Maybe these chains were never intended for the bike but just to wear around your neck as a bling fashion accessory! Great review and they look about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
What's the old saying? "Lightweight, cheap, durable - pick 2." I've found this to be true in almost all things cycling, which why I'm definitely not a weight weeny. : )
@@TraceVelo Very true. It's like finding buried treasure when something defies that old adage. That's the beautiful part of the internet is that you can find people, such as yourself, who put in the difficult work of finding and testing products that might just buck the trend. We all thank you for that, I'm sure.
So for a third of the price, you got a durability of a third. Makes sense. Good deal, because you don;t have to clean your chain anymore. Just replace it.
@@TraceVelo I think you said that the chain was 1% longer (or one link approx for a 114 link approx chain) at 700km whereas you usually get 4000 km from SRAM chains which is nearly 6 times longer, or @Reemer Feddes logic seems to be off by a factor of two.
@@cyclemadkiwi I've broken 4 chains prematurely in about 300k miles of riding, none of them were knockoffs. It still happens. These chains may not actually be more likely to break. Chains generally break at the plates, not the rollers and pins where the wear is
@@veganpotterthevegan the cheap AliExpress chain is the only one I have ever broken. I use a ceramic speed chain on my track bike and it gets a hammering watts wise....wax all the way regularly. Read chain, shimano dura ace, waxed, regularly cleaned and waxed....same for mountain bike. I do recall now, grunting up a driveway heading to work one morning.....snap, and over the bars lol......on that occasion, oiled chain! Bottom line, a quality chain that is looked after will serve you better!! The last thing you ever want is a snapped chain on the start line or smashing it mid trail in the middle if nowhere.
Thanks for showing these! I used a YBN S11S chain with parafin wax on my MTB for 8months and about 1600-1800km before it got stolen and there was absolutely no sign of wear. My wear gauge couldn't get in the slightest bit and the rollers and pins seemed to be as tight as new.
Well, there was the time I came home from a ride and there was a beautiful girl standing there in a sheer negligee. As I stood there gawking, she cast the negligee to the ground and said, "Take what you want, big boy!" Well, I gotta tell you, that negligee really soothes the chafing!
I bought the VG chains, and they were really really bad. I don’t know if you notice, the quick link that they provide, they actually rust!! Thanks for the video and it was a good thing no harm came to you. On one of my rides, the chain actually snapped. It snapped at the quick link.
@tracevelo I tried a SUMC chain a few weeks ago, 9 speed one was worn after 650km ( I am a bike mechanic and clean my drivetrain very carefully) And the 11 speed version is worn for 0.5 in less than 200km😂 Shifting was pretty good, but they both make more noise than big brand chains. I once used a SRAM 10 speed pc1051 and lasted 5500km 😁
Regarding Campagnolo, I have used all sorts of chains (sram, Shimano, generic) on my Campg groupsets and they all work without any shifting issues or perceivable noise difference; tested this on 10-speed and 11-speed groupsets over several years. To take it a step further, I also use shimano/sram rear wheels/cassettes on my Campg. NO issue again.
I also fell victim to a VG chain, it was for a cheap mainly parts bin gravel build but everyday I’d go out to ride there would be some form of shifting gremlin. I wrote it off to various incompatibilities for a while until I identified it was the chain. A rare AliExpress fail. Never again with VG.
Awesome vid as always 👊🏾✊🏾. I concur that the Siroko stuff is really good bruv (many thanks for the link) 👊🏾. Just be sure to order multiple items as the postage of £6.00 is a little steep so you may as well pick up a few things 👊🏾.
I have Campagnolo groupset (and wheels) My Campagnolo Record chain (slotted plates, hollow pins) did cost me around 50 euros, now it has done 2500 miles and the wear indicator tool still shows it as brand new with basically zero wear... Sometimes it's better to invest in proper quality components that will last longer and therefore cost less...
The cheap chain wear tool is really only measuring the wear of the rollers. The Park Tool chain wear tool is actually a copy of the old Shimano chain wear tool, which is designed to negate any wear in the rollers and measure actual pin/plate wear. If you replace a chain as soon as it hits .75 on the cheap wear tool, you're throwing out a chain that still has some life left - nothing wrong with replacing early, just depends how frugal you want to be.
Are those cheap chain checkers in the video made of hardened steel? I accidentally rode the bike while the checker was mounted on the chain and smashed the FD (no visible damages) I'm worried that it may make the tool inaccurate.
@@rickaristotlejorge2618 Definitely not hardened, they're mild steel that's stamped and tumbled to break the edge. Personally I wouldn't use it, but then again, accuracy varies by manufacturer with those tools anyway. If you have something like an imperial machinist's ruler, you can use that to measure wear across the pins by doing some math.
Picked up a Siroko SRX Pro Ultra Race jersey, and I gotta say, the quality really is on par with my Rapha Pro Team jersey. Will definitely be looking into more Siroko gear when some of my older bibs & jerseys wear out.
ybn 11-SL gold (hollow plates and pins)on two of my campy equipped bikes , one a tourer and the other a road bike , i use paraffin wax with 0.8 micron ptfe powder mixed to 300g wax to 50g ptfe . re-apply as soon as the chain starts to get noisy and a bit rattly for want of a better term. . just over 1400miles on the tourer and 500 ish on the road , both chains less than 0.5 on wear gauges. 1949 restoration with ybn 8 speed chain also waxed over 2000 miles over many years and just at 0.5. it amazes customers when i run my hand along my chain and my hand is still clean to demonstrate how a clean and waxed chain outlasts theirs . the question , " do you want the hassle of waxing or the hassle of spending ,? , nothing in this life is free"😘
I'm cycling 6 vgsports 10 speed chains on the OZ Cycling Wax method, and wear is pretty good. I use each one of them for the week, between 400 and 600km(oz recommends 300km). All of them are over 1500km, and 2 are over 2500km each(these two are .25 wear).
I would be very grateful if you would post the VG Sport chains' final (1%??) mileage, in km. I have switched to waxing thanks to OZ cyclist on youtube. It is going well.
@@nihonbunka I will compile the updated numbers this week, thanks for the reminder. Also I can tell that the two chains that were the .25 wear are now .75.
@@nihonbunka yes, I think so too. I am going to end this rotation to get actual numbers on the chain wear and mileage. 4 more weeks give or take I will come back here.
When I was a semi professional, I used to replace 9 speed chains after 8/9000 km. I was able to ride up to 30.000 km per year. That meant I replace chain three times a season. Clearly on the training bike. Racing bike was a different story.... That kind of stuff was possible 'cause 9 speed chain was more durable even they were heavier. Now 11 speed or more are too narrow and lightweight to be affordable. China made are further worse due to production cost reducing... Too much...
Hi, i"m riding on (aliexpress) zrace 12speed chains (same as ybn) for this season. I swapped the original out cause of looks and noise. i did only 700km on the original flattop force axs chain because it was just too noisy on the outer parts of the cassette (btw im running a single 50t front ring). So far i dont have any complaints with that black zrace. Going strong from the start, racing, wet weather (thank you squirt lube), peak power 1800w, 10s 1220w - the chain could take it all. Swapped out with a new after 4000km and a new cassette (both the new zrace and the 700km sram chain slip over the cassette cogs when putting serious watts down). Surely checking the chainwear more often after watching your video :D Great content.
