# Ultegra 6800 cassette rusting with 399 miles (pic included)



## thisisthebeave (Aug 30, 2015)

I replaced this cassette less than 2 months ago (12/29/15) and exactly 399 miles ago.

This is on my CX bike that I ride gravel/pavement/easy singletrack with. I don't ride IN the rain, but I ride when its wet out as it is better suited for that kind of riding than my road bike. Less harsh conditions than most CX races.

I keep the drivetrain clean and spray it off after riding in wet conditions to get the grit off. I don't dry it off before hanging it up, but it is stored in my house where it is 65-75 year round so it dries on its own pretty quick. How is a 2 month old cassette rusting like this? Should I warranty it or just steel wool the surface rust and put some oil on those spots?


There are a ton of little spots but I circled the worse ones.


----------



## spdntrxi (Jul 25, 2013)

a rag and some wd40 will take the rust off.. then lubricate it a little.


----------



## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

bfd, what are you worried about...?

a catastrophic failure?

get real.


----------



## brianmcg (Oct 12, 2002)

Oxtox said:


> bfd, what are you worried about...?
> 
> a catastrophic failure?
> 
> get real.


Exaclty. You'll be replacing it in a year anyway.


----------



## Tachycardic (Mar 31, 2013)

Steel and O2 = rust. It may be rust-resistant, but it's not rust-proof. It happens, and it won't affect performance. And the temp in your house doesn't matter. It's the humidity.


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Pretty sure the OP isn't getting the reaction he was looking for.


----------



## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

T9 is great for cleaning and preventing rust.


----------



## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

If you keep your chain and cassette that clean (looks like no lube either) and ride in wet conditions what else would you expect to happen, its not Hastelloy. Add some lube to that and you won't notice it if it's still there.


----------



## craiger_ny (Jun 24, 2014)

cxwrench said:


> Pretty sure the OP isn't getting the reaction he was looking for.


Technically speaking he answered his own inquiry when he said: "I don't dry it off before hanging it up" thereby ending the thread as resolved and allowing it to be taken in any direction.

Warranty? WTF?


----------



## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

So metal that gets sprayed and not dried is showing rust? Imagine that.


----------



## Tachycardic (Mar 31, 2013)

You sometimes see rust on your car's brake rotors, right? Do you do anything with that? The best way to get rid of it is to ride more!


----------



## brucew (Jun 3, 2006)

thisisthebeave said:


> I keep the drivetrain clean


This is part of the problem. From what I see in that pic, you're keeping it far too clean. 

Leave a light film of oil and neither your cassette nor your chain will get this surface rust when damp. This is part of the chain lube's job--to coat and protect. Not only that, your drivetrain will run quieter and last longer due to the lubrication.

If you want to keep your drivetrain in show-bike condition, then keep it indoors and don't ride it. 

If you want to ride your bike, accept that you need to leave some lubrication on parts and that they'll get dirty and show ordinary wear and tear. 

The rust you're getting is due to trying to have it both ways.

EDIT: For the record, once upon a time, I too tried to keep the drivetrain spotless. I used lubes that advertised how clean they keep the chain, and I washed everything once a week at minimum. 

My chains lasted only 1500 miles, the cassettes not much longer, and I couldn't figure out why since I was keeping them clean. The why was that I was washing out all the lube, then using product with very little actual oil in it.

These days, I use lubes that advertise their lubrication properties and high persistence. Meaning they lubricate and don't come off. Cleaning involves only light wipedowns with a rag. My drivetrains look like the bikes are used daily, but chains and cassettes last two to three times longer.

I have no rust issues either. This, despite my daily commuters being ridden in winter's salt and slush.


----------



## thisisthebeave (Aug 30, 2015)

Oxtox said:


> bfd, what are you worried about...?
> 
> a catastrophic failure?
> 
> get real.


If it gets worse, shifting performance would be impacted.


Tachycardic said:


> Steel and O2 = rust. It may be rust-resistant, but it's not rust-proof. It happens, and it won't affect performance. And the temp in your house doesn't matter. It's the humidity.


