Maybe i’m just the victim of a bad batch, I don’t know, but well you know how this is going to go..
I bought a chain off ebay. Cost about £5 and was sold as a HG73 silver 9 speed chain. It arrived promptly and in a shimano 105 box, albeit with a quick link, not a shimano pin. odd I thought, but didn’t think much more of it as nobody fakes chains, do they. Do they?
finish on the chain was a little tarnished looking, but I didn’t really mind as it was for the hack bike, hence cheapness.
so, all fitted with new cassette and NW chainring and out for a ride.
I think after about 4 rides I started to suffer from a jumping chain. came down to stiff links. Bit strange I thought, not suffered stiff links for quite a few years of riding. Loosened off and continued riding, but the stiff links came back.
Proper clean up and the surface coating on the chain is flaking and rough, hence the stiff link developing. This has reoccurred on several rides now, so I shall be changing the chain for something from a proper shop this time.
As I say, it may be a bad batch, but that’s not often heard of for shimano, so I can only think to my surprise that it’s a fake, something I’d honestly not considered for chains.
is it possible this could be fake? anyone else had these problems from ebay chain purchases?