I don't even care that it's lighter... đ€„ KMC Gold!
VloĆŸit
- Äas pĆidĂĄn 7. 09. 2024
- Yeah, this is totally unrelated to me adding 8 grams with the new bottom bracket, I decided to try out something that I wanted to try for quite a while... I might be a bit lighter than what it replaces, but who cares? đ€©
Instagram: / ridesofjapan
Behind the scenes Channel: / @rojbts
KMC X11SL Ti-N Gold
US: amzn.to/2Kn3mwP
UK: amzn.to/2Fhpbd3
DE: amzn.to/2FhetD5
CA: amzn.to/2INSxQX
KMC X11SL Silver
US: amzn.to/2Rrg91W
UK: amzn.to/2Fhp5Cd
DE: amzn.to/31Gx9WE
CA: amzn.to/2KrIVPc
KMC Missing Link
www.kmcchain.eu...
Shimano CN-HG901
US: amzn.to/2Zs3cYr
UK: amzn.to/2Fg6VRk
DE: amzn.to/2FeVo4E
CA: amzn.to/2XpC0vQ
========================
S U P P O R T
If you want to help support this channel, you can use the following links (or the links above) when ordering anything from Amazon. It will not cost you anything extra but a small commission will go to this channel.
USA: amzn.to/2NvudFq
UK: amzn.to/2SxK1se
Germany: amzn.to/2Vp6cCF
Canada: amzn.to/2YhOlQs
You can also use my Amazon storefront for a small collection of bike related items that have been or will be featured in my videos.
www.amazon.com...
Thank you! đ
========================
#kmc #gold #chain
Correction: seems like I must have mixed up the Japanese price for the normal X11SL with the x11sl DLC, so the normal x11sl gold can be found for around the „8000 mark on amazon japan.
Apologies for any confusion đââïž
Thanks for pointing that out Chris Alvis!
nice thanks
Wow.. „8000 for an X11SL gold is a ripoff. In my country I could get them for something less than „5000. I believe aliexpress also do ship them to Japan. A very good set of chain, I use these for every bike I own.
there great chains
even comparing to campagnolo
they last and quiet
I use cheaper SL silver for mountainbike
I like your film, it is really interesting. I used X10SL gold in Taiwan for many years, it is good especially in looking. You can easily find KMC X11SL or X10SL golds on Yahoo bid, Taiwan and price will be the same in physical store. Since this stuff is manufactured in Taiwan, price on the internet is around NT$1,300 which is about „4,400. Humm....the distributer in Japan really knows how to make money. If you have the chance to visit Taiwan, let's say the Taipei cycle show, do not forget to bring some back to Japan.
Always check both Amazon.com and amazon.jp.co. Often the âsecondary sellersâ will sell to the other countries.
That 80s music for the chain b-roll. YES! THUMBS UP!
Nothing beats the 80s! đ
song name pls!!
@@antonlasy7501 Sunstorm - ELFL
@@ridesofjapan YEEEEEEES!!!!
Lama 3:22
I have been using these KMC chains for 8 years and I really like them. I like to keep my chain really clean and it is really easy with this gold chain as you can easily see when there is even the slightest buildup of grease on it. I enjoy your videos......thanks.
bling! Your video making skills are about at commercial TV grade now. Excellent.
Hehe, don't know about that, but much appreciated! đ
Rich Fi agreed!!
@@ridesofjapan Well you're definitely doing something right. I just watched a 10 minute video about a type of bicycle chain that I already have.
@@DavidJKM Don't know if I should say "Thanks" or "Sorry".... so, thanks and sorry! đ
Totally are!!
One of the best cycling channelsđ, instant like
FYI I had one of those chains (silver) snap during a climb only after 300 km use (still had the factory lube); and it had 3 more cracked plates ready to snap. KMC sent me a new one free of charge after I documented the failure with photos. Didn't even had to send the chain to them. I would recommend very gentle chemicals for cleaning and no degreasers (maybe automotive brake cleaner applied to a rag for wiping only - no dipping).
My hypothesis is that degreasers tend to dry up the metal too much, then the lube you apply doesn't penetrate deep enough. Manufacturers say you cannot apply lube to some areas so the factory lube (which is applied ring-by-ring while assembling the chain) is best kept as much and as long as possible in the rollers.
