Which chains is everyone using?

[jonathanf2]

I'm curious what chains everyone is using? I've tried a few different brands and now I'm starting to lean towards Shimano chains especially when using aftermarket cassettes. I recently had a chain break on my 11 speed road bike (during a hard out of saddle sprint climb) and all I had at home to replace it was a 12 speed Shimano SLX chain for MTBs. Once mounted, this has been the best chain setup I've had to date. Shifts are smooth, quiet and works amazingly well on my AliEx lightweight cassette. I've dabbled using 12 speed chains before, but it seems the Shimano chains with their Hyper Glide and Sil-Tec coating make a noticeable improvement. Also I wonder if some of the shift issues people were having with aftermarket cassettes (like the SROAD) could have been rectified with a different chain setup?

Anyways, what chains have you found to work well?

[jannmayer]

My road bike came with a Shimano 105 11 speed chain. It's still going strong after 3000+ miles. I've had good luck with Shimano SLX 12 speed chains on my mountain bike (1000+ miles before 0.5% wear).


I currently have a KMC X11 chain on my gravel bike because I got it for a really good price. It doesn't have many miles on it but it shifts really well with the XT cassette. It shifts a lot better than the Shimano chain did with the AliExpress lightweight cassette.

[Wet Noodle]

KMC Z510HX, one is good for a year or so, bought in bulk
(Sorry, only fixed gear atm)

[zxcvbnmjm]

YBN SLA!

"The YBN SLA remains Zero Friction Cycling’s top recommendation due to it’s overall balance of outright efficiency, outstanding longevity, and coatings that get along very well with fastest lubricants on the market (Mspeedwax / UFO etc). The YBN SLA is very fast, typically within around 0.5w of fastest chain (dura ace) however it has approx 50% greater longevity vs Dura Ace / Ultegra chains."

https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/chaintesting/

[coffeebreak]

Man may be its just me but I can't tell difference between fake Shimano and original one. That being said I think I also had fake KMC once and it was fine. Right now I am on original KMC chain and I can't definitively say that it is better than Shimano. Need to give YBN a try.
That said, I did try VG Sports chain (mostly because they had gold color on the cheap) and it was bad or at least it was bad in the company of Sunshine cassette. Don't want to give it a second chance though considering other chains are pretty much the same price.

[jonathanf2]

Man may be its just me but I can't tell difference between fake Shimano and original one. That being said I think I also had fake KMC once and it was fine. Right now I am on original KMC chain and I can't definitively say that it is better than Shimano. Need to give YBN a try.
That said, I did try VG Sports chain (mostly because they had gold color on the cheap) and it was bad or at least it was bad in the company of Sunshine cassette. Don't want to give it a second chance though considering other chains are pretty much the same price.

I think I received a fake KMC chain not too long ago. I have an 11 speed KMC chain on my 1x bike that works great, but the new 11 speed KMC chain I received was shifting terribly. I then measured both chains with a digital caliper and the new chain is slightly wider. It was packaged as an 11 speed chain, but it's probably a 10 speed chain or just fake.

[coffeebreak]

Did you buy it on Amazon/eBay? Fakes are really common place now on Amazon, while eBay was always at it.

[jonathanf2]

Did you buy it on Amazon/eBay? Fakes are really common place now on Amazon, while eBay was always at it.

Yeah it was from Amazon. That's why I'll probably stick to plain gray Shimano chains from reputable dealers in the near future. No more blinged out hollow gold chains though!

[Tijoe]

Is this the chain/series that you guys are talking about?    I try to keep my chains below $35, so at $50-60, this one is outside my usual chain purchase price.  Does/will it really last 3X longer?   It's weight isn't anything to brag about, so the coatings and what it is made out of must command a higher price?

[jonathanf2]

Is this the chain/series that you guys are talking about?    I try to keep my chains below $35, so at $50-60, this one is outside my usual chain purchase price.  Does/will it really last 3X longer?   It's weight isn't anything to brag about, so the coatings and what it is made out of must command a higher price?

Same here. If I'm spending more than $60 USD on a chain, I probably wouldn't be buying open mold bike frames to begin with!

[wandulus]

Sram Force AXS 12v chain. Changed after about 10K miles, but was working OK.

[nickobec]

Is this the chain/series that you guys are talking about?    I try to keep my chains below $35, so at $50-60, this one is outside my usual chain purchase price.  Does/will it really last 3X longer?   

Yep thaat is the chain/series, except I am running 10 and 11 speed group sets, so it is $30-40 a chain for me.

Can personally say it last 3X longer, multiple bikes, waxed chains, only been 18 months (no problems so far). On the other hand Adam from Zero Friction Cycling says the last longer, I trust him, lots of knowledge and experience in testing chains and chains lube.

[sbellote]

I'm on Tiagra 4700 10s here so not the usual 11/12 speed groups which are more common around the forum (here in Brazil groups are really expensive so I'm still holding on the upgrade)

I usually rely on KMC X10 which I think offers a good cost-benefit, easy to find it for 20usd (or less) on aliexpress and last 7-8.000km or more depending on ride conditions

I've had one shimano 10s in the past, but I got it too cheap and think it was fake, before 6.000km it was already >0.7 wear...
it's easy to find cheap ones in Aliexpress too, but then I'm a bit concerned about the quality, and prefer to risk it on the KMC's - which I know there's a lot of fakes around, but even if the ones I got are fakes they at least lasted long enough

then right now I'm trying out the YBN, got a good value on a 10S one, it's about 2.000km and all good by now, but still a lot to ride before making my mind

[jonathanf2]

I'm on Tiagra 4700 10s here so not the usual 11/12 speed groups which are more common around the forum (here in Brazil groups are really expensive so I'm still holding on the upgrade)

I usually rely on KMC X10 which I think offers a good cost-benefit, easy to find it for 20usd (or less) on aliexpress and last 7-8.000km or more depending on ride conditions

I've had one shimano 10s in the past, but I got it too cheap and think it was fake, before 6.000km it was already >0.7 wear...
it's easy to find cheap ones in Aliexpress too, but then I'm a bit concerned about the quality, and prefer to risk it on the KMC's - which I know there's a lot of fakes around, but even if the ones I got are fakes they at least lasted long enough

then right now I'm trying out the YBN, got a good value on a 10S one, it's about 2.000km and all good by now, but still a lot to ride before making my mind

I'm starting to lean using 11 speed chains on my 10 speed bike (GRX 400 equipped) and 12 speed chains on my 11 speed road bike/s. More gap leeway between cogs and shifting overall feels smoother to me. There are fakes everywhere, I might be running fake Shimano chains for all I know! Oh well, they're running decently so far!

[ChrisB]

For me a mix of different manufacturers:
Original Shimano 12 speed that came with new 105 Di2 / Set included the Dura Ace chain for some reason... sometimes you get lucky 
YBN - So far the best experience also looking at the quick links but can be pricy at times
SUMC - For cheaper builds and commuter bikes

The Chain is one side of the equation, lube is the other important topic for me:
- Changed all bikes to wax based drip solution
- Proper removal of factory lube is most important: 1. Clean in white spirit 2. Citrus chain degreaser 3. Rinse with water 4. Dry completely 5. Apply drip wax
- Used Squirt first with decent results
- Changed lately to Mariposa drip wax which is more resistant and quieter during use:
https://www.effettomariposa.eu/products/flowerpower-wax-bicycle-chain-lube

To be honest the hot wax method may be better, but too complicated and time consuming...

BR Chris