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About to buy a new chain for an XT 9 speed setup. From what I can make out the SRAM PC951 should fit the bill. At £14.99 it seems a reasonable price. Is there anything I should be aware of? i.e. is there any major gain to be had by getting the PC971 or PC991 versions?
Any help appreciated!
[url= http://www.thebikechain.co.uk/store/product/20389/SRAM-PC951-9-Speed-114L/ ]* ahem *[/url]
Why SRAM?
Thanks druidh. Why SRAM? Well, mainly for the link, I guess. Also because they tend to get a better rap, generally, don't they?
You can use a 9-speed Powerlink on any 9-speed chain, even Shimano; so you're not limited. Low-price SRAM chains actually have quite a poor reputation, and their high-price ones aren't much better. Shortly after taking over Sachs/Sedis, SRAM ditched the manufacturing materials and process for a 'better value' set-up and for a few years they churned out some really poor stuff. They claim to have reverted to the Sachs/Sedis standard - which was excellent, by the way - but such cutting of corners was enough to put me off.
Shimano's Japanese XT and XTR chains are time-served and will not let you down if you look after them. Lower-end Shimano chains are manufactured by KMC (to Shimano's design), who make more chains than any other manufacturer and for countless applications. Their X9.93 is, at least in my experience, the best value chain on the market. It also comes with KMC's version of the Powerlink, so it's easy on/off.
Cheers TF - interesting! Found the chain you mention on Wiggle so will hopefully have it shortly!
Thanks again.
I recently bought a pc971 one from my LBS and the guy really didn't want to sell me a 951, to the extent that he knocked 10% off the (extortionate) price of chain and SLX cassette I was buying. He also said they stopped selling shimano chains cos of problems with them breaking. I didn't tell him that I've never experienced that in 15 yrs of using shimano chains as I was in a rush to get the bits so I stumped up £68 for cassette and chain.
In future I will plan ahead and buy 3 packs of shimano chains online.
I will say it was very easy to fit the sram chain but not to the extent of it being worth £10 more than a perfectly serviceable shimano one
I've tended to go down the by 'em cheap, change 'em often route which seems to work well enough.
If you shop around you can usually pick a chain up for around the £10 mark. I think that Merlin used to do some good deals.
I always buy sram 971 chains from off ebay. Same price as the 951's from crc and the like...
That's a bit more like it Liam
Couldn't believe it when he told me £25 for a chain.
Never again
My experience of Shimano chains is not positive: Have seen several break and on a three occasions plates have come loose, once destroying the DR and once requiring several stitches in a mates ankle. Hate the hardened steel joining pin as it makes the link either too tight or liable to fall too pieces unless you can do some kind of voodoo magic sh1t!!
Never had a Sram chain fail and tend to get a years use out of them.
I Have a PC991 with 6 powerlinks in due to breakage , I just buy PC951's now and haven't had any problems.