So, the ride with the new chain was quiet and smooth, pretty much like the previous ride with the new-out-of-the-box chain, though a smidge more noisy the first 20 minutes or so. Lots of salt/sand on the roads, mostly dry, but a plenty of puddles and wet spots. Post-ride, the chain was mostly clean to the touch - running a paper towel over it shows little black flecks, but we're talking 1% of what would normally come off of the chain when greased/oiled. The cassette has a little bit of wax on it, but nothing to fuss over; the bigger cogs actually look worse in the pic than they do IRL.
