Need to replace a chain. What is the quality of the Wipperman vs. the DA vs. SRAM. Is it worth the $$ or not. I have DA10 chain and drive train now and still would like a little smoother shift without going to campy.
personally i like sram. great parts for the $$$. just make sure you keeping everything lubed up or nothing will last that long.
If using a DA drivetrain, I would reccomend sticking with a DA chain
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If using a DA drivetrain, I would reccomend sticking with a DA chain
I agree. A well-maintained DA chain on a well-maintained DA drivetrain should serve you well.
why? I was thinking that a chain that I could take apart would be a good thing, easier to clean etc.
“A well-maintained DA chain on a well-maintained DA drivetrain should serve you well.”
there are two problems. first, it’s hard to well-maintain a DA chain, because you can’t take it off the bike to maintain it unless you put it back on the bike with yet another DA link.
second, the plates are so thin the contact area between the pin and the chain is miniscule. i think pressing in pins is a good technology up to a point, but not with 9sp or 10sp chains.
you can ride the DA chain with a wippermann quicklink if you want. i ride both wippermann and sram chains on my campy and DA bikes and they work like a charm.
second, the plates are so thin the contact area between the pin and the chain is miniscule. i think pressing in pins is a good technology up to a point, but not with 9sp or 10sp chains.
Is there an alternative technology used at this time? If so, what chain manufacturers aren’t pressing pins into their chains?
I use a Shimano 9spd with a Wippernan link and am OCD with the Simple Green/Gatorade bottle/Rinse/Repeat process.
Just get a Forster link then you can use the best chain (Shimano Ultegra or 105) with the best link. The Forsters don’t make noise or break nor do they require tools to take apart. They are reusable as well and completely compatible with 10-spd Shimano.
“If so, what chain manufacturers aren’t pressing pins into their chains?”
i’m speaking of the connecting link. i think it’s too much to assume that the typical guy, day and and day out, is going to correctly connect a chain with a pressed-in link, and/or that such links are always going to be made exactly right. i’ve popped a campy and a DA chain each while riding, but i’ve never popped a connex link.
I’ve been happy with SRAM for 9sp chains and running an Ultegra chain with a Wipperman connector for 10sp. No problems and easy to maintain in both cases. I believe the SRAM 10sp chain’s master link is not removable, which is unfortunate…
Me three. I have snapped several shimano chains and have since switched to SRAM. haven’t broken one yet…
Whats the best lube to put on the chain. I need to do this. :o(
Dave
depends on where you live and what type of riding you do (temp, wetness, etc). that’s the official answer, but I say some tri-flow will never suit you poorly. just keep it clean and re-lube after wet rides and every once in a while just for kicks.
SRAM 10sp chain have the ‘powerlinks’ like the wippermann chains, they just call 'em ‘powerlocks’. haven’t tried it yet but it claims to be removable the same way.
nope…powerlocks install without a tool, but are not removeable without a tool and can’t be installed/uninstalled over and over.
Thanks. Yep, if the road is wet, I am a wimp and ride indoors. :o)
Dave
Whatever. I’m a powerful sprinter and I love blasting up short, sharp hills. The terrain near me has plenty of short, sharp, 12% to 17% sprint hills where I like to give it everything. In well over a hundred thousand miles of riding like this, I’ve popped a chain pin once … on an old Ultegra 8 speed setup a decade ago.
I NEVER use quick links. I always use the press pins. I’ve never had a problem with either my 9 speed or my 10 speed rides.
Evidently, your view of what constitues a well-maintained drive train is more anal-retentive than mine. 
And now, having said all that, I’m probably doomed to suffer a popped chain sometime in the next few rides.