Uh, temperature definitely affects evaporation rate of standing water. If I was leaving it in a 40 degree garage vs a 70 degree house, it's going to dry itself off a whole hell of a lot faster inside @ 70. The bike is bone dry less than an hour after I come inside. It's not like I'm leaving it in the ocean overnight.


Srode said:


> If you keep your chain and cassette that clean (looks like no lube either) and ride in wet conditions what else would you expect to happen, its not Hastelloy. Add some lube to that and you won't notice it if it's still there.


I've been riding for years with the same methods/maintenance procedures. This is the first time I've seen rust, so I'm a little surprised is all.


craiger_ny said:


> Technically speaking he answered his own inquiry when he said: "I don't dry it off before hanging it up" thereby ending the thread as resolved and allowing it to be taken in any direction.
> 
> Warranty? WTF?


See the reply above this one--if I've been doing the same thing for years and I'm seeing something begin to fail in a brand new, never before seen way, on a nearly brand new product, that strikes me as a defect, hence warranty claim.


----------



## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

thisisthebeave said:


> ...strikes me as a defect, hence warranty claim.


No need to discuss it here.

File a warranty claim.

Please post back with the results so others will know if it's worthwhile to file a warranty claim for similar issues.


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

thisisthebeave said:


> If it gets worse, shifting performance would be impacted.
> 
> Uh, temperature definitely affects evaporation rate of standing water. If I was leaving it in a 40 degree garage vs a 70 degree house, it's going to dry itself off a whole hell of a lot faster inside @ 70. The bike is bone dry less than an hour after I come inside. It's not like I'm leaving it in the ocean overnight.
> 
> ...


If you brought that in to my shop and wanted me to warranty it I'd laugh and ask if you were serious. Go ride your bike and stop obsessing over your gear.


----------



## djg21 (Oct 25, 2003)

Go ride your bike. Don't spray it down when you're done. It's a tool and it's supposed to get dirty.


----------



## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

a few micrograms of rust is not cause for a warranty claim.


----------



## Jwiffle (Mar 18, 2005)

That little itty bitty bit of surface rust will not impact shifting performance. Lube the chain, cycle through the gears, wipe excess lube off chain, it's good.

Not a warranty issue at all. At all. If you tried to file a warranty claim for rust, you'd be told it was due to customer's improper maintenance, not a manufacturing defect.

Forget about it, ride it, put thousands of miles on it, and replace when it's worn.


----------



## thisisthebeave (Aug 30, 2015)

djg21 said:


> Go ride your bike. Don't spray it down when you're done. It's a tool and it's supposed to get dirty.


I don't want all that **** in my house. I just spray it down when it's bad... this cassette has been hosed down maybe twice.


----------



## thisisthebeave (Aug 30, 2015)

Jwiffle said:


> That little itty bitty bit of surface rust will not impact shifting performance. Lube the chain, cycle through the gears, wipe excess lube off chain, it's good.
> 
> Not a warranty issue at all. At all. If you tried to file a warranty claim for rust, you'd be told it was due to customer's improper maintenance, not a manufacturing defect.
> 
> Forget about it, ride it, put thousands of miles on it, and replace when it's worn.


My LBS has warrantied cassettes that "creak" and another with broken cassette teeth, which could be explained by being normal (the creaking) or poor shifting technique (broken teeth), but they were warrantied nonetheless.


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

thisisthebeave said:


> My LBS has warrantied cassettes that "creak" and another with broken cassette teeth, which could be explained by being normal (the creaking) or poor shifting technique (broken teeth), but they were warrantied nonetheless.


And neither of those issues has anything at all to do with 'rust'. Lube your chain, ride your bike.


----------



## masont (Feb 6, 2010)

1. This is not a warranty issue
2. This is not a problem

Lube your chain and go for a ride. If you brought that into my shop I wouldn't call Shimano and ask for a warranty because the warranty rep would laugh at me and I'd be worried he'd remember who I was and he'd think I was an idiot the next time I called.


