The 7 Best Bike Chains for Hard Pedaling and Smooth Shifting

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The chain is the hardest working component of your bike. Each link articulates around chainrings and cassette cogs which amount to thousands of bends per minute. To top it off, your chain is always exposed to the full wrath of the road—water, dirt, and grime. Add to that mix the friction that comes through the act of pedaling, and you can quickly understand why having a decent chain, in fine working order, will make the difference between a pleasurable spin and a gruesome grind.

Chains are constructed of plates, pins, and rollers. Less expensive chains are typically made of lower-grade steel and will likely lack any surface hardening or low-friction coatings to improve efficiency. Premium chains are constructed of higher grades of steel, manufactured to tighter tolerances, and may be treated with compounds to harden pins and/or rollers.

For racers, premium chains are the optimal choice. For everyone else, including recreational riders, cheap chains are not always the appropriate choice. If you pay attention to wear, a cheaper chain can serve you well. However, if you’re not maintenance minded, cheap chains that wear quickly can lead to expensive repairs.

Over time, because of the friction caused by the metal chain articulating around metal chainrings and cassette cogs, the pins and inner links of your chain will wear. This causes what is commonly called “chain stretch” —which can lead to poor shift quality, and undue wear on the entire drivetrain. If you zip past the manufacturer's recommended wear mark that serves as the guideline for replacement, you may find yourself needing to buy a new cassette and sometimes even new chain rings. The costs can quickly add up, all for having saved a few bucks on a cheap chain.

Thankfully, bike chains are inexpensive to replace, especially if you do the work yourself. Choosing the best chain for your bike is straightforward if you know what components are on your bike. In most instances, the drivetrain improvements you gain by investing in expensive chains with lighter components are not worth the price.

To learn how to make your bike run like new with every turn of the cranks, read on.

Best Bike Chains

• Best Shimano 12-Speed For Road or MTB: Shimano Ultegra Deore XT 12-Speed (CN-M8100)

• Best SRAM 12-Speed for Road: SRAM Force 12-Speed

• Best SRAM 12-Speed for MTB: SRAM X01 Eagle 12-Speed

• Best Shimano 11-Speed for Road or MTB: Shimano Ultegra Deore XT 11-Speed (CN-HG701)

• Best 11 Speed: YBN SLA 11-Speed

What to Consider in a Bike Chain

Speeds

The number of cassette cogs dictates your choice of bike chain. Modern drivetrains—consisting of the derailleur, cassette, and chain—rely on precision machining and integration to function smoothly. The more speeds a drivetrain has, the thinner the chain; although the difference might be fractions of a millimeter, that’s a significant amount given the miniscule width of cogs and the gaps between them. A chain designed for an 11-speed cassette should only be used with that number of cogs, otherwise shifting will be poor—or worse, the chain will not fit in the drivetrain.

Brand

Modern groupsets (especially 11, 12, and now 13-speed) are made with proprietary specifications that make it inadvisable to mix and match brands. In other words, Shimano chains work best with Shimano chainrings, as the shift ramps and chains are designed as a system. Some brands, such as KMC and YBN, offer chains that can fit all brands, but such universal designs can lead to compromises that reduce shifting precision and speed. Additionally, master links—the fasteners that connect either end of the chain to fashion a loop—are usually speed- and brand-specific as well, and the incorrect size could either disrupt shifting or become a safety issue.

Weight Versus Durability

Many of the best (most efficient and highest performing) chains will already be the lightest. Look for chains with weight-saving details like hollow pins or extra-thin plates. If durability and longevity are the primary characteristics of your ideal chain, look for those with treatments, such as nickel, chrome, or other coatings, that help fend off wear and corrosion.

Singlespeed Drivetrains

Without derailleurs, shift ramps, and cassettes, single-gear drivetrains are a category unto themselves. Singlespeed cogs and chainrings are typically wider: 1/8-inch chains are standard, particularly for track bikes; however, 3/32-inch chains (for example, 9-speed chains) are also commonly used. Using an old chain, cog, and chainring from a multi-speed drivetrain as a substitute for a singlespeed configuration is not recommended. The multi-speed parts are designed with smooth shifting as the goal; therefore, they are meant to move from one cog to the other, and back again, efficiently. This is not what you want in a singlespeed drivetrain.

