KMC X10 chain

[vqdriver]

Just for kicks I wanna try a different chain this time and have decided on the KMC X10 ti. You know, the blingy gold one, but not the hollowed out SL model.

Any good? Any comments before I pull the trigger are appreciated.
Fwiw this is going on a campy bike.

[bumknees]

I've used that chain on a Campy 10s drivetrain with no problems. If the price is right, go for it.

FWIW, I've never used Campy chains on a Campy drivetrain (only SRAM and KMC), so I'm not sure if I'm "missing out" on anything, but shifting is fine, if not better than the SRAM).

[ultraman6970]

i have used the sl one and is good stuff, like it better than the campy ones.

[dave thompson]

KMC on all of our bikes!

[vqdriver]

Good to hear. Thanks.

[oldpotatoe]

Just for kicks I wanna try a different chain this time and have decided on the KMC X10 ti. You know, the blingy gold one, but not the hollowed out SL model.

Any good? Any comments before I pull the trigger are appreciated.
Fwiw this is going on a campy bike.

I sell many KMC chains for all 10s systems(DX-10sc) and they work well, last as long as any and use a snap link....also cheaper than shimano 6700 and Campagnolo Veloce.

Least expensive compatible chain and cogset is a good rule of thumb, these are consumables afterall.

[avalonracing]

I sell many KMC chains for all 10s systems(DX-10sc) and they work well, last as long as any and use a snap link....also cheaper than shimano 6700 and Campagnolo Veloce.

Least expensive compatible chain and cogset is a good rule of thumb, these are consumables afterall.

Serious question: They work well but do they work AS WELL as a Ultegra or DA chains on an Ultegra or DA cassette?

[dave thompson]

Serious question: They work well but do they work AS WELL as a Ultegra or DA chains on an Ultegra or DA cassette?
In all my experiences, yes.

[oldpotatoe]

Serious question: They work well but do they work AS WELL as a Ultegra or DA chains on an Ultegra or DA cassette?

Yes, much better than sram and lightyears better than Wipperman, in terms of shifting performance. I have solved some shifting issues, won't shift with toasted components, with a KMC chain.

[jds108]

Of the chains I use, only the Wipperman doesn't shift well. I don't want to get rid of it until it's worn out however.

In terms of noise, quietest at the top:

9 speed Shimano chain (lower level model, can't remember which)
10 speed Shimano dura ace
10 speed KMC
9 speed SRAM
9 speed Wipperman

Of course the cassette/tuning matter as well...

Anybody chains other than Shimano and KMC that are highly regarded?

[gregblow]

i have used the gold sl model. worked fine. i still think that shimano's chains shift better!

[LegendRider]

I've been using Chain-L lubricant and it makes my drivetrain (all 7800 Dura Ace) incredibly quiet and smooth.

[Geeeewiz]

KMC are the best on the planet. We use the SL's and have had great success with them. Best chain on the market today!!!

[Uncle Jam's Army]

Doesn't KMC make Shimano's chains?

[11.4]

Supposedly KMC does make Shimano chains, but they make a lot of different chains and the Shimano chains aren't the same as KMC's. When someone makes chains (or anything else) for someone else, you can't even assume the same quality level, much less the same design.

That being said, I've ridden KMC's (the SL gold chains mostly) on several drive trains for several years. They are reliable, durable, have a nice quick link, and are recommended. I've found, for no explicable reason, that on some particular drive trains they are much noisier and rougher than on others. They aren't alone in doing this -- perhaps a shorter fore-aft length for the drive chain, perhaps a B-screw not adjusted quite right, perhaps worn equipment, who knows, but two brand new 7900 setups can seem quite different with two different KMC chains, and one can even switch one chain from one setup to the other and get a fair amount of difference in shifting and noise.

I find this slightly with manufacturers' own chains, more with their expensive ones and less with their mid-line ones. The Ultegra chain consistently seems to be the best shifter and the quietest of any chains I've ridden, on Shimano groups of any kind and on anything else -- Campy, SRAM, you name it. Others have had different experiences, so I have to say my comments are strictly anecdotal. It's worth experimenting with. The only chains I'd simply stay away from are the titanium chains (the side plates tend to break; and these are the titanium ones, not the Ti Nitride coated ones) and the stainless Wipperman's. The latter use a very brittle stainless alloy and if they run into variances in their manufacturing processes, they get a spate of sideplates that crack at the rivet.

Lots of good chains out there, and with only a few exceptions nothing that you should actually worry about. And lubrication and installation quality can often have more to do with how a chain runs than the chain itself. It's the usual story ... try some different ones and form your own opinion so you too can respond to a thread like this.

[kgreene10]

I have been using the X10SL on DA7800 for the past few years and they are great -- light, perdy, and the quick-link makes removal easy for travel.