Cycling UK Forum

Was in my !ocal wilko yesterday.

5 to 8 speed chain £1.25, 9 speed £3.50, 1 to 3 speed £1.00.

Way too cheap to be any good, a positive threat to your drive train, or an eventual "peace dividend" reward for the widespread move to 10 and 11 speed?

They also had some schwalbe 700 schrader tubes for £2.50.

only one way to find out.....

BTW the manufacturer of the chain is often marked on the chain's links.
Periodically stores like wilco sell stock off at low prices. No idea why, but I have bought items such as tyres for £1 each in there before now.

cheers

Thanks brucey. Will take a closer peer at the chain links and see if I can see anything. I periodically pop in to wilko to check what they have. Used to sell decent cyclo tools though no more. One of their bike oils looks rather like decent weldtite stuff to me.tf2 performance perhaps?

is it more the tolerances to which chains are made that improve quality? more than the material.

Heat treatment makes them last better. All the SRAM ones except the cheapest have it.
Probably better finishing makes them run quieter too.

mig wrote:is it more the tolerances to which chains are made that improve quality? more than the material.

both can vary.

IMHO a lot of chains (on average eg commuting rider's bikes) die because they are neglected, at a tiny fraction of the expected life. Near to me the LBS scrap bins are presently littered with chains that have done very few miles but have corroded horribly in the winter weather, for example. It matters little if the chain has hardened pins or not; under these conditions it will fail anyway.

cheers

Sweep wrote:Was in my !ocal wilko yesterday.

5 to 8 speed chain £1.25, 9 speed £3.50, 1 to 3 speed £1.00.

Way too cheap to be any good, a positive threat to your drive train, or an eventual "peace dividend" reward for the widespread move to 10 and 11 speed?

They also had some schwalbe 700 schrader tubes for £2.50.

hmm well dont blame me this time I aint said nothin viz the Halfords chains

Sweep wrote:Was in my !ocal wilko yesterday.

5 to 8 speed chain £1.25, 9 speed £3.50, 1 to 3 speed £1.00.

Way too cheap to be any good, a positive threat to your drive train, or an eventual "peace dividend" reward for the widespread move to 10 and 11 speed?

They also had some schwalbe 700 schrader tubes for £2.50.

Thanks, I'm popping into town tomorrow and will have a look in my local Wilko's

Part of the principle of these shops (inc Aldi, TK Max) is to buy large amounts of older stock, at greatly reduced priced with the theory of being able to sell them off quickly cheap and still make profits. I know people who have brought cycle clothes very cheap in Aldi's and been very happy with them.

whoof wrote:

Sweep wrote:Was in my !ocal wilko yesterday.

5 to 8 speed chain £1.25, 9 speed £3.50, 1 to 3 speed £1.00.

Way too cheap to be any good, a positive threat to your drive train, or an eventual "peace dividend" reward for the widespread move to 10 and 11 speed?

They also had some schwalbe 700 schrader tubes for £2.50.

Thanks, I'm popping into town tomorrow and will have a look in my local Wilko's

Thanks whoof - do please report back (and anyone else of course) if you manage to decypher anything stamped on the links as per Brucey's tip.

Wilko have sold good YABA and ropey TAYA in their boxes in the past.

mjr's comment on the quality of at least some of TAYA chains underlines the reputation that this company has with some cyclists. I have used TAYA chains for many years without any problems. They may not be the most long lasting but they have always given me good value. I have asked before on this forum for anyone with specific information to the contrary to let us all know. There have been no replies so theorigin of the reputation remains obscure.

mjr wrote:Wilko have sold good YABA....

by which I assume you mean Yaban chain, that is usually marked 'YBN' on the links themselves.

Most chain makers make good chains that wear well and cheaper chains that wear more quickly. The trick is knowing which is which.

cheers

Don't suppose you have a list of chain link marks brucey?

Any idea what a Z signifies? Saw on a no name chain the other day, not in wilko.

Excuse my ignorance, but I don't get around much with chains, have remained faithful to SRAM for years.

YBN chain


most Yaban chains have the small 'YBN' marks at the ends of the outer side plate.

The most common type of chain with 'Z' on it is currently KMC (again a small 'KMC' mark near the rivet)



but there have been others, I think.

cheers