Endurance test: 13 bicycle chains in the wear test

Chain? Yuck, many people think, and have black fingers in front of their eyes. They fail to realise that the chain is an ingenious component that transmits power to the rear wheel with a sensational efficiency of around 98 percent and thus makes an important contribution to efficient riding. Nothing better has yet been invented. Sure, there are gearboxes and Toothed beltbut they are more difficult to run.

Material is removed by friction

With a little care, especially regular lubrication, the chain usually does its job inconspicuously. You hardly notice that the link strand is slowly but surely elongating. This happens because when the chain swings in and out of the sprockets, friction occurs between the pins of the chain and the chain plates and material is removed. The ravages of time gnaw at these small plain bearings. Especially if the bike is ridden in everyday use in all weathers or off-road and dirt gets into the joints. Cycling with a motor also promotes wear, as e-bikes put more power on the chain than the calves.

The worn chain changes its so-called pitch. The distances from pin to pin, which are even when new, change to short-long-short. This in turn stresses the sprockets and chainrings and also causes increased wear there. Insidious: You don't notice this at first. However, a lengthened chain changes the tooth profiles in such a way that a new chain will no longer run on it at some point. The service then becomes expensive, because in addition to the chain, the chainring (front) and sprocket (rear) also have to be replaced. On high-quality bikes, it is therefore advisable to replace the chain in good time, as the sprockets will then last for two to four chains. The absolute mileage can vary enormously. A sporty e-bike can wear out a chain over 1000 kilometres. On a well-maintained fair-weather bike, the same chain can last 7000 kilometres or more.

Which chain for the e-bike?

So should you use special chains with the "E" suffix on an e-bike? And is it worth digging a little deeper into your pocket and buying the top models? The test on the test bench reveals considerable differences in wear behaviour. While some models would not yet require replacement after the test marathon, others are already extremely elongated. It is striking that two designated e-bike chains in the test - from KMC and Miché - performed particularly poorly. In contrast, all Shimano chains, even the very cheap ones, and the KMC X10 are extremely durable. The Wippermann chains also perform well, but are characterised by greater roller wear. The more expensive stainless steel chain elongates slightly less than the simpler models. SRAM's more expensive PC 1071 is also significantly more durable than the cheaper PC 1031.

The bottom line is that the attribute "suitable for e-bikes" is not a statement of quality. The price also provides only limited information about the quality of a chain. The results of the Shimano chains are brilliant across the board. Even the cheapest, the HG 54, performs very well. Points are only deducted due to the awkward handling of the locking pin. The test victory goes to KMC with the inexpensive X10, which is mounted with a chain lock.

The worst bicycle chains in the test wore out seven times faster than the top models. How long chains last overall also depends on how well they are maintained. Regularly cleaned and oiled chains last significantly longer than dirty ones.

Chain wear - how we tested

We determined the wear of the chains on a testing machine. For this purpose, seven chain sections were assembled to form a test chain, which was tensioned on the test rig. The chain was moved for 80 hours with 300 N tension and 75 rpm. A further 30 hours with a load increased to 750 N, which is more representative of e-biking. Every 20 hours, fine, aggressive quartz sand was sprinkled onto the chain, which was lubricated with simple motor oil. At the end of each cycle, the elongation of the joints was measured with calipers under preload. We also recorded the roller wear and used a chain gauge to check whether the chain needed to be replaced. A reference chain section was used in both test chains.

The diagram shows how much the chain links have elongated due to wear during the test. Chains with elongation of less than 0.02 millimetres per link do not need to be replaced after testing with a chain gauge, which also records roller wear.

The 13 chains in the wear test

Below you will find the test results for the 13 bike chains in the MYBIKE wear test.

KMC E10

• Price: 52,95 Euro >> available here
• Weight: 285 grammes
• Limbs: 122
• Weight per chain link: 2.34 grams
• Width: 5.99 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.078 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 9/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 4/10
• Closure (10 %): 8/10
• Conclusion: Specific e-bike chain. Conspicuous in the test for its extremely poor durability.
• MYBIKE test judgement: SATISFACTORY

KMC X10 in the bicycle chain wear test

• Price: 33,90 Euro >> available here
• Weight: 264 grammes
• Limbs: 114
• Weight per chain link: 2.32 grammes
• Width: 5.88 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.017 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 9/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 10/10
• Closure (10 %): 8/10
• Conclusion: The favourable chain shows that Shimano supplier KMC also offers extremely durable chains under its own flag.
• MYBIKE test judgement: VERY GOOD (test winner 3/2019)

