Shimano CN-HG72 Reviews

Shimano CN-HG72

Average Rating			1.83/5
# of Reviews			63
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Shimano CN-HG72

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Submitted by Neal from Severna Park, MD, USA Date Reviewed: 4/13/2008 7:09:01 PM
Duration Product Used:	2 Years
Purchased At:	Trimuter
Strengths:	Very quite, smooth shifting
Weaknesses:	None so far
Bike Setup:	Trimuter Recumbent Tadpole Trike
Bottom Line:	Chain came standard on my Trimuter Big Wheel and I have put over 10,000 miles on in 2.5 years and no signs of wear. I lube every other month and clean twice a year. Most of my riding is on paved rail to trail paths. Had same chain on a BikeE CT and had over 20,000 miles and no problems.
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Submitted by John a Weekend Warrior from Toronto, Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: 2/12/2007 11:28:30 AM
Duration Product Used:	More than 3 years
Purchased At:	Stock on my 2001 Trek Fuel 90 Disk - Earl's Cycle (closed 2003)
Strengths:	Strond, does what a chain is designed to do.
Weaknesses:	None.
Similar Products Tried:	Whatever came stock on my 1994 Raleigh Matterhorn, IG-31, IG-72.
Bike Setup:	2001 Trek Fuel 90 Disk.
Bottom Line:	This chain came stock on my 2001 Trek Fuel 90 Disk and I've put a little over 9,000kms on it by December 10,2006. It got a little rusty 2 times - 1x after getting caught in a rain burst when I was only 10mins from getting home and 1x after washing my bike and being distracted from drying the chain. I used WD-40 on it and it solved the rust issue. I'll be using this bike to start my 2007 cycling season in March, just as soon as all the snow & ice have melted away. Bottom Line: The same Shimano quality as the IG-31 & IG-72 chains I've used in the past.
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Submitted by Justin Wright a Weekend Warrior from Murray, KY USA Date Reviewed: 10/19/2005 1:23:14 PM
FavoriteTrail:	LBL
Duration Product Used:	Less than 1 month
Purchased At:	came with bike
Strengths:	Looks very nice, has good action, until it breaks.
Weaknesses:	Once it breaks it is no good. The specific replacement pins are a pain in the ass.
Similar Products Tried:	This is the first "quality" chain I have ridden on.
Bike Setup:	Gary Fisher big sur, shimano drive system
Bottom Line:	Don't waste your money. while this product did work well for about 3 weeks, and admittedly I did ride it pretty dirty on the first time it broke, it is impractical for any on the trail repair
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Submitted by michael reid from scotland Date Reviewed: 11/3/2003 3:56:16 AM
Duration Product Used:	2 Years
Price Paid:	$10
Purchased At:	bobs
Strengths:	it is made of metal, at least, and it is only good for light riding
Weaknesses:	it slips and pops on the feewheel and chainring, which hurts, and has an alarmig tendency to snap and twist and get loose links and bend.
Similar Products Tried:	singlespeed thick, strong chain
Bike Setup:	ghetto, rst, promax, singlespeed
Bottom Line:	this chain is just a normal, below average chain-until it gets stressed. i used it for light riding for 2 years then it got harder and it snapped often. so, i gave it to my brother and he snapped it within a week.
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Submitted by Ben a Cross Country Rider from Norway Date Reviewed: 7/31/2003 12:31:46 PM
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Strengths:	Only that when it's new it works and it's not stretched. Cheap - I think. Good for grandma
Weaknesses:	I read in these reviews a lot of people braking chains. This hasn't borken on me, but it has strectched. ALOT!!
Similar Products Tried:	Installed a Wipperman Connex yesterday. I'll report on that after a while.
Bike Setup:	XT this and that Manitou something or other Mavic big round thingys
Bottom Line:	I won't tell you how much it's stretched, it's shameful. I hadn't been keeping an eye on it. I've just finished rebuilding my bike yesterday with the Shimano XT disc brake system, front & back, and while I was getting my wheels built @ my LBS, I thought, why not, "through a new cassette on there while ya at it" Anyway, the day after I put the order in for the new wheels, I thought I'd better check the drivetrain properly while everything was apart. The chain was as I said, shameful. So, now I'm reaplacing my middle and granny rings to go with the new chain, so they all live peacefully. Maybe a rubber band would have been better????? (actually, last week I saw a belt driven bike)
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Submitted by Sean Barrett a Downhiller from England Date Reviewed: 5/9/2003 2:23:39 PM
FavoriteTrail:	eastridge
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Price Paid:	$60000
Purchased At:	sainsburys
Strengths:	good to use as a chain whip sort of
Weaknesses:	well it nearly took my life when it snapped at nant mawr quarry and i hit my head off a tree decimating my troy lee helmet .it is crap!!!
