[oily666]

What's the best chain to run on Campy 10? I wore out a Wipperman stainless with no problems but, according to the reviews, I'm lucky I wasn't killed. A lot of reviews are from P.O.'d riders. Hopefully, cooler heads will respond. Thanks.



I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering.

 

[Juanmoretime]

I've had very good luck with the gold KMC X10SL. They stretch very little and replacing one every six months has kept my all titanium cassettes working without skipping for over two and half years.

 

[C-40]

Kmc...

You can get the KMC DX10SC for $22 from Performance. It probably won't last quite as long as a Campy chain, but for that price, with a removable link, it's hard to beat.

To maximize cog life, buy 3 or four and alternate their use, changing each before they are half worn, or perhaps at 1500 miles intervals. You should be able to get 3000-4500 miles from each chain and one cassette. Just tossing chains at 1500 miles just wastes good chain life and won't keep your cogs from wearing out any better than a proper rotation.

 

[Dinosaur]

I use the KMC chains also....I have the Forte-Performance version (on my old bike) and the Campy version I bought from Probikekit.com (on my newer bike). The side-plates on the KMC "Campy only" version are machined differently. I used the KMC-Campy version yesterday for the first time. Shifting was a little bit better than the Forte. I'd say it shifts like a Campy chain. I have not used the KMC's long enough to tell how long they will hold up, but I replace my chains well before they usually need it anyway..The Forte version seems a little bit slow when I am shifting from the small to big ring..

Maybe C40 will buy one of those KMC Campy chains and see what the diff is...

Before I was using Wipperman nickel chains. The Wippermans tend to be noisey for the fist hundred miles or so...

 

[Richard]

The Performance "Forte" branded chain, while made by KMC, is not the same as the KMC DX10SC. It's a lot like the difference between a Sram PC-991 and a PC-971.

I haven't used the Forte, but I have quite a few miles now with a DX10SC on a Campy 10 drivetrain, and I'm very satisfied. VERY quiet and excellent shifting.

I would say the Performance version is a good buy.

 

[C-40]

wrong...

The chains sold by Nashbar and Performance are stamped DX10SC on every side plate. To me that means the chain is a DX10SC!

 

[Richard]

I compared them side-by-side (we have a Performance next door) and the Forte version had a decidedly "duller" finish. That was a while ago so what it's like now may be different. And the chain I looked at didn't have the DX10SC stamped on it.

 

[C-40]

quite possible...

I compared them side-by-side (we have a Performance next door) and the Forte version had a decidedly "duller" finish. That was a while ago so what it's like now may be different. And the chain I looked at didn't have the DX10SC stamped on it.

I bought three from Nashbar and five from Performance just a few months ago. They are all DX10SC chains. If a chain isn't marked DX10SC, then obviously it's something else. A lower quality chain would probably not have nickel plated outer plates.

 

[QQUIKM3]

Me too. .

I've had very good luck with the gold KMC X10SL. They stretch very little and replacing one every six months has kept my all titanium cassettes working without skipping for over two and half years.

Those are absolutely the best chains period IMO, and may campy's chains seem like total crap.

 

[Creakyknees]

I've been running the Wippermans for years... is there something wrong with 'em?

/wow... just read the reviews. Odd. No prob's here but I hesitate to call all those guys incompetent mechanics, since it's so dang simple. Oh well.

 

[Dinosaur]

Cost

I've been running the Wippermans for years... is there something wrong with 'em?

/wow... just read the reviews. Odd. No prob's here but I hesitate to call all those guys incompetent mechanics, since it's so dang simple. Oh well.

I've been using Wipperman's also. I decided to try a KMC, Performance had them on sale for around $22.00.

 

[rePhil]

I heard a clicking during a ride. I started wondering if I had used a Superlink as they all clicked on me at around 1k. When I got home I found this:

 

[danl1]

I've been using Wipperman's also. I decided to try a KMC, Performance had them on sale for around $22.00.

Haven't looked recently, but I thought the Wipperman problem was with the Stainless models of a certain vintage. Don't have any personal experience, though.

 

[Einstruzende]

Lovely. I just installed a Wipperman and I was already squeamish about how easy it is to take apart, now you guys tell me they break easy. Not what a 200+ pound guy wants to hear.

I've only ridden about 125 miles on it (with 2006 Record components), and so far it has been very smooth and the shifting is great. I'll be thinking twice about standing on every hill now though.

 

[Dinosaur]

Wipperman stainless steels

Lovely. I just installed a Wipperman and I was already squeamish about how easy it is to take apart, now you guys tell me they break easy. Not what a 200+ pound guy wants to hear.

