Which chain should I buy?

8ballchris

During a short but steep rooty section on sunday, my chain gave up the ghost
After trying to bodge it back together it didn't even get me half way back to the car so i'm in the market for a replacement.

I've been pereusing the interweb but it seems there's a world of different options and the only advice seems to be bitterly conflicting

Can anyone shed any light? I can't be the first to have experienced this.

You seem to be able to pick up XTR's pretty cheap but they lack the sram powerlink.

Needs to be nine speed for around 20 quid...

Any help would be fantastic.

Cheers!!!

peter413

Can't go wrong with the Sram PC-951

The Big Cheese

You can use a SRAM powerlink with a shimano chain

I am using a KMC X10 SL on the race-whip - lightweight but uber-expensive.

On the Cotic I am using a Shimani HG-73. Not the lightest but very robust and sweet with the powerlink fitted. And cheap too

ALso look at SRAM PC-971

cavegiant

please ignore peter413s comment, it was awful.

I am a big guy and like to ratchet, I have destroyed a ton of chains, so this gives me quite a bit of knowedge on what works and what does not.

The short answer is buy a KMC X9 silver or gold (if nine speed)

The long answer,
Ignore all offerings from shimano, they stink. (8 speed were good, 9 speed fail).
SRAM 991 chains are very good, especially the cross step. They are expensive.
The low end SRAM chains are very bad, and ironically made by KMC but rebranded.

The KMC X9 chain is the strongest chain I have used, I have never snapped one, but bent a powerlink a couple of weeks back (been using for a couple of years). The chains last about a year (compared to 4 months for 991) they are also quite cheap.

So they are stronger, lighter, cheaper and last longer than the SRAM offerings.

not really a hard choice.

Last time my shop ran out of KMC I bought a 971 as a stop gap, I snapped it a few times in 3 weeks.

I would l also recomend the gold, it makes cleaning a lot easier, but more money.

peter413

What exactly is wrong with cheaper Sram chains.

I used to use PC-951 chains and mashed them a fair bit, they only snapped if they were extremely worn or when I gave one a stiff link from crashing onto it (don't ask me how I managed that one )

Now I use a PC-971 and thats great as well. The 991 is no stronger, just lighter and blingier.

joec1

peter413 wrote:

What exactly is wrong with cheaper Sram chains.

I used to use PC-951 chains and mashed them a fair bit, they only snapped if they were extremely worn or when I gave one a stiff link from crashing onto it (don't ask me how I managed that one )

Now I use a PC-971 and thats great as well. The 991 is no stronger, just lighter and blingier.

Afraid i have broken two chains (both 951) and am now dead against them, however the 991 on my pitch which as well as being coated has lasted a lot longer and is more durable.

Next one is deffo a Gold x9 though

peter413

There are so many variables though that you can't really make a direct comparison between chains unless they have the same wear and are ridden in exactly the same conditions under the same loads etc etc

stubs

KMC X9 they are on all my bikes now give a nice smooth change and last well. Absolute cycles have them for £13.49 with chain link and free delivery at the moment £2 cheaper than Merlin a bargain
KMC X9 Silver

supersonic

The PC951 is a good chain. The 971 gets plated outer links, 991 more plated outers plus inners, and the choice of crosstep or hollow pin options.

But the 951 is no weaker than all of the above except the cross stop which has 20% more strength over the pins.

The 951 may be prone to more corrosion, but here is the thing: you replace it more often as it is cheaper. Doing so increases lifespan of your drivetrain too.

The prices have bunched up lately, but I got 3 for 30 quid. Good chains, good price. Peter was correct in what he said.

neninja

Another vote for the KMC X9L in gold - cracking chain (it replaced the 971 I was running before)

101_North

joec1 wrote:

peter413 wrote:

What exactly is wrong with cheaper Sram chains.

I used to use PC-951 chains and mashed them a fair bit, they only snapped if they were extremely worn or when I gave one a stiff link from crashing onto it (don't ask me how I managed that one )

Now I use a PC-971 and thats great as well. The 991 is no stronger, just lighter and blingier.

Afraid i have broken two chains (both 951) and am now dead against them, however the 991 on my pitch which as well as being coated has lasted a lot longer and is more durable.

Next one is deffo a Gold x9 though

I've only ever had 1 chain snap - a 991! I've had several 951's and they've been fine!

101

Northwind

KMX for me, X9-93 I think it is I'm using now, the basic non-weight-weenie one. Very strong, it's not fully coated so I think it'd corrode quick if I neglected it, so I don't. The X9L's good too but they'd gone up in price at the time.

Only chain I won't use again myself is the KMC X9SL, it's very light but it's not durable, pretty much a race day chain. Strong enough for pedalling but it twists very easily so even a really minor chainsuck can leave it needing attention. Luckily you can unbend it easily too but it's still a total pain, for the sake of saving about 25 grams.

