Hi,

On my recently donated bike, I have Campagnolo Chorus 9 groupset. However I've noticed that it has a SRAM 971 chain installed. It was my understanding that a nine spd Campy groupy should be using a 9 speed campy chain.

However, it is also my understanding that 9spd campy chains are hard to come by.

The bike rides fine with the SRAM 971 chain.. However when it comes to replacing the chain, i'm wondering if i should be just sticking with a SRAM 971, or better off finding a Campy 9spd..

Advice please.

Any decent 9-speed (or 10-speed for that matter) KMC, Shimano, SRAM or Wipperman chain will work fine on your bike and all but the Shimano include an easy to use master link for joining. There is no reason to go to the expense and installation difficulty of using a Campy chain.

I've used Wipperman and Shimano chains on otherwise all-Campy 10-speed drivetrains with excellent results for both shifting and durability.

Any chain will work.

C9 chains might work a little better with old cassettes - Exa Drive ramping is designed to engage a protruding chain pin, and unlike the rest of the world Campagnolo didn't switch to flush peened rivets until they introduced 10 cogs.

Exa Drive on left, Ultra Drive on right


That said 9 speed cassettes from ~2000 on use the 10 speed Ultra Drive design made for flush rivets.

C9 chains are also very long lived - I was just reaching 1/32" of stretch on my last one when I moved to 10 cogs around 5000 miles. The last other-brand chain I used didn't take 2000 to break 1/16".

The down side is that they might break easier than chains with flush peened rivets - I've broken 2 or 3 C8 and C9 chains since 1997.

Your favorite UK provider should stock them.

For example, Ribble sell Record C9 chains for $28.18 (you don't pay VAT as an American)

Campagnolo 9 Spd Record Chain, Chains, CHAINS