So im in the market for a new chain for DH rig. I want something thats strong and light. I know those two don't really go hand in hand. What are ya'll running?
DH Chains
- Thread starter SthFRider
- Start date
I like the SRAM PC991 Cross Step. There's a hollow pin version too but I haven't used it myself.
+1 on the cross step. I have been using it on my dh bike no complaints or problems. I also use the hollow pin Pc991 on my other bikes including my 09 Reign X i use a a short travel dh bike, have yet to have any problems.
I'm running a shadow half link on the chain side. A bit heavy, but impossible to kill.
I go on price point or jensons and search for the cheapest 9speed chain and buy two. Replace it halfway through the season.
SRAM PC-971 - cheap and very tough
cheap enough to buy 2-3 and a Park chain wear tool
check your chain wear from time to time using the gauge, and replace with a new chain once the gauge shows 0.75 - will stop you ruining your cassette and chain ring
chain devices and downhill riding in general put alot of stress on the chain, so its good to check it and replace it, will save you money and ensure quality shifting performance at all times
cheap enough to buy 2-3 and a Park chain wear tool
check your chain wear from time to time using the gauge, and replace with a new chain once the gauge shows 0.75 - will stop you ruining your cassette and chain ring
chain devices and downhill riding in general put alot of stress on the chain, so its good to check it and replace it, will save you money and ensure quality shifting performance at all times
i do this. the $15-20 chains have served me fine
Just pick one up for my new bike. $35 brand new off ebay.KMC x9sl is the best chain ive ever used. Super light, very strong, hollow pin, hollow inner and outer links. Comes in Titanium Nitride coating gold which looks good and helps it hold up after time. You can find them online for 45 bucks!
i had one for a season, ridden pretty hard when my frame wasn't broken. received little to no oil, and if it weren't for the fact that i got a new frame this year, id continue using the same one on my dh bike. i plan on sticking with kmc.KMC x9sl is the best chain ive ever used. Super light, very strong, hollow pin, hollow inner and outer links. Comes in Titanium Nitride coating gold which looks good and helps it hold up after time. You can find them online for 45 bucks!
KMC x9sl is the best chain ive ever used. Super light, very strong, hollow pin, hollow inner and outer links. Comes in Titanium Nitride coating gold which looks good and helps it hold up after time. You can find them online for 45 bucks!
DA/XTR for me. Never broken one.
X2 Im running the ti version and I havent snapped it yet... 991s I went through 3 in 2 months and same with Whipperman....KMC x9sl is the best chain ive ever used. Super light, very strong, hollow pin, hollow inner and outer links. Comes in Titanium Nitride coating gold which looks good and helps it hold up after time. You can find them online for 45 bucks!
KMC
Been beating on it several months and in snow ice wet hot dusty and LITTLE lube... Ill be getting another one for the parts bin this season...
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Another KMC fan here...
Ive got xt on mine... cant seem to kill it.
Chains are chains when it comes to DH, right circumstance can pop any chain. Just go with what yoiu can get at a decent deal, dont buy crap though, def stick with mid to upper end stuff.
Chains are chains when it comes to DH, right circumstance can pop any chain. Just go with what yoiu can get at a decent deal, dont buy crap though, def stick with mid to upper end stuff.
But if a chains a chain then why not go cheap!!! LOL In theory isnt what you just stated that a chains a chain but if you dont buy crap that insinuates theres a difference... Mike I will back the fact at my weight and thighs I have a $hit ton of torque not alot of endurance (which Im working on) and I snap chains pull links apart... The KMC is solid, used several others...
I have hammered and pedaled out of the pocket on landings and the KMC has taken the beatng countless times, Ive gone over the bars a few times from pedaling out and the 991s snapping the links apart and sending my knee to bar and body over...
I have had no issues with the KMC at all, usually I have 1 or 2 issues by now and I have abused this chain alot more than the others and still holding strong... Hell I slammed a link on a rock at the night race I took pliers and pressed it together although it was a little rough moving its been working fine since....
Does anyone know where i can get KMC D202 chains? Can't find them anywhere online for my single speed.
I've had very bad experiance with XT chains. They don't like water too much and live short. I lubed it regular periods but it rusted super fast, it's not very light and really it makes no sense to get it over the SL's from kmc and ybn.
best chain evaKMC x9sl is the best chain ive ever used. Super light, very strong, hollow pin, hollow inner and outer links. Comes in Titanium Nitride coating gold which looks good and helps it hold up after time. You can find them online for 45 bucks!
Ha, Smartass........ Let me rephrase, a quality chain is a quality chain.......
