] (Rob Woozle) wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Greetings all,

I just had a new rear cluster put on my MTB. The guy in the shop said
something about letting it "mesh" for a while. I know I should have
asked him what he meant but the store was pretty busy....so.....what
does it mean?

It means you should find a bike shop that understands how bikes work, and
that doesn't repeat myths, or, in this case, make up new ones.

Name and shame, please, so the rest of us can avoid this muppet.

"John Stevenson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Rob Woozle) wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

It means you should find a bike shop that understands how bikes work, and
that doesn't repeat myths, or, in this case, make up new ones.

Name and shame, please, so the rest of us can avoid this muppet.

I recently had a new cluster and chain put on my bike and I had the chain
jump a tooth on the rear a few times in the first couple of weeks. It was
always under high load like when you start off on hill. After a couple of
weeks it just stopped happening so I think there might be something to this
"meshing" thing.

Jeff Westwood

Jeff Westwood said:

I recently had a new cluster and chain put on my bike and I had
the chain jump a tooth on the rear a few times in the first
couple of weeks. It was always under high load like when you
start off on hill. After a couple of weeks it just stopped
happening so I think there might be something to this "meshing"
thing.

A chain that's a smidgen too "short" (ie, average pitch just
under 1/2" over a few consecutive links) can do that. Just a
little wearing-in fixes it. And yes, it makes for a slightly
noisier chain (under load) while the chain's having trouble
meshing where it feeds onto the sprocket at the rear derailleur.

John

Jeff Westwood said:

I recently had a new cluster and chain put on my bike and I had the
chain jump a tooth on the rear a few times in the first couple of weeks.
It was always under high load like when you start off on hill. After a
couple of weeks it just stopped happening so I think there might be
something to this "meshing" thing. Jeff Westwood

Maybe "meshing" is the new trendy term for "wear pattern". Othe
that that, I concur with opinions expressed above. Sounds like bik
shop twaddle

-

cfsmtb said:

Maybe "meshing" is the new trendy term for "wear pattern".
Other that that, I concur with opinions expressed above. Sounds
like bike shop twaddle.

Meshing is what a chain and sprocket do when they engage for
power transfer. It's an old use for an old term.

Components with correct specifications and good tolerances will
not have meshing problems. Absolutely perfect tolerances are
never achieved in practice - there's always a trade-off between
price and function.

In today's CAD/CAM world, component tolerances are often vastly
better than they were 50 years ago when I started cycling - even
for really cheap items.

John