Learned my lesson with this exact chain, snapped while riding on a 18% grade hill. Thank god I was able to salvage the chain and still get home safely.
*I have a gold vg sports half hollow 9 speed chain on my 20" folding bike with Shimano Deore XT drivetrain and 69T chainring, I've been running the crap out of this chain for 4 months with no chain stretching. Only problem I had with mine was the master link came off and got lost while I was riding last week so I reconnected the chain with a regular chain pin and haven't had a problem since. These chains seem durable to me considering the stress I've put mine through and it's still like new in length.*
@@SaerX *I ride mine plenty hard. I also have a rear cargo rack and passenger seat on this bike and sometimes I haul my big chainsaw, groceries or my 7 year old 90 pound daughter on the back of this bike and I can still maintain 25 mph with my daughter's 90 lbs and my 230 lbs weighing this bike down, 320 lbs combined weight! My bike is a real hauler bike and it flies too. Best of all I can fold this bike up and easily carry it to my upstairs office after each ride, the bike itself only weighs 21 lbs.*
@@bigtexas7580 25 mph is 40 kmh , which about as fast as I can go on my Lance Armstrong style 7.3kg Trek Madone road bike alone! That is the maximum speed I can maintain for any length of time but it is also the average speed of the tour de france from about 1995 to 2020 (it has got a bit faster lately). You are fast.
I find chains to be one of the few component where it is worth spending a bit more durability wise, as it makes it up in the long run. More expensive chains have anti-friction coatings in more of the link components, reducing wear significantly if you take good care of them. The cuttings on lightweight chains also help clearing up gunk that causes premature wear, so counter-intuitively I find lightweight chains to last longer than their heavier counterparts. I usually get around 10000km out of a KMC X11SL or Dura Ace chain, and the last X11SL I bought cost me £45, so a lot cheaper than the required number of those cheaper chains to achieve equivalent mileage...
Those anti-friction coatings don't last long. They make you faster until they're worn out. Then it wears like a normal chain. Basically giving you XX free miles at the start, then you get normal wear. It's not a huge difference. I've never gotten more than 500miles extra out of a spendy chain compared to the same company's cheap chains.
@@nihonbunka that's a maybe. Older model DuraAce chains didn't last as long as Ultegra. And every chain I've broken has been a name brand chain with slotted plates which is why I never used slotted plates on my crit bike or track bike. I run them on my base mile bike and TT bike
@@veganpotterthevegan I think it is extremely unlikely a chain will break in a plate, either it is slotted or not, unless something is very wrong with your drivetrain. Chains are much more likely to fail at the interface between the pin rivets the plates, and anyone with some knowledge of production will tell you that hollow pins are actually easier to rivet without error than solid ones. Even Zero Friction Cycling independent tests have shown that a 11speed Dura Ace chain outlasts an equivalent Ultegra chain under their testing protocol. From their data, a Dura Ace lasted around 10% longer for an equivalent wear, while a quick search has shown the Dura Ace chain is around 15% more expensive than the Ultegra. Accounting the relatively small price difference, extra durability, and the higher efficiency (at least when they are new), I believe they are a good overall option and have been serving me well.
I had a Clarks chain which lasted about a fortnight. Even the slightly cheaper Shimano models aren't great. Unfortunately, I think it's probably best to get your hands in your pocket.
So I went out for a ride earlier today 5am and for whatever reason I thought after I would check my chain. Easy got the tool no problem that's if I could have found it. After all these hours of searching I finally find it & determine I do need a new chain. As per everyone else the bank account doesn't have a big surplus so I'm thinking AE. If I am thinking AE Cycling my brain immediately sends me to TV. And that's where I find this. I don't know what we would do without you Luke. Ironically now knowing I need a new chain I remember a Shimano chain I have in its box hanging up in the garage but cannot remember what speed it was for as I have 9 , 10 & 11 speed bikes. As I looked at it swear I saw sunshine flooding through the garage window & bugles playing as it was 11s which I needed. Still until you do another AE Chain video I will keep buying the reputable brands. Thanks Ted
It pays to get the highest spec chain you can afford. As you've said Luke, they don't cost a whole lot but dramatically improve the life of your drivetrain. I always get Dura Ace/XTR or equivalent KMC. It's not about the weight, but the better alloys and coatings used which improve wear. I also run 3 chains in rotation across each chainring/cassette set, so I get 6x chains per set instead of just two, which pretty much means the transmission lasts the life of my ownership of the bike.
thanks for this. I was considering buying a VG Sports chain and 8-speed cassette (In a nice flashy gold plated color) from Amazon about a month ago, but because I had never heard of VG Sports before, I decided to just spend a little extra and go with Shimano. Now I know I made the right decision.
picked up the same chain but in gold, it's been through about 1500kms of riding, very surprised with your results. will check my chain tomorrow if it has the same wear as yours.
I am surprised too! I have the same chain but in anodized oil slick, 1500 km of riding on it, still tests just fine and looks great. I wonder if they just have poor quality control or different manufacturing machines have poor calibration. EDIT: Just went to look, I bought the solid pin model, not the hollow pin like you did. I'm guessing their metal alloy on the hollow pins is too soft for the application.
Back in the bad old days, the good chains were Renold or Sachs, British or German. The Japanese parts shifted better but didn't last very long. Things changed by the sounds of it. We would normally get about 3 years of club racing on a chain. One of the up coming brands sent out some samples of a new Japanese chain that the local shop gave to one of the local racers to try. He's a big guy, very strong. He went on a shortish ride, maybe 50km, but had to stop by the side of the road and pound the side plates back on with a rock as they were popping off and he had to get back home. You can also check for stretch on the chain by shifting it to your largest chainring, and (while not putting any pressure on the crank arms) pull the chain away from the sprocket at the forward most point. If you get an appreciable amount of distance between the chain and the root of the sprocket, throw the chain away before it takes out your cassette.
Back in the old days, the indexing was non-existent and the chains had less play (at least laterally) when new. I remember that we changed them less frequently.
@luke I’ve tried the SUMC chain, again they look really good and the inner and outer plates are a copy of KMC which I always use but it broke after 300miles and these miles were on the indoor trainer - it broke on the plate at the pin - have a picture of this, have gone back to KMC
The standard KMC chain is my favourite of the ones I've tried. Not too expensive in comparison to the SRAM but the quick link is way, way easier to install (or maybe I just got a particularly stubborn one from SRAM)
I run Campagnolo, not because I'm wealthy, but because it was actually the cheapest option at the time. A pair of 10 speed Veloce shifters with a complete cable kit (gear and brake) was just $117 NZD, a comparable Shimano shifter set was closer to $500. Veloce brakes were $40 and the crankset was $150. Back when Ribble were selling it cheaper than local wholesale prices.
Excellent review as ever, just got back from two weeks holiday in Cornwall! A small village called Lostwithiel, some very testing hills in that area. Keep up the good work and I'm off to buy a chain checker.
Ohh and you're totally right about the hills! Honestly took me by surprise, coming from London, which is basically one big flood plain, needless to say I was not prepared 🤣
Your videos was awesome and quite entertaining at the same time very reliable reviews. 💯💯 I think you're way too underrated and deserve more subscriber than you have now, but overall your videos was amazing as ever 🔥🔥 Looking forward for more videos 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭
The "factory lubrication" isn't actually a lubrication, it's an anti-rust protection grease similar to that applied on car brake discs to protect them from corrosion. In both cases it's supposed to be removed with a proper degreaser and, in case of bike chains, you should apply a proper lube afterwards.
