[QUOTE=Ira in Chi]I think SRAM chains are pretty nice, they are made by Sachs, the old german company, who SRAM recently aquired. I use their nickel plated SS chain (don't remember the name), and have found it lasts through about 6 months of constant use. ... QUOTE]

Could this be the SRAM PC-1 Nickel chain? I picked up a couple of these online for about 7 bucks. Haven't tried it yet. I just switched my chain over to a KMC Z-510HX that was made for Eastern Bikes. Haven't gotten any real riding on it, as I just switched it over last night. It's pretty beefy. The important thing is to keep checking your chain for wear and stretch. I had to change out my stock chainring last night also, as it looked kinda worn as well. You can spend as much as you like on a chain, but there are many adequate chains for less. Your style of riding may recquire you to purchase a more expensive chain. It's up to you. When I switched my mtb to ss, I just used a PC-59 by SRAM. The PC-69 is probably higher quality.