Unless youâre degreasing with hydrofluoric acid cracking plates suggests a serious material problem
I would never have thought having a smile by watching a video about a chain.. Great editing, music, humour and info. Well done man! Keep it up :)
Best Gold chain I can recommend is the YBN Gold chain....quieter than KMC and about the same price, cheaper than a Dura Ace here in Oz...love the dedication on these vids - amazing!!!
Cheers mate đ
HAH - I saw this chain on sale at REI and I was like yep, I don't even care if I just bought a new chain for my build - MUST BUY
I have the same chain on my old Giant NRS-C1. When I asked my local mechanic about finding a Gold chain, he just kind of looked at me like "wtf bro?" but he found it and I LOVE IT. (yes, I have a mechanic 'cause homey ain't got time for that!)
It still looks like magic to me seeing gears shifting!
It ain't the thing without the Bling! Got the same chain on my red BMC SLR01 with Specialized Turbo Cottons. It really pops with the red frame and gumwall tires!
The TiN coating is slightly slicker than uncoated metal as well. No clue how many watts you save. It's probably not many, but it's something if you're chasing marginal gains.
I am using that 1 time link many times already without any issue, I make sure to put some lube before linking them back. Also, the KMC lube are worth trying, they are the best lube I have tried.
Litening Pedals didnât know they make their own lube.
Cheers for the tip đ
the sketch as an intro was really nice!
It's pretty easy and super duper cheap to make your own wax lube. I made what I think will be a lifetime supply of it in an old rice cooker =). Best stuff I've ever used.
I like the gold chain with the blue frame. Reminds me of SWEDEN!
jag vill leva jag vill dö i norden! đžđȘ (Fast jag Lever i Japan ett tag till hehe)
Now I want a gold chain to go with my blue bike and gold pedals. Thanks! :-p
Larry White sounds like a no brainer ;)
3 parts of parrafin, 1 part of fresh engine oil. Clean lube from new chain, melt parrafin mix, dip chain for 15 mins, take out, wipe and leave to cool down. Enjoy smooth and extremely clean ride. Repeat every 400 km.
Yeah one of the teams in the Tour Down Under was using the these kmc gold chain which looks really cool so I've started using them as well had absolutely no problems performance is very good. Once you oil the chain they get very grey in colour slight negative the beautiful gold lustre is no longer there
Saw this a few months ago, and when I started a new build a few weeks ago, it is deliciously beautiful and inaggre weight be dammed it's HOT looking. Thanks for the tip!
I did my first ride on a Squirt applied chain. It seemed noticeably smoother, or slicker, or something. We'll see how long it lasts, but so far I like it!
You just keep increasing the quality of the shots, always thrilled to see a new video pop-up. Instant like of course.
đ
Loving your videos. Your intros are becoming a piece of art!
Adding weight is never easy, but sometimes, as painful as it can be, necessary for better performance. When it's time to replace the chain, might want to check out the PYC SP1101. It's lighter than the KMC (mine was 228g uncut, 218g fitted), and at least in the US pretty cheap (~$30).
Andrew Van Til cheers for the tip, will take note of that đ
A Shimano chain will indeed be rusty as hell after leaving it uncleaned for a week inside a plastic bag. A KMC one, on the other hand, mostly likely won't. That being said, after swearing by KMC chains in the past 10 years for this exact reason, I also realised recently that Shimano chains on Shimano gears are far more silent than KMC ones. Priorities, priorities...
Iâve broken one chain. One of my first legit bikes as an adult, Spec. Camber. Going up the last hill on the last lap of a 3hr XC raceđ. Totally due to non-maintenance! Learned my lesson!
If you can find it, Smoove lube is hands down the best chain lube I've ever used on any of my bikes (Squirt is probably my 2nd choice for off road, Silca oil being my 2nd choice for on road).
Gear box oil 90W , used on mtorcycle chains , if it works for 100 plus horse power its going to work on your 1/2 horse power
@@patthewoodboy
Motorcycle lubes are too thick. Designed to resist fling off on 200+ hp sport bikes and god level RPMs.
Sure, its will protect your drivetrain, but It'll rob you of watts. Guaranteed. It's just "too good" for a mere human powered machine.
