How to determine the wear level of an MTB cassette?

How to determine the wear level of an MTB cassette?

This question comes up quite often, but unfortunately there is no single answer. Indeed, MTB cassettes do not have a wear indicator and the tooth design, which varies between brands, makes it difficult to create a tool to check wear.

We will nonetheless try to help you by going through the different methods for assessing wear.

  • The first is as simple as it is obvious: gears are unstable when the components are too worn. If you have just replaced your MTB chain and the rest of your MTB drivetrain is in good condition, but the gears are not shifting properly, then there is no doubt — the cassette needs replacing.
  • The second requires a bit of a trained eye. Look at the shape of the teeth on a new cassette and you will see that almost all of them end with a more or less bevelled tip. If the teeth on your cassette are so worn that they come to a point, it is well past time to replace it.
  • The third is a manufacturer recommendation: replace the cassette every two chains.

    MTB - Cassettes