I'm contemplating buying a stainless chain for one of my rigs. Good idea? Bad? The reason I'm considering is that my "end-of-ride" maintenance usually consists of spraying the bike down with the garden hose & wiping with a rag. Cheap chains, I've noticed have a tendency to rust. Stainless might avoid that malady?

Second question (if and only if the answer to my first was a "yes): Does anyone make a stainless chain for an 8-speed? I see plenty of 9s and 10s, but have yet to find an 8.

Thanks!

If your bike isn't caked in mud or wet, hosing it down after every ride is just bad for your bike.

I agree. Water is only for extremely sticky mud in my case. I use a 2" soft paintbrush to get the dirt/mud off after it dries. I use a 1/2" bush to clean around the shock and fork seals and to clean the derailleurs. I wipe the shock/fork with a rag to protect the seals.

Corrosion from water is worst than dry mud. Water is not healthy for bearings and bushings.

Al

I never hose my bike off, get a rag or whatnot and use that to get off the mud. If you want to prevent rust on the chain try using an oil lubricant. The chain is just not ment for that large amount of water

I've been looking for stainless chains for a couple of seven speed bikes I have. I've never seen one. It would be nice to have a chain that could never rust. I'm in the habit of replacing most of the fasteners on my bikes with stainless. Rust is the worst enemy of bikes.

True enough.

To the original question, though: provided you don't use an s/s chain as defense against daily assaults on your bike, there's probably no inherent downside to using an s/s chain.

The old axiom still applies, though: get the cheapest chain you can that's compatible with your drivetrain.

Another caveat, especially if you ride a steel framed bike: that NON-s/s chain is a canary in a coal mine. If it's getting rusty, then other things (brake return springs, pinch bolts, innards on shifter and brake levers, the inside of that frame that you forgot to treat with Weigle's or linseed oil or ....) are probably getting screwed. And since we *all* keep a close eye on our chains with some regularity (right?), it's an easy reminder....

Just my $0.02

I hose off my bike ALL THE TIME, and it's a road bike at that. It's the only way to get the sweat salt out of all the nooks and crannies where parts come together.

As far as a stainless chain goes, I wouldn't bother. As long as you keep your regular chain lubed properly, rust should not be an issue.

Yeah, but come on: you and I have more to worry about with smog than rust

Any thoughts on nickel chains vs stainless?

Also, the LBS told me that I could run a nine speed chain on an eight speed drivetrain with no problems at all. It would seem to me that the narrower (nine speed) chain would be more likely to fall between chainwheel rings and more likely to suffer chain suck. Any comments on using the narrower chain on the eight speed drivetrain?