Buying chains

Where are we getting chains from now? I still have 8, 9, 10, and 11 speed bikes in the garage. I have a few 8 speed chains, but i need to stock up on 9, 10 and 11, where do you recommend and what is it going to cost me? I don’t need high performance ultegra chains, but i would prefer something bombproof and reliable

Not what you are asking, but beware some of the chains on eBay. I’ve bought a supposed KMC x9 six months ago which was a little cheaper than tredz,Merlin chiggle etc. Looked good in its packaging, but was suspiciously dry. Anyway it only lasted a couple of weeks before breaking a link, and I ain’t no Chris Hoy! Pretty sure it was counterfeit . Got a partial refund off eBay after seller gave me the run-around until the refund time limit passed.

Buyer beware, I just use known businesses now.

My go-to is KMC chains from Merlin.

Not what you are asking, but beware some of the chains on eBay

Useful to know though thanks

My experience is that better chains last longer

SAme issues with Amazon – too many fakes. Stick to main bike retailers. Big fan of KMC chains.

I’ve pretty much always gone for hte cheapest or second cheapest KMC, never been disappointed.

But as mentioned there are copies out there for all the major manufacturers now so you do have to be a wee bit careful. TBF there’s nothing you can do to be completely safe, copies can even get into the legit supply chains by way of swapping out (ie stealing genuine and replacing with fake)

A buddy had problems with a fake Shimano chain too, that he got suspiciously cheap from EBay I think.

If you’re the type to clean and lube a chain, then higher end chains are cheaper pence per mile and help cassettes and chain rings last longer.

Always buy from a recognised shop, amazing and eBay are best avoided, chains seem to experience a larger than normal percentage of fakes.

Zero Friction has some interesting wear test results in his site.
Based off that, I use SRAM X01 11 speed chains. Not the lowest friction, but the best wear resistance. Not sure they’ve tested below 11 speed though.

SRAM X01 11 speed chains.

I can only find X01 as a 12 speed chain?

(I find SRAM’s nomenclature quite confusing so happy to be proved wrong, but can’t find 11 speed when searching)

Sorry, it was XX1 I was buying, between £35 and £40 each.

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.SRAM-XX1-HollowPin-118-link-11-speed-Chain-with-PowerLock_60262.htm

Do seem to suddenly be out of stock in a lot of places.

I only seem to get 5 or 6 weeks out of a chain on my gravel bike. I did put an xx1 chain on the last time. They are nicer chains but still only lasted 5 weeks. I’m  now back to the PC X1 chains which are almost half the price.

I do use that bike all the time though, probably 6 days a week.

Ebike? Minimal maintenance? Or both?

5-6 weeks? Wow!

I’ve pretty much always gone for hte cheapest or second cheapest KMC

I’m the other way I’ll buy the hardened SRAM ones, they last (me at least) considerably longer than 5 weeks! What sort of mileage are you doing that a chain lasts just 5 weeks?

Echo the comments about fake chains on Amazon, only buy from reputable on line stores.

Regarding the chain wear on my gravel bike. I do about 1000km a month on that bike. There’s a lot of hills were I live so I’m probably putting some high torque in at times stretching the plates. I do try to keep the drivetrain as clean as possible and use Smoove lube. The man maths for me is 10 chains a year at £20 for SRAM 11 speed PC X1 which are solid pin £200 a year or SRAM XX1 hollow pin at £40 a pop which is £400 a year.

The hollow pin chains are nicer though.

That’s only part of the equation though I also wear out tyres and brake pads a lot on that bike.

I only seem to get 5 or 6 weeks out of a chain on my gravel bike

😮

I am posting this as I realised how long it’s been since I changed chains on the various bikes in my garage. We’ve put 1800km on the tandem since we bought it 10 months ago: the chain wasn’t new when we bought it and you put a LOT of pressure through a tandem chain.

@aberdeenlune sounds like you might want to consider chain waxing – you could probably get at least 2-3x the lifetime out of chain & cassettes, and with your usage a Silca waxing setup would pay for itself pretty quickly.

Whichever midrange 11sp ones are half price at Merlin, usually.

That seems to have been KMC and Shimano in recent years.

You don’t stretch the plates on chains

Chain stretch is a myth

You wear the inner link holes that rotate around the pins and wear the pins.

This is why the chain gets longer and appears to stretch.

If you can get lubricant to these inner surfaces after cleaning the chain will last longer

Simply oiling the chain oils the outside and doesn’t get in there well. Likewise it’s very difficult to clean in there.

Dropping the chain in hot wax does get in there and the wax stays there when you wipe the outside off. The hot wax will displace crud in there too and fill up any gaps to prevent future crud

Reiterate the stuff about buying from a reputable bike shop, but the last two chains I bought were discounted, decent SRAM from the Alpkit outlet on eBay – I think they’re all gone now.

There’s a lot of hills were I live so I’m probably putting some high torque in at times stretching the plates.

Aren’t you just wearing the interface between the pins and rollers rather than stretching side-plates? Anyway, I’d also suggest looking at chain waxing, apart from the initial chain degrease, it’s clean and relatively hassle free and chain life, ime, is massively improved over conventional lubes.

With the amount you’re spending on chains, you could buy one of the new Silca set-ups and reduce the initial hassle and still come out of it quids in.  Beware waxing hollow-pin chains though, the wax sits inside the hollow. I’ve ended poking it out and back into the slow cooker with a very small allen key, which is a pain in the butt 🙁

 I do about 1000km a month on that bike.

I got 6000km out of a XO1 chain, I mean it was dead by that point, but from what I’ve read, my experience isn’t that uncommon. I ride in the grit of the Peak, and the vertiginous valleys of Calderdale, so’s it not like it gets an easy life either.

If you’re just getting a little more than a 1000km, something’s not right.

Tredz have an FSA chain reduced from a staggering £89 to £20. 12 speed. I’ve bought one for me hardtail. They want £50 for an 11spd ebike FSA, can sod right off. I’d just go for an X11 at about £23 if I wanted 11 speed

Are FSA chains any good?

Merlin have some good deals on 11 speed ones

https://www.merlincycles.com/fsa-sf11-e-bike-chain-11-speed-304586.html

I bought some cheap 9 speed shimano chains, 10 quid I think, but no quicklinks.  Only a quid extra bought separately.  Hot waxed every few weeks so lasting a few years even riding daily in all weathers.

Pretty sure I’ve had fake Shimano chains before. They don’t shift as nicely and wear so fast

I also think that cheap narrow wide chainrings I’ve had wear very quickly & cause premature wear of the chain.