10 speed chain on a 9 speed groupset

Hi all,

Quick question - does this work? I have a 9 speed Campagnolo group and looking to fit a new chain. Currently looking at pricing but I see that 10 speed chains are a lot cheaper than 9 speed; are they compatible though?

the internal width is the same, it's just the external width that differs. never had an issue personally.

Yes - as far as I know any chain designed for a number of speeds will work on a transmission with less gears; but not the other way round. So a 10 speed chain will fit on a 9 speed setup as you are thinking of doing, but fitting say an eight speed chain won't work on a 9 speed transmission.

The only issue - and it is why I avoid 10 speed and over - is that being narrower the chains wear out quicker, and are also prone to snapping - I've heard of numerous stories of 11/10 speed chains wearing out after just 3,000 miles.

I am surprised about your comment that 10 speed chains are cheaper than 9 and is not something I am aware of; 9 speed chains are about £10, the KMC chain is highly regarded, I have used them and have no complaints.

10 speed chains dont wear out quicker. I get similar life from a chain regardless of what speed it is.

2000 miles is all i get from any chain before it has reached the wear limit sometimes only 1200 miles. I run them for twice that but i know i am trashing the cassette as well. Running a chain too long also trashes your chainrings.

No chain truely lasts 3000 miles. They are worn before that we just choose to run them for longer which is fine. As some 10 speed and 11 speed cassettes are expensive riders are more inclined to change there chains early to maintain shifting quality and an expensive cassette repalcement. An 11 speed campag chorus cassette is alot of money. With 8 speed cassettes and chains are so cheap you can run them for longer ad it does not matter. You 8 speed chain though is worn after a similar number of miles.

I run a 10 speed chain on my dura ace 9 speed drivetrain. I have used 10 speed chains on my mtb single speed.

10 speed chains are also no more prone to snapping. Chains snap because of incorrect instalation, damage, excessive wear good reason but not because they 10 or 11 speed.

All the chains i see at 5000 miles are beyond worn.

At 5000 miles I'd consider a chain just run in.

Actually, going slightly off on a tangent here - in terms of actual proof that chains that are thinner wear out quicker than wider ones ie 10/11 speed v 8/9 speed, my awareness is down to stories I've heard about.
I am convinced that a wider chain is stronger however, as if there was no difference, then surely track and BMX bikes would have a thin chain. It would be lighter and more aero. They are wide for a reason, that they are stronger. KMC for example list their single speed chain as the strongest one they've ever made.

Another point is that I use Rohloff chains (8/9 speed). On my time trial bike, after about 15,000 miles, it had finally started to stretch so it got replaced. I tried the new chain on the old block and to my amazement it didn't skip on any of the sprockets. I realise of course that the SLT99 is regarded as the finest chain ever made. Yes I was sceptical at first - how could a chain be that superior? - but after using Sedis/Campagnolo Record/Dura-Ace etc it was obvious to me that the Rohloff is on a different level. It is a shame they don't make them anymore, but I do have two new chains so that should see me through the next 15 years!

Regarding snapping - yes agree that it could be due to incorrect fitting. 10 and 11 speed chains have to be fitted correctly; 9 speed and less seem to be simpler in this respect.

I run SRam 8spd chins happily on Campag 9 - last even longer than normal. Which is a long time - only use on the commuter / training bikes though, both of which are 3x9 Campag. (Interestingly, one has a Campag 10spd chainset and throws up no issues.)

Re:

It's worth remembering that chains don't actually stretch as such (the links don't get longer).

What happens is that the bearing surfaces (inside the links) wear down causing play and movement in the pivots.

I think rather than say 10 speed wearing more than 9 speed (the bearing surfaces are going to be pretty similar) what happens is "modern" narrow chains are made from softer materials which wear quicker.

I've had 15000 miles from a 7speed chain and I'm still using ones that's been going for over 20!

For longevity you need to makes sure those links have lubricant inside (hard to do I know). The come usually with a light layer of grease which will last quite a while if left alone. Unfortunately most people seem to like cleaning their chains with modern degreasers which undo all that lubricant whereas back in the day the best that could be hoped for was some washing up liquid on the surfaces. So just add more lube and don't clean it too often!

.... And it's another case of "they don't make 'em like they used to!"

Re:

Chain breaking because of wear? Really? I think more likely because the links have been stressed or twisted sideways too much and too often by rider with poor shifting technique, for example a rider who often shifts aggressively under load. You know those horrible shifts going uphill at high torque that would make a mechanical engineer wince. If thats your riding style it's only a matter of time before the chain has been weakened (meaning the security of the pin's interference fit has been compromised) to the point that a sharp injection of torque makes a pin pop out. Yes you can call that wear i suppose but the cause of premature failure is rider abuse rather than regular wear from sheer mileage. A rider who understands 'mechanical sympathy' and shifts accordingly is probably never going to snap a chain, he/she will just wear the chain to the point of 'life expired'.

I believe the two factors most affecting the mileage a chain will last is a) maintenance (clean and lube it properly and often) and b) chainline (minimize the time spent running with misaligned chain).