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Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Richmond, VA
Date Reviewed: 11/17/2007 3:40:25 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Strengths: | Never broke one. Can't say that about Shimano HG 92 abd 93. Master link |
| Weaknesses: | Other people seem to break them |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano |
| Bike Setup: | knobbies, etc. |
| Bottom Line: | Not as bad as Shimano. How's that for a ringing endorsement. |
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Submitted by
Aaron
a Weekend Warrior
from Rainier, OR
Date Reviewed: 4/9/2007 9:21:13 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Stella |
| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Price Paid: | $20 |
| Purchased At: | Fat Tire Farm |
| Strengths: | Durability, corrosion resistance, power link |
| Weaknesses: | warranty doesn't cover bad rider mistakes ;-) |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano HG 93, KMC Z9900 |
| Bike Setup: | 2005 Jamis XLT |
| Bottom Line: | First off, I generally don't break chains...in fact, these PC-69's have suffered more bad luck than all the chains I've had previously combined (been riding over 12 years). I'm on my third and last PC-69 (I purchased three in 2004) but the other two have not failed due to bad product. The first one failed due to a bad shift into my worn granny gear which caused major chain suck. This cracked a link...though it did not completely fail. I repaired it, no problems. This chain eventually was pieced together with the second chain. The second chain was on my Kona I used to own, and I essentually killed it by slipping my back wheel off a ladder and severely bending the chain by dragging it along the side of the ladder. The pieced together first and second chain actually lasted two years after that! The third chain is now on my Jamis and going strong. |
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Submitted by
Jonas
a Cross Country Rider
from Vaasa, Finland
Date Reviewed: 10/28/2006 2:57:53 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Where pepper doesn't grow... |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $40 |
| Purchased At: | Wasa Bikeservice |
| Strengths: | Worked well for almost 2 years, good shifting, no breaks. |
| Weaknesses: | A bit heavy and somewhat expensive in Finland. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Maybe some better shimanos are in the same class. |
| Bike Setup: | SantaCruz superlight, marzocchi marathon S, Hayes MAG+, Bontrager carbon cranks and bar, shimano XTR/XT, sunrace chain and cassette. |
| Bottom Line: | I was very happy with the chain for almost 2 years, maybe 5000km in varying terrain. No problems until I noticed that shifting had become worse. When replacing I noticed that the chain had become about 1,5% longer...I guess it was the right time to replace it then:) |
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Submitted by
BRIAN Schultz
a Weekend Warrior
from Inkster, MI U.S.A.
Date Reviewed: 4/7/2006 11:19:08 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | maybury |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $15 |
| Purchased At: | Greenfish sports |
| Strengths: | don't know yet ridden twice. shifts great |
| Weaknesses: | broke both times |
| Similar Products Tried: | shimano kmc |
| Bike Setup: | 04 komodo frame (jenson usa)sram x-9 components sun rhyno lite rims hays hfx9 breaks marz mxcomp eta fork nevengal tires rafe face atlas crank |
| Bottom Line: | I have gone out twice so far and both times I broke this chain at the same place on the trail first time i thought it was a fluke second time no way i have a way way(02) older chain on another jamis that is still going strong that rode thoes same trails last year not a prob. I called greenfifsh said i bought this chain it broke twice he said 15.00 bucks i'll send you a new one. thanks thats kind of crappy got the new one right away though 2 days. i'll try it this weekend hopefully the next review will be better srams a great name in parts it all reviews well this chain is supossed to be great but some of the other reviews do say that it does break dont know if thier is a size limit i way 245 5'10 no probs ridding at my size for me |
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Submitted by
M Star Lambert
a Weekend Warrior
from East Coast Canada
Date Reviewed: 2/13/2006 4:41:19 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Price Paid: | $25 |
| Purchased At: | Price Point |
| Strengths: | Never fails, cleans easily, shifts good, power link gold |
| Weaknesses: | Could shift better on my FireX crank on 44 chainring |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano HG-72 |
| Bike Setup: | K2 Zed Team, Stylo Team, Marzocchi MX Comp ETA, custom Syncros wheelset, RaceFace carbon bar, etc. an XC blast |
