any suggestions for a good quality 9 speed chain?

KMC. Can’t go wrong.

SRAM

KMC X9. Just the basic one for around £15 but go for the all silver one not the silver and grey one. Comes with a masterlink jobby.

KMC.Specifically the X9 93.Last one cost me £14.

any of these work better with shimano?

all much of a muchness.

edit: buy the one you can afford to buy 2 of.

Always a very good idea to have 2 chains ready to run at any one time in case of a problem. Also best to keep swapping them – eg when you do a decent clean or after a really muddy ride when to remove the chain to clean and relube as the more you let a chain wear the more the damage to the rest of the drivetrain. Oh and get a chain checker if you don’t already have one. <£10 and worth it.

Another vote for KMC: (X9,X9L,X9SL) depending on budget.

cheers folks. X9L it is. worked out about £17 with shipping.
only picked bike up yesterday and the one on there is beyond tired!

Wipperman connex.

Oh and get a chain checker if you don’t already have one. <£10 and worth it.

Can’t agree with that. All chain checkers except the £50 Shimano jobby measure roller wear too, which doesn’t really matter. A steel rule (or a ruler if Her Majesty isn’t busy) does a far better job. Change chain at 12 and 1/16″ for 12 links (i.e. just over 0.5% wear).

You can get a chain checker to show some new chains are worn!

SRAM 951 cheap and lasts very well. I cant understand why people pay more

KMC for me- I get the X9.93 and replace ’em more often. They come with a powerlink too, which is nice.

(I did try an X9SL, but it proved flimsy- fine til it chainsucked, at which point it bent because of all the holes in the plates)

KMC x9 in grey, can be had for about a tenner.

rulers may be more accurate but a faff. Chain checkers are useful for doing a quick check as they take seconds when the chain is still on the bike. If it seems to be worn then worth taking more time to check it over properly. Surely you want to keep an eye on roller wear anyway as they also have an effect on opening up the teeth on rings.

Surely you want to keep an eye on roller wear anyway as they also have an effect on opening up the teeth on rings.

I don’t think they do, there’s a good site on the interwebs with pics to prove I seem to recall.

I use a ruler on bike too, same if not quicker than the chain checker I used to use.

Problem with using a rule is you need to have the chain stretched tight and you need to line up exactly with the middle of the rivets – both things are going to give you a source of error which I like to take time to minimise. Therefore from my experience I like having a chain checker to quickly check chains – especially on friends bikes when they ask me to check something for them just before a ride, especially drivetrain problems, when I can quickly check the chain is not completely beyond any replacement point. I use the Park one so can’t comment on other ones giving false readings though. As for the rollers – it’s only going to be affected by the 2 it touches so the error is probably less than the errors in the two points I made earlier and I’d rather they tell me a chain needs checking properly than let me carry on with a worn chain.

But that’s my preference. I then use a set of calipers to measure the chain properly if in any doubt.