YBN makes the best and most advanced chains on the market according to Adam Kerin from ZeroFrictionCycling. I have a YBN Ni-PTFE chain on my MTB and wax it and I have to say I absolutely love this chain ! They also make a full titanium chain, which is mega light but astronomical expensive^^
Not sure if anyone else has commented on YBN chains. They last at least as long as Shimano. I usually change my chain at around the 2500km mark, and compare my old with new, and it's usually up to 2mm 'streached' (I know it's pin wear). When I checked the YBN there was no wear at all after 2500. Use Shimano at the moment as they are slightly quieter.
OK cool, thanks for the comment Byron! Yeah ybn chains seem to have a pretty good rep, atleast from everyone in the comments. I think ill have to check them out, see if they match up to SRAM and Shimano chains...
Great as always. Maybe me paranoid about my chains so I checked. All of mine even after a few thousand kms are showing no signs of wear... Which makes me paranoid about my chain checker...
Made my first ever Ali express purchase last week, a pair of original POC (cough cough) cycling glasses for £11 with x4 lenses and case, wore them today no issues, looks like I'll be using Ali express more in the future, KMC chains for the win, used sram in past didn't last long in winter commuter mode, only about 1000 miles from them.
Thanks Luke, another great video. I was looking at 12 speed chains from these brands for my latest build a 1 x 12 tt bike as my usual KMC (I just like the look of the cross shape 😁) is expensive........ Well it's cost you a new cassette hasn't it😱, speaking of which, can't wait for that review as I'm looking at a 12 speed 11/32 lightweight road cassette from AliExpress.
Yeah no worries, glad you liked the episode. But yeah the lightweight cassettes are pretty good, but the shifting can be a little more temperamental than a fully steel one, and obv they don't last half as long, but yeah will try and get the full review up soon!!!
@@TraceVelo thanks for the reply, maybe I'll go for steel as weight is not so important on my tt...... thinking of a 1 x 12 with the Archer MTB electronic shifting, modifying the comtroller to fit on my aero bars??
absolutely like my chain, mine works just fine after more than 2000km, equipped in L TWOO R9 drivetrain through many rain and full wash with no chain lube were applied
Really awesome cheap chain review,the steel they use in the chains are really soft and aren't heat treated properly so they wear quickly like a YBN 10speed I had,I wish Shimano could make hybrid cassette,those ones look awesome,I look forward to the cassette review.Safe training.💯✌👍
I bought the gold Ti coated hollowed out VG Sports chain for my 11 speed gravel bike. The chain was toast after 500 km and ruined my cassette. Luckily it was the third chain on this cassette.
I commute with only one chain for a year or so. Maybe clean it superficially every month, and with go for a petrol soak once every trimester. Entry level kmc chain and generic cogs. Then I will only replace cassete and chain. By the end of the year, chain is worn way past 1%. Still works like a charm.
Echoing another comment below, please do a video on Chinese power meters. The ZRace + Sigeyi combo is one I have my eye on. Thank you again for your entertaining and informative videos!
I'm using CVR crank arms with sightings power spider. The sigeyi power meter worked pretty ok. The battery life is quite long. As for accuracy, no complaint but i can vouch for it since i don't have the means to truly test it but based on my experience with stages, the sigeyi reading is in line with stages.
My VG sport hollow pin hollow link silver chain wore out in very few km too. Then I bought the aliexpress RooKoor hollow link solid pin chain, and it's held up remarkably well. I've not done many thousands of KMs, but it's still fine for me. I'm willing to try these unknown brands.
Well done to have such a video to show the quality of a bike chain. To have a better impact, my suggestion is to condense the video to about 10 mins+ and emphasize the key points eg. making a comparison between new & used VG Sport bike chain and showing the damage done to the cassette after using the 'cheap chain'. Sometimes viewers will go into fatigue mode when the video is too lengthy.
Hi.. great content..I've just replaced my cheap gold vg chain and achieved 6000 miles have changed it for another and 1500 miles done with no issues maybe I'm lucky I don't know..👍🏻
OK interesting, that's the first I've heard of these chains lasting. But glad you managed to avoid the issues. Can I ask, what particular VG Sports chain was it?
I have learned that my chain is NOT where I should be trying to save weight. The KMC SL (superlight) chain that I was using looks and performs beautifully, but I've bent and broken far to many of them to want to continue purchasing them. In fact, I'm now running a lower end SRAM chain on my Campagnolo Record equipped bike and I couldn't be happier. At least the links don't get bent out of shape if I somehow manage to drop the chain.
The first thing I noticed that I really liked about the Siroko jersey was the mesh back. Since you have the ins at Siroko can you ask them when they’re going to start making tri kit? Keep doing what you do, Luke. I love your channel.
I got a chain from OG-evkin from the almighty Ali. And was very pleased with the appearance, came without any factory lube, I liked it because I wax my chains. I haven't rode it much but checked it straight away after your video. And yepp after +- 250 km 0.5 of wear already.
To back up the advice of regular chain checking, I've kept the same Ultegra cassette going (and in good shape!) for over 10,000km just through replacing the chain as soon as it fails to wear test (about to fit my 4th KMC chain on the bike it's on)
Saw this video just after I put a VG sports chain (11 speed, hollow link but not hollow pin) on my bike along with one of the light cassettes you covered in another video. Still, I'm up to around 1500km on the chain now with no shifting issues yet, so I'm going to keep running it until the shifting goes to crap or until it breaks. I've already purchased a new Shimano chain and a steel 11 speed cassette as backup in the event that they require replacement, though.
I have generally used chains till I have had shifting issues too but they say that more than 1% (or about one link length of the length of the whole chain) and it does bad things to your cassette, but I am not sure. If your VG sports chain makes it to 2000 km then I may buy one because as Trace Velo says, Shimano only last about 4000km and they are twice the price. Please post an update when it wears out. By the way you can purchase cassette cogs separately from aliexpress and it is generally the smaller cogs that wear out first. It does not seem to matter that the cog tooth pattern does not match in my experience. So you can purchase three or so smaller cogs for about 10USD and double the life of your cassette. The brand was "Sun" something.
I learned a long time ago that buying the high-quality, expensive version of things is better if you want them to actually last and function as intended. I've tried several "waterproof" bags, gloves, shoes, etc., from Amazon and Ali, and now that I've invested money in Northface, Apidura, etc., my stuff and body no longer get wet.
That part about the reviews apply to everything in Aliexpress.. reviews right on unboxing, items look good and while the durability is garbage only the first part is registered, and even with an "additional feedback" option opened for 6 months, you can't change the star review (and a lot of people don't even come back).. so research is advised, like you well mention, Luke! I have some ztto cassettes on the queue for using, probably next month I'll install it, hoping it's reasonable at least.. my Shimano Tiagra 11-25 is still good at 14kkm
I noticed there are a lot of nice-looking fake Shimano knockoffs on eBay and even on Amazon. For example, you can get a Shimano Dura-Ace XTR 11 Speed Bike Chain CN-HG901 MTB for $16.39 I have no idea what the quality is but it is not a CN- HG901 it doesn't even have hollow pins.
