SRAM chains have been good. I replace a lot of Z chains with PC830, which is essentially the old Sedisport. That chain was a marvel.What's your opinion of SRAM chains? We have a sinle-speed, several 8-speeds, and a 9-speed in the fleet.
I've tended to use a mixture of Shimano and SRAM rear cassettes, and mostly Shimano or SRAM chains, with an occasional KMC or Wippermann chain.
It’s either a fluke (my guess) or a bad batch. The design cannot be questioned as it’s well proven.Chain looks pretty clean to me. You should see what I usually ride…
Glad you caught it, but I do wonder if its just a fluke.
Speaking of crank arms, another public safety message is to inspect Shimano cranks regularly. For the past few years Ultegra and Dura Ace are glued together rather than forged from a single piece of alloy like the old ones. Sometimes these new ones fail. Plenty of details on this if you Google it.... A long time ago I snapped a RH Record crank arm. It was nearly new and free of any stress riser. Inside, you could clearly see a flaw in the metal. ...
That chain is pretty much as clean as you can get on a bike that’s actually ridden..Yes, dirty chains filled with crap will cause issues to the chain reliability
That would be my guess. It can be hard to be sure today. When ever I see an unusual failure, I now suspect counterfeit parts.This video has tips how to identify counterfeit chains. If you didn't have them side by side, it can be hard to tell.
I use a pressure washer to clean all that out. It's way easier then any other method that I've tried.Yes, dirty chains filled with crap will cause issues to the chain reliability
That's not my experience, at least with road bikes. But what do you recommend as an alternative?Stop using Shimano chains! They break easily.
SRAM. I haven't tried a KMC yet. But the SRAM PC-830 (someone referenced elsewhere here) outlasted by chainrings!That's not my experience, at least with road bikes. But what do you recommend as an alternative?
They make chains for ShimanoKMC chains for me, never a broken one.
Its .5 % for 10 speed and higher chains. .75 for up to 9 speedThe narrower chains for 11 and 12 speed cassette wear out more quickly. I would get a chain stretch gauge if you haven't already, and replace the chains when they start to reach .75. I suspect you need a new cassette now.