So was in the larger LBS this evening & asked for a Shimano 9sp XTR chain. Goon who was serving me told me they don’t have any & that Shimano have discontinued them & all other higher specification 9sp chains. Now whilst i’m well aware of the fact Shimano are famous for introducing new standards & then discontinuing their old standards. I find extremely hard to believe nay nigh on impossible that they would score such a large own goal & stop selling such a high volume expendable like this.

With that in mind can anyone, I’m thinking Mr P, confirm that this is actually the case? Or is it as i suspect that i got one of the guys in the shop who doesn’t know his arse from his elbow & he was just making it up as they didn’t have any decent 9sp chains in stock.

Funny how a shop with such bad staff attracts such obnoxious customers.

avdave2 – Member
Funny how a shop with such bad staff attracts such obnoxious customers.

what makes the op obnoxious? or was it you who served him? 😉

No 9 speed chains have been discontinued as far as I know. I would be the first stocking up on 9 speed XTR chains if they had been. Maybe he was a little confused as they do come packaged as CN-7701 Dura Ace but they are the same item.

They haven’t been discontinued and are currently in stock @ Madison.

Thanks for the info guys pretty much confirms exactly what i thought.

@avdave2: When i politely asked the assistant could i have an xtr/dura ace chain & he came back a minute later with 3 completely different 10sp chains. Then proceeded to tell me that the 9sp ones were discontinued & that Sram were doing the same. I have, a long time ago i might add worked in several bike shops, and at no time would i ever have dared make such an outrageous claim as this. So I don’t think it’s overly harsh or obnoxious in calling him a goon. Especially as the shops website, which is linked to their computerised stock system, is listing them in stock at present.