| Bottom Line: | Very durable, have never broken one, did manage to bend 1 link once just enough to notice it making a funny noise. Would definitely buy again. Easy to do maintenance. My only gripe is with it shifting to the highest chainring. I build bikes and tune my syetem on a regular basis but this chain slips a bit more than I would like going up to the big ring. The downshifts are quick and easy. Trying the PC-971 or 991 next supposed to shift better with Truvative per ad. |
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Submitted by
dave
from boise
Date Reviewed: 8/23/2005 2:09:44 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | where there is no one. |
| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Purchased At: | pricepoint |
| Strengths: | long wear,power link,reliability.no chain tool. |
| Weaknesses: | none |
| Similar Products Tried: | shimano |
| Bike Setup: | Ibex hard tail with sram x9 rear deraileur and sram x9 trigger shifters,race face x type crank.Fuel 90 with xt rear deraileur,rocket trigger shifters,xt cranks.both with sram pc-69 chain. |
| Bottom Line: | It has been interesting comparing hard tail to full suspension mbt drive train reliability,hardtail shifts better with longer wear on gears,chain,some ghost shifting on fuel but improved substantially with aztec powerline shift cables are there really any full suspension bikes with out shifting problems?.I am trying a whipperman chain for increased wear,I do not have any complaints about sram chains,I ride at least 4000 mile/year with no chain failure.shifting under a load.....no chain will hold up for long, pick your chainring BEFORE YOU START UP A KNARLY CLIMB. |
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Submitted by
Ted
a Cross Country Rider
from Westland, MI
Date Reviewed: 8/6/2005 6:05:17 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Tree Farm |
| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Price Paid: | $20 |
| Purchased At: | Nashbar |
| Strengths: | Cheap, reliable and the powerlink makes cleaning a breeze. Buddies who break their chains always thank me when I give them some of my extra power links to fix their chain on the trail. What a spare tire concept that is! |
| Weaknesses: | None. I'm surpised by the number of 'weak' postings. I snapped my first shimano chain on the 2nd ride. I've never broken a SRAM chain, but I do replace them once to twice a year. I crank hard on uphills and SRAM never lets me down. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano |
| Bike Setup: | XC Specialized. . XT cranks, LX cassette as well as SRAM cassettes. XT/LX derailleurs. |
| Bottom Line: | After breaking the shimano chain that came with the bike on the 2nd ride I switched to SRAM (at the time Sachs) and have never broken another chain. I put a LOT of torque and the only weakness is the fact I find out about ring wear real quickly when I switch to a new chain every few months. The ability to quickly take the chain off after a ride and dump it in lacquer thinner to clean it is an incredible time saver. I stock up when I see them on sale. |
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Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Wilmot, WI, USA
Date Reviewed: 7/12/2005 4:14:27 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $20 |
| Purchased At: | LBS |
| Strengths: | I like the idea of a master link over a master pin. Shifted smoothly. |
| Weaknesses: | Cracked a link in half the first month of riding. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Most on the market |
| Bike Setup: | Santa Cruz Heckler set up for all mountain/free ride. |
| Bottom Line: | I like Sram's products and have had little not to like about the quality they put out but this chain has left Me scratching my head. I said that it cracked in half as a weakness because the link plate that failed litteraly fractured into little fragments in the middle of a ride! I think I might have just gotten a bad apple. All in all I would have to say that I would still buy/ride a sram chain but I'll be keeping a good o'l Shimano chain in my pack from now just in case! |
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Submitted by
Bainbridge
a Weekend Warrior
from Durham
Date Reviewed: 6/2/2005 11:38:13 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Glestress |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $17 |
| Strengths: | Smoother than a shimano and very easy to remove and fit. Very little chain suck compared to the shimano |
| Weaknesses: | It broke after about 100 miles. A link snapped in half. it didnt look like it had been manufactured right under close inspection, the material was a little porus. the chain was then fixed but then the power link snapped, probably due to the first break. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano |
| Bike Setup: | zaskar xtr, xo derailier, formula 9.5 brakes (pain in the a$$) |
