Rust proof chains?

Just seen these. Does it really help it last longer? Wear on the pins is what stretches the chain, I can’t see how a coating would do anything to stop that.

They look prettier longer. 🙂

Chains don’t stretch. The rollers wear. I got a ‘gold’ KMC chain that looks a bit better when clean but if you leave it after a wet ride the wear points are all rusty.

Don’t think anyone has suggested it stops chain stretch – have they 😯

But I live near the coast, and the SRAM nickel plated ones certainly don’t develop that ugly surface rust that the plain grey ones do under salty conditions.

There are different types of rust proof but I’ve never found any particularly good.

There are PTFE and zinc coated ones (KMC?) and then there are the nickel plated ones that SRAM do.

For the SRAM ones the only difference I’ve ever noticed is that the PC991 nickel plated ones are easier to clean back to a shine where as the cheaper ones rust on the surface. Performance is unaffected.

My mtb gets the cheaper sort and my road bike gets the more expensive sort. On my mtb it is usually covered in mud as soon as I hit the trail so never looks shiny

Mtbfix.. I said the same as you. “Stretch” is caused by worn rollers. I don’t give a crap about how shiny my chain looks, so normal chains for me 🙂

I also find KMC gold chain doesn’t rust.

Ive heard the chain stretch/roller wear thing before and it made sense, but last time I replaced a chain, I lined it up very carefully next to the new one, and at the far end it was nearly half a link longer.

?

Is the ‘stretch’ not just a result of the holes in the plates ovalising over time and the pins wearing at the same contact point? No surface finish will avoid this. I may be talking crap though… Old chains definitely have more lateral play which would be explained by such wear.

i bought a rust proof chain once….snapped on the first climb of first SS ride. Replaced with a “normal” chain, much better.
So in my experience they definitely do not last longer

Chain stretch (the whole chain gets longer = stretches) has nothing at all to do with roller wear. Roller wear is inconsequential in the normal course of events. If you pay the £50 odd for Shimano’s top of the range chain wear checker, you’ll notice it does not even measure roller wear.

On a modern bushingless chain, the wear occurs on the bushing area of the inner sideplates, causing the pin hole to become elongated.

I’ve never encountered a rust-proof chain (which isn’t to say they don’t exist), but rust-resistance chains look pretty and do resist rust better than a non-coated chain. Largely irrelevant if you keep your chain lubricated as per chain makers guidelines.

Often (e.g. with SRAM) you find the plated chains are actually better grades anyway, even before the coating.

when I opened this thread I thought it was going to be about stainless steel chains..

I saw one advertised here the other day and was wondering if it might be worth a punt..?

Ah yeah I meant pin wear not roller wear. I have disassembled worn chains and seen the grooves. Didn’t think rust resistance would make a difference tbh. His about ceramic pins eh? And ceramic inserts in the plates.. would cost a bomb but might be the only chain you’d ever need…

>Chains don’t stretch.<

Really?

Depends on your definition of stretch – they do become longer after prolonged wear.

IIRC most stainless steels are in fact “softer” ergo there’s a longevity trade off

>Chains don’t stretch.<

Really?

Depends on your definition of stretch – they do become longer after prolonged wear.

IIRC most stainless steels are in fact “softer” ergo there’s a longevity trade off