Ive received counterfeit Shimano chains from ebay and Aliexpress. Sticking with my LBS from now on. The small cost saving online isn't worth the safety factor.
I do have 2 of their 8sp chains still not used. Will be interesting to see their wear seeing that they are not as narrow as an 11sp chain. usually will run a Sunrace cassette or Freewheel. So wont break the bank if they both have to be binned. But I have found that Sunrace Cassettes and Freewheels with good chains give a reasonable serviceable life.
I bought one of these for my commuter ebike. Measured it after two weeks (about 400km) only to show a friend how to use the chain wear tool. Was surprised to find it at .75 wear. Lucky I picked it up before it destroyed the cassette. One star, would not buy again.
Bought 2 11 speed kmc ‘made in China’ on ali express. Snapped it on both my hardtail and my full suspension bike multiple times. Back to Shimano and no issues anymore.
Im guessing they were knock offs. Ive been using KMC chains mtbing for years with no problems. Shimano always good too. Sram are the ones that always seemed to break on me.
Bought a spare VG combo 8S chain and cassette for 20 euros, when chains/cassettes were GONE due to covid etc from local shops. Hopefully 8S have more material and will wear a bit slower, but should be fine for commuter bike.
Good video, honestly AVOID VG SPORTS CHAINS AT ALL COST. People might still hedge their bets thinking you had a faulty batch but I had one of these chains and it demolished my crankset. They sounded and rode amazing for the first couple of months but then they stretched way beyond the 1 mark. My chain wasn't the hollowed pin version and it still stretched tons. If you care about your chainrings and casette avoid this chain!!!
As someone else wrote, these chains are well known and respected in Malaysia so the chains that are being sold as VG sports chains may be copies. There are certainly Shimano copies being sold and someone a couple of comments above says that KMC copies are being sold so it could true.
@@TraceVelo Been following you since your early days on YT on my first account, but this one is my 2nd account now but still I've been rooting your courageous attempts on Chinese bike parts and you explain everything very well without even sugar coating it.
Funny story. I got a chain wear gauge for free with a chain repair kit... which I bought after seeing someone snap their chain on flat ground. I'm gonna assume they were using a vg sports chain as they ordered it from aliexpress
I used the same chain on my 11 speed custom build Gravel Bike and after 817km... the chain passed my .75 chain wear gauge. Hopefully it'll make well over 1000km.
I used a YBN 10sp years ago. Shifting was good and I think wearing was also reasonable. But I didn't have a chain checker then and I don't really take note of the km for every particular part. Another Taiwanese manufacturer is TAYA. They look good but have not experienced them. I just usually use KMC.
PYC SP1101 - I got... wait for it... over 7000 miles before it hit the .5 mark!!! Although, 99% of rides were dry and I am pretty obsessive about keeping my chains clean and use really good quality lube. Can't wait the for the cassette review :)
Nice, glad you like the Siroko stuff! I know what you mean about the fabrics, they are really nice. Just don't wash them at too a high temperature, and you should be good to go
I reckon if you use the DIY wax/teflon chain lube from the ozcycle UA-cam channel, you would still get several thousand Kms from these VG Sports chains and save a fortune on chain lube. With quality chains, ozcycle is getting less then 0.5% wear after well over 10,000km. In the last 25,000km, I have used about $10 of homemade wax lube and have chains that are clean-to-touch. Just checked and one of my bikes is just finally getting over the 0.5% wear after 4 years. Better order a new Aliexpress chain.
Maybe these chains were never intended for the bike but just to wear around your neck as a bling fashion accessory! Great review and they look about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
Very true 🤣 Gonna have to pick up some gold VG Sports chains, to show my magnificent wealth 😎
@@TraceVelo Je possède des thunes, je suis à l'aise financièrement
@@TraceVelo You can walk around saying "I pity the fool", just like Mr. T.
See my chains, these my chains, they feeling strange, see my chains!!! - Neema V
😂
What's the old saying? "Lightweight, cheap, durable - pick 2." I've found this to be true in almost all things cycling, which why I'm definitely not a weight weeny. : )
There are a couple of exceptions in my experience, but in this case this theory definitely holds up!!!
@@TraceVelo Very true. It's like finding buried treasure when something defies that old adage. That's the beautiful part of the internet is that you can find people, such as yourself, who put in the difficult work of finding and testing products that might just buck the trend. We all thank you for that, I'm sure.
@@TraceVelo in my experience, ztto parts hold up surprisingly well and they arent terribly heavy
So for a third of the price, you got a durability of a third. Makes sense. Good deal, because you don;t have to clean your chain anymore. Just replace it.
Ha! Can't argue with that logic! 🤣
Not if you snap it like I did, if your just a social rider maybe....but if you're doing a bit of racing then it's def not worth the risk!
@@TraceVelo I think you said that the chain was 1% longer (or one link approx for a 114 link approx chain) at 700km whereas you usually get 4000 km from SRAM chains which is nearly 6 times longer, or @Reemer Feddes logic seems to be off by a factor of two.
@@cyclemadkiwi I've broken 4 chains prematurely in about 300k miles of riding, none of them were knockoffs. It still happens. These chains may not actually be more likely to break. Chains generally break at the plates, not the rollers and pins where the wear is
@@veganpotterthevegan the cheap AliExpress chain is the only one I have ever broken. I use a ceramic speed chain on my track bike and it gets a hammering watts wise....wax all the way regularly. Read chain, shimano dura ace, waxed, regularly cleaned and waxed....same for mountain bike.
I do recall now, grunting up a driveway heading to work one morning.....snap, and over the bars lol......on that occasion, oiled chain!
Bottom line, a quality chain that is looked after will serve you better!! The last thing you ever want is a snapped chain on the start line or smashing it mid trail in the middle if nowhere.
Thanks for showing these!
I used a YBN S11S chain with parafin wax on my MTB for 8months and about 1600-1800km before it got stolen and there was absolutely no sign of wear. My wear gauge couldn't get in the slightest bit and the rollers and pins seemed to be as tight as new.
Didn't say if he started with a new or used cassette, that would make a huge difference.
@@jamesbarlow300 True yet pins shouldn't come loose or something.
Luke’s videos always crack me up.
Cheers Chris, glad you like them!!! 🙏🙏🙏
Coming home from a ride and seeing a new Trace video online, nothing can replicate that joy
Thanks Dets!!! Really appreciate it 🙏
Well, there was the time I came home from a ride and there was a beautiful girl standing there in a sheer negligee. As I stood there gawking, she cast the negligee to the ground and said, "Take what you want, big boy!"
Well, I gotta tell you, that negligee really soothes the chafing!
Exploring the depths of quality, so I don't have to........thanks Dude.
I bought the VG chains, and they were really really bad. I don’t know if you notice, the quick link that they provide, they actually rust!! Thanks for the video and it was a good thing no harm came to you. On one of my rides, the chain actually snapped. It snapped at the quick link.
That chain flex comparison photo was a thing of beauty. Quality video as ever.
@tracevelo
I tried a SUMC chain a few weeks ago,
9 speed one was worn after 650km ( I am a bike mechanic and clean my drivetrain very carefully)
And the 11 speed version is worn for 0.5 in less than 200km😂
Shifting was pretty good, but they both make more noise than big brand chains.
I once used a SRAM 10 speed pc1051 and lasted 5500km 😁
sumc is what ztto use.
