Chains

Looking for a new chain what the best with the least maintenance please recommend

I preffer KMC chains, sram seem good as well. Personally I dont like shimano chains, they seem weak and seam to shifter poorly even on shimano cassettes, but thats just my experience.

Im using KMC at the min good shifting when clean but holds the dirt 🙁

least maintenance

singlespeed chain 😉

shimano every time – sram arent what they used to be…

paul

I’m fairly heavy and have experimented a lot with chains over the years. My personal faves are the German chains: Rohloff and Connex. I used to favour the Rohloff 9 speed, but that doubled in price almost overnight, from £25 to £50..

I now favour the Connex, where I buy 3 for £45 from Ribble. The 900 lasts just as long as the 908, just not quite as shiny, but still shiny… my Connex chains have outlasted my Shimano chains… most Shimano chains are made by KMC.

Shimano for the best shifting on Shimano groupsets, always just seem that little bit smoother & slicker, but not ass reliable as I’d like (snapped one or two..)
Personal preference is KMC, for both road & mtb.

Shimano chains are made by KMC

That may be true, but only in the same way as Colnago frames are made by Giant-same factory & same employees, but very different products.

Personally I found KMC to be almost identical.

Giant are the biggest manufacturer in the world, they make bikes for loads of people.

I use a mixture of Shimano and SRAM groupo and I get perfect shifting with a Connex… plus more miles… three hundred more or so..

Sorry for the slight highjack, but what is the KMC equivalent of the SRAM PC971 chain? I want to give KMC a try but it’s just not obvious from the prices which is which

Last kmc chain used lasted fewer miles than the shimano which was running at the same time. Neither seem to last like the cross step sram chains I prefer.

Although my cuff links are dura-ace.

KMC and Upper End SRAM would be my choice.

Connex, like someone up there said

KMC rustbuster for approx £7 at CRC.

They do a single-speed 3/32″ and an 8-speed version.

Get the appropriate one as the SS does not flex and the 8-Sp will jump off a SS setup if the tension is low.

I know they are heavy and not gold coloured, but in the mud they just work…

PaulD

I now favour the Connex, where I buy 3 for £45 from Ribble. The 900 lasts just as long as the 908, just not quite as shiny, but still shiny… my Connex chains have outlasted my Shimano chains… most Shimano chains are made by KMC.

+1 Same here!!

Love chains as much as bearings, a poorly looked after chain makes me sad 🙁 (sometimes angry :oops:)

+1 for KMC here. They seem to resist rust and last longer than the XT/SRAM chains I’ve used before.

SRAM kit isn’t the bargain it used to be. Shimano chains seem to rust if you mention the word “moisture” in hushed tones within fifty feet.

+1 KMC for me too.

Converted after knackering a chain at the 24/12 and replaced it with a KMC from the on-site bike shop at 1:30am! It was the only chain they had in stock, but seemed to work well so i have stuck with it.

Don’t really have anything bad to say about Shimano chains apart from no quick-link, which is a pain.

My Stumpjumper came with a SRAM chain, which lasted no time at all….

KMC!

I use an X9-SL which cost around £25 online. It is reliable, durable and super light- can’t ask for more.

SRAM amy have improved lately but I found they sretched very quickly and seemed to eat up cassettes. Similar for Shiamno but not to the same extent.

I’d also echo the rusting of Shimano and SRAM comments above regardless of how much love I gave them

+1

SRAM amy have improved lately but I found they sretched very quickly

My last SRAM PC1 has lasted all of 400 miles – pathetic
moved to a KMC Z510HX…early days yet

My 2penneth.

I had a drive train ‘issue’ (which turned out to be me being inept) where I purchased a couple of top (ish) chains, xtr yumeya and sram hollow pin. When they are both clean and lubed up, I have to admit the XTR ‘feels’ lighter and ‘smoother’ when turning the cranks by hand.

This does not in any way transfer into performance enhancement as I still blow out my third eye whilst ascending 😯 😀

I haven’t trusted SRAM chains since two in a row bust on me from new.

Yet I love their cassettes, rear mechs, and shifters…

KMC? Meh.

Connex Wippermann. The End.