Maybe i’m just the victim of a bad batch, I don’t know, but well you know how this is going to go..

I bought a chain off ebay. Cost about £5 and was sold as a HG73 silver 9 speed chain. It arrived promptly and in a shimano 105 box, albeit with a quick link, not a shimano pin. odd I thought, but didn’t think much more of it as nobody fakes chains, do they. Do they?

finish on the chain was a little tarnished looking, but I didn’t really mind as it was for the hack bike, hence cheapness.

so, all fitted with new cassette and NW chainring and out for a ride.

I think after about 4 rides I started to suffer from a jumping chain. came down to stiff links. Bit strange I thought, not suffered stiff links for quite a few years of riding. Loosened off and continued riding, but the stiff links came back.

Proper clean up and the surface coating on the chain is flaking and rough, hence the stiff link developing. This has reoccurred on several rides now, so I shall be changing the chain for something from a proper shop this time.

As I say, it may be a bad batch, but that’s not often heard of for shimano, so I can only think to my surprise that it’s a fake, something I’d honestly not considered for chains.

is it possible this could be fake? anyone else had these problems from ebay chain purchases?

People will fake anything that can be sold – we’ve had fake HP lazer printer toner cartridges, fake RCD’s and MCB’s, fake split air conditioning units – the list goes on.

http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Buyer-Central/Counterfeit-Shimano-bicycle-chain/td-p/59321

within 30 seconds on google.

sounds more pirate than jack sparrow.

Given that it came with a quick link, it is pretty obvious they aren’t trying enough to make it look like the real thing. Does not even deserve to be called a fake, it is just junk.
Probably the seller packed it in a real Shimano wrapper from an old chain.

yep, selling them on amazon too, CN-HG73, though they are not claiming in the text they are shimano, just generic shimano compatible, the images cleary show shimano stamping.

true, it is the shittiest chain I’ve ever used.

Strewth, fake chains! They really will have a go at faking anything eh?!

If you still need a chain, I think I have an unused 9 speed SRAM one in my workshop. Drop me a line if interested.

damn, just bought a one now.

This is one reason why I can’t be arsed with ebay (not that other places are guaranteed to be fake free of course).