----------



## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

Stop riding that cassette immediately and send it to me. I will do some testing on it and get back to you in 18-24 months.

Or, you can check that Ultegra is made of steel. Steel rusts is if gets wet and is left untreated.

Or you could have gone big and gone for Dura Ace. Many of those cogs are Ti and won't rust


----------



## pacificaslim (Sep 10, 2008)

Stick to the Simon Richardson five minute bike wash, paying special attention to the WD-40 part. Really!


----------



## djg21 (Oct 25, 2003)

thisisthebeave said:


> I don't want all that **** in my house. I just spray it down when it's bad... this cassette has been hosed down maybe twice.


Give up cycling and take up knitting as a hobby. It's a bike.

This is a troll, right?


----------



## thisisthebeave (Aug 30, 2015)

cxwrench said:


> And neither of those issues has anything at all to do with 'rust'. Lube your chain, ride your bike.


Didn't say it did, said that arguably "my fault" situations still got approved


----------



## thisisthebeave (Aug 30, 2015)

djg21 said:


> Give up cycling and take up knitting as a hobby. It's a bike.
> 
> This is a troll, right?


I don't want dripping mud in my house so I'm trolling, really?

Again, just surprised to see this for the first time on a cassette so new when much older ones used for much longer under the same conditions didn't


----------



## rcb78 (Jun 15, 2008)

cxwrench said:


> If you brought that in to my shop and wanted me to warranty it I'd laugh and ask if you were serious. Go ride your bike and stop obsessing over your gear.


I'd go the other direction at my shop. I'd accept it for processing and charge a service fee for the time I have to spend dealing with it, plus shipping. It's not a waste of my time if my time is being paid for ;-)


----------



## brucew (Jun 3, 2006)

thisisthebeave said:


> I don't want dripping mud in my house


Just like you have to make room in your home for kids to be kids (or don't have any), or dogs to be dogs (or don't have any), you need room for bikes to be bikes (need I say it?).

I live in a third-floor walk-up studio apartment in the city. If I want my bikes to stay my bikes, I have to keep them in the apartment. I got rid of my car in the 90s, so besides playthings, my bikes are my basic transportation--all-weather, all conditions, 365 days a year.

When they come home wet, drippy, slushy, or muddy they get hosed off here:










Then hung up to dry here. You'll note the boot tray underneath to catch drips, the studded snow tires on the orange bike, and the snow outside.










Coupled with a persistent lube that stays where it belongs and doesn’t wash off (I use Chain-L and NFS), there's no problem with wetness, dirt or grease.

If you need your place to be all Architectural Digest, all the time, then that's a different problem.


----------



## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

You should always dry your bike and then store it under dry argon.


----------



## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

thisisthebeave said:


> Didn't say it did, said that arguably "my fault" situations still got approved


that doesn't make it right. Why would you ask a shop to warranty something that has nothing to do with the quality of the component, that's just not right to do. There's nothing wrong with that cassette. Here's mine after a ride on wet roads today. There was some rust on the chain too. I lubed the chain and took this picture for you before I ran it back and forth over all the gears to show you it's normal.


----------



## thisisthebeave (Aug 30, 2015)

rcb78 said:


> I'd go the other direction at my shop. I'd accept it for processing and charge a service fee for the time I have to spend dealing with it, plus shipping. It's not a waste of my time if my time is being paid for ;-)


If a shop (of any kind in any industry) knowingly wasted time then tried to charge someone for it they'd get laughed at, never shopped at again, and blasted on every type of social media/yelp/google reviews/etc there is by just about anyone.


----------



## thisisthebeave (Aug 30, 2015)

Srode said:


> that doesn't make it right. Why would you ask a shop to warranty something that has nothing to do with the quality of the component, that's just not right to do. There's nothing wrong with that cassette. Here's mine after a ride on wet roads today. There was some rust on the chain too. I lubed the chain and took this picture for you before I ran it back and forth over all the gears to show you it's normal.