@@stinkyfungus its not a motorcycle chain oil its 90w gearbox oil and isnt sticky at all.
I use kmc sl chains. I found on my 1x gravel bike which is 11speed. That 10speed chain works fine and makes less noise than a 11speed chain.
Interesting!đ€
LMAO. One of your funniest intro's to date.
David Schroeder đ„șđ
I run Campag super record on my road bike and so have to go through the pain of installing a campag record chain with a very expensive campag chain tool. I thought i would try the KMC gold SL chain for a change and i thought it was amazingly simple to put on and it looked great. However, in my experience it was very noisy in comparison to the campag chain and the changing was not as smooth (please note it was a new chain on a new block). I recently put on another new cassette with a granny gear for mountainous granfondos in Italy and stuck on a campag chain. The difference was huge. Just my personal experience and I notice you donât have any noise issues. The chain doesnât stay gold for very long once you put lube on it and it picks up some dust and it looks like the nitride layer will wear off relatively quickly and it wonât be gold at all. I stuck a 9 speed kmc gold chain on a single speed i built up (3/32 chain ring so it works perfectly) and iâm really happy with it although it is a little noisy.
I use a Wipperman with my Campag (10 sp.) chain and it works well (just as good as the original Campy link). With Squirt, my chain is as quiet as a rubber belt.
Love to know if people are using Campy 11 speed chain on Shimano DI2. I have heard that they are very quite but haven't heard if the shifting is better. Hard to imagine as the Dura Ace chain is pretty quite and shifts great.
Will check out the squirt lube
This guy made me fall in love with blue bikes (used to love red bikes), now I want a gold chain on mine
Gold Titanium Nitride is life!!
two weeks between videos !! omg I almost fainted from holding my breath. I thought you'd flow off a bridge attached to the business end of a mavic drone. :D wonderful Video as always keep them coming !!
CF O'Sullivan sorry mate... this is about the time I need now đ (riding come before making videos đ)
Cheers!
I usually use a wax lube I make myself, which is really clean. The one drawback is, it needs to be softened pryor to using it each time. I bought Squirt for those occasions when I couldn't fluff around like that. It's a good lube, good in the wet too, but dirtier than my home made stuff.
need to apply the Squirt the night before to let the water component dry overnight.
As someone that has used Squirt... I think you might be disappointed. Yes... it is good stuff. Unfortunately, it clogs up your rear derailleur cogs. I now use Rock n' Roll Extreme Lube.
Cannot confirm. But that's two anecdotes, no study.
Jaques Connard cheers for the âwarningâ
To be honest Iâm going into squirt with some skepticism ... I think a lot of people recommended it to me because it runs cleaner... but cleaning my bike âlessâ is not something I strive for. If it ends up being harder to clean Iâll probably go back to oil based lubes, but time will tell.
I use squirt my rear jockey wheels are usually full of gunk but I don't clean my bikes, can't blame the lube there.
@@MAGAIVER Gunked up rear jockey wheels really have an effect on shifting performance.
@@jacquesconnard I dont really notice it, shimano's stuff is so good ti shifts well no matter what.
My favorite video of yours by far. It's a piece of art. So many layers:)
I usually ride KMC because the quick links are easier to use than Shimano. I live in Japan I buy parts from chain reaction cycles. You get free postage on orders more than „5000 I think
Sweet, cheers for the tip!
Just come across your channel, subscribed and watched this video. Well, good to see that I am not the only one to have a T40 on my road bike. This comes really handy at the end of long tides when you have to go over hills.
Love my KMC, anecdotally it has our lasted both my last two chains of comparable cost: SRAM and Shimano - and is a great accent colour.
Graptos thanks for that!
great to hear other users experiences! Cheers đ
KMC chains are top of the pops,but german company KEIL produces leightweight parts,also chains.
Titanium chain triple hollow 110 pcs at 225gr for 160âŹ...
Just take a look at all the models,they are about the same quality as KMC,but always a bit cheaper(i doubt
KMC ever put out a titanium chain?!)
I've always thought Dura ace chains are better than KMC chains in my experience. Although KMC cutout chains are lighter, Shimano chains have always been the quietest and shift smoother than others (on full shimano parts). Even though they are heavier, they are also more robust and easier to clean. If you could get DA chains for 40 USD in Japan, and 140ish for KMC, its a total no brainer for me.
