[chiefsilverback]

Chatting to a couple of non-riding friends the other day I mentioned that some chains are hard to get and they asked if you can buy it in spools and just split off what you need for a given bike?

Does anyone know if you can? I'd have thought it would be more cost efficient for the bike brands to buy spools of chain otherwise they could be trimming of a few links per bike, that pretty quickly becomes hundreds of chains getting wasted.

 

[chiefsilverback]

Chatting to a couple of non-riding friends the other day I mentioned that some chains are hard to get and they asked if you can buy it in spools and just split off what you need for a given bike?

Does anyone know if you can? I'd have thought it would be more cost efficient for the bike brands to buy spools of chain otherwise they could be trimming of a few links per bike, that pretty quickly becomes hundreds of chains getting wasted.

I answered my own question, you can: Bikeman KMC X11.93 Chain - 11-Speed, Silver, Bulk 500 Foot Roll

 

[chazpat]

I answered my own question, you can: Bikeman KMC X11.93 Chain - 11-Speed, Silver, Bulk 500 Foot Roll

Well that would last awhile.

 

[ctxcrossx]

At one point in the ninth speed days, I picked up several recumbent chains which ended lasting a decent amount of time.

 

[chiefsilverback]

Well that would last awhile.

I reckon you could get somewhere around 115 chains out of that. At the moment a retail packaged KMC X11.93 is $35 at Universal Cycles, so you would save ~$1000 buying in bulk.

 

[wschruba]

I reckon you could get somewhere around 115 chains out of that. At the moment a retail packaged KMC X11.93 is $35 at Universal Cycles, so you would save ~$1000 buying in bulk.

I can almost guarantee that they will ding you huge shipping charges for it, and you need to have a rack made up for it that the spool can sit in. They're miserable to load/unload by yourself.

The target is OEM/super-high volume shops. AFAIK, QBP (and I'm sure BTI, et al) sells the rolls to shops. I doubt they'd say 'no' if you asked to buy it, but I also doubt you'd even be able to at the moment, with the massive backlog of production.

SRAM also sells 'bulk' chain that is poly-packed in a box instead of a continuous roll, and comes with connecting links. Again, not an advertised item. Shimano has bulk chain, too, but it isn't available to anyone except giant buyers (and, while you can use their standard pins/links, it's intended to be joined with special pneumatically installed pins).

 

[chazpat]

I reckon you could get somewhere around 115 chains out of that. At the moment a retail packaged KMC X11.93 is $35 at Universal Cycles, so you would save ~$1000 buying in bulk.

And after chain #13, you upgrade to the new 14 speed, which requires a different chain!

 

[matt4x4]

You should see Luna's wall of products, bulk chain galore.
Is that price right? $2900 for 500' is $6/ft. Well it is 11 speed which is expensive stuff.

 

[chiefsilverback]

Is that price right? $2900 for 500' is $6/ft. Well it is 11 speed which is expensive stuff.

From that site the bulk chain is priced:

Singlespeed 250' spool - $300
6/7/8 speed 500' spool - $900
9 speed 500' spool - $1300
10 speed 500' spool - $2400
11 speed 500' spool - $2900

 

[Pisgah]

Why should the OP be different than anyone else? It’s hoarder nation these days. Maybe if we all try really hard, our bulk purchasing power can eliminate all in-stock bike products nationwide.

 

[TylerVernon]

I answered my own question, you can: Bikeman KMC X11.93 Chain - 11-Speed, Silver, Bulk 500 Foot Roll

Interesting, but that is not a good deal, as I predicted.

 

[chiefsilverback]

Why should the OP be different than anyone else? It’s hoarder nation these days. Maybe if we all try really hard, our bulk purchasing power can eliminate all in-stock bike products nationwide.

It's not about hoarding, I've currently got 13 bikes in my garage with 2 more on order. If they all used the same chain then buying chain in bulk would not only save money, but also reduce plastic waste over several years...

 

[J.B. Weld]

If you got 1,000 miles per chain and rode 5,000 miles a year one of those 500' spools would last you 23 years.

 

[the-one1]

I think 15 bikes is treading into hoarding territory.

 

[chiefsilverback]

I think 15 bikes is treading into hoarding territory.

Family of 5....

 

[Pisgah]

It's not about hoarding, I've currently got 13 bikes in my garage with 2 more on order. If they all used the same chain then buying chain in bulk would not only save money, but also reduce plastic waste over several years...

OK, but in my defense, your original post said you were buying bulk due to issues with availability, which is why people are hoarding these days.

 

[matt4x4]

Well you could sell that bulk chain, but the difference in price I dunno and does anyone look at online classifieds for new chain?