8ballchris

Thanks all for you help.

One KMC X9 Silver now winging its way to me. Fancied the bling bling gold but funds are a little low for that with a new fork to save for!

Cheers again!!!

Anonymous

KMC chains here too. Everything else seems made out of tissue paper - apart from some Connexx Wipperman, they've lasted well for me.

Briggo

cavegiant wrote:

please ignore peter413s comment, it was awful.

Yours is even worse.

951/971 etc are perfectly fine, so too are the Shimano offerings. Not had any snap on me or the other half.

stubs

yeehaamcgee wrote:

KMC chains here too. Everything else seems made out of tissue paper - apart from some Connexx Wipperman, they've lasted well for me.

+1 for Connex Wipperman they are tough but they cost a lot of money. When you balance cost and life KMC win hands down for me.

cavegiant

Briggo wrote:

cavegiant wrote:

please ignore peter413s comment, it was awful.

Yours is even worse.

951/971 etc are perfectly fine, so too are the Shimano offerings. Not had any snap on me or the other half.

So if you do not produce the torque to be able to pull apart a chain how exactly are you differenciating between the chains? I snapped a lot of chains so put significant researchinto the different designs, why they work and why they don't. I

There is a long informed post on MTBR about how the designs evolved from the transition from 8 speed to 9 speed, especially concentrating on pin force.
The shimano/ non special pinned SRAM all scored quite low in the transition as the thinning of the side plates interefered with their pinning method.

The stronger pinning on the KMC and on the Cross step and hollowpin are what makes the strength.

Look it up if you are interested, but if you want to keep spouting ignorance feel free sweetie ;-)

peter413

Sram chains are fine though.

I have snapped many Shimano chains and a few (really cheap) KMC chains for no reason at all but I have only snapped Sram chains when they are really worn or damaged. I would still use all three though despite this because I know how to use a powerlink

Do you really think as many people would still be using and recomending these chains if they were as weak as you are saying.

And then it comes down to this argument again, which I would rather not go through again, different things are designed for different purposes so you can't fairly compare them

supersonic

The shimano/ non special pinned SRAM all scored quite low in the transition as the thinning of the side plates interefered with their pinning method.

SRAM claim identical strength though for the pins for the 951, 971, 991, 991 hollowpin, with only the Cross Step being stronger, of the order of 20% higher.

As with a lot of things though, we all have our methods, and all have different expreinces. I know plenty of people who seem to break 991 chians, so use KMC. I know plenty who break KMC - others swear by Shimano.

I'll stick with my 951 and changing regularly as it works well for me.

ride_whenever

I tend to use all of them, I have a cheap shimano on my rat bike, a 1/2 link on the scott, a massive connex z1star on my pompino which is my favourite chain, it is simply indestructible! KMC x9sl on the 456 and a kmc singlespeed chain on the inbred because it is white.

cavegiant

The last chain that gave out on me was a SRAM, new from the shop, unworn.

I agree with you that SRAM chains are stronger than Shim, but KMC are stronger still.

So SRAM might be strong enough for you, but you do not know the OP, he might be bigger or like to ratchet more, so why object to the advice recommending the strongest chain?

ride_whenever

In the pro-sram camp is my housemate, who is a gigantic gorilla who has destroyed xt freehubs in 2 rides, killed a set of forks and buggered a set of coil toras, and broken cranks etc. ie he kills anything weak.

He hasn't yet broken his 991 after 2 years.

peter413

cavegiant wrote:

The last chain that gave out on me was a SRAM, new from the shop, unworn.

I agree with you that SRAM chains are stronger than Shim, but KMC are stronger still.

So SRAM might be strong enough for you, but you do not know the OP, he might be bigger or like to ratchet more, so why object to the advice recommending the strongest chain?

What chain and what chain though.

Different chains are designed for different purposes as I have already said.

Please don't start another one of these arguments, everyone got sick of the one in the Superstar thread and we all will here again

supersonic

I am not objecting lol. If you want the strongest SRAM chain, then the Cross Step should be the one for you. But for the rest of the range I would argue there is little or no difference in strength.

Having said that, the ultra cheap 7 and 8 speed are weaker as use a different rivet technique - the 9 series [except the CS and HP] uses a stepped rolled rivet which can increase strength over the standard rolled rivet.

cavegiant

What supersonic said +1


Peter which 991 was it?

peter413

I never said anything specific about 991's

ricardo666

I had some shimano one on it didnt last long.

Snapped it on a climb around ruthin, ordered a sram pc991 that week

Still going strong by the way I'm only just under 10 stone.....sram thumbs up so far