| Bottom Line: | Chain was great virtually no suck and so easy to take off for maintenance etc. But it broke twice, then a sram x9 trigger shifter broke on the same ride. I'm starting to question the durability of the gear. very nice when it works mind. |
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Submitted by
Bernie
a Cross Country Rider
from NH
Date Reviewed: 5/1/2005 9:37:03 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $15 |
| Strengths: | Cheap, lasts very long. Does what a chain should. Include powerlink |
| Weaknesses: | Well if you count rust which i dont, then i guess its a weakness |
| Bottom Line: | This is a product which i will always buy. I think it could be a bit cheaper, most places average around 20 and shimano chains seem to be cheaper. But this also comes with the powerlink so its okay. The powerlink included is a blessing, i cant say enough about this thing. The chain has lasted well, ive put probably close to 1k miles on it. IT has survived the winter with NH road salt and a very muddy spring. I did find some rust on it, but its partially my fault since i lubed the chain with pedros ice wax on a wintery ride. Since i used oil i have detected no rust. It does what a chain should and does it flawlessly. 5 stars for overall because it has really lasted and i believe still has much life left 4 for value because it just seems a bit pricey |
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Submitted by
burt toast
a Cross Country Rider
from north shore
Date Reviewed: 3/21/2005 5:30:15 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | hard ones |
| Duration Product Used: | 2 Years |
| Price Paid: | $15 |
| Strengths: | cheap,strong,lasts 1500kms |
| Weaknesses: | none so far |
| Similar Products Tried: | shimano hg93 |
| Bike Setup: | kona dog primo |
| Bottom Line: | i have used three of these chains ,i have not experienced any problems other than normal wear.i ride muddy,steep single trac all winter long ,no problem ever with this chain.change it every 6 months and you'll have nothing to worry about.dont be a cheap skate,it costs money to have fun. |
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Submitted by
Clint R
a Cross Country Rider
from Marin County, CA
Date Reviewed: 7/28/2004 9:20:22 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 6 months |
| Price Paid: | $28 |
| Purchased At: | Performance |
| Strengths: | This is a durable chain. I recently climbed 8 thousand feet at Tahoe on a trip and the chain performed well. Even after knocking the chain off the cogs on technical decents the chain hung tough. |
| Weaknesses: | Carry S-Ram power link gold spares. I bent the power link on the ride and installed a pin to get home. The chain is not designed for pins, this caused rough shifting. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano chains - have not been as durable for me - 190 lbs 6'+ feet tall. |
| Bike Setup: | K2 Razorback 3.0 (2003) - Sid airshock |
| Bottom Line: | I haven't tried all the chains out there, but this is a better result than the Shimano products I have tried. Doesn't bend as easily and doesn't break as easily. Give it a try |
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Submitted by
James Howery
a Cross Country Rider
from Prescott, AZ
Date Reviewed: 5/28/2004 10:08:25 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | various |
| Duration Product Used: | More than 3 years |
| Price Paid: | $25 |
| Purchased At: | bike shop |
| Strengths: | I've used these off and on for years. I broke a few over the years, but they were better than the shimano chains at the time. |
| Weaknesses: | Nothing special anymore, shimanos latest CN7701 holds up way better for me. I broke my last PC69 a few days ago, after less than a month of use. Broke it climbing in the granny gear. Not worth it compared to the next-generation of shimano chains |
| Similar Products Tried: | KMC, Shimano Chains |
| Bike Setup: | Foes FXR |
| Bottom Line: | Not that special anymore..will work for a while, but doesn't hold up as well as dura ace/XTR. |
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Submitted by
Gekko6
a Cross Country Rider
from Hungary
Date Reviewed: 5/12/2004 9:06:16 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $19 |
| Strengths: | It's strong, durable and has powerlink |
| Weaknesses: | not too good at shifting |
| Similar Products Tried: | sram pc-48, shimano hg-53 |
| Bike Setup: | sc heckler, fox vanilla, xt crank and deraillers, sram 9.0 cassette |
| Bottom Line: | I've been using it for more than a year now, and my only problem is that the rear shifting is never perfect whatever I do. I'm 85 kilos (~180 lbs) and I've rode about 2500km with this chain. It never broke and it's still in great condition. I tried a shimano chain a month ago and it stuck to the cassette and tore off the rear derailleur. The chain, the derailleur and part of the frame was destroyed(luckily it's replaceable). Never again will I buy a shimano. |
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Submitted by
Hugh
a Cross Country Rider
from T.O.
