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just putting together a new build xt build with sun race 11-50 cassette and wondered what chains people use.
KMC - I've used SRAM and Shimano and always end up sticking a KMC on - they seem to last longer and you get a proper magic link in the box until the shimano/sram ones that I've had where they have that rubbish pin you have to snap off
Cheers flange
any particular model
The gold one! I'll be honest and say I've never picked a specific model, however the last couple I've had have been the gold ones because...well, they're gold!
I always use X11-93 on 3 bikes a mid priced around £16 good quality chain,you can buy fancy gold or hollow pin for 3 times the cost but no better performance though.
I replace mine at 0.6 so get 3-4 chains per cassette 👍
Yup KMC, the cheapest heavy one! Or Shimano with any old quick links.
Planet X have kmc super cheap
I always use Sram - I snapped the only KMC one I’ve ever used and found the Shimano one I got rid of recently surface rusted very easily.
Just taken a 1130 off my 11 speed gx bike after a years use and out on an X1 chain I got in a sale at CRC and it meshed perfectly. I put that down to the long lasting steel cassette as much as anything else but still great.
The new X1 chain seems to have more coating on the chain links than the cheaper one too - and yetbI didn’t ever have surface rust on the cheaper one either.
All the Sram chains I’ve bought have come with a power link joining link. Only Shimano ones have come with the snap off pin thing. Although to be fair I’ve had no problems with that method of joining either - although you can’t then easily remove the chain by undoing that link.
Shimano chains come now with quick link too.
KMC X11-93
Always KMC now. SRAM I've snapped loads of. Shimano, I just know on a number of rides people have snapped them and then it's been hassle trying to fix them, including remembering to put them back on in the right direction (mistake being made at least once so had to be redone).
Only one KMC failure and that was on the missing link. That was 5 years ago I think.
Run them to death and get several thousand miles out of one chain and cassette with a 1x set up and Squirt lube.
Only hassle is the links are more tricky to remove by hand with 11 & 12 speed. Not impossible. No tools needed on trail and you're only ever likely to fit a link on the trail and can use the cranks to click into place (and rare to snap them so even that's unlikely).
Wippermann Connex
I've been using XT / Ultegra level chains on my 11spd set up for nigh on 3 years, haven't snapped one or seen one go rusty over that time and they get some fair hammer as I race 24hr solo type thingies.
+1 KMC or Wipperman
KMC EL or SL
Cheers everyone.
will try kmc me thinks
Use KMC gold quick links with the x93 chain, just so I know when to stop lubing.