Similar Products Tried:	sapagetti plastcine elastic bands (all better)
Bike Setup:	raleigh,mag julies,deore,d321,maxxis high rollers,DMR saturn
Bottom Line:	this is ST and is a hazard to your life do not buy unless you like hospitals and are bored with bocks!!!
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Submitted by Tomek Recko a Cross Country Rider from Poland Date Reviewed: 5/9/2003 2:31:25 AM
FavoriteTrail:	I Warsaw?
Duration Product Used:	6 months
Price Paid:	$25
Purchased At:	Pro Shop
Strengths:	You are kiding?
Weaknesses:	Everthing!
Similar Products Tried:	Kmc, Sram pc59
Bike Setup:	Gary Fisher Tasajara, clip pedals, Avid 2 breakes.
Bottom Line:	The worstes chain i've ever had. I replaced him after 700 km! A soft and bad chain. Don't buy!
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Submitted by Gautam Bose a Weekend Warrior from Charlotte, NC Date Reviewed: 5/7/2003 8:24:19 PM
FavoriteTrail:	Col Francis Beatty
Duration Product Used:	6 months
Price Paid:	$25
Purchased At:	LBS - Ultimate Bicycle
Strengths:	It's a chain
Weaknesses:	Very flimsy
Similar Products Tried:	God knows -- I've never noticed chains before..
Bike Setup:	Trek 6500
Bottom Line:	Seems very flimsy indeed. The first one came with my bike, and I experienced major shifting problems the first time I went out on a trail, 1 week after I got it. It seems my small ring was bent, as was my chain -- not clear which caused which. LBS (Ultimate Bicycle -- a terrific shop if you're in Charlotte) replaced it under warranty. Seemed OK for a while. But recently I took my bike in for poor shifting, and it seems my chain was worn out. Paid $25 this time. I don't ride as much as I'd like to -- maybe 15-20 miles a week, and don't ride hard -- no jumping or anything v stressful. I weigh 140lbs -- shouldn't strain anything. I won't buy another of these...
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Submitted by Geo Paturalski a Weekend Warrior from Signal Mountain, TN Date Reviewed: 5/4/2003 6:37:07 AM
FavoriteTrail:	Edwards Point
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Purchased At:	Came with bike
Strengths:	Shifted fine.
Weaknesses:	Broke after about 5 rides of 9-10 miles. I was in a pretty low gear heading up a fairly steep incline and it just popped. What's up with that?
Bike Setup:	GT I Drive 2.0
Bottom Line:	While I'm a Clydesdale, this is not acceptable performance for an - almost new - chain. Woof.
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Submitted by Arne a Weekend Warrior from Norway Date Reviewed: 1/29/2003 7:27:03 AM
Duration Product Used:	2 Years
Purchased At:	come with bike
Strengths:	Strong
Weaknesses:	Not that i know of...
Similar Products Tried:	KMC9000
Bike Setup:	LX-mix
Bottom Line:	I dont know if my chain i different form the others... (it looks like it). Well, I have been ridin this chain for 2 1/2 year now, summer and winter, sun and snow, 5 to 7 days a week. I ride min 100km and max 300km every week. I am quiet heavy (85kg) and have strong legs (do heavy squats 2 times a week). I gess that it means that the chain have often been under a lot of stress. It have never broken and worked just fine! In the last months the chain have becomed streched and needs to be replaced.
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Submitted by Ryan a Weekend Warrior from Flag AZ Date Reviewed: 12/2/2002 8:40:25 AM
FavoriteTrail:	the ones on MT. elden
Duration Product Used:	Less than 1 month
Price Paid:	$27
Purchased At:	shop
Strengths:	well i guess it shifted ok, untill it broke
Weaknesses:	it broke i think on the third ride on a flat peice of trail. then it broke on just about every ride after. it also sucks that you have to use new pins every time you fix it.
Similar Products Tried:	pc 69
Bike Setup:	iron horse with cool stuff
Bottom Line:	crap. buy this chain unless you ride youre bike
Value Rating: Overall Rating:

Submitted by Jervis a Cross Country Rider from Illinios Date Reviewed: 10/31/2002 3:39:18 PM
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Price Paid:	$25
Purchased At:	Local Shop
Strengths:	Comes with replacement pins. Average in weight.