How We Selected Bike Chains

For these recommendations, I relied on the many years of experience I have maintaining my own fleet of bikes, as well as those bikes of companies I’ve worked for. This firsthand experience informs many of my conclusions about the best chains in this roundup. Furthermore, I discussed chain characteristics, longevity, and efficiency with colleagues in the cycling industry and also with experienced professional mechanics. Finally, I consulted with the chain experts who conduct independent research at Zero Friction Cycling. These are the best bike chains to purchase now.

Ultegra Deore XT 12-Speed (CN-M8100)

While Shimano’s chains are known for their precise shifting (in conjunction with the company’s chainring and cassette designs), the 12-speed chain is also one of the most durable on the market, according to independent testing. Shimano’s groupset design means that one Shimano chain can reliably fit on all same-speed Shimano drivetrains, be they mountain or road. This Ultegra option is no different, fitting every Shimano 12-speed groupset perfectly.

Force 12-Speed

SRAM’s AXS road groupsets require “flat top” chain designs—this allows for a narrower and presumably quieter design, all while retaining strength. The hard chrome-plated inner link plates and rollers increase life. The Force chain lacks lightweight hollow pins, unlike the Red-level chain, but the upgrade is not worth the extra cost.

X01 Eagle 12-Speed

While there are less expensive Eagle series chains, like the GX, the hard chrome technology of the X01 chain extends the optimal performance life. In fact, the experts at Zero Friction Cycling note there is a huge wear rate longevity drop from GX to X01. They go so far as to say a GX chain is “not worth the money.” Not only will the X01 last longer, it is also a lighter, smoother shifting chain.

Ultegra Deore XT 11-Speed (CN-HG701)

Shimano’s Ultegra 11-speed groupset has been the benchmark for precise and efficient shifting ever since it was introduced (the Ultegra 6800 series debuted in 2013). The CN-HG701 chain boasts an anti-friction Sil-Tec coating that takes the edge off every shift, making the drivetrain more efficient and less susceptible to wear. Plus, in Shimano fashion, it works with everything 11-speed.

SLA 11-Speed

According to the folks at Zero Friction Cycling, which has spent thousands of hours testing chains for efficiency and durability, the YBN SLA is their top recommendation due to its overall balance of superior efficiency and outstanding longevity. For the racers out there, it’s also noteworthy that the chain’s coatings work well with the fastest lubricants on the market. As a benchmark, the YBN has approximately 50 percent greater longevity when compared to Shimano Ultegra chains (it just might not shift quite as well).

SLA901 9-Speed

As every model year passes, it gets increasingly difficult to find a quality 9-speed chain; most brands only continue to offer their most budget option—for which you get very budget performance and poor longevity. That’s why the YBN SLA901 chain stands out. According to the experts at Zero Friction Cycling, it is the fastest, longest lasting, and bes performing 9-speed chain still on the market “by absolute miles.”

Record 11

Campagnolo has a reputation for crafting precise components, although sometimes that precision gets in the way of their practicality. Nevertheless, if you swear by the Italian brand, you know that it’s best to pair Campy components with original manufacturer equipment. The Record chain is no different, offering a high-quality chain that needs an equally high-priced tool to be installed properly. The plates are so thin that most normal chain tools aren’t precise enough to avoid damaging them, but this thinness makes for a fast, dead-silent shift every time.

Expert Chris Case Checks In With Pro Mechanic Zach Edwards for Bike Chain Maintenance Tips

I reached out to pro mechanic Zach Edwards, owner of Boulder Grupetto, based in Boulder, Colo., a service-only bike shop, to talk about his recommendations for optimizing the longevity and efficiency of your chain and drivetrain.

What are your tips for improving chain longevity?

The simplest thing is just keeping the chain and drivetrain clean. At most, this should involve a citrus degreaser and some brushes. Give it a nice scrub when you wash your bike. But just wiping off your chain with a dry rag to wipe off any excess grime is going to go a long way.

Do you recommend waxing your chain in order to maximize efficiency?

Traditionally, the people that need to wax are the people that will never wax because they don’t take care of their bike at all and ride it into the ground. Their drivetrain is just completely disgusting. Those are the ones who would benefit from some waxing—or simply just better maintenance. Whereas people who do wax their chains and have done so the last few years, they are already obsessive and clean their bikes after every ride. The main thing is to keep it all clean and lubed regularly.

What is your preferred method for checking chain wear?

I have at least five different chain checkers, depending on the brand and speed of the chain. Particularly with the new 12-speed chains, you have to measure them a little bit differently because the pins are a different size. Instead of the traditional “stretch” measurement, it’s more of a pin-to-pin measurement. But it’s just a different tool. When checking, make sure you use the appropriate tool for the chain you have.

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