Cluster wear

[Remus]

Hi all,

I've heard that the constant power from a crank drive electric motor can very quickly wear out a bicycles rear gear cluster. Is it possible to purchase a hi tensile cluster ?

remus.

 

[vanilla ice]

I wouldn't think its a big issue, but yea my bikes have steel clusters. I don't think we've got anything but. The front chainrings on some are even steel.

 

[amberwolf]

The only thing I have seen so far on my massive-torque CrazyBike2 is that if you startup in higher gears the chain will ride up on the tips of the rear cassette sprockets, and start bending the tips a little, and then it will start slipping right over them, popping a whole link's length or more before it catches and starts to actually move the bike. A few times of this and the sprockets become toast unless you have reversible ones to flip over and use the other side.

The front chainring sets are large enough with enough teeth engaged it doesn't seem to be any problem at all, unless the chain is misaligned, and in that case it is possible to taco the rings at high torque levels with a very heavy bike and load (300+ pounds including me).

Other than those two issues, both of which are easy to prevent, it's not a big deal that I can see.

 

[dogman dan]

I can do the same thing just pedaling, with my 58 tooth front ring pulling on 14 teeth. Just ease off a bit. Stuff wearing out like that is operator error mostly I'd say. Some people can operate a machine all day and never break it, others need to stay off the machine completely. That's my experience from construction work. I often call it the difference between looking and seeing. Very few actually see. Those who do see make great equipment operators. Others are like, Oh I thought that was normal. Often they have a full throttle is the only setting mind set.