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Home | Product Reviews | Chain | Shimano HG-93 9sp | ||||
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Submitted by
Bas
a Cross Country Rider
from The Netherlands
Date Reviewed: 4/28/2008 3:39:15 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Drunen Dunes |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Purchased At: | bike2build |
| Strengths: | Does the job WITH SRAM Powerlink, not too expensive |
| Weaknesses: | none WITH SRAM Powerlink |
| Similar Products Tried: | Dura ace, SRAM 971, KMC X9.93 |
| Bike Setup: | Stumpjumper FSR '01 |
| Bottom Line: | Works fine with a SRAM Powerlink (PL). I've never used the pin-link after reading a lot of complaints on MTB fora. Also for proper maintenance a PL is crucial. Shifts nice but haven't paid any attention to stretch issues. My hunch is that a dura ace (CN7701) works better. |
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Submitted by
Joćo
a Cross Country Rider
from Lisbon, Portugal
Date Reviewed: 3/4/2008 3:24:33 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $20 |
| Purchased At: | fizzbikes.com |
| Strengths: | Weight |
| Weaknesses: | Everything ? |
| Similar Products Tried: | HG 53 |
| Bike Setup: | Custom hardtail |
| Bottom Line: | Well this chain really sucks, in the first month of usuage it broke 4 or 5 times in different links without "crossed shifts" or shifting under load. I'm not heavy, i only have 65kgs so i really think it's not my fault. I won't buy this chain again cause for half the price HG 53 was a rock comparing to this one. |
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Submitted by
Noyac
a Cross Country Rider
from Durango, Colo.
Date Reviewed: 9/17/2007 6:43:23 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $26 |
| Purchased At: | Locally |
| Strengths: | None |
| Weaknesses: | Breaks |
| Similar Products Tried: | Sachs |
| Bike Setup: | 9 sp XTR |
| Bottom Line: | THis chain is awful. It broke 4 times on my first ride. I am not kidding. And all in different places. Then a friend of mine who owns a bike shop put one on my wife's bike. Her first ride and she was cussing up a storm. It broke 3 times. She is a strong rider but she only weighs 112 lbs. How much force can she possibly put on the chain? This chain is total crap. |
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Submitted by
Andrew Baker
a Cross Country Rider
from Albury, Australia
Date Reviewed: 8/25/2007 3:47:18 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $36 |
| Purchased At: | www.phantomcycles.com.au |
| Strengths: | Seems to shift fine. No Stretch experienced. |
| Weaknesses: | Seemed weaker than the standard HG53, I have bent it and broken it and used all my spare links to keep it going. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano HG53 |
| Bike Setup: | Giant Trance 1, Shimano Deore LX crank.. XT cassette at the back. |
| Bottom Line: | I seemed to have to do many more repairs on this chain than my basic HG53 one.. Not sure if thats because I am becoming heavier on my bike or it is actually weaker. Shifts nicely. |
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Submitted by
James
a Cross Country Rider
from Yorkshire
Date Reviewed: 5/5/2007 6:52:47 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Dalby Forest (red looped into black) |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Strengths: | Lightweight, quick shifting |
| Weaknesses: | Breaks very easily due to weak links and shimano trying to be clever. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Cheapo chain that came with bike (lasted 1 year) |
| Bike Setup: | GT Aggressor 1 |
| Bottom Line: | This chain is awful I was 20+ miles from home and riding up a hill and it snapped on me. I had the link replaced and within 2 days it broke again around 6 miles from home. Very ureliable and has caused me a lot of bother. |
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Submitted by
cc easyrider
a Weekend Warrior
from milpitas
Date Reviewed: 4/20/2007 4:39:19 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | any |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $20 |
| Purchased At: | performance |
| Strengths: | none |
| Weaknesses: | This chain sucks, hard to put on the bike as to the special pin required. I ripped this chain off my bike after one ride because it shifter terribly with my new raceface crank. I just don't feel safe riding with the chain if you break on the trail and have to reassemble with a special pin, this shimano product makes no sense. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Sach/sram |