Date Reviewed: 5/7/2004 4:15:16 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Long ones |
| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Purchased At: | cambria |
| Strengths: | Cheap, Powerlink |
| Weaknesses: | Nasty, not fit for purpose. |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano, Sachs PC-91 |
| Bike Setup: | Marin Mt Vision |
| Bottom Line: | Review is actually for the PC-68 8 speed version. I replaced my old Sachs 8-spd PC-91 with one of these (because I couldn't find a new PC-91). The cassette had very little wear, but under hard pedalling the new chain would ride up over the teeth and then drop back in with a bang. No adjustments made any difference. I subsequently tried with a new Shimano HG70 and a new Sachs PC-91 which both worked fine on the same cassette with no problems ever. Chain had poor manufacturing tolerances? I always like Sachs chains and I think their top end stuff (PC-91 and PC-99) is good but the PC-68 I had was cr@p and totally unfit for purpose. DON'T BUY! |
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Submitted by
Simon
a Cross Country Rider
from UK
Date Reviewed: 4/26/2004 5:55:00 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $35 |
| Purchased At: | www.Wiggle.co.uk |
| Strengths: | Powerlink works for me, chain shifts well once bedded-in. |
| Weaknesses: | shorter life than I'd like. |
| Similar Products Tried: | SRAM PC58, cheap, Trek-fitted Shimano. |
| Bike Setup: | Trek 6500 with a few nicer bits. |
| Bottom Line: | When I first fitted this chain I was suffering from chain suck, which dissappeared after around 50 miles. After that, it has always shifted nicely and seems pretty resilient to the frequent mud & sand baths it gets on the South Downs - just wipe it down, re-oil and wipe again after every ride. I've managed about 1000 miles of mixed riding on it, but the last 100 have seen it start to get way too long. I think the chain suck problem was due to a slightly worn rear cassette (XTR). After a bit of riding the chain gets stretched and the problem goes away. If you're getting the same problem with any new chain, check your jockey wheels and cassette for wear - it probably isn't the fault of the chain. When I get around to renewing the cassette, I'll go for a tougher chain like the Rohloff, but another one of these will do for now as it will probably bed-in more quickly. |
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Submitted by
antonio Oliver
a Racer
from morelia mexico
Date Reviewed: 4/11/2004 1:34:43 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $25 |
| Strengths: | strong, great performance, light |
| Weaknesses: | a little bit expensive |
| Similar Products Tried: | hg 72 |
| Bike Setup: | klein, duke xc, crank bros. pedals, shimano xt, mavic xm 819, michelin xl s |
| Bottom Line: | this chain its great i've ride this chain in all kind of places its very helpful in races it will give outstanding performance buy it its the best choice for people that loves xc |
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Submitted by
Tim XcRider
a Racer
from Chester
Date Reviewed: 3/24/2004 1:57:01 AM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | betws-y-coed at night |
| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $25 |
| Purchased At: | bike factory |
| Strengths: | powerlink |
| Weaknesses: | breaks, ghost shifting, does not work well with XTR cassette |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano XTR |
| Bike Setup: | C'dale Scalpel 2000 |
| Bottom Line: | I've been using PC69, PC99 and Xtr chains for a few years now and each time I go back to a SRAM chain i have the same problems, ghost shifting and broken chains. I'm going back to the XTR chain. I can get it cheaper too. |
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Submitted by
Joel
a Cross Country Rider
from Philly
Date Reviewed: 10/15/2003 4:52:00 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $25 |
| Purchased At: | lbs |
| Strengths: | The fact that you can remove the chain without taking out the pins is awsome. Very strong. |
| Weaknesses: | None |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shamino dura ace, and stock chains. |
| Bike Setup: | Haro full susp. |
| Bottom Line: | This is a great chain. Much stronger than shamino. I broke the dura ace twice, not because I was shifting under a lot of pressure on the chain. If you want to spend $18-$25 for a chain, you cant, go wrong. |
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Submitted by
Russell Ruggiero
a Cross Country Rider
from West Windsor, NJ, USA
Date Reviewed: 8/22/2003 7:34:36 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | R&D |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $25 |
| Purchased At: | Jay's Cycle |
| Strengths: | Much better than stock Shimano offering. |
| Weaknesses: | None |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano |
| Bike Setup: | Trek STP 200 Shifters: XTR FD: XT RD: XT Crank: Icon Graphite Pedals: Shimano M858 |
| Bottom Line: | Dear Reader I too have experienced "Ghost Shifting" with my Shimano OEM chain. The stock chain fell apart after only 300 miles of riding. My dealer put on the new SRAM offering, and the "Ghost Shifting" has gone, while improving overall quality of shifting. A very nice upgrade for $25.00. Sincerely Russ |
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Submitted by
Timothy Halliday
a Racer
from Rindge, NH
Date Reviewed: 8/5/2003 9:58:59 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Purchased At: | Pedals N Packs |
| Strengths: | The SRAM powerlink |
| Weaknesses: | None |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano chains |
| Bike Setup: | 2003 KHS Alite 4000, 2003 Rock Shox Sid Race, Mavix X-517 rim on LX hubs, Shimano LX/XT 9 Speed groups, FSA bars, Salsa stem, Thomson seatpost, Koski saddle |
| Bottom Line: | this is a great chain! |
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Submitted by
Mark
a Racer
from Allentown, PA
Date Reviewed: 7/21/2003 10:16:44 AM |
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| Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month |
| Price Paid: | $31 |
| Purchased At: | Bike Line |
| Strengths: | Seems as sturdy as Ultegra chain, but slightly lighter. Powerlink is awesome. Eliminates the worry that you might have screwed up a pin or plate when shortening a chain, since the Powerlink attaches with 2 "female" ends. |
| Weaknesses: | I wish they wouldn't pre-grease chains. the pin rollers don't look as polished as Shimano chains. Could be cheaper |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano HG |
| Bike Setup: | Klein Q-Race w/Ultegra |
| Bottom Line: | Since it seems identical to the stock Ultegra chain, I can't complain. THe Powerlink is an awesome feature. |
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Submitted by
george
a Cross Country Rider
from Rochester, NY
Date Reviewed: 6/2/2003 2:18:25 PM |
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| FavoriteTrail: | Crack'd Helmet, TRYON |
| Duration Product Used: | 3 months |
| Price Paid: | $15 |
| Purchased At: | Bike Nashbar |
| Strengths: | Well, I used this chain for slightly over one month, (100 miles or so) but that's not a choice on the pull-down menu...I like the links in this chain; the pins are easy to work with, unlike the new Shimano pins. Unlike some others reviewing this chain, I found it strong. I used it on my mountain bike doing muddy MUDDY crosscountry, and killer uphills. (Yes, I ride in the mud. Sorry if it offends certain bike manufacturers to remain nameless ;-) You know who you are... |
| Weaknesses: | Chain suck...although the conditions I was riding in were extreem (pouring rain, mud over lower rear derailer pulley, chain in the mud). |
| Similar Products Tried: | Shimano HG |
| Bike Setup: | 2001 GT i-Drive 5, Deore LX crank & chainrings, Deore XT cassette, Judy 100 frnt, RST coil over rear shocks. |
| Bottom Line: | I actually liked this chain, never broke even under extreem conditions/uphills, but I abused the hell out of it and now I'm getting some chainsuck in the smallest chainring under severe uphill. Started in the pouring rain (gee, ya think?). No problems on 2nd chainring and lowest gear, wheelie poping uphills... I weigh about 170lbs and found this chain to have fewer problems than my Shimano HG (links kept seperating on that one, what a pain; not to mention the two front derailers destroyed). I'm going to clean this chain, (scrub the chainrings, too) and give it one more chance. I'm also thinking of trying a Whipperman stainless with all the riding I do in the rain (ever been to Rochester? It always rains here. Beware manufacturers who say not to ride in mud here!) Maybe go back to the Shimano if they ever re-design the pins. Maybe if I used SRAM chainrings it would work even better. Oh, yeah, I didn't use the master link--just put the chain on with a chain tool old-school style and it didn't break. Bottom Line: For $15, it was a great deal. |
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Submitted by
Kevin
a Weekend Warrior
from Tempe, AZ
Date Reviewed: 5/23/2003 3:09:58 PM |
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| Duration Product Used: | 1 Year |
| Price Paid: | $30 |
| Purchased At: | Supergo |
| Strengths: | Same lifespan as all the other 9 speed chains I've used |
| Weaknesses: | Same lifespan as all the other 9 speed chains I've used |
| Similar Products Tried: | PC 59, shimano POS |
| Bike Setup: | '02 GT i-drive 5.0 |
| Bottom Line: | If 1000 miles is an acceptable lifespan to you (500-600 is you want to save your cassette) then this is a good chain, I'm shopping for old 24 speed stuff. I did work well and shift well, it's just this mega 9 stuff is to thin to last long. |
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