Originally Posted by
dennis336
I'll defer to others on the 6 and 7 speed reference. I thought (may be wrong) that the 'Z' prefix was the going forward name/model version for the 6 and 7 speed but you raise a good question.
Honestly, I find component model numbers are often very confusing (not just KMC but for other manufacturers, too) for someone like me who is trying to get into my own bike maintenance and is trying to figure out what components to buy and what makes a difference in terms of quality and durability. I sometimes will see slight differences in the labels/models on sites like Amazon but it's not always clear if it's just how the seller is labeling it or if there's really a difference. I'm a bit of a cheapskate so I look for price but I don't want to sacrifice obvious quality differences to save a few dollars in the short term. It's probably all quite simple if you're an experienced
mechanic retailer but not so much for someone like me
.
Figuring out how to repair something is pretty much straightforward for a mechanic, but to figure out which product is compatible based on a label, that is not something I'd expect a mechanic to be an expert with as that is a supply (retail) persons' lane.
Do mechanics know what to buy or can figure out which label is correct? Sure. Although, I'd direct the concern to someone in the sales department rather than the tech department.
The day bicycle parts suppliers start using simplified, easy to interpret labels on there packaging will be the day pigs fly.
If I had to point my general product question to just one person, I'd reach out to the engineer.... They should in theory know how to decode the label to know which part is best for the purpose.