For the fifth time, I'm seeing something perform in a negative way that I've never seen before so it strikes me as a defect. I've had cassettes 10x as long with 10x the mileage, treated the same way in the same conditions, never have a modicum of rust.


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

thisisthebeave said:


> For the fifth time, I'm seeing something perform in a negative way that I've never seen before so it strikes me as a defect. I've had cassettes 10x as long with 10x the mileage, treated the same way in the same conditions, never have a modicum of rust.


And you've been told time and time again that it DOESN'T matter. The rust is from the chain. It's a tiny amount. IT DOESN'T matter. Jesus, just go ride your bike. You've admitted to breaking teeth of cassettes so I don't expect you to understand this completely, but it's not a warranty issue. Not at all.


----------



## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

Lots of incessant lip flapping about warranty from the OP. Just take the darned thing into your LBS for the warranty claim and stop whining about it here.

If Shimano replaces the cassette under warranty, then you can come back here and tell everyone, "I told you so".


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

If there's a list of 'those' customers at the OP's shop I'm betting he's at the top.


----------



## rcb78 (Jun 15, 2008)

thisisthebeave said:


> If a shop (of any kind in any industry) knowingly wasted time then tried to charge someone for it they'd get laughed at, never shopped at again, and blasted on every type of social media/yelp/google reviews/etc there is by just about anyone.


You misunderstand. The waste of time is dealing with a frivolous claim, but if you insist I do, then I will charge you for my time. Bring a 'real' claim to me, or any other shop and we will be more than happy to help. I rarely have a day without a full workload and will often book out for weeks at a time. That makes my time valuable and my customers greatly appreciate me not wasting it.


----------



## craiger_ny (Jun 24, 2014)

thisisthebeave said:


> For the fifth time, I'm seeing something perform in a negative way that I've never seen before so it strikes me as a defect. I've had cassettes 10x as long with 10x the mileage, treated the same way in the same conditions, never have a modicum of rust.


It might be possible that in all of the vastness that is the internet a forum exists whose membership agrees with you where you could post your inquiry and get opinions which serve as a confirmation of your own. In the meantime it looks like this is not that place.


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

cxwrench said:


> And you've been told time and time again that it DOESN'T matter. *The rust is from the chain.* It's a tiny amount. IT DOESN'T matter. Jesus, just go ride your bike. You've admitted to breaking teeth of cassettes so I don't expect you to understand this completely, but it's not a warranty issue. Not at all.


I was waiting for someone to say that. My first thought on seeing that picture was that the cassette is not rusting at all, and the rust came from the chain. Spraying off the drivetrain will leave the chain quite wet, and unless you dry and lube it soon, it is likely to develop a bit of rust. In a 70-degree atmosphere with moderate humidity, the interior of the chain could take a day or two to dry completely, plenty of time for a little rust to form. It's not a problem. Lube, wipe, lube again, and you're good to go.


----------



## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

JCavilia said:


> It's not a problem.


are you sure...???

the OP claims that if the cogs become more discolored it will impact shift performance...


----------



## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

OK now, let's put on our thinking caps:

1) You ride your bike hard and put it away wet.

2) The rust shown in this picture is superficial rust on the LARGER cogs.

3) If I am not mistaken, Ultegra cassettes have LARGER cogs which are made out of ALUMINUM, not STEEL. Only the smallest cogs are made out of steel.

4) You chain is made out of CARBON STEEL.

5) A wet chain WILL develop RUST if you do not wipe it dry and re-lube it.

So here is the $10 million question....(drumroll please). Where is this rust that you see on the cassette coming from? Can anybody guess?

Hint: The answer has been stated by two others on this thread. Take their advice.

Another hint: Please do not take the rusty chain back to the bike shop and ask them to file a warranty claim.......that is unless you want to be declared persona non grata at that shop forever.

Update 02/23/16: Correction on 3) "The Ultegra 6800 Cassette utilizes *nickel-plated steel cogs* for corrosion resistance."