Francis Lai that was pretty much what I was thinking going in to this (not having tried KMC before though)
But Iâm always up to try something different and knew I would save a few grams and I was curious how a gold chain would look on my bike in real life.
Like I said at the end I was actually surprised of how quiet is was compared to my old chain (that was worn I will admit). Also a 1x drivetrain with narrow-wide chain ring and wide spread cassette will be noisier than a tight 2x road drive train no matter the chain, so that could also be a factor.
So for now Iâm very happy with both shifting and the noise, long-term remain to be seen.
Cheers for the input, always interested to hear other peopleâs experience with the same parts đ
@@ridesofjapan Yea I feel a narrow wide single chain ring will run noisier you are right.
Still an awesome setup though! Good stuff!!
My go to chain! Road, MTB, Gravel...
The special coating gives that chain a special character-had nothing like that before-i run it on a 7801 Dura ace drivetrain with big(4,2cm) ceramic bearings-runs like hell,never even thought about etap or DI2 crap .
Also this chain runs twice as long as for example the Dura ace chain,i was very impressed.
Given you keep your drivetrain clean
I'm not a fan of gold. Don't like it on jewelry. Can't stand it on cars. I couldn't tell you why this is the case but when it comes to bikes, regardless of the color scheme, a clean gold chain looks absolutely amazing to my eye.
no one:
soknik01: I'm not a fan of gold. Don't like it on jewelry. Can't stand it on cars. I couldn't tell you why this is the case but when it comes to bikes, regardless of the color scheme, a clean gold chain looks absolutely amazing to my eye.
yes Squirt lube is the best! But you need to know how to use it. Apply it the night before to allow the water component to dry off. If you dont, it will make your drive train slightly dirtier. Dont apply just before a ride. If yoi're in a hurry, maybe get a table fan to blow at the drivetrain for an hour.
i had this kmc chain for the golden bling points and changed to dura-ace. The dura-ace is quiter in my experience and the hollow links on the kmc makes you loose watts on sprints...
You can buy the kmc chain from merucari, there are some dealers selling the kmc gold chain at 6500yen.
Exactly what I needed to know, if the hollow pins are removable for other bike sizes. I ride a lightweight BMX. Thank you for the info Sir!!
As always, the quality on your videos is superb!!! BTW never used KMC chains before, I'll give it a try next time....
Itâs tough, the dura ace chain has lower friction, but the kmc chain doesnât rust. I wish I could have both.
Gold looks GREAT!
Nice one.. same here using kmc gold chain on my giant tcr
Titanium nitride is a popular dry film lubricant coating.
Itâs relatively hard and smooth so it should be easier to clean and the gear shifting should be smoother(even if one doesnât notice it.
bikebug.com sells the chain for 5300 Yen and shipping to Japan is 1800. If you combine it with some other products, it works out to be a pretty good deal.
Picked up a pair of Lake CX301 shoes for only 15,800 from them as well as some Squirt.
Good to know!
Almost always worth putting in small parts like that when ordering something bigger đ
@@ridesofjapan Oh yeah, and some Morgan Blue. ;) Don't think I'll have too much use for it though after cleaning the chain and cassette with it and then going with the Squirt. Like you, I was waiting to use up my current lube before trying the Squirt.
Love your videos, very cool editing!Btw, I have the gold Sram XX1 chain and it seems to be more durable than other chains
Fraser Kynaston sram eagle xx1 chain works well on shimano 11speed drivetrains
the humor is incredible
Ceramicspeed ufo drip, is the best wax base lubricate hands down.
It's extremely noisy tough.
And extremely expensive đ
Rides of Japan definitely worth it though, especially if you like a clean drivetrain.
@@TheKampklovn Extremely....not too loud on a 1X.
Man, I laugh so hard. The intro is worth an Oscar.
That intro was gold đ
Great video, I didn't get on with squirt lube it clumped around non moving parts, degreaser doesn't remove it I guess because of being wax, switched to rock n roll extreme lube which cleans at the same time.
Paul .T good to know, time will tell how it turns out.
Cheers!
Nice to hear that you are happy with kmc sl. You should try molten speed wax. More work yes but I think you will probably enjoy the new nerdy process!
