Symox

I have a 10 speed Shimano 105 drivetrain. I’ve used Ultegra 10 speed chains for years. I seem to recall someone suggesting an 11 speed chain as it will be quieter and lighter.

any suggestions for brand and speed. My budget is $50

znomit

Have you thought about a 10 speed Shimano 105 chain to match your 10 speed Shimano 105 drivetrain?

beeballman

I have 10 speed drivetrain as well with 105 grouping. I always run Ultegra Chain and Cassette. Never had any issues at all.

shelbyfv

Not all choices are readily available. If weight really is a concern, see what 10 speed chains are available within your budget and buy the lightest. Most prefer a quick link so factor in whether the chain comes with one or you have to buy it separately.

Koyote

10 Speed drivetrain means 10 speed chain. Just buy anything made by Shimano and it’ll be fine.

sdmc530

whatever you local bike shop has in a 10 speed variety at a reasonable price will be fine.

Branko D

I use 11 speed Dura-ace chains on a 10 speed bike. They are very durable, shifting is flawless and by all measurements produce the least drag.
​​​​​​
Of course, 38 Eur per chain, what was the price when I last bought some, is the downside.

cxwrench

Oh really? How are you able to measure this accurately?

Camilo

I've found Shimano, KMC and Sram 10 speed chains to perform the same in all respects. I generally price shop within those brands given an approximate equivalence in the "level" of the chain - i.e. how it's finished, it's weight, etc.

But to the OP question, sorry that doesn't answer it because I haven't tried an 11 speed chain with 10 speed system. I have on several occasions used 10 speed chains with 9 speed systems because that's what I had on hand. Didn't notice any difference in performance or noise, but I am not the most perceptive person for stuff like that. If it works, it works.

genejockey 

I like KMC chains, myself, but based on the experiences of other posters on here, get it from a reliable source. There are apparently counterfeit chains out there. Who knew?

phrantic09

I would definitely recommend skipping the former bookseller for buying a chain, regardless of the seller of it’s fulfilled by them, you have a chance of getting a counterfeit

SoSmellyAir

Yes, this is especially true if the former bookseller is not the dominant vendor (by volume) in a product category.

smashndash

I'll give you a non-snarky answer.

Get a 10 speed pre-waxed YBN and start either dip waxing or using a drip wax like squirt.

https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/p...0-speed-chain/

it's $100 but it'll easily last at least 2x as long as if you used a non-wax lube.

I think you can also send him a second, new chain to prep for free. Might be worth it 🤷‍♂️

Branko D

Would have thought that testing by Zero Friction Cycling, friction facts (since bought by ceramicspeed), Silca and others were common knowledge by now. Of course you could choose not to believe any single one test, but all of them? Ehhh...

phrantic09

You can also get them directly from molten speed wax.

seypat

Maybe Ti is the way to go. Think of the weight savings.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/37364921492...evt=1&mkcid=28

GP210

Shimano

eduskator

KMC here. Came OEM on all my bikes. Never had any issues.

Litespud

I’ve used KMC chains on my Campag 10sp setup for years with no complaints. I recently splurged on some KMC X10-SL gold chains - cut-out plates and hollow pins save ~1 ounce/chain over the plain X10. Not that I’d notice or need the saved ounce, but what the hell….and the gold (actually titanium nitride) looks blingy 😀🙄
$50 ea from Colorado Cyclist, so I’m assuming that they’re not counterfeit.

TPL

Buy a chain made by SRAM

Avoid ShimaNO

SoSmellyAir

Having used multiple 10s Ultegra chains over multiple years, is there any particular reason you are considering a switch?

Symox

Ended up getting a Shimano Ultegra chain. Has cutouts in the links... little lighter I guess. Never seen them like that before.

Works great

yaw

You guys seem to know a bit about it.

I currently run deep cleaned and then squirt waxed Ultegra chains on Ultegra 11 speed.

Will the YBN chain run better on it than a Shimano chain on its own drivetrain?

phrantic09

It won’t I any worse and will last a long time

Psimet2001 

Consistently the worst shifting and most noisy chain I have ever had the displeasure of having to install or ride.

Back to 8spd or 9spd and I think they did a great job. The pooped the bed with 10speed on. Still... better than nothing but it's a bit like saying having a date with someone who is a horrible person that you're not even remotely interested in is better than not having a date at all.