Shimano Ultegra CS-6800 11-SPD Cassette > Components > Drivetrain > Cassettes | Jenson USA

Sorry, my bad.

However, the rust is still from the chain, not the cassette.


----------



## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

> 3) If I am not mistaken, Ultegra cassettes have LARGER cogs which are made out of ALUMINUM, not STEEL. Only the smallest cogs are made out of steel.


Your conclusion is likely correct, but in fact you ARE mistaken on this point. All the cogs are steel. The larger ones are bolted to an aluminum carrier to save weight, which may be what confused you.


----------



## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

JCavilia said:


> Your conclusion is likely correct, but in fact you ARE mistaken on this point. All the cogs are steel. The larger ones are bolted to an aluminum carrier to save weight, which may be what confused you.




Hmmm. OK, I could have sworn otherwise. When I get home, I will just have to take a magnet to the cassette and find out for myself. Stay tuned.


----------



## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

thisisthebeave said:


> For the fifth time, I'm seeing something perform in a negative way that I've never seen before so it strikes me as a defect. I've had cassettes 10x as long with 10x the mileage, treated the same way in the same conditions, never have a modicum of rust.


If I were your shop I would give you a cassette under the condition that you never return...seriously.


----------



## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

Lombard said:


> Hmmm. OK, I could have sworn otherwise. When I get home, I will just have to take a magnet to the cassette and find out for myself. Stay tuned.


All Ultegra cogs are steel. The larger Dura-Ace cogs are titanium.


----------



## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

JCavilia said:


> Your conclusion is likely correct, but in fact you ARE mistaken on this point. All the cogs are steel. The larger ones are bolted to an aluminum carrier to save weight, which may be what confused you.




I stand corrected:

"The Ultegra 6800 Cassette utilizes *nickel-plated steel cogs* for corrosion resistance."

Shimano Ultegra CS-6800 11-SPD Cassette > Components > Drivetrain > Cassettes | Jenson USA


----------



## thisisthebeave (Aug 30, 2015)

cxwrench said:


> If there's a list of 'those' customers at the OP's shop I'm betting he's at the top.


You mean the ones who expect their products to last when they spend a **** load of money?


----------



## thisisthebeave (Aug 30, 2015)

Lombard said:


> OK now, let's put on our thinking caps:
> 
> 1) You ride your bike hard and put it away wet.
> 
> ...



1.) Yes, in a dry/warm environment where it dries itself quite quickly. I've been doing this for years and never seen one molecule of rust. This is a new occurrence with a product that is quite new.


2.) Still a new occurrence.


3.) Well look at that, you ARE mistaken. Ultegra cogs are all steel.


4.) Ok


5.) Never has before, because of the warm environment the bike is kept in

The rust is not from the chain. The chain is flawless and the rust on the cassette is not just surface rust that can be wiped off, it is structural in the cassette.


----------



## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

thisisthebeave said:


> 3.) Well look at that, you ARE mistaken. Ultegra cogs are all steel.


Yes, I corrected myself in post #46 in case you didn't notice.



thisisthebeave said:


> The rust is not from the chain. The chain is flawless and the rust on the cassette is not just surface rust that can be wiped off, it is structural in the cassette.


Sure. Go ahead and file the warranty claim and let us know how you make out.


----------



## tlg (May 11, 2011)

thisisthebeave said:


> If it gets worse, shifting performance would be impacted.


No it won't. Once dried the rusting will cease. It won't get worse. Ride your bike a few times and it will rub off.

Maybe your cassette didn't get a perfect coat of plating. Maybe the plating wore off in those areas. Doesn't matter. Rusting is a very slow process. Surface rust is insignificant. Keep your chain lubed and don't keep your cassette squeaky clean. 

I've had cassettes look much worse than that. I don't give them a second thought.


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

You are MOST definitely NOT a reasonable customer. I would also give you a new cassette on my dime on the condition that you never came back. You're not worth keeping as a customer.


