What 9 speed chain?

martyc5674

Hi there,
Recently replaced chain on roadbike...like for like with a SRAM PC951.(that was on it since new)
There was some wear on original(just about worthy of replacing so i said id do it before it started to wear cassette/chainrings.)
However new chain broke after only about 2 months(~500K) later...no obvious reason...luckily very near home so was OK.
I keep my chains well lubed and cleaned.

Some of the reviews on this chain reported it snapping aswell so im wondering if i should go for something else.
Currently running it with 2 powerlinks and am a little nervous.
Or should i get the same again..its only 12€ and lightning shouldnt strike twice?
Marty

Cee-Jay-Cee

I prefer KMC chains and have them on both my bikes. Never had a problem with either of them and their quick links are very easy to open/close.

Pinch Flat

martyc5674 wrote: »

Hi there,
Recently replaced chain on roadbike...like for like with a SRAM PC951.(that was on it since new)
There was some wear on original(just about worthy of replacing so i said id do it before it started to wear cassette/chainrings.)
However new chain broke after only about 2 months(~500K) later...no obvious reason...luckily very near home so was OK.
I keep my chains well lubed and cleaned.

Some of the reviews on this chain reported it snapping aswell so im wondering if i should go for something else.
Currently running it with 2 powerlinks and am a little nervous.
Or should i get the same again..its only 12€ and lightning shouldnt strike twice?
Marty

If your chain is snapping after that short distance there's something wrong. Do you cross chain much (I.e. Big cog on rear and big on front or vice versa?).

Any shimano or kmc 9 speed chain will work.

you should replace the cassette and chain as a matter of course - that way they will wear evenly together.

Beasty

Pinch Flat wrote: »

you should replace the cassette and chain as a matter of course - that way they will wear evenly together.

There are plenty of people around here who have experience of getting a cassette to last for 3 or more chains by ensuring the chain is replaced before it gets too worn (and for those of us who regularly swap wheels/cassettes over it's never going to be the case that cassette and chain will "wear evenly together")

Pinch Flat

Ah fair enough but I found (from my own experience) that this wasn't always the case. The chain would be worn to the extent that it's taken the cassette with it.

My own preference is one chain and one cassette - can swap over a cassette to a spare wheel handy enough. For the sake of 20 odd quid on a cassette, it's a job i'll do annually on my commuter.

route66

martyc5674 wrote: »

Hi there,
Recently replaced chain on roadbike...like for like with a SRAM PC951.(that was on it since new)
There was some wear on original(just about worthy of replacing so i said id do it before it started to wear cassette/chainrings.)
However new chain broke after only about 2 months(~500K) later...no obvious reason...luckily very near home so was OK.
I keep my chains well lubed and cleaned.

Some of the reviews on this chain reported it snapping aswell so im wondering if i should go for something else.
Currently running it with 2 powerlinks and am a little nervous.
Or should i get the same again..its only 12€ and lightning shouldnt strike twice?
Marty

I have used SRAM chains for years with no issues. Generally, I spend the extra few Euro and go for the PC991 version. The PC951 version you have should also be ok; maybe less fancy metal, bit heavier, etc, but it shouldn't have snapped after 500 Kms.

As Beasty says, if you look after the chain there is no need to replace the cassette at the same time. I've got 3-4000 KMs on these SRAMs.

martyc5674

Cheers all.
Yeah i look after my gear...wouldnt allow the chain to get so worn as to damage cassette/cahinrings.
Regularly degrease and relube.

THe KMC stuff gets good reviews but apparently aint so easy clean,
I might look at one of the PC991s this time....other reviewers had early breakages on their 951's..im pretty sure its "equipment failure"...a chunk was missing from one of the links when i inspected it after.(like a side of a link sheared and half got flung off)
Cheers,
Marty

Cee-Jay-Cee

martyc5674 wrote: »

THe KMC stuff gets good reviews but apparently aint so easy clean,

They're as easy to clean as any other chain and even more so as the quick links are very simple to use, you need no special tools to undo the links as they can be done by hand very easily.

martyc5674

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

They're as easy to clean as any other chain and even more so as the quick links are very simple to use, you need no special tools to undo the links as they can be done by hand very easily.

Im only going by reviews on CRC website...several reviews there commented that crud gets stuck in the links(must be a hollow or something).

I rarely remove chain to clean unless im giving the drivetrain a good scrub after the winter etc.
I have areally good chain cleaner that lets me do it on the bike...does a real good job too.

Marty

martyc5674

Actually just reading some of the reviews on the PC991 and there seems to be a lot of them fracturing and breaking too!
Maybe i was just unlucky.
Marty

CramCycle

I have ran SRAM 951 and 971 for years without issue, IMO far harder wearing than the Shimano equivalent. Never had one snap and I would often go for longer than recommended before changing it.

Are you certain you are not cross chaining it?

martyc5674

CramCycle wrote: »

I have ran SRAM 951 and 971 for years without issue, IMO far harder wearing than the Shimano equivalent. Never had one snap and I would often go for longer than recommended before changing it.

Are you certain you are not cross chaining it?

Yeah if i find myself needing to go into either of the 2 largest rings on the back i drop to the small derailler.
Should i be dropping earlier maybe?
Marty

martyc5674

Ordered the 991.. Was a toss up between it and a kmc but I stated with SRAM as I have a few spare powerlinks for SRAM that I can keep in the saddle bag.
Marty.