Originally Posted by
Shimagnolo
I say "idiocy" for having two different incompatible 8s systems. If they want to make changes when they go to more speeds, fine, but incompatible systems of the same speed are just a PITA when replacing parts. I'm not talking about compatibility with other mfgrs, but with their own parts.
They weren't "incompatible" with each other at all. The IG chains could be used on road cassettes and cranks with absolutely no problems and I did it for years. The HG chains also worked just fine on MTB drivetrains if you wanted to do so. The differences were slight and intended to maximize compatibility with the expected gear ranges. Both types used exactly the same connecting pins.