eeeek!!!! The price of chains!

[02GF74]

Is it just me or has the price of chains realy gone up?

I' sure I was buying decent 8 and 9 speed (LX or XT) shains for around £ 15.

Seem to be around the £ 25 to £ 30 mark!!!

eeek!

What are KMC and SRAM chains like?

Looking for a cheap but decent 8-speed one for my daily hack. Recommendations?

and 9 speed will run ok on 8 speed cassette/chain ring?

 

[jpembroke]

Cassettes, chains, cables - everything steel seems to have doubled overnight.

 

[spence]

Price hikes for everything

Opening can of worms. SRAM chains far better than Shimano IMHO, without taking into account the benefits of a Power Link......

Use PC971 & PC991's.

 

[02GF74]

I can beleive that if it was 6 months ago but the price of steel and aluminium, certainly as far as scrap goes, has gone through the floor. I guess those manufacturers aren't dropping the price.

 

[gbb]

Is it just me or has the price of chains realy gone up?

I' sure I was buying decent 8 and 9 speed (LX or XT) shains for around £ 15.

Seem to be around the £ 25 to £ 30 mark!!!

eeek!

What are KMC and SRAM chains like?

Looking for a cheap but decent 8-speed one for my daily hack. Recommendations?

and 9 speed will run ok on 8 speed cassette/chain ring?

Two things spring to mind...
I posted t'other day about how wheelset prices have gone up...it's across the board it seems.
Secondly...9 speed on an 8 speed system...i'd have thought if you want good chain life, dont get a 9 speed if you can fit an 8 speed (thats assuming you can fit 9 to 8). The 8 will be heavier, more able to withstand the rigours and stress.
My 8 speed chain lasted for 3 years plus.
My 9 speed shod bike didnt last anywhere near that.
My 10 speed needs changing every year.

 

[02GF74]

a year!?!??! I get through 3 chains in that time, but that cycling through mud so chain life is muchly reduced.

 

[hubgearfreak]

I can beleive that if it was 6 months ago but the price of steel and aluminium, certainly as far as scrap goes, has gone through the floor. I guess those manufacturers aren't dropping the price.

the cost of the steel as a proportion of the machining, assembly & delivery cost of a chain will be insignificant.

 

[hubgearfreak]

on the other hand, what cost $2 last year would have cost us £1. it now costs us £1.35

 

[spence]

Also the pound has slumped by nearly half over the last six months against the yen so anything coming from Japan will by twice the price........ or there abouts.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Seems to be mainly Shimano stuff which has had big price hikes, Campag is pretty much as before.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Buy KMC Chain.

 

[andy_wrx]

Daily hack ? I'd buy KMC 8sp for under £7
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/productdetail.asp?productcatalogue=KMCACHAI270000000000

I gave up on Shimano chains long ago and only use KMC or SRAM because of the joining links rather than those stupid pins.

And KMC actually make chains for Shimano...

 

[Young Un]

Ribble Cycles' prices still seem reasonable

Just the other day I got a nine speed dura ace chain for £18.60 and an ultegra nine speed cassette for about £36.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

IMHO Shimano chains are poor compared with SRAM. I buy SRAM every time.

 

[e-rider]

Yes, all items from Japan are now very expensive compared to a few months ago.

Some US items have also got expensive recently. The pound is weak, the yen is strong and the dollar is strong(ish) compared to the pound, although at a similar rate to 2 years ago.

The euro isn't doing that well so the price of products from Europe should remain fairly constant and offer improved value for money - if they are produced in Europe rather than just from a European based company.

In the long term this will not be good for Japan as their export market suffers because the rest of the world can't afford to buy their goods.