Weaknesses:	Price for quality, quality of steel used
Similar Products Tried:	Sram PC69
Bike Setup:	Trek 9900 Custom Duke XC
Bottom Line:	Don't buy one. I had it for about two months and it stretched. This was during the summer when I rode the stupid thing like once every two weeks for like 6 or 7 miles. I weigh 185 pounds, but I did all the riding in Central Illinois, which is not known for it's massive hills. It got to the point where when I was in my small cogs in the back the chain would skip becasue it was so stretched out. I got a PC69 from Nashbar and it's lasted me 3 months already and is showing no signs of wearing out. It doesn't have the tendency to corrode as easily either. Go anything but Shimano!
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Submitted by Steve a Weekend Warrior from Gulfport, MS Date Reviewed: 8/29/2002 4:18:02 PM
Duration Product Used:	6 months
Price Paid:	$18
Purchased At:	LBS
Strengths:	Its a strong chain as long as you don't have to remove any pins.
Weaknesses:	Pins are a pain in the a$$ to replace and when you do replace them...even with the special pins that snap off. The chain just isn't very reliable. I've had too many times where its come apart.
Similar Products Tried:	SRAM
Bike Setup:	Truvativ BB and Crank, LX Der.,
Bottom Line:	shimano is a great company for derailleurs, shifters..etc. But not on the chains.
Value Rating: Overall Rating:

Submitted by John a Cross Country Rider from Sisters, Oregon USA Date Reviewed: 8/19/2002 12:38:23 PM
FavoriteTrail:	Peterson Ridge
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Purchased At:	Came on the bike
Strengths:	Looks like a real chain when on the bike in the showroom.
Weaknesses:	Breaks routinely under high torque.
Similar Products Tried:	Sachs
Bike Setup:	Giant NRS, Sid SL fork, Cane Creek Cloud 9 shock, Koobi seat, Dave's wheel set w. Panaracer Dart/Fire tires, WTB pedals.
Bottom Line:	If you want a product that serves its intended purpose reliably, get Sachs/SRAM. This chain is junk for all but small children and casual riders under 150 lbs.
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Submitted by Cook a Cross Country Rider from Holland Date Reviewed: 7/28/2002 10:33:34 AM
Duration Product Used:	6 months
Purchased At:	Came With Bike
Strengths:	Good Spare Chain.
Weaknesses:	Everything
Similar Products Tried:	SRAM/SACHS PC99
Bike Setup:	Rockhopper Comp, StumpJumper Comp
Bottom Line:	I first got the Rockhopper. Went and did some riding and after about 2 weeks the chain went out. I replaced it with the SRAM PC99. Even under load and all kinds of conditions my PC99 never broke. I got better and then Bought a StumpJumper Comp. It came with this chain. On the freaking test ride I tested the bike under pressure.(NOT CHANGING GEARS) and the F*&^ing thing blew out and cause bleeding. I still bought the bike but when I got home. The PC99 Chain came off the Hopper and on the Stump Jumper. I Purchased a new PC99 for the StumpJumper to finish out the year. Replace Chains Every 2 months of intense riding. If you race you may need to replace more. DO NOT BUY THIS CHAIN!!!
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Submitted by Bob Birmingham a Cross Country Rider from Belle Mead, New Jersey Date Reviewed: 6/30/2002 1:17:08 PM
FavoriteTrail:	Wawayanda State Park & Sourland Mtn Preserve
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Price Paid:	$20
Purchased At:	Came with bike from LBS
Strengths:	This is actually a slight retraction of my previous "flame-o-gram"... I am guilty of improper equipment use. It seems I know less about bike chains than I realized. The Shimano HG73 chains require a new pin when an old one is removed. After speaking to my LBS I purchased the real pins (at about $2 a pop!!!) and this seemed to work fine.
Weaknesses:	Having to replace pins with proprietary Shimano pins....
Similar Products Tried:	SRAM
Bike Setup:	Giant XTC NRS1
Bottom Line:	Replacing pins on this chain is a royal pain-in-the-ass!!! I added an SRAM Master Link for my frequent chain-waxing and this makes my life much easier....
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Submitted by Makumba E-S a Weekend Warrior from Toowooomba, Australia Date Reviewed: 6/25/2002 2:47:50 AM
FavoriteTrail:	cheeseburger
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Price Paid:	$23
Strengths:	Chain is a chain. It does the job.