| Bike Setup: | ellsworth id |
| Bottom Line: | Buy SRAM or maybe wippermann but don't buy shimano for your mountain bike, just to unreliable. On the road I use shimano dura ace chain which work great but it would be to much torque for a mountain bike. i just don't think shimano original designed this chain for mountain use. |
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Submitted by
Larry
from Lafayette, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: 4/12/2006 3:45:55 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Price Paid: | $16 |
| Strengths: | Strong. Generally don't break. Works. Connnector pins are cheaper than SRAM Power Link. |
| Weaknesses: | Connector pins are not removeable and reinstallable. Not as nice looking as SRAM PC99 if worn around your wrist. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Sram PC99. |
| Bike Setup: | Giant AC Air Lite. |
| Bottom Line: | It seems that we reviewers are polarized whether this chain breaks or not. I broke one recently. The connecting pin pulled out and grabbed the derailler and tore it off. Otherwise, I run them till they are really worn out without breaking them. Use the special connecting pin. Carry extra pins if you do break the chain which I don't think you will. Maybe you will rescue a beautiful Betty. Follow the directions for the connecting pin. Shimano says it makes a big difference which hole you put the pin into. They say to "set the connecting pin in the hole of the outer link on the front side in the direction of travel". Pictures are provided. Maybe I should have looked at the pictures. For a look, try clicking on the link below or go to Shimano.com. I did it from bad memory. Put it in tight and if it is stiff at the connection, use the loosening feature of your chain tool. Don't just turn the tool around and back out the pin. http://bike.shimano.com/media/cycling/techdocs/en/bikecomponents/CN/SI-CN-7701_v1_m56577569830558543.pdf |
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Submitted by
Koert Kersten
a Weekend Warrior
from Arnhem, the Netherlands
Date Reviewed: 7/15/2005 5:24:08 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $15 |
| Strengths: | great when going downhill and you don't have to paddle. |
| Weaknesses: | As my friend discribed allready, during a wheelie in town in front of people having a drink and a laugh because of me. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Advice of Jan, Sram p-59. Have to set it up first. Still recovering of my fall 2 weeks ago. |
| Bike Setup: | Nishiki Carbon Pro, Fully XT except of the chain offcourse. |
| Bottom Line: | If you buy a XT leave the chain and buy another. |
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Submitted by
Jan Heinen
a Weekend Warrior
from Arnhem, Holland
Date Reviewed: 7/13/2005 8:20:42 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $15 |
| Purchased At: | De Winter Wielersport |
| Strengths: | If you bike like an elderly, it will do |
| Weaknesses: | This chain sucks. It broke twice within a month. First time it first broke in Holland (which is flat as a pancake), second time in Belgium (which has actual hills). The chain of a friend of mine recently broke as well, and that happened while doing a wheelie in front of a crowd! |
| Similar Products Tried: | Sram p-59. Stong as hell! |
| Bike Setup: | Klein Attitude, full Deore XT except for the CHAIN and V-breaks. SID race fork. |
| Bottom Line: | Don't buy it! It will break with you to. |
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Submitted by
Mark
a Weekend Warrior
from Phoenix, AZ
Date Reviewed: 4/3/2005 6:03:43 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Pima & Dynamite |
| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $35 |
| Purchased At: | LBS |
| Strengths: | Smooth, fairley quiet. |
| Weaknesses: | BREAKS!! ALOT! Wont shift for crap under load without grinding or breaking, and the pins are a pain in the a** to put back in once you bust a link. |
| Similar Products Tried: | None yet but SRAM is looking better everyday. |
| Bike Setup: | Raleigh FS, all xt running gear with raceface cranks. |
| Bottom Line: | I have spent more time in the past 6 months in the middle of the desert with my bike upside down fixing busted links than i have riding. Wouldnt recomend this chain to my worst enemy, if you go for a ride take several extra links and lots of sunscreen for when your standing around fixing the broken links. |
