Hardest wearing 9 speed chain?

mrfpb

As the title asks, what is the best 9 speed chain for commuting? My chains (SRAM951) only seem to last 300 - 400 miles on my muddy commute.

tonysj

I use the same chain and get a lot more out of mine. I suggest a little post ride cleaning/maintenance is needed. ; )

Charlie_Croker

That’s a very good question and one that I find impossible to quantify. There are quite a few ‘whats the best chain’ reviews out there in browserland. There are so many chains to choose from and then it depends on how you look after that particular chosen chain (oil + grit = grinding paste). Not to mention the conditions/weather/time of year you’re riding in – so many variables involved.

Do you buy a cheap one and replace it often, or an expensive one and hold off longer on the replacement, hoping to get your money’s worth?

We need an independent scientific methodical test, so that all chains can be compared. Then we can choose which attributes we need/want and go from there.
Maybe there already is such a test but I’m not aware of it

mrfpb

tonysj said:

I use the same chain and get a lot more out of mine. I suggest a little post ride cleaning/maintenance is needed. ; )

Currently I wipe and relube after 50 miles/2 commutes. Maybe a regular deep clean is needed?

Charlie, I think more expensive chains tend to lighter and less durable. Am I wrong?

shimanobottombracket

When your chain is worn, remove it and then re-install it in the other direction. This places the unworn parts of the chain against the sprockets which adds significantly to the life of the chain. This does not work for chains that are to be installed in only 1 direction.

Charlie_Croker

mrfpb said:

...more expensive chains tend to lighter and less durable. Am I wrong?

Some brands will certainly charge more for a certain product because it has added qualities (either perceived or real) and market this as an advantage to the consumer. Like being lightweight for example. But durability is a difficult one to prove, especially when comparing products from different manufactures. It’s easier within the same manufactures products, but not straight forward as different designs can draw a premium price over a standard equally as good design, as the KMC site shows https://www.kmcchain.com/en/series/9-speed
it really is a mine field…
You say ‘My chains (SRAM951) only seem to last 300 - 400 miles’ which is horrible. I’d certainly try a different manufactures chain and see how I got on. I'd love to say go for this product or that product, but I can't

It's something that needs testing (not reviewing) scientifically IMHO

Edit:
This is a good place to start reading https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/chaintesting/

thecycleclinic

I thought I wore chai s quickly but sheesh.

OP use a clean chain lube. Rock n roll extreme is one option. Kmc 9 ept are long lasting. However if your in the 11t all the time nothing is going to last long. That sprocket is a cassette and chain killer. Worn rings also speed up chain wear but worn rings skip so it wont be that.

fenix

mrfpb said:

As the title asks, what is the best 9 speed chain for commuting? My chains (SRAM951) only seem to last 300 - 400 miles on my muddy commute.

How are you judging that the chain is finished with ?

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Unknowingly using a "dry lube" during winter months and/or not re-applying after a single ride in the rain?

A few years back I made that mistake using Progold Prolink lube.

mrfpb

Actually it's not as bad as I first thought. I realised the chain currently on my bike was transfered from my other bike when I changed the gearing. The first chain lasted 300 miles, but that was on the bike from new, and I've no idea what brand it was. The SRAM chain that's currently showing signs of wear (after another 300 miles) on the chain checker was on the other bike over a year, so a couple of thousand miles done.

I wasn't as diligent about maintenance before this winter, but the muddy commutes are making me a bit paranoid about chain and brake pad wear.

Charlie_Croker

wolfsbane2k

LOL.

mrfpb said:

Actually it's not as bad as I first thought. I realised the chain currently on my bike was transfered from my other bike when I changed the gearing. The first chain lasted 300 miles, but that was on the bike from new, and I've no idea what brand it was. The SRAM chain that's currently showing signs of wear (after another 300 miles) on the chain checker was on the other bike over a year, so a couple of thousand miles done.

I wasn't as diligent about maintenance before this winter, but the muddy commutes are making me a bit paranoid about chain and brake pad wear.

Lol. I thought me eating chains at 1400 miles was excessive ... (just less than 0.75 on the chain checker).

That makes a lot more sense.