Im trying Moulton wax, its louder though. Have you tried the power?
If you mean race powder, no I did not.
@@alpsatiroglu I did mean race powder. Thanks
0:40 i had to laugh so hard! :)
same here ... my screamy laughter scared the cat away big time :D
8g? What does that stand for? :D
I watch this for the lols. This video was one of the best
Your bike is as _CLEAN_ as a maiden's honor!
YBN (Yaban) make a similar chain which, I've found are less expensive than KMC and longer lasting. At least for me as I use Smoove as an superior alternative to
Always found KMC chains felt better than Shimano on my Ultegra set up. Haven't tried vs Dura-Ace yet, but will do. Black & silver = hot or not?
I love using Squirt lube but it will wear off quickly in the rain. I don't remove the factory lube. I just use the factory lube for a while then start using Squirt. When lubing with Squirt, to minimize attracting dirt, let it dry and wipe the chain before riding.
Agree, it helps if you use a rag with a little degreaser on it so the rag runs smoother and doesn't stick to the chain as much. Also got caught in the rain, just dried the chain, used a little degreaser on the side plates that had muc on them, reapplied Squirt without doing the super re-cleaning that you do to an older chain you have used petroleum based lub on before 1st application using Squirt, worked great. Also found it best to use Squirt the night before, add 2nd application the next morning and make sure it's dry before you ride. Chain stays super clean, not that I care about that, (couldn't resist!!) : )
Squirt didn't work for me at all when I hadn't properly degreased the chain. The factory lube blocked it from penetrating the rollers and all the Squirt Wax ever did was building up nasty wax boogers all over the chain. Properly degreasing the chain did the trick.
@@danielbum912 Yep, you MUST clean the petroleum lube off, like, running a rag on the chain should still look clean, that's how clean the chain needs to be before applying squirt or the Squirt won't work.
@@pbarr1935 from my experience "running a rag" clean is not enough as it only gives an indication of the outside cleanliness. Chain needs to be submerged, and multiple times, to get all the lube from deep inside out in order to get the wax to penetrate the rollers.
@@danielbum912 You are absolutely right, What I was meaning was you have to super clean, multiple times for sure before applying Squirt the 1st time, I took my chain off and soaked overnight and rinsed and cleaned until a rag was clean when I dyed it off, that's how clean it has to be. THEN, you can reapply Squirt, even after getting your chain wet WITHOUT the super clean procedure. I guess I wasn't very clear, sorry about that. : )
For every machine/bike motorcycle that I own there is only one colour for chains G O L D hahaha, I don't trust people who don't buy gold chains
Your videos are getting better and better! So enjoyable
Rixter nothing better than to hear people enjoying them đ
Cheers!
@Rixter âBill the catâ đđ I havenât seen him in a while.
@@lorenzsiggel1515 He's alive and well
Billy and the Boingers....best band ever. đ
They need a harder ceramic coating that'll resist wear. Maybe cubic boron nitride. A lot of us would kill for a chain that wouldn't "stretch" or need to be lubed. I don't care about saving 8 grams, about 1/4 ounce.
KMC X8.99/X8 Bicycle Chain (1/2 x 3/32-Inch, 116L, Silver)
Great chin
I have the same KMC gold chain :) LOVE IT
I had a single-use KMC quick link pop on me before. Horrible feeling, but I did have a spare at least.
Cheers for the info... looking closely at the single use link I can definitely see it getting weaker after a few Installs. Iâll keep mine as a backup for now.
@@ridesofjapan my link had a few uses on it. I only reuse the ones marked as reusable now.
Wow. That's a VERY clean bike @ 1:21
Another vote for Squirt wax lube. It can be had relatively cheap in Japan, too.
Nice chain. Do you also wax your chains? Would also like to see a video about the kit you are wearing. What's the brand of your cap? Keep on making these awesome videos. I especially like that you know how silly some of the stuff is you(we) do all the time and that you don't take everything too serious.
Very sturdy and heavy bike!!!
Shane Miller brought me here! Good stuff!
jeff cottrell bless that hero! đŠ
Their chains are by far and away the best. Shouldâve gone with KMC a long time ago. But those Japanese prices. OMG
I snapped an X10SL... and it took my X0 derailleur with it. đ€Ź
F
Love the videos Rides of Japan. Out of interest, have you had any frame protection wrap added to protect from stone chips?