----------



## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

cxwrench said:


> You are MOST definitely NOT a reasonable customer. I would also give you a new cassette on my dime on the condition that you never came back. You're not worth keeping as a customer.


Man, there are so many bike shops in this area I'd take that deal in an instant.


----------



## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

thisisthebeave said:


> 1.) Yes, in a dry/warm environment where it dries itself quite quickly. I've been doing this for years and never seen one molecule of rust. This is a new occurrence with a product that is quite new.
> 
> 
> 2.) Still a new occurrence.
> ...


Six days since beginning the thread.

Have you taken the cassette in to the LBS for the warranty claim?

If not, why not?

What are you gaining by continuing to discuss it here?


----------



## djg21 (Oct 25, 2003)

Because this is a troll. Don't feed the troll.


----------



## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

thisisthebeave said:


> 1.) ... it is structural in the cassette.


I am guessing you are neither an engineer nor metallurgist. It looks like nothing more than flash rust and will not hurt anything.

Next time you ride in wet conditions dry your bike and, since your are so concerned, spray your cassette with WD-40. The WD means "water displacement". By removing the moisture it will prevent the flash rust.

If you clean your drive train with Simple Green or other water based solvent, try switching to oderless mineral spirits. (dispose of dirty mineral spirits where one recycles oil)


----------



## Easyup (Feb 26, 2012)

Blue CheeseHead said:


> dispose of dirty mineral spirits where one recycles oil


I have found recycling OMS easy and a good thing to do. Lots on it on the net.


----------



## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

tvad said:


> Six days since beginning the thread.
> 
> Have you taken the cassette in to the LBS for the warranty claim?
> 
> ...




I've been wondering this myself. Please, Thisisthebeave, take the bike into your shop and complain. Ask them to file a warranty claim. What do you have to lose besides gross embarrassment? You may get something free out of it. And who doesn't like something free an any cost - even if you are ostracized from the shop for life. Com'on dude, go for it!

And if somehow you are successful, I think we should all have a party for you. I want to know which thong I should wear? Hey, we're rooting for ya!

Let us know how you make out. I'm in suspense!


----------



## Peanya (Jun 12, 2008)

This has been an amusing thread! Has the OP considered wax lube? It'll stay shiny and new looking, but doesn't perform as well as wet lube. I use wet (homebrew) on my roadie, and wax on my MTB since it gets a lot dirtier, and I don't want the dirt wearing out my drivetrain too fast. 

By the way, the bolts on my stem are showing surface rust, is this a warranty issue? I've also noticed the bolt at the bottom of my seatpost (BMC quill-style post) also has surface rust. Should I warranty it too?


----------



## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

Peanya said:


> By the way, the bolts on my stem are showing surface rust, is this a warranty issue? I've also noticed the bolt at the bottom of my seatpost (BMC quill-style post) also has surface rust. Should I warranty it too?



You all by now should know that this rust won't happen as long as you have disc brakes and run wider tires. Didn't you read that part of the warranty disclaimer? :wink5:


----------



## FeltF75rider (Feb 10, 2012)

What is the life span of an un lubed chain and cassette? Is it the same as the number of licks to the center of a tootsies pop. 3 licks = 3 washes.

All the threads I have read about the best lube to use and turns out it is none.


----------



## djg21 (Oct 25, 2003)

FeltF75rider said:


> What is the life span of an un lubed chain and cassette? Is it the same as the number of licks to the center of a tootsies pop. 3 licks = 3 washes.
> 
> All the threads I have read about the best lube to use and turns out it is none.


Buy a chain wear indicator. There are many made, but I like the Shimano tool. http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-TL-CN41-Chain-Wear-Indicator/dp/B00346ZEOE.

I change my chains before they are stretched, at between 1,500 and 2,000 miles. This prevents my cassettes from prematurely wearing (cassettes are much more expensive than chains) and allows me to change wheels without encountering shifting issues. Cassettes should last for at least three chains but I usually am able to use them longer -- maybe 5 Chains. But again, I do not allow my chains an opportunity to wear. I use relatively inexpensive Ultegra chains and Ultegra cassettes on my Dura Ace bikes. These are disposable parts!