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Submitted by
Manny Omega
from Austin, TX
Date Reviewed: 7/29/2004 8:45:20 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Strengths: | Extremely strong design... with crimped end pins, the chain is very tough. |
| Weaknesses: | Time consuming to fix (if ever broken) or to remove to service bike. |
| Bottom Line: | I like the fact that I've not had a breakage problem with any HG-93 chain (...or even the older HG-92). The crimped pin ends make it tough! It's a definate improvement on the older pre-2002 design. I like this chain because it works well, and there are no worries of loosening pins.. Shimano hasn't come up with, or copied the Sachs/SRAM 'power link' system, and I'm suprised. The PC-69/PC-99 are much easier to deal with when I need to do maint. on my rig, or for cleaning. Their pins never break eith, and neither has the Powerlink. Still,the HG-93 is a good part which should give you no problems. The HG-93 chain gets 4 CHILI ratings across the board. The price should be dropped a bit & their pin link method (what's been around for decades) maybe could be improved to make things easier. |
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Submitted by
Joe Gordon
a Cross Country Rider
from Huntsville , Alabama
Date Reviewed: 6/19/2004 8:46:30 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $17 |
| Purchased At: | Supergo |
| Strengths: | Works the way a chain is supposed to work. It makes my bike move forward when I pedal and it does so cheaper than SRAM. |
| Weaknesses: | None |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano HG-73, SRAM PC99 |
| Bike Setup: | Hardtail |
| Bottom Line: | I've had a number of these chains and a couple of the HG-73s - which is one step down. I've gotten the last couple HG-93 on sale for less than $20. Bottom line is they work great (as does the HG-73). They do not wear quickly and they do not break (unless improperly installed). I have my own chain link remover, so I remove and install the chains myself. I've also tried SRAM's PC99 and it works just fine, but it costs twice as much. Some people might see SRAM's master link that doesn't require a chain tool as an advantage, but I don't. I have no desire to constantly be popping my chain off to clean it or any other reason. Also, if you have a major mechanical failure and a few links get mangled, you'll need a chain tool to remove the damaged links before reconnecting them with SRAM's "tool-less" links anyway. Bottom line is that it takes just a few minutes with a chain tool and knowing how to do it will make you prepared for any disaster you encounter on a long ride - so even when I've used the SRAM, I've still carried the chain tool with me on long rides. |
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Submitted by
Mark Holden
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto
Date Reviewed: 4/19/2004 10:33:11 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Durham Forest |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Purchased At: | Bike Zone |
| Strengths: | Included with new bike |
| Weaknesses: | Chain snapped about 1 hour into first ride |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano, Sachs 8 speed |
| Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Blur, 5th Element Air, Manitou Minute 2 Fork, 2004 XT components throughout |
| Bottom Line: | This is the first time I have snapped a chain. I just got the bike brand new and it rained all morning. It cleared in the afternoon so I decided to just take it for a spin around the city so no mud or anything harsh. Even degreased it the previous day with Citrus degreaser and then put Prolink Gold lub on it. I will get my LBS to replace with another brand! |
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Submitted by
Kaparzo
a Racer
from Suds
Date Reviewed: 3/22/2004 7:23:46 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Nobscot MT |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $16 |
| Purchased At: | Jenson |
| Strengths: | Durability, longevity, weight, shifting. |
| Weaknesses: | None i guess. Never snapped. |
| Similar Products Tried: | none. |
| Bike Setup: | Titus Riddler, SID team, Crossmax XL, XT/XTR Hydros, XT Drive, SELLE SLR, Easton/Thomson Cockpit. |
| Bottom Line: | This chain has lasted for almost 1.5 years of 6 day/week riding. Sure its almost over the 1 percent mark (just got a new chain and casette so no worries) but it works and shifts like its brand new. Who says shimano is crap!!!!!! |
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