Cheers mate!
Nope, only use protective tape for the areas where bikepacking bags rubs on the frame.
You need to start buying from merlincycles.com based in the UK. Iâm in Korea and I buy almost all my stuff from them. The gold KMC SL chain is less than $49 on there and the gold KMC EL chain which I bought ( I donât have that weight disease) is under $34. This is the cheapest place anywhere on the net!
New lighter version of the Easton EC90 SL coming out in late July.
Oh crap!! đ±
The chain of TIPSUM seems light & cheaper than KMC. I will buy this for my next chain.
have you looked at YBN chains..come in GOLD! the best, great vid
Love your vids, but love your cycling caps more. Where do you get them?
voidcycling.com
And i always thought, that the kmc stuff is the cheep stuff. The chain cost about 35⏠(4250yen) at the local bike shop, while shimano, campagnolo and sram chains are around the 50⏠(6000yen) mark.
KMC manufactures some chains for Shimano. ;-)
Always name the model number as well. Merely "Shimano" is ambiguous.
RUN KMC! I pity the bike that doesn't have a gold chain!.......
Don't tell anyone but it's KMC that makes Shimano's chains for them
Jonny the Legs yes, apart from their higher tier chains (from what Iâve heard)
@@ridesofjapan yeah it maybe dura ace but I don't know who'd make it or why, kmc do a sterling job.
Jonny the Legs agreed, very happy with this chain so far.
@@ridesofjapan I think I've been using them for around 15 years or so now, it's all smiles and miles for me. You can pick the gold ones up for ÂŁ35 for the solid pin and about ÂŁ45 for the hollow pin sometimes less with a bit timely hunting and yeah squirt lubes all the way, well until I start waxing that isđ
Nice chain. Will be perfect on my new gold (olive) Cervelo Aspero gravel bike. BTW what actually are you doing in Japan?
You dont have to use tool when installing the missing link just smack the crank down and the chain will snap into placeđ€Ł
Impressive intro! Top quality stuff.
đ
The Ti-N coating is super hard. Does that make for longer chain life (if properly cleaned by a non-fetishistđ)? I have a silver KMC chain for 7-8 speed in my spare box for the ancient MTB....havenât tried it yet since the Shia no chain is still good, but bought it for the relatively low price. Another excellent video đđ»
Longer chain life - as compared to what? There's an array of coatings and alloys that reduce rusting. Usually chain stretch is main reason for discarding.
Time will tell, but Iâm prone to swap chains way before itâs considered âworn outâ... once they start getting hard to clean to sparkly finish is when The ocd kicks in and Iâll swap it for a new one đ
Itâs called chain stretch but the chain doesnât actually stretch. The apparent lengthening is due to wear of the roller pins. That is why regular, thorough chain cleaning extends the life of the chain by removing the fine abrasive particles. Ti-N coating is indeed one of many hard coatings but it is relatively cheap and effective, like the gold drill bits that last longer if used with good drilling oil, etc. That is why Iâm wondering if the Ti-N coating helps here since I assume all chain parts are coated, including the roller pins. Iâm not as lets say diligent rather than fanatical as RoJ about chain cleaning but it helps and I keep my chains longer since Iâve gone clean. I donât keep a record of cleaning and chain replacement cycles so itâs all subjective. That said, a shiny chain, especially gold, looks really good and sounds better by not making as much noise. I hate a noisy bike.
cool vids mate. keep up the great work.
6:51 that song, anyone?
The noise of the KMC chain killed it for me. Ran back to Shimano.
Nice sharing. thumbs up. btw, what model is your oakley? looks good
EvZero stride.
Cheers!
@@ridesofjapan Cheers man!
i am buying one, its $49 . i just wrote to the seller asking if its include the quick link and how many links its made of. i need 114 for my 2X10 bycicle.
right now i own a silver KMC but i need to clean it very well, i bought some PTFE Putoline spray.
What do you use in Japan to clean a new chain? Moved to Japan a year ago and any advice would be appreciated, especially since I want to use wax lube. Love your video's, make more!
How I got my first gold chain was my bare metal chain would always rust from sweat dripping off my beard on rides lol