KMC X10 EL Gold bike chain wear test

• Price: 54,90 Euro
• Weight: 259 grammes
• Limbs: 114
• Weight per chain link: 2.27 grammes
• Width: 5.89 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.054 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 10/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 6/10
• Closure (10 %): 8/10
• Conclusion: Golden lustre due to titanium nitrite coating. Very light due to perforated tabs, but not great in terms of durability.
• Test judgement: GOOD

Miché e-bike in the bike chain wear test

• Price: 48,38 Euro
• Weight: 337 grammes
• Limbs: 138
• Weight per chain link: 2.44 grammes
• Width: 5.94 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.111 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 8/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 2/10
• Closure (10 %): 7/10
• Conclusion: Miché's e-bike chain is disappointing. The chain wears out quickly right from the start. Bottom of the durability ranking.
• Test judgement: SUFFICIENT

Miché 10 Speed in the bicycle chain wear test

• Price: 36,50 Euro
• Weight: 279 grammes
• Limbs: 116
• Weight per chain link: 2.41 grammes
• Width: 5.86 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.035 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 8/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 8/10
• Closure (10 %): 7/10
• Conclusion: The nickel-plated chain with openwork links shows that Miché can make good chains.
• Test judgement: GOOD

Shimano CNE 6090 bike chain wear test

• Price: 42,95 Euro >> available here
• Weight: 303 grammes
• Limbs: 126
• Weight per chain link: 2.40 grammes
• Width: 5.81 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.017 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 8/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 10/10
• Closure (10 %): 5/10
• Conclusion: Extra-long e-bike chain with noise-reducing Siltec coating for single drives. Outstanding durability.
• Test judgement: VERY GOOD

Shimano Deore HG 54 bike chain wear test

• Price: 29,95 Euro >> available here
• Weight: 276 grammes
• Limbs: 116
• Weight per chain link: 2.38 grammes
• Width: 5.94 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.016 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 9/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 10/10
• Closure (10 %): 5/10
• Conclusion: Directional chain for Shimano Deore/XT/SLX. Somewhat plain look, but top durability. Inexpensive.
• Test judgement: VERY GOOD

Shimano HG 95 bike chain wear test

• Price: 32,95 Euro >> available here
• Weight: 277 grammes
• Limbs: 116
• Weight per chain link: 2.39 grammes
• Width: 5.8 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.016 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 9/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 10/10
• Closure (10 %): 5/10
• Conclusion: Directional chain for Shimano Deore/XT/SLX. Coated plates. Outstanding durability.
• Test judgement: VERY GOOD

SRAM PC 1031 in the bicycle chain wear test

• Price: 22,00 Euro >> available here
• Weight: 272 grammes
• Limbs: 114
• Weight per chain link: 2.39 grammes
• Width: 6.01 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.102 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 9/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 2/10
• Closure (10 %): 7/10
• Conclusion: The low-cost American chain falls far short of its more expensive sister model. The durability is poor.
• Test judgement: SUFFICIENT

SRAM PC 1071 in the bicycle chain wear test

• Price: 48,90 Euro >> available here
• Weight: 260 grammes
• Limbs: 114
• Weight per chain link: 2.28 grammes
• Width: 6.05 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.026 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 10/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 9/10
• Closure (10 %): 7/10
• Conclusion: Hollow bolts press the weight, the nickel-plated outer lugs add lustre. Good durability.
• Test judgement: VERY GOOD

Wippermann 10 S1 in the bicycle chain wear test

• Price: 67,50 Euro
• Weight: 256 grammes
• Limbs: 114
• Weight per chain link: 2.25 grammes
• Width: 5.93 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.023 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 10/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 9/10
• Closure (10 %): 10/10
• Conclusion: Made entirely from stainless steel. This drives up the price, but means high rust protection. Good durability. Super lock.
• Test judgement: VERY GOOD

Wippermann 10 SE in the bicycle chain wear test

• Price: 57,90 Euro >> available here
• Weight: 286 grammes
• Limbs: 124
• Weight per chain link: 2.31 grammes
• Width: 5.85 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.024 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 9/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 9/10
• Closure (10 %): 10/10
• Conclusion: E-bike model with stainless steel inner link. Good durability of the joints, high roller wear. Ingenious closure.
• Test judgement: VERY GOOD

Wippermann 10 SO in the bicycle chain wear test

• Price: 34,90 Euro
• Weight: 264 grammes
• Limbs: 114
• Weight per chain link: 2.32 grammes
• Width: 5.85 millimetres
• Wear and tear: 0.028 millimetre

Test judgement

• Weight (10 %): 9/10
• Shelf life (80 %): 9/10
• Closure (10 %): 10/10
• Conclusion: Even the cheapest chain from Wippermann performs well. The easy-to-open clasp is great.
• Test judgement: VERY GOOD