Regarding Campagnolo, I have used all sorts of chains (sram, Shimano, generic) on my Campg groupsets and they all work without any shifting issues or perceivable noise difference; tested this on 10-speed and 11-speed groupsets over several years. To take it a step further, I also use shimano/sram rear wheels/cassettes on my Campg. NO issue again.
"Galactic Levels of Power" plus the lightning effects got me really happy!
I also fell victim to a VG chain, it was for a cheap mainly parts bin gravel build but everyday I’d go out to ride there would be some form of shifting gremlin. I wrote it off to various incompatibilities for a while until I identified it was the chain. A rare AliExpress fail. Never again with VG.
I dont know how i found your channel but im such a fan! Also i learn alot as a newbie into road bikes! Great content!Greetings from Catalonia
Thanks Joan, really glad you like my stuff!!!
Yesss!!! Awesome!! Im always tuned for new aliexpress reviews👏👏
Awesome vid as always 👊🏾✊🏾. I concur that the Siroko stuff is really good bruv (many thanks for the link) 👊🏾. Just be sure to order multiple items as the postage of £6.00 is a little steep so you may as well pick up a few things 👊🏾.
I have Campagnolo groupset (and wheels)
My Campagnolo Record chain (slotted plates, hollow pins) did cost me around 50 euros, now it has done 2500 miles and the wear indicator tool still shows it as brand new with basically zero wear... Sometimes it's better to invest in proper quality components that will last longer and therefore cost less...
The cheap chain wear tool is really only measuring the wear of the rollers. The Park Tool chain wear tool is actually a copy of the old Shimano chain wear tool, which is designed to negate any wear in the rollers and measure actual pin/plate wear. If you replace a chain as soon as it hits .75 on the cheap wear tool, you're throwing out a chain that still has some life left - nothing wrong with replacing early, just depends how frugal you want to be.
Are those cheap chain checkers in the video made of hardened steel? I accidentally rode the bike while the checker was mounted on the chain and smashed the FD (no visible damages) I'm worried that it may make the tool inaccurate.
@@rickaristotlejorge2618 Definitely not hardened, they're mild steel that's stamped and tumbled to break the edge. Personally I wouldn't use it, but then again, accuracy varies by manufacturer with those tools anyway. If you have something like an imperial machinist's ruler, you can use that to measure wear across the pins by doing some math.
@@cup_and_cone Thanks! I'd still use it though it's better than nothing and I can try the math some other time.
Picked up a Siroko SRX Pro Ultra Race jersey, and I gotta say, the quality really is on par with my Rapha Pro Team jersey. Will definitely be looking into more Siroko gear when some of my older bibs & jerseys wear out.
Nice! Glad to hear you like the Siroko stuff, for the price, I've been impressed with the quality for sure!
ybn 11-SL gold (hollow plates and pins)on two of my campy equipped bikes , one a tourer and the other a road bike , i use paraffin wax with 0.8 micron ptfe powder mixed to 300g wax to 50g ptfe . re-apply as soon as the chain starts to get noisy and a bit rattly for want of a better term.
. just over 1400miles on the tourer and 500 ish on the road , both chains less than 0.5 on wear gauges. 1949 restoration with ybn 8 speed chain also waxed over 2000 miles over many years and just at 0.5. it amazes customers when i run my hand along my chain and my hand is still clean to demonstrate how a clean and waxed chain outlasts theirs .
the question , " do you want the hassle of waxing or the hassle of spending ,? , nothing in this life is free"😘
I'm cycling 6 vgsports 10 speed chains on the OZ Cycling Wax method, and wear is pretty good. I use each one of them for the week, between 400 and 600km(oz recommends 300km). All of them are over 1500km, and 2 are over 2500km each(these two are .25 wear).
I would be very grateful if you would post the VG Sport chains' final (1%??) mileage, in km.
I have switched to waxing thanks to OZ cyclist on youtube. It is going well.
@@nihonbunka I will compile the updated numbers this week, thanks for the reminder. Also I can tell that the two chains that were the .25 wear are now .75.
@@fidodemo5596 Thank you. 0.75 sounds like about when I would like to change so the mileage (kilometerage?) now is about the life of the chain.
@@nihonbunka yes, I think so too. I am going to end this rotation to get actual numbers on the chain wear and mileage. 4 more weeks give or take I will come back here.
@@fidodemo5596 Looking forward to your next post.
When I was a semi professional, I used to replace 9 speed chains after 8/9000 km. I was able to ride up to 30.000 km per year.
That meant I replace chain three times a season. Clearly on the training bike. Racing bike was a different story....
That kind of stuff was possible 'cause 9 speed chain was more durable even they were heavier. Now 11 speed or more are too narrow and lightweight to be affordable. China made are further worse due to production cost reducing... Too much...
Thanks.
Hi, i"m riding on (aliexpress) zrace 12speed chains (same as ybn) for this season. I swapped the original out cause of looks and noise. i did only 700km on the original flattop force axs chain because it was just too noisy on the outer parts of the cassette (btw im running a single 50t front ring).
So far i dont have any complaints with that black zrace. Going strong from the start, racing, wet weather (thank you squirt lube), peak power 1800w, 10s 1220w - the chain could take it all. Swapped out with a new after 4000km and a new cassette (both the new zrace and the 700km sram chain slip over the cassette cogs when putting serious watts down).
Surely checking the chainwear more often after watching your video :D Great content.
Learned my lesson with this exact chain, snapped while riding on a 18% grade hill. Thank god I was able to salvage the chain and still get home safely.
Yeah im not surprised to hear it broke l, I think I might have been lucky to avoid my one snapping to be honest!
*I have a gold vg sports half hollow 9 speed chain on my 20" folding bike with Shimano Deore XT drivetrain and 69T chainring, I've been running the crap out of this chain for 4 months with no chain stretching. Only problem I had with mine was the master link came off and got lost while I was riding last week so I reconnected the chain with a regular chain pin and haven't had a problem since. These chains seem durable to me considering the stress I've put mine through and it's still like new in length.*
🤔
How hard can one ride a 20" folding bike?
@@SaerX *I ride mine plenty hard. I also have a rear cargo rack and passenger seat on this bike and sometimes I haul my big chainsaw, groceries or my 7 year old 90 pound daughter on the back of this bike and I can still maintain 25 mph with my daughter's 90 lbs and my 230 lbs weighing this bike down, 320 lbs combined weight! My bike is a real hauler bike and it flies too. Best of all I can fold this bike up and easily carry it to my upstairs office after each ride, the bike itself only weighs 21 lbs.*
@@bigtexas7580 25 mph is 40 kmh , which about as fast as I can go on my Lance Armstrong style 7.3kg Trek Madone road bike alone! That is the maximum speed I can maintain for any length of time but it is also the average speed of the tour de france from about 1995 to 2020 (it has got a bit faster lately). You are fast.
I find chains to be one of the few component where it is worth spending a bit more durability wise, as it makes it up in the long run. More expensive chains have anti-friction coatings in more of the link components, reducing wear significantly if you take good care of them. The cuttings on lightweight chains also help clearing up gunk that causes premature wear, so counter-intuitively I find lightweight chains to last longer than their heavier counterparts. I usually get around 10000km out of a KMC X11SL or Dura Ace chain, and the last X11SL I bought cost me £45, so a lot cheaper than the required number of those cheaper chains to achieve equivalent mileage...