----------



## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

djg21 said:


> Buy a chain wear indicator.


buy a sarcasm detector.


----------



## rcb78 (Jun 15, 2008)

djg21 said:


> I use relatively inexpensive Ultegra chains and Ultegra cassettes on my Dura Ace bikes. These are disposable parts!


Sarcasm aside, he homed in quite nicely on something the OP doesn't get.



thisisthebeave said:


> You mean the ones who expect their products to last when they spend a **** load of money?


Ultegra cassettes don't cost a **** load of money. While this doesn't matter one way or another, it made me laugh.

So what I notice in the shop is that cassettes tend to rust quicker where the chain has worn through the nickel plating. On a 'new' cassette, this would be when the customer is riding with RD out of adjustment. The other reason is they ride through muck that is like sandpaper when it gets embedded in the chain lube, hence the need to always wash the bike as soon as they get home. Food for thought.
Plenty of people out there with the experience claimed by the OP that 'think' they know way more than they do. These guys do more to keep shops in business than bread and butter flat repairs. And no matter how much they claim to know, and how much experience they claim to have, they always, ALWAYS, bring crap like this in the door. What's that old saying? Actions speak more than words.


----------



## deviousalex (Aug 18, 2010)

Hey CXWrench I got some rust on my 6800 cassette, where's your shop so I can get a replacement? 

@OP - It was clear this rust came from the chain, some of the links were very rusty. The chain was pretty dry, I had previously lubed it with ProGold ProLink chain lube and I guess it dried off and the rain caused the rust to appear. I wiped it down, lubed it up again, and shockingly all rust was gone! I then used some degreaser and cleaner on the cassette and it's all good.


----------



## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

deviousalex said:


> Hey CXWrench I got some rust on my 6800 cassette, where's your shop so I can get a replacement?
> 
> @OP - It was clear this rust came from the chain, some of the links were very rusty. The chain was pretty dry, I had previously lubed it with ProGold ProLink chain lube and I guess it dried off and the rain caused the rust to appear. I wiped it down, lubed it up again, and shockingly all rust was gone! I then used some degreaser and cleaner on the cassette and it's all good.


Maybe we can do a video so the OP knows how easy it is?


----------



## TiCoyote (Jun 28, 2005)

More riding. Less worrying.


----------



## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

I don't even clean my cassettes anymore. Every couple months I just dry brush some of the wax residue off and keep on going.

Hey OP, you should really look into a good wax lube. 

Put the degreaser down and slowly step away.


----------



## beboptank (Nov 23, 2015)

Jesus I wonder what the OP would say if I told him I still rode my bike after I got involved in a car crash with it......

If my bike only needed a true and not even a spoke replaced after a car crash (bike has rust on it too *GASP*) then I have no clue how a spot of rust will make you come in second place verse first place.

"OH DANG IT HONEY I GOT IN SECOND PLACE BECAUSE OF A TINY RUST SPOT"

Warranty wont help. They'll continuously say that this is a *wear and tear* item until your too tired to fight. If they replaced it. It would be to get a gnat off their back.


----------



## crossracer01 (Apr 21, 2015)

thisisthebeave said:


> For the fifth time, I'm seeing something perform in a negative way that I've never seen before so it strikes me as a defect. I've had cassettes 10x as long with 10x the mileage, treated the same way in the same conditions, never have a modicum of rust.


How many speeds where those? Some of the older shimano 7-8-9 speed equipment would perform exactly as you say because they would put a thick coat of chrome on the teeth. 

But if you think it will impact shifting performance, I'd suggest another avenue. If you have rust there from repeated washing and no/little lube what is the state of your shifter cables???? 
Especially the rear one which will be very exposed to moisture/muck/grit and other nasty stuff. 
That's where shifting issues live at.


----------

