Review: KMC X10SL Silver 10 Speed Chain

By -

Lightweight and durable

Fits nicely with my XT - Deore drivetrain

Weight is 253 grams for the 116 links. Chamfered inner and outer plates for smooth shifting. I'm not a fan of gold chains so I got the silver one. I know that the gold chain offers more than bling but gold is really not for me.

I have used this chain for more than 6 months now on trails and on roads. My setup is a 2x10 drivetrain with XT cogs and Rear Mech, Deore Front Mech and Chainrings on my 27.5 hardtail bike. I have ridden this for more than 200kms and in most tropical riding conditions (hot, humid, and rainy).

Performs as expected

With a high-end chain like this, it is expected to perform well. No chain stretch up to this point. Haven't broken a link yet so all is checked for durability.

Shifting is smooth. Partnered with an XT cog and rear mech, this chain shifts fast and fluid.

Noisy

I've noticed a significant noise coming from the chain when the chainline is not straight. I'm running a 2x10 and I'm not overly cross chaining the drivetrain. When in the big chainring, the noise would get louder as I get from the 5th gear to the 1st gear. Even my fellow biker noticed the chain noise.

Noise aside, there is no performance impact with the sound problem. You only need to filter out the noise to keep the obsessive compulsive inside of you from going insane.

Lube it regularly

Don't expect it to be maintenance free. Even though they say that this chain is self lubricating, you still need to lube it.
slotted plates to reduce weight and add mud shedding capability

I've neglected washing and lubing it once after a slightly wet ride. After a week, I've noticed some specs of rust on the plates. After that, I regularly wash and lube my chain, especially on rainy season. The humid air gets to your chain even when you don't use it so lubricate it before storing.

I wash my chain after a wet  and muddy ride to remove all the mud and dust from it. I use a dishwashing solution to clean my chain and then lube it after drying. I use White Lightning Dry Lube for my chains.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Smirnoff Mule

By -
Image
There has been a surge of this "cocktail"-like drink in Shopwise. It's cheap enough, at around Php 30, so I thought I would give it a try. Smirnoff Mule sounds like something new and classy. It has that new look that makes you want to try it out. The label says that it's a combination of vodka, ginger beer and lime mix. Upon opening, it smelled like mountain dew. I thought its another one of those Tanduay Ice drinks. Initial sip tasted like lime soda with alcohol. It's carbonated so you get that beer or soda feel while drinking. After some time, the tastes grow old in your mouth. I easily grew tired of the taste and wanted to get this over. I don't know if I'm not in the mood for a late night soda drink or the drink is just not meant to please your taste buds. If you like the soda-ish and cocktail types of drinks, then this one is for you. For me, I would stick to beer for that evening movie fix.
Read more

Review: Andy Player Whisky and Cola

By -
Image
As I went through the beer isle, I spotted this Andy Player Whisky and Cola bottle.  I kinda heard the Andy Player name here and there and thought it to be a local whisky.  Now they're selling it mixed with cola. If you like hard drinks with cola as a chaser, this concoction will make you think twice. It has 5% alcohol content in a 330ml bottle based on the label.  Almost the same as other beers but not the same enjoyment. Taste-wise, I found the distinct whiskey taste diluted with a ton of cola. The cola sucks. It's like drinking cola that's sitting 4 hours on a glass when almost all the fizz has disappeared and all that's left is the sugary caramel taste. I can comment on the whiskey flavour since it's so washed out by the cola. I haven't tried their whisky as is either. I would not buy another one of this same with the Smirnoff Mule I tried before. It just doesn't give justice to alcohol. No to the premixed hard drinks. Well, to be fair, th
Read more

Upgrading the Tern Link D8 Drivetrain (Part 2)

By -
Image
Continuing the upgrade of my Tern Link D8 drivetrain... Sorry for the blurry pics. I had to do this late at night and low light pics are not that good. After cleaning and removing the stock parts, we proceed with installing the new components. Install the SLX Cassette removing the stock cassette and the "dork disk" Put a little grease on the free hub body. I like to put grease where there are metal to metal contact to avoid metal seizing and also to protect the metal parts. Slide in the cassette(cogs). Make sure to align the cogs properly. Lock the cassette in place with the lock ring included in the cassette. Use the lock ring tool and wrench to tighten it. No need for the chain tool since the direction of tightening the lock ring is opposite the freewheel direction. I don't have a torque wrench so I tighten the lock until a couple of clicks is heard. new XT cogs installed. Install the XT shifter and lock on grips. I-spec shifters + brake leve
Read more