Thank you. I would not have guessed that lightweight chains last longer.
Those anti-friction coatings don't last long. They make you faster until they're worn out. Then it wears like a normal chain. Basically giving you XX free miles at the start, then you get normal wear. It's not a huge difference. I've never gotten more than 500miles extra out of a spendy chain compared to the same company's cheap chains.
@@nihonbunka that's a maybe. Older model DuraAce chains didn't last as long as Ultegra. And every chain I've broken has been a name brand chain with slotted plates which is why I never used slotted plates on my crit bike or track bike. I run them on my base mile bike and TT bike
@@veganpotterthevegan I think it is extremely unlikely a chain will break in a plate, either it is slotted or not, unless something is very wrong with your drivetrain. Chains are much more likely to fail at the interface between the pin rivets the plates, and anyone with some knowledge of production will tell you that hollow pins are actually easier to rivet without error than solid ones.
Even Zero Friction Cycling independent tests have shown that a 11speed Dura Ace chain outlasts an equivalent Ultegra chain under their testing protocol. From their data, a Dura Ace lasted around 10% longer for an equivalent wear, while a quick search has shown the Dura Ace chain is around 15% more expensive than the Ultegra. Accounting the relatively small price difference, extra durability, and the higher efficiency (at least when they are new), I believe they are a good overall option and have been serving me well.
@@engnelsito @Veganpotter Thevegan
Useful information regarding the coatings and the hollow pins.
I had the same issue when I bought an VG Sports chains.
KMC is the best option to buy on Aliexpress
Those KMC on aliexpress are fake.
@@havenht @Sucoo de Laranjo The "Shimano" chains on aliexpress are fake. Are the KMC fake too?
Perfect timing on this video, I was just about to go for the cheap gold lightweight chain from AliExpress... Thanks for the video!
It's not worth it to buy chains from AliExpress when you can find decent Shimano/KMC chains for around £10 for 8 speeds.
@@Mango62uk There are tons of fake Shimano and KMC chains. So there’s no guarantee what you’re getting is authentic.
me too, tks
Try YBN gold ones. Work well for me only £20
I had a Clarks chain which lasted about a fortnight. Even the slightly cheaper Shimano models aren't great. Unfortunately, I think it's probably best to get your hands in your pocket.
So I went out for a ride earlier today 5am and for whatever reason I thought after I would check my chain. Easy got the tool no problem that's if I could have found it. After all these hours of searching I finally find it & determine I do need a new chain. As per everyone else the bank account doesn't have a big surplus so I'm thinking AE. If I am thinking AE Cycling my brain immediately sends me to TV. And that's where I find this. I don't know what we would do without you Luke. Ironically now knowing I need a new chain I remember a Shimano chain I have in its box hanging up in the garage but cannot remember what speed it was for as I have 9 , 10 & 11 speed bikes.
As I looked at it swear I saw sunshine flooding through the garage window & bugles playing as it was 11s which I needed. Still until you do another AE Chain video I will keep buying the reputable brands. Thanks Ted
You're welcome Ted, glad I could help!
It pays to get the highest spec chain you can afford. As you've said Luke, they don't cost a whole lot but dramatically improve the life of your drivetrain. I always get Dura Ace/XTR or equivalent KMC. It's not about the weight, but the better alloys and coatings used which improve wear. I also run 3 chains in rotation across each chainring/cassette set, so I get 6x chains per set instead of just two, which pretty much means the transmission lasts the life of my ownership of the bike.
Literally the only channel that I hit "like" before the end of the intro.
thanks for this. I was considering buying a VG Sports chain and 8-speed cassette (In a nice flashy gold plated color) from Amazon about a month ago, but because I had never heard of VG Sports before, I decided to just spend a little extra and go with Shimano. Now I know I made the right decision.
I was thinking of buying VG Chain, but thanks to your review I'm sticking with KMC brand.
Thanks for the videos! Also thanks for putting the verdict right in the description!
Thanks wittigrxn, glad you like my stuff!
picked up the same chain but in gold, it's been through about 1500kms of riding, very surprised with your results. will check my chain tomorrow if it has the same wear as yours.
Yeah definitely check it. Will be REALLY interested to see if your one has held up!
Same here but I've only put about 200km on it so far. I'll have to check mine as well.
Edit: Checked mine and also has solid pins
I am surprised too! I have the same chain but in anodized oil slick, 1500 km of riding on it, still tests just fine and looks great. I wonder if they just have poor quality control or different manufacturing machines have poor calibration.
EDIT: Just went to look, I bought the solid pin model, not the hollow pin like you did. I'm guessing their metal alloy on the hollow pins is too soft for the application.
So how was it Rocis?
And are YG Sport's non-hollow chains a good deal?
Back in the bad old days, the good chains were Renold or Sachs, British or German. The Japanese parts shifted better but didn't last very long. Things changed by the sounds of it. We would normally get about 3 years of club racing on a chain.
One of the up coming brands sent out some samples of a new Japanese chain that the local shop gave to one of the local racers to try. He's a big guy, very strong. He went on a shortish ride, maybe 50km, but had to stop by the side of the road and pound the side plates back on with a rock as they were popping off and he had to get back home.
You can also check for stretch on the chain by shifting it to your largest chainring, and (while not putting any pressure on the crank arms) pull the chain away from the sprocket at the forward most point. If you get an appreciable amount of distance between the chain and the root of the sprocket, throw the chain away before it takes out your cassette.
Back in the old days, the indexing was non-existent and the chains had less play (at least laterally) when new. I remember that we changed them less frequently.
@luke I’ve tried the SUMC chain, again they look really good and the inner and outer plates are a copy of KMC which I always use but it broke after 300miles and these miles were on the indoor trainer - it broke on the plate at the pin - have a picture of this, have gone back to KMC
The standard KMC chain is my favourite of the ones I've tried. Not too expensive in comparison to the SRAM but the quick link is way, way easier to install (or maybe I just got a particularly stubborn one from SRAM)
All quick links are easy and fast.
Thank you so much for this review. I was almost buying one as the price was so alluring. Now I have decided to buy kmc chains.
I run Campagnolo, not because I'm wealthy, but because it was actually the cheapest option at the time.
A pair of 10 speed Veloce shifters with a complete cable kit (gear and brake) was just $117 NZD, a comparable Shimano shifter set was closer to $500. Veloce brakes were $40 and the crankset was $150. Back when Ribble were selling it cheaper than local wholesale prices.
Excellent review as ever, just got back from two weeks holiday in Cornwall! A small village called Lostwithiel, some very testing hills in that area. Keep up the good work and I'm off to buy a chain checker.
Haha amazing, I literally cycle through Lostwithiel atleast twice a week on the way to Fowey! Such lovely little village!
Ohh and you're totally right about the hills! Honestly took me by surprise, coming from London, which is basically one big flood plain, needless to say I was not prepared 🤣
I really like the stuff you do and the Didoo shorts I bought are great, so thank you👍
Trace Velo goes through this pain so we don't have to. Thanks for your service TV!
No probs Stuart!!!! Glad to be of service 😊
Your videos was awesome and quite entertaining at the same time very reliable reviews. 💯💯
I think you're way too underrated and deserve more subscriber than you have now, but overall your videos was amazing as ever 🔥🔥
Looking forward for more videos
🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭
Can not think of a better practical example of the importance of metallurgy. All steel is not created equal
The "factory lubrication" isn't actually a lubrication, it's an anti-rust protection grease similar to that applied on car brake discs to protect them from corrosion. In both cases it's supposed to be removed with a proper degreaser and, in case of bike chains, you should apply a proper lube afterwards.
