79pmooney

I've been using only the Izumi 1/8" chains for years on all my fix gears.. The ~$26 Ecos. Excellent chains. I love that they are made with plates that have little rounding. Yes, there are quieter chains. But, just like the derailleur 9,10,11... world, the quieter chains shift better. Think about it. Do you really want your fix gear chain of single speed chain to shift? I have never seen a good outcome when a chain has "shifted" off my one and only cog.

Those Izumis are reliable to boring. Have long old-fashioned pins that can be driven out and back in multiple times. You can miss centering the pin a little and it isn't a big deal. I have never broken one (not saying much with my skinny thighs) and I saw them frequently on the bikes of racers with smaller budgets at the velodrome (past tense because Alpenrose, 2 miles from my house is no more). And I never sensed the riders with the big budgets and better chains having any discomfort riding around those cheap Izumis. (Those guys really try to avoid riding around equipment that might involve them in a crash.)

Edit: No idea if the black (or any other Izumi chains) is nickle plated. They are good chains. You are paying for window dressing with the fancier colored Ecos. I run mostly black but window dressing can be fun so some of the time my good fix gears strut.