Chains for a 9-speed setup

[SQuiT-man]

Hi there!
Could anyone help me decide which chain to buy? I use a 9 speed setup with XT road cassette and Tiagra rear mech, and I've just broken my second SRAM chain (although they did last a while atleast). I was looking at bying a KMC Kool chain as it is strong and cheap, but does anyone know if this is ok to use on a 9 speed setup like mine? If not then what about other chains (im only a student and dont have too much money to fling around!)?
Thanks a lot,
Regards,
Scott

[SQuiT-man]

what about any of these wipperman chains:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/viewproduct.asp?category=Chains&ModelID=5156

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/viewproduct.asp?category=Chains&ModelID=5154

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/viewproduct.asp?category=Chains&ModelID=5153

The top two look fancy, but will the colouring last? Are they strong and reccomended?
Any tips would be appreciated.
Cheers

[digby]

if youre a student and dont have much money, why are you running a 9 speed setup? Find yourself a strong 7 speed cassete or go singlespeed and run that kmc chain. For chains, lighter is not always better.

[tomacropod]

for 9 speed my favourite chains are wippermans, they have the strongest 9sp powerlink out there. A cheap BMX chain still beats them though, remember that MTB chains are generally machined for shifting precision and light weight, not strength primarily.

- Joel

[SQuiT-man]

Well i got all my 9 speed stuff cheap, and i bought my old-setup bike as 9 speed (although vertually eveything has been upgraded since then with the help of ebay!).
Since I have 9 speed and cant afford to change it now, what chain should I get?
I like the ones i shown in the links above and have heard good things about wippermans, but will the colouring waer off the coloured ones and make them look tatty?
They are great deals on at the moment on chain reaction- £90 wipperman chain for £27 and £81 chian for £24
So which should I get for trials use?

[mikeschiavone]

im curious to know why people think 9 speed chains are not made with durability in mind? people, they go through SOOO much more shit than any singlespeed chain would. granted, a huge ass wipperman bmx chain would work on a damn motorcyle, theres no reason to be scared of the strength of a 9 speed chain.

most, if not all, multi speed chains go through more testing than a shitty, simple single speed chain.

[SQuiT-man]

interesting outlook, i kinda agree, thought i can still see that a bmx chain would be stronger because of how hugely overbuilt it is in comparaison- a 9 speed chain tends to be made lighter and narrower for improved shifting and because MTBers often want lighter components than a tank-like bmx

[tomacropod]

a 90 pound wipperman chain? are you serious? I don't know of any "coloured" wipperman chains and what would it matter if a bit of the colour rubbed off? you do understand the principles surrounding mechanical components don't you? Like they don't last forever?

- Joel

[mikeschiavone]

you can only have two of these three things; lightweight, high strength, cheap

squit, a 3 pound frame with great welds would have a lower chance of breaking compared to a seven pound frame with HORRIBLE welds.

now take that and compare it to chains. a light weight chain with a great pin interface will last longer than a FAT chain with a shitty interface.

[tomacropod]

but a fat chain with a shitty interface will have been culled by market selection - just get a KMC kool chain if you're concerned, they're cheap, they work. Just don't use it upside down and then complain about stiff links...that's what tf.co.uk is for.

- Joel

[digby]

Ive gone through some of the high end shimano and sram chains before, never a wipperman, but Ive had the chain break several different ways, having a pin come out, having a plate split in half, having a crack in one of the rollers in between the plates.

Its all well and good to talk about great pin interfaces and how the chain itself is designed to take a ton of stress. but in trials, chains get subjected to more than just drivetrain stress, occasionaly bad sidehops will get a little bit out of a chain from the side. 9 speed chains may be welll engineered to take a lot of force from you cranking on it, but its not designed to hit a concrete wall. I'm guessing if you did it enough times, it'd just peel the plate off the pin.

I used to do something to a chain at least every 6 months(this is when I was running road, mtn chains) since then Ive put on a koxx(kmc whatever) chain and have had no problems with it for the last year+. With the ridiculously small tryall bashring, the chain takes a pretty good beating if you hit something at the wrong angle. I think running with this setup I'd be going through 9 speed chains every 2 months if that. The koxx chain is fine so far, I check it maybe once a month. With something as important as a chain, I'm not going to "see" if a $40-$50 9 speed chain can hold up. I'd rather go with something cheaper and bulkier.

[bwagner]

squit, a 3 pound frame with great welds would have a lower chance of breaking compared to a seven pound frame with HORRIBLE welds.

now take that and compare it to chains. a light weight chain with a great pin interface will last longer than a FAT chain with a shitty interface.
Mike,
I agree to a certain degree, but you're assuming that the 9 speed chains are only breaking at the connection point. I've broken my chains more than once right in the center of a link plate, in which case the thicker heavier chain might have held up a bit longer for me. But on the other hand, I DID break more chains on my BMX bike in the past five years than I've ever broken on a geared bicycle. Huh, Go figure, I guess it's the luck of the draw.

[KenC]

Wipperman's are nice chains, I rode one for about 4 months before the powerlink broke, and I put it back together without the powerlink and rode it for about 1-2 months more. If you can swing it, wippermans are prob the best chain out there. I run Sram only because they are cheaper and I (try to) replace my chains before they break; 2-3 times a season. I have broken the powerlink on every sram chain I have ever used on my trials bike, though. Oh, and the color on the wipperman chain does last. I had the blue one, and only spots here and there wore off. From a distance, you can't tell. And they look pimp.

[SQuiT-man]

sweet... ill be getting one then... the only choice for me now is the colour, now thats a toughie...