Weaknesses:	This thing has broken on me 3 times in less than three months. Hard to fix on the trail without new pins.
Similar Products Tried:	KMC-Z9000
Bike Setup:	Giant H'tail, Deore, LX, Judy TT
Bottom Line:	My old cheap chain seemed to do a better job than this effort from shimano. My advice is to go to the next one up or a change of manufacturer. It'll do the job, but that is practically it.
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Submitted by Mark a Weekend Warrior from Boston, Ma, USA Date Reviewed: 6/8/2002 7:07:10 PM
Duration Product Used:	Less than 1 month
Price Paid:	$20
Purchased At:	Wheelworks
Strengths:	Very good at coming apart when my leg is in optimal position to be lacerated by my big chainring. (Still bleeding a little bit)
Weaknesses:	I was about five minutes into the trail. Not doing anything too stressful in a fairly low gear and, just after I went over a rock and started climbing a semi-knotty rocky hill, it blew out on me. This was my first day riding this chain. I had just come from the shop. And you can bet your left XTR crankarm I'm going back there as soon as I can to put my benjamins toward something more useful.
Bike Setup:	Fisher Big Sur - Midlevel, XT\LX ,Judy XC type stuff.
Bottom Line:	If you like lacerating your calves, rock on! For those of you who prefer the pain you experience from Mountain biking to be that euphoric burning muscle out-of-breath kind of pain that comes at the end of a good ride which has been blessedly unencumbered by consistently reproducible technical difficulties, then you probably want to steer clear of this chain and all it stands for.
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Submitted by Andy a Cross Country Rider from Hartford County, Ct. Date Reviewed: 4/23/2002 1:00:48 PM
FavoriteTrail:	ValleyFalls double black diamonds baby
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Purchased At:	Came on Bike
Strengths:	None. Good shifting?
Weaknesses:	Poor design, not field servicable, breaks
Similar Products Tried:	Sedis/Sachs
Bike Setup:	GT iDrive 4.0 Modded for weight savings
Bottom Line:	This is crap. 8th ride on my new bike and it started ghost-shifting. Riding,riding,riding, all the while, ghost shifting. Finall stopped and link had pulled apart and on the verge of making me bust my nutz. Had to take out links and the links on these chains are pressed in then crimped somehow. Not a good design. I'm not some Lance Armstrong. I'm just a crappy XC rider. Get a clue Shimano. Noone wants this junk. 1 fireballin' piece of buttmeat for value and 1 damnated lost soul for tryin' to kill me.
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Submitted by Gordon Ghenter a Cross Country Rider from Flagstaff AZ Date Reviewed: 4/18/2002 9:57:26 PM
Duration Product Used:	1 Year
Strengths:	Shifts well, has not broken on me, cheap, not too heavy
Weaknesses:	I wish it had something like the powerlink
Similar Products Tried:	numerous
Bike Setup:	with a drivetrain
Bottom Line:	I have been using the same HG 72 chain for a year now, and I put about 15 hours per week on it. It still isn't stretched out noticably and it performs just fine. I have taken it apart probably five or six times, each time reinstalling it using the Shimano replacement pins. I may have got lucky, and I am going to replace this chain probably next week with an XT, but I am impressed with this chain and would gladly buy it again. Oh, I weigh about 125 or 130 and do cross country.
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Submitted by PissedOffGreek from Samos Date Reviewed: 3/17/2002 4:32:02 PM
Duration Product Used:	3 months
Strengths:	relatively light
Weaknesses:	WEAK, and difficult to take apart
Bike Setup:	XTR/XT
Bottom Line:	The chain sucks. Today I lost a race because of it.
Value Rating: Overall Rating:

Submitted by Bob Birmingham a Weekend Warrior from Belle Mead, New Jersey Date Reviewed: 3/17/2002 6:26:09 AM
FavoriteTrail:	Waywayanda State Park, Northwest NJ
Duration Product Used:	Less than 1 month
Purchased At:	Came with bike from LBS
Strengths:	None (apparently)
Weaknesses:	Pin design, lack of strength
Bike Setup:	Giant XTC NRS1
Bottom Line:	Actually this is a review of the HG73, which judging from the reviews of the HG72, it definitely runs in the family.... Man, I felt like a moron when I broke my chain tool trying to break the chain (to hot wax it)... The pins are nearly impossible to get out, thanks to that funky lip on the end of the pins....After buying a more decent chain tool (and removing the link I trashed), I finally got the chain apart, waxed and reassembled. This morning on a grinding uphill the chain snapped. After repairing it, I only made it another 20 yards and it snapped in the same place. The pin is trashed and I'm already minus a link from yesterday, so at first I thought I'd buy a few extra links..... But after reading all the reviews, I think I will take one rider's advice and use the chain to stun small game. THIS IS A PIECE OF CRAP!!! Shame on you, Shimano.
