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Ch ch ch chains!
 

[Closed] Ch ch ch chains!

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[#9962375]

Is it really worth spending out on chains?

I tend to just go for and basic Shimano deore or SRAM chain. Which ever is cheapest in line.

I always guess a £10 chain would wear at the same rate as a £20, £30,£40 chain.

Or am I just a bit tight?


 
Posted : 28/04/2018 10:13 am
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I'm of the same opinion, whatever's cheapest in the width I need. I just think more expensive chains are a bit shinier, and maybe a bit lighter.

I've never broken a chain in 29 years of mountain biking. So I don't expect it makes the slightest bit of difference!


 
Posted : 28/04/2018 10:22 am
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I tend to stick with Shimano, and whichever one I can get at SLX or above.

No reason not to use the others.. just habit I guess


 
Posted : 28/04/2018 11:17 am
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I just get a chain around the £10 - £15 mark, usually KMC. Don't think I've ever bought a £40 chain so no idea if it's better or last longer. Without riding the same trails in exactly the same conditions I don't think you'd be able to judge.


 
Posted : 28/04/2018 11:20 am
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Anyone willing to buy a cheap chain and an expensive one, link them together and run half and half to get a definitive answer?

I do run expensive chains but on the understanding that I'm not getting a longer lasting chain, but one that is easier to clean/less likely to show signs of rust.


 
Posted : 28/04/2018 11:56 am
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I tend to go midrange Sram - found cheaper chains seem to rust easily.

On my ht there is a Shimano chain that seems tonrust at the barest hint of a went rode even when I’ve cleaned and lubed it after.

The Sram chain on my fs gets a lot muckier / wet a lot more often, gets treated the same but doesn’t rust.

I suspect the Sram chain is higher up the range than the Shimano one though.


 
Posted : 28/04/2018 12:06 pm
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Sound like I’m not to only one then.

Cheers!


 
Posted : 28/04/2018 12:29 pm
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I bought an interesting 10 speed chain from China on eBay recently. It has the embossed "X" design of KMC chains, but is stamped Shimano around the ends of the links.

I know KMC make a lot of Shimano's chains, and I wondered of this one had been part of a batch that had been double processed...

It was cheap, and is working fine.


 
Posted : 28/04/2018 12:53 pm
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I used to buy lighter ones, because I'm a tart, but then I had a disaster with a KMC slotted one and chainsuck at 10 Under The Ben, every time it jammed it'd bend a link because there was so little metal in it. So now, I just have whatever the cheapest I can find is- GX on my Eagle, KMX 93 on everything else


 
Posted : 28/04/2018 3:19 pm