Which chain?

By Cycling UK
I still run 6-speed, but my stock of SRAM PC48 chains is now used up and this model appears not to be available any more. Can you recommend an alternative that does not fall into the fancy chain category?

Brian Bostock

PC850 is the current name for PC48 and the cheapest 8-speed chain from Sram with chrome-hardened pins, which is a good as it gets for durability (870 and 890 are merely more shiny-looking). But KMC chains seem to be more widely stocked these days, also come with an easy joining link, and their model X8.93 is equivalent.

For the benefit of other readers: 8-speed chains are also good for 7-, 6- and 5-speed. And all Sram 9- and 10-speed chains are chrome hardened, so there’s no material benefit in trading up from PC951 and 1031 respectively.

Chris Juden

 

This was first published in the August / September 2012 edition of CTC's Cycle magazine.

Q&A Technical