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Submitted by Otter a Cross Country Rider from Dallas, TX, USA Date Reviewed: 2/24/2002 12:23:29 AM
FavoriteTrail:	Dinosaur Park
Duration Product Used:	Less than 1 month
Purchased At:	Came with the bike
Strengths:	None that I can find.
Weaknesses:	Broke on my first ride.... and fourth. Difficult to take apart and very difficult to get back together properly.
Similar Products Tried:	Sachs/Sram PC-59 and PC-69
Bike Setup:	Usual XC stuff.
Bottom Line:	This chain is not very durable. It's tough to take apart and put back together again making for difficult cleaning. It breaks waaay too often. After the second time mine broke, I gave up and went back to Sachs. Note to Shimano: My twig and berries are important to me. Perhaps instead of forcing things on consumers that few people want or need (like 9 speed shifters and derailleurs), you should focus on durability and reliability. It's dangerous to have chains that break as much as yours do! Note to consumer: Buy at your own risk.
Value Rating: Overall Rating:

Submitted by Bill a Cross Country Rider from Phoenix, AZ Date Reviewed: 2/22/2002 8:07:06 AM
FavoriteTrail:	Any which will hurt me when I'm done
Duration Product Used:	Less than 1 month
Strengths:	Shifted very well.
Weaknesses:	3 rides: 2 breaks.
Similar Products Tried:	Other shimano, sachs.
Bike Setup:	GT idrive 2.0 except for XT hubs/mavic 517 wheels.
Bottom Line:	First ride: Couldn't get 50 feet away from the car. Snapped the chain, took out the rear derailleur, hanger and serveral spokes (kudos to the shop for not asking questions and fixing the whole mess gratis). To point: this was in a parking lot with minimal stress and a shop install. Second ride: Worked like a charm. Shifted flawlessly with several ascents/descents over very rocky terrain. Third ride: Less technical trail but longer distance. It once again worked very well all they way until about 3/4 mile from the end of the ride. It snapped again on one of the flattest sections. I understand that an improperly installed chain can cause problems, but this work was performed at the shop. It should also be noted that I can be a bit harsh on my equipment since I am 6'4" tall and weigh in at around 225 lbs. I rate the value poorly because of the potential cost for the damages of the gear that had to be replaced. The overall rating is better because the shift quality was superb.
Value Rating: Overall Rating:

Submitted by darryl a Weekend Warrior from canada Date Reviewed: 2/12/2002 9:39:12 PM
Duration Product Used:	2 Years
Price Paid:	$20
Purchased At:	lbs
Strengths:	good, tough chain, wears well
Weaknesses:	using shimano pins to rejoin links
Similar Products Tried:	sachs, kmc, taya
Bike Setup:	ti HT XTR all around, judy sl lt
Bottom Line:	It would appear that many are having trouble with the shimano chain. The pins are very tight fit into the side plates, if you try to reassemble the chain with the original pin you are nearly guaranteed to take off a little cresent of metal from the side plate. If you use the correct replacement pin you will have a joint that is as strong as the original pin. For you newbies out there, don't shift under load. like sprinting uphill then banging off a couple of cogs while hammering your guts out, this will break most chains, even take teeth off the cogset!! Personally I use a less expensive shimano chain (shimano only)and change them often (like 3 or 4 per summer) keeps the cogs and chainrings happy and the shifting crisp like new.
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Submitted by Ben a Weekend Warrior from London, England Date Reviewed: 11/2/2001 6:09:49 AM
Duration Product Used:	6 months
Strengths:	it came with the bike
Weaknesses:	it came with the bike. What a hunk of $#!+. This chain breaks just about every time I use the bike. My left knee is still recovering from the last time the chain snapped and dumped me...
Similar Products Tried:	none
Bike Setup:	Specialized Rockhopper A1, Mavic x223, magura clara
Bottom Line:	If a bike come with this chain ask the shop to change it there and then. It looks a though others have similiar experiences. Sort it Shimano!
Value Rating: Overal