Ahh OK, good to know! Yeah I always tend to remove the factory lube anyway, I find it really tends to attract dirt much more than standard bike oil
Excellent as usual. You’ve saved people lots of time and cash here, nice one. 🚴🏼♂️💨
YBN makes the best and most advanced chains on the market according to Adam Kerin from ZeroFrictionCycling. I have a YBN Ni-PTFE chain on my MTB and wax it and I have to say I absolutely love this chain ! They also make a full titanium chain, which is mega light but astronomical expensive^^
Thanks. I was surprised to find KMC come out as priciest according to their chain testing.
Not sure if anyone else has commented on YBN chains. They last at least as long as Shimano. I usually change my chain at around the 2500km mark, and compare my old with new, and it's usually up to 2mm 'streached' (I know it's pin wear). When I checked the YBN there was no wear at all after 2500. Use Shimano at the moment as they are slightly quieter.
OK cool, thanks for the comment Byron! Yeah ybn chains seem to have a pretty good rep, atleast from everyone in the comments. I think ill have to check them out, see if they match up to SRAM and Shimano chains...
Great as always. Maybe me paranoid about my chains so I checked. All of mine even after a few thousand kms are showing no signs of wear... Which makes me paranoid about my chain checker...
Lol! I wouldn't worry tho, as long as the shifting is still nice and smooth, and the chain doesn't skip, you should be good to go!
Made my first ever Ali express purchase last week, a pair of original POC (cough cough) cycling glasses for £11 with x4 lenses and case, wore them today no issues, looks like I'll be using Ali express more in the future, KMC chains for the win, used sram in past didn't last long in winter commuter mode, only about 1000 miles from them.
Thanks Luke, another great video. I was looking at 12 speed chains from these brands for my latest build a 1 x 12 tt bike as my usual KMC (I just like the look of the cross shape 😁) is expensive........ Well it's cost you a new cassette hasn't it😱, speaking of which, can't wait for that review as I'm looking at a 12 speed 11/32 lightweight road cassette from AliExpress.
Yeah no worries, glad you liked the episode. But yeah the lightweight cassettes are pretty good, but the shifting can be a little more temperamental than a fully steel one, and obv they don't last half as long, but yeah will try and get the full review up soon!!!
@@TraceVelo thanks for the reply, maybe I'll go for steel as weight is not so important on my tt...... thinking of a 1 x 12 with the Archer MTB electronic shifting, modifying the comtroller to fit on my aero bars??
Another amazing intro Luke :D
Well you just made me check my chain.... 0.75% but below 1%. Guess I've got a new job to do on my bike tonight! lol
absolutely like my chain, mine works just fine after more than 2000km, equipped in L TWOO R9 drivetrain through many rain and full wash with no chain lube were applied
Your cassette and chainrings might be toast then.
Hi Luke, how is the disc brake bike going? Longer term review with the replacement forks..?
Disc brakes are still working great. Swapped out the original zrace calipers, for Juin tech F1’s, and so far I'm pretty impressed!
Really awesome cheap chain review,the steel they use in the chains are really soft and aren't heat treated properly so they wear quickly like a YBN 10speed I had,I wish Shimano could make hybrid cassette,those ones look awesome,I look forward to the cassette review.Safe training.💯✌👍
yeah, i was wondering what cassette Luke was recommending.
I bought the gold Ti coated hollowed out VG Sports chain for my 11 speed gravel bike. The chain was toast after 500 km and ruined my cassette. Luckily it was the third chain on this cassette.
OK nice, yeah seems like most people have had pretty bad experiences with VG Sports chains. Anyway, thanks for the comment Chris!!!
I commute with only one chain for a year or so. Maybe clean it superficially every month, and with go for a petrol soak once every trimester. Entry level kmc chain and generic cogs. Then I will only replace cassete and chain. By the end of the year, chain is worn way past 1%. Still works like a charm.
It seams like you have been looking up for a TT setup based on the advertized products of the aliexpress page... cant wait to see it.
Echoing another comment below, please do a video on Chinese power meters. The ZRace + Sigeyi combo is one I have my eye on.
Thank you again for your entertaining and informative videos!
I'm using CVR crank arms with sightings power spider. The sigeyi power meter worked pretty ok. The battery life is quite long. As for accuracy, no complaint but i can vouch for it since i don't have the means to truly test it but based on my experience with stages, the sigeyi reading is in line with stages.
My VG sport hollow pin hollow link silver chain wore out in very few km too. Then I bought the aliexpress RooKoor hollow link solid pin chain, and it's held up remarkably well. I've not done many thousands of KMs, but it's still fine for me. I'm willing to try these unknown brands.
RooKoor 11 speed lasted around 1000km for me to fail 0.5 wear test. Also very disapointing in my opinion.
Well done to have such a video to show the quality of a bike chain. To have a better impact, my suggestion is to condense the video to about 10 mins+ and emphasize the key points eg. making a comparison between new & used VG Sport bike chain and showing the damage done to the cassette after using the 'cheap chain'. Sometimes viewers will go into fatigue mode when the video is too lengthy.
Hi.. great content..I've just replaced my cheap gold vg chain and achieved 6000 miles have changed it for another and 1500 miles done with no issues maybe I'm lucky I don't know..👍🏻
OK interesting, that's the first I've heard of these chains lasting. But glad you managed to avoid the issues. Can I ask, what particular VG Sports chain was it?
@@TraceVelo I will let you know 👍🏻
@@davidpinckney5595 We are waiting! What speed? Where the rollers hollow?
YBN is absolutely fantastic especially their TI definitely suggest you trying them out extremely well worth the money but like I said (TI line)
My LBS recommends YBN.
I have learned that my chain is NOT where I should be trying to save weight. The KMC SL (superlight) chain that I was using looks and performs beautifully, but I've bent and broken far to many of them to want to continue purchasing them. In fact, I'm now running a lower end SRAM chain on my Campagnolo Record equipped bike and I couldn't be happier. At least the links don't get bent out of shape if I somehow manage to drop the chain.
I'm currently using my first ybn chain. So far so good!
OK good to know, ybn chains seem to have a decent reputation. Will have to check them out I think
@@TraceVelo I did hear you have to be careful about knockoffs though.
Quality content as always!
Much appreciated my guy!!!!
The first thing I noticed that I really liked about the Siroko jersey was the mesh back. Since you have the ins at Siroko can you ask them when they’re going to start making tri kit?
Keep doing what you do, Luke. I love your channel.
I got a chain from OG-evkin from the almighty Ali. And was very pleased with the appearance, came without any factory lube, I liked it because I wax my chains. I haven't rode it much but checked it straight away after your video. And yepp after +- 250 km 0.5 of wear already.
You're being too hard on VG Sports. Most of the children there have only worked at the factory for a few months.
To back up the advice of regular chain checking, I've kept the same Ultegra cassette going (and in good shape!) for over 10,000km just through replacing the chain as soon as it fails to wear test (about to fit my 4th KMC chain on the bike it's on)
At which level fail do you replace the chain? 1% 0.75% 0.5% ?