Interesting, I live in Socal so maybe there is a climate difference for us. XT is the lowest I put on and seem to get good results from it.
The part I failed to say in my original post.... I think the best chain to use would be one made to work with the DT you have. I know Sram and Shimano are "compatible" but I have always gotten the best performance when matching up brands.
I think the bottom line is..... Your going to go though chains, its just part of riding, keep an eye on the wear so you dont kill the entire DT
another vote for this KMC. i paid $40.KMC x9sl is the best chain ive ever used. Super light, very strong, hollow pin, hollow inner and outer links. Comes in Titanium Nitride coating gold which looks good and helps it hold up after time. You can find them online for 45 bucks!
KMC for ever i love these chains and have been running every 9 speed chain of theirs incl the colored X9's,the colored X9 was not expensive and it looks great. The coating never lasted quite long before it went silver but still sillent & strong.
Now X10SL for me all the time & works perfect with my 9 speed drivetrain,no big complains just perfect in combination with my Shimano DA 9 speed cassette
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thumbs up for KMC,best chains ever!!!
,the colored X9 was not expensive and it looks great. The coating never lasted quite long before it went silver but still sillent & strong.Now X10SL for me all the time & works perfect with my 9 speed drivetrain,no big complains just perfect in combination with my Shimano DA 9 speed cassette
.thumbs up for KMC,best chains ever!!!
Used X9sl's on my trail/freeride bike and DH bike for the past year. 100% reliable, and I noticed a big improvement in shifting performance over the 991 cross steps I has previously used and broken. I have 2 new ones to install on my bikes for next year, but will continue to run the old ones for any winter riding I do before then as they still work perfectly and have at least 1/2 of the ti-ni coating ..... despite being used in wet muddy conditions. This is pretty much the Thomson seatpost of MTB chains.
Quoted for truth.... that is the best way to put it.
A kmc chain would be dope, but I would prefer to spend less on chains. I know I am cheaping out and suffering from the lack of performance and durability, especially on my xc bike. But for some reason I get a thrill out of seeing how long a cheap chain will last.
Destroyed a whipperman/connex bruised my knee and launched over the bars and into a hedge I was pedaling off a transition to jump over in front of my wife...
Fricking funny, hurt like hell but my wife left me there out of embarasment and crying from laughter as she rode off... The people in hte restraunt were glued to the window in amazement...
That would be the last connex I rode.... the one before that failed but not as bad...
My experiance was not as funny but I lost 2 myself on flattish easy sections. Rohloff wasn't any better.
since we are sharing stories...
Came down a little short on a gap jump and cased the rock making up the backside landing right into my SRS bash. Completely flattened the SRS bash in that spot and bent my e.13 guidering into my crankarm spider (kinda like a one sided taco shell). KMC chain not only survived, but I am still using the same one to this day. Shifts perfectly.
Well mine survived 2 broken derail's (one of them was actualy done by chain though I still don't know how). Hard to say about shifting because I have a strange habbit of kicking my shifter so hard I can't walk. That also means it can't shift very well. Though in times when I could walk the shifting was good.since we are sharing stories...
Came down a little short on a gap jump and cased the rock making up the backside landing right into my SRS bash. Completely flattened the SRS bash in that spot and bent my e.13 guidering into my crankarm spider (kinda like a one sided taco shell). KMC chain not only survived, but I am still using the same one to this day. Shifts perfectly.
I believe so. I have yet to break the one I put on my 450. Still holding strong. I would recommend getting one. You won't regret it.
That's my basic philosophy on it. Most decent chains- at least from SRAM, Shimano and KMC- do just fine. Once in a while you might get a bad one, have an installation problem or just get a random breakage. It happens. I have broken chains, but have not really noticed any pattern in it. SRAM, KMC and Shimano have generally given me good results and I have not noticed a big difference in wear or performance between them (I used to live in New England and had the same experience there as SoCal). About 85% of the time I go with Shimano XT or DA because they can be had pretty cheap, I have extra chain pins, they work well and most of my stuff is Shimano.
Shimano DA/XTR chains with SRAM powerlinks. Works great, no special pins needed.
QFT
1 broken chain in last 8 years using Shimano 10 spd chain/SRAM links.
You just need a set of channel locks to get the link open most of the time.
Shimano and SRAM can not be mixed. Your bike will explode. Just look at what happened when this guy's wrench used a powerlink on an XTR chain to save time.
Shimano and SRAM can not be mixed. Your bike will explode. Just look at what happened when this guy's wrench used a powerlink on an XTR chain to save time.
That is a sick picture! Going down with the ship...