Patriot

Well, this is my quick review of the IRD 990 Pro nickel plated chain. I got it from CBO on sale for about $20. My first impression was good. As I pulled it out of the shoe polish container they come in, I inmmediately said to myself, "looks like a rebadged SRAM chain". The "Snap Link" looks exactly the same as the SRAM powerlink. Same design and shape. The chain itself has a very nice finish and the expected robust feeling of a 9spd chain. When clean, it looks absolutely fantastic with its nickel finish. I goes well with any high end group without the drab black or teflon coated look of other chains.

The shifting on my first few rides was flawless, and very tempermental without too many unexpected pings, even when shifting under load.

Then a fews hard rides in, the Snap Link broke. The pin welded to the side of the link plate came loose, and it would not function properly, as the shifting would skip, and it will come unlinked on its own under stress. Not good.

So, I went to the LBS and replaced it with a Wippermenn 9s Connex link. Much stronger than the SRAM or IRD design. Since then, I have had no problems with the chain.

Overall, I give it a thumbs up. Of course, I have only been using it for a couple months now, so the long term impression is still out. For an affordable nice looking chain, I recommend the 990 Pro nickel plated version over the other IRD's. It may be a couple bucks more, but definitely worth it imo.