Luke’s videos are the embodiment of the Surprised Pikachu face meme
Saw this video just after I put a VG sports chain (11 speed, hollow link but not hollow pin) on my bike along with one of the light cassettes you covered in another video. Still, I'm up to around 1500km on the chain now with no shifting issues yet, so I'm going to keep running it until the shifting goes to crap or until it breaks. I've already purchased a new Shimano chain and a steel 11 speed cassette as backup in the event that they require replacement, though.
I have generally used chains till I have had shifting issues too but they say that more than 1% (or about one link length of the length of the whole chain) and it does bad things to your cassette, but I am not sure. If your VG sports chain makes it to 2000 km then I may buy one because as Trace Velo says, Shimano only last about 4000km and they are twice the price. Please post an update when it wears out.
By the way you can purchase cassette cogs separately from aliexpress and it is generally the smaller cogs that wear out first. It does not seem to matter that the cog tooth pattern does not match in my experience. So you can purchase three or so smaller cogs for about 10USD and double the life of your cassette. The brand was "Sun" something.
I'm a simple french man, I see Trace velo, I stop everything I do and I click.
Great video. I would never skimp, on important drive train components . Shifters, are ok. Not brakes .KB.
I learned a long time ago that buying the high-quality, expensive version of things is better if you want them to actually last and function as intended. I've tried several "waterproof" bags, gloves, shoes, etc., from Amazon and Ali, and now that I've invested money in Northface, Apidura, etc., my stuff and body no longer get wet.
Great video. Haha Darn so funny at 7:02. Any plans on reviewing the other chain brands you mentioned?
I absolutely love the energy in this video
That part about the reviews apply to everything in Aliexpress.. reviews right on unboxing, items look good and while the durability is garbage only the first part is registered, and even with an "additional feedback" option opened for 6 months, you can't change the star review (and a lot of people don't even come back).. so research is advised, like you well mention, Luke!
I have some ztto cassettes on the queue for using, probably next month I'll install it, hoping it's reasonable at least.. my Shimano Tiagra 11-25 is still good at 14kkm
95% of what u buy in the cycling industry is white label fromTianjin china ..so do your research
There's genuine stuff on there such as shimano just research it to make sure
I noticed there are a lot of nice-looking fake Shimano knockoffs on eBay and even on Amazon. For example, you can get a Shimano Dura-Ace XTR 11 Speed Bike Chain CN-HG901 MTB for $16.39 I have no idea what the quality is but it is not a CN- HG901 it doesn't even have hollow pins.
Ive received counterfeit Shimano chains from ebay and Aliexpress. Sticking with my LBS from now on. The small cost saving online isn't worth the safety factor.
716 miles would be my best guess
Great guess! 10 POINTS TO GRIFFINDOR
I do have 2 of their 8sp chains still not used. Will be interesting to see their wear seeing that they are not as narrow as an 11sp chain. usually will run a Sunrace cassette or Freewheel. So wont break the bank if they both have to be binned. But I have found that Sunrace Cassettes and Freewheels with good chains give a reasonable serviceable life.
I bought one of these for my commuter ebike. Measured it after two weeks (about 400km) only to show a friend how to use the chain wear tool. Was surprised to find it at .75 wear. Lucky I picked it up before it destroyed the cassette. One star, would not buy again.
I definitely learned a lot from this vid...I didn't know that problem until I watched this vid....so thanks a lot man. Ride safe❤️
do you plan to review juin tech brakes? :>
Brother I came across your channel this time and I ended up watching most of ur videos all I can say is the beat cycling channel ever
Thank you so much my man! Really appreciate it 🙏
Bought 2 11 speed kmc ‘made in China’ on ali express. Snapped it on both my hardtail and my full suspension bike multiple times. Back to Shimano and no issues anymore.
Im guessing they were knock offs. Ive been using KMC chains mtbing for years with no problems. Shimano always good too. Sram are the ones that always seemed to break on me.
Bought a spare VG combo 8S chain and cassette for 20 euros, when chains/cassettes were GONE due to covid etc from local shops. Hopefully 8S have more material and will wear a bit slower, but should be fine for commuter bike.
Good video, honestly AVOID VG SPORTS CHAINS AT ALL COST. People might still hedge their bets thinking you had a faulty batch but I had one of these chains and it demolished my crankset. They sounded and rode amazing for the first couple of months but then they stretched way beyond the 1 mark. My chain wasn't the hollowed pin version and it still stretched tons. If you care about your chainrings and casette avoid this chain!!!
As someone else wrote, these chains are well known and respected in Malaysia so the chains that are being sold as VG sports chains may be copies. There are certainly Shimano copies being sold and someone a couple of comments above says that KMC copies are being sold so it could true.
Another delicious review, keep it up Brother
Cheers Emmanuel, glad you like my stuff 😊
@@TraceVelo Been following you since your early days on YT on my first account, but this one is my 2nd account now but still I've been rooting your courageous attempts on Chinese bike parts and you explain everything very well without even sugar coating it.
Funny story. I got a chain wear gauge for free with a chain repair kit... which I bought after seeing someone snap their chain on flat ground. I'm gonna assume they were using a vg sports chain as they ordered it from aliexpress
I used the same chain on my 11 speed custom build Gravel Bike and after 817km... the chain passed my .75 chain wear gauge.
Hopefully it'll make well over 1000km.
You’re foolish to continue using it if it’s already at .75. New cassettes and chainrings are expensive
@@okantichrist not yet at 0.75.
I used a YBN 10sp years ago. Shifting was good and I think wearing was also reasonable. But I didn't have a chain checker then and I don't really take note of the km for every particular part.
Another Taiwanese manufacturer is TAYA. They look good but have not experienced them. I just usually use KMC.
OK nice, thanks for the comment Daniel! Alot of the comments seem to pretty high praise for ybn chains, I'll have to check them out I think!
If you brought them on Aliexpress, they are fake.
@@havenht The CEO himself gift it to me in the Taipei Cycle Show. I'm pretty sure it was not fake XD
PYC SP1101 - I got... wait for it... over 7000 miles before it hit the .5 mark!!! Although, 99% of rides were dry and I am pretty obsessive about keeping my chains clean and use really good quality lube. Can't wait the for the cassette review :)
Siroko stuff is 100%. Very well made and lovely fabrics
Nice, glad you like the Siroko stuff! I know what you mean about the fabrics, they are really nice. Just don't wash them at too a high temperature, and you should be good to go
The posters on the weight weenies forum rave about tipsum x11sl chains too, might be worth taking a look.
My VG gold ultralight has about 4k kms and just shows just below 3/4 for wear. I use wax lub methods and ride dry conditions only.
I reckon if you use the DIY wax/teflon chain lube from the ozcycle UA-cam channel, you would still get several thousand Kms from these VG Sports chains and save a fortune on chain lube. With quality chains, ozcycle is getting less then 0.5% wear after well over 10,000km. In the last 25,000km, I have used about $10 of homemade wax lube and have chains that are clean-to-touch. Just checked and one of my bikes is just finally getting over the 0.5% wear after 4 years. Better order a new Aliexpress chain.
Always nice to see your videos! Sounds like you know some French, am I wrong? :)
Got a B in GCSE French, so im basically fluent 😜 Tres bon, as they say
@@TraceVelo haha très bon !! Thanks for all the good vibes and always nice videos :)
i hope you do a video about your light weight rotors and brake calipers.