Road Cycling - Chains and Cassettes

I measured my chain the other day and it looks like I need to buy a new one. I have notice some weird jumping occassionally but didnt think anything of it. Anyway, should I just stick with the same shimano hg-93 chain that came with it? Or are the sram chains anything special and worth spending 5$ more on? Also, should I replace my cassette as well? Ive heard its a good idea to replace those two at the same time, is that true?
Thanks

You should replace both IF the cassette is worn. If the chain is worn enough to be skipping, you probably need both. You could always just get the chain. If it skips, immediatly get the new cassette.

Shimano vs SRAM. I have used both on my MTB. I didn't notice any differance. I have only used Shimano on the road.

If you just change the chain, you'll notice no real difference between the Shimano and SRAM as far as shifting goes, but the SRAM will last longer, come with the Powerlink for easy removal and install, etc.

Now, pair a SRAM chain with a SRAM cassette and now things truly get much better!

I personally like the SRAM chains primarily because they seem stronger and are easier to do maintenance with due to the PowerLink. Of course you can simply just get a PowerLink and place it on your Shimano chains too. I snapped a couple of older XTR/CN-7700 chains a while back and switched to SRAM. I understand the newer XTR/CN-7703(?) are stronger and addresses a lot of the snappage problems from the past. I still prefer SRAM though. But definately take Avalanche325's advice and if the cassette or chainrings are worn, replace them as well as the chain at the same time.

P.S. If you do decide to go SRAM, you may want to know that some people have said that it doesn't shift as nice on a Shimano drivetrain than with a Shimano chain due to the slightly wider SRAM links. I personally don't notice a difference but I do notice that the SRAM chains seem to scuff up my cassettes more than Shimano.

Agreed on the SRAM. The powerlink makes changes and maintenence almost effortless.

yeah I threw a powerlink on my Shimano chain... best $4 I ever spent

jeff

yeah I threw a powerlink on my Shimano chain... best $4 I ever spent

jeff

Ditto! I much prefer the Shimano DA chains to Srams offerings but use the Sram Powerlink on them. No press-in link and you can pull it off the bike and soak it over night to clean it.

Go with a DA for 20 bucks or so,its just fine.

I, too, got a new chain recently with the Powerlink, but the accompanying literature shows that you need a special tool to take it off. Installing it was a snap, but I can't seem to get it off manually. The instructions don't show how to do this.

Any help??

Why are you taking it off?

I, too, got a new chain recently with the Powerlink, but the accompanying literature shows that you need a special tool to take it off. Installing it was a snap, but I can't seem to get it off manually. The instructions don't show how to do this.

Any help??

Squeeze the plates together and push them towards each other. You will see the pins move from the locked position to the unlocked at which point you should be able to pull the plates apart. Depending on how gunked up the chain is, you may want to spray some degreaser and clean the PowerLink first. I wouldn't be using any tools on the PowerLink to remove it. It's meant to be removed by hand.

Why are you taking it off?

To clean the chain and drivetrain? I find that it's so much easier to clean everything once the chain is off. I pop the chain into a tuperware container with some degreaser, stick it on the washing machine while a cycle is going to let the vibration shake things loose and then pop the back wheel off so I can scrub down the cogs with a toothbrush.

Mine looks like the day i got it just with a plain old park chain cleaner and some citrus cleaner. I dont think it does the chain any good to be talking it off all the time,imo.

Mine looks like the day i got it just with a plain old park chain cleaner and some citrus cleaner. I dont think it does the chain any good to be talking it off all the time,imo.

More so on my MTB but even on my RB, my chain gets pretty gunked up. Maybe it has to do with some of the riding conditions up here in the PNW. I've tried the chain cleaning machines (including the Park) and it takes far longer to clean the chain that way and I use up much more cleaning fluid than just taking the chain off. And in the end, I wasn't really satisfied with the results. My chain still looked pretty dirty and I could hear the grit when I moved the chain around. The PowerLink is pretty tolerant of disassembly so removing and reinstalling it over the typical lifetime of the chain shouldn't produce any ill-effects. I do replace the PowerLink everytime I replace the chain because the new SRAM chains I buy always come with a new PowerLink. I keep an old PowerLink around in my seatpack though so it can be used as a quick emergency fix in case I snap a link (normal or PowerLink).

I measured my chain the other day and it looks like I need to buy a new one. I have notice some weird jumping occassionally but didnt think anything of it. Anyway, should I just stick with the same shimano hg-93 chain that came with it? Or are the sram chains anything special and worth spending 5$ more on? Also, should I replace my cassette as well? Ive heard its a good idea to replace those two at the same time, is that true?
Thanks

Well if you let it go to the point that the chain is skipping, the worn chain has probably worn the cassette. A new chain will skip on a worn cassette. So you probably need to replace both.

I prefer SRAM chains. The power link is simple and reliable and makes taking the chain off very easy.

What exactly is chain skipping? When I shift it always goes to the correct gear. Every once in a while it will sound like it shifted hard but that is maybe once or twice on a 2 hour ride.

It seems to me that the breakdown of opinions are like this:
shimano - better shifting, less durability and ease of use
sram - more durability, easier to clean, doesn't shift as well

I think I might just go for a shimano chain with an SRAM powerlink the next time I buy a chain.

What exactly is chain skipping? When I shift it always goes to the correct gear. Every once in a while it will sound like it shifted hard but that is maybe once or twice on a 2 hour ride.
Chain skipping does not have anything to do with shifting. When a chain or cogs are worn, it does not sit down on the cogs all the way. Then when the chain is under load it will slip out of the cog and onto the next one. I feels like a short jerk on the pedals and sounds like a clunk. It can be very upsetting if you are out of the saddle.

It seems to me that the breakdown of opinions are like this:
shimano - better shifting, less durability and ease of use
sram - more durability, easier to clean, doesn't shift as well

I think I might just go for a shimano chain with an SRAM powerlink the next time I buy a chain.

LBS recommended Wipperman link ($6.95) over the SRAM power link. Seems to work fine although I have no basis of comparison other than lbs opinion.

Again, in order for shifting perfomance to not decrease with a SRAM chain, or to even increase, you should use a SRAM cassette with your SRAM chain...

My experience has shown that they work much better together...