I've only ridden about 125 miles on it (with 2006 Record components), and so far it has been very smooth and the shifting is great. I'll be thinking twice about standing on every hill now though.

I broke a sideplate (just as pictured) with a Wipperman SS. Wipperman had a bad batch of SS chains at one time. I went to the Wipperman nickel chain and never had a problem.
I don't know how the KMC's will hold up, but they work better with a Campy driveline. The connecting link is easier to use also.

On that Wipp SS that broke-when I got home, after putting it back together with a spare Connex Link, I found two other cracks in separate links.

 

[foz]

dura-ace

I use dura-ace 10s chains on an otherwise all campy 10s drivetrain. IME, they run quieter than KMC, and are also half the price of campy chains. I can easily get 3000-3500kms from a chain with no problems. I have friends who use ultegra 10 chains on their campy 10 drivetrains with no problems either, and they're even cheaper than DA chains.

 

[C-40]

poor life...

I use dura-ace 10s chains on an otherwise all campy 10s drivetrain. IME, they run quieter than KMC, and are also half the price of campy chains. I can easily get 3000-3500kms from a chain with no problems. I have friends who use ultegra 10 chains on their campy 10 drivetrains with no problems either, and they're even cheaper than DA chains.

2,000 miles from a chain is extremely poor life. You're either taking poor care of the chain or measuring the wear incorrectly. I expect 3-4,000 from a DA chain, at least that much or more from a KMC and 5-6,000 from a Campy chain.

Prices vary around the world, but DA chains are NOT half the price of Campy in very many places. To compare chains of equal quality, the DA chain would be like the cheapest Campy Veloce. The only difference in the Veloce chain is solid pins and no holes in the sideplates to lighten the chain.

I've also not found the DA to chain to shift quite as well as a KMC. I've never considered Campy, KMC or DA chains to be the least bit noisy. In fact, I have a hard time understanding all these noisy chain comments. Either people are failing to lube their chains regularly or they spend a lot of time riding at 10 mph. Above that speed, the wind noise should drown out any minor chain noise.

 

[Applesauce]

I use Ultegra 6600. They're way quieter than Campy and way way quieter Wippermans. Plus I got a ton of them OEM for so cheap I should have bought a lot more. I don't know what kind of mileage I get, but it's a lot. I've never broken one. I have broken a Wipperman stainless.

 

[foz]

2,000 miles from a chain is extremely poor life. You're either taking poor care of the chain or measuring the wear incorrectly. I expect 3-4,000 from a DA chain, at least that much or more from a KMC and 5-6,000 from a Campy chain.

Prices vary around the world, but DA chains are NOT half the price of Campy in very many places. To compare chains of equal quality, the DA chain would be like the cheapest Campy Veloce. The only difference in the Veloce chain is solid pins and no holes in the sideplates to lighten the chain.

I've also not found the DA to chain to shift quite as well as a KMC. I've never considered Campy, KMC or DA chains to be the least bit noisy. In fact, I have a hard time understanding all these noisy chain comments. Either people are failing to lube their chains regularly or they spend a lot of time riding at 10 mph. Above that speed, the wind noise should drown out any minor chain noise.

3000-3500 was probably a conservative estimate on my part, but I never really count the actual distance I ride on a single chain. At about 10,000kms a year (not the last couple, unfortunately), I generally go through 2 chains, and I change them before they become very worn. I have previoulsy used KMC, although I don't know which model it was, and it wouldn't run silently in all sprockets (and I don't mean cross chaining combinations - only the 'acceptable' ring/sprocket combinations), no matter how I adjusted the rear mech. I changed to DA and it's fine in all of them. Maybe the KMC was just slightly wider. I admit I haven't tried campy on this bike, but have used them previously on another campy 10 equipped bike, and didn't have any problems, although I didn't get much more life from them than DA.
Here in spain at my LBS (which has good prices - internet shopping isn't any cheaper here than the LBS, and I always get a discount), the last time I asked a C10 chain was I think 45 euros, and the DA cost 25. All things considered - life, shifting, quietness, price - DA is the best chain for me. YMMV.

 

[Pieter]

The CN-HG6600 (ultegra) seems to 'stretch' a bit, initially (100 miles) and then it settles.

But after only 1250 miles it is already stretched as far as a CN-HG73 (105 9-speed) after 3000 miles, that is 0.2% stretched (and good for more miles I should presume)

I am going to try a Wippermann 10-08 now.