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New chain?
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
I need to replace my chain but, as we all do, I wonder what gear to get for my trusted bike. What I'm wondering, should I go for a better/more expensive chain (hopefully more durable), or should I just go for a less expensive one a change it more frequently?
I'm currently running a Shimano HG 74 10 speede chain, with Deore components except the SLX rear derailleur.
Should I go up in the chain to HG94 or M980? Or drop down to HG54 and replace it more frequently?
Can I use other chains than Shimano (it says on the crank HGX Chain only)?
Thanks!
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Chain stretch doesn't change between models of chain for shimano - they are same construction, but the various incarnations rust less.
You can use whatever chain you like as long as its right width - ie 9 speed chain for 9 sp drivetrain. I use KMC and YBN chains for the quick links, but don't have confidence in the wear rate of SRAM chains. Some people just buy 3 or 4 chains and cycle through them a month at a time, and as soon as the rear cluster gives its first slip, they replace the chains and the rear cluster, and often the granny as well.
Shimano 9 sp I always went with the xtr chain coz it looked blingy and wore well, and was buggar all more expensive than any other chain ( online price - twenty odd dollars)
I use the SRAM 991.... I ususaly get them from CRC for around $20-$30. last chain I got less than 1000 k's one before that I got 1800k's....
I think my smaller ring got damaged .....
I would go for the HGX chain, I have one on my XT crank set and it definitely has a smoother shift than normal.
I use Shimano, and usually go for a more expensive chain than sprockets.
Current setup uses an XTR chain with XT cassette.
As said the XTR chain is usually only slightly more than an XT (~$15). I figure a chain is taking constant abuse, getting stretched, grinding across gears and getting slapped against stays.
I'd like an XTR cassette also, but they're usually ~3x the price as an XT.
My dad actually broke an XT chain in 2 places on the trails (after a LBS installed his new RD).
He re-installed it, and despite my advice to ditch it when his XTR chain arrived, he kept it on.
A few weeks later he broke again during a road sprint and he stacked it.
You've go it back to front. Cheap chains last longer than expensive ones because they are heavier built. You pay for lightness when you pay more for an expensive chain. Lighter means less metal and faster wear. Buy the cheapest one and it'll last forever.
Cheap chains are made of cheese. Soft cheaply treated steel wears fast. Worn chains stretch and wear out everything else as they go. Longer lasting chain = longer lasting transmission.
In 9 speed, XTR was king for long life after they stopped making Rohloffs.
Now that I've joined the ranks of 10 speed, the research I've done points to the KMC X10SL being the pick for reliability and wear. Will be picking up a few when the budget recovers from the recent bike purchase.
+1 for Hawkeye - It's all about how hard those pins and plates are. XTR for 9 speed all the way.
BTW, chains don't stretch, they wear in the pins and side plates which changes the pitch of the chain and stuffs your cassette and sprockets.
The bad news is for you that you will also need to purchase a new cassette. I have never been able to replace a chain without doing the cassette at the same time.
In terms of what chain to get....did the last one give you a good experience....if so I recommend that you get the same chain....if not up spec.
On a side note - do kmc quick links work with shimano chains ? Or are they brand specific?
KMC make a sram/shimano quick link that works great, just make use to get the right speed i.e 9/10.
I have no Idea on the 10spd stuff(or 9 really haha) but if Wipperman do a quick link I'd go with that, they are so much easier to get apart on the trail than the other brands, they are awesome!
Second that, the wipperman is the way to go
I can get 9 speed SRAM apart with my fingers. You just have to squeeze the plates together before sliding them in opposite directions.
10 speed may be a little harder. Getting the link installed on the roadie chain needed a pair of pliers to help seat the pins properly and haven't tried yet on the Scalpel.