KMC X9 9 speed chain options (no nickel plating vs half nickel plating vs full nickel plating)

[raggydoll]

Looking at getting a KMC X9 9 speed chain.

Trying to decide between the 3 options below:
Prices are roughly:
£11 - 13ish for no coating
£17ish for half nickel plating
£20ish for full nickel plating

Anyone have any experience with any of these?
Is the extra price for the nickel plating worth it?

Which one would you buy?

Will the non plated one rust easy?
In the half nickel plated version the rollers are not plated so they could still rust if that was the case.

 

[Dale 1956]

I would go for the full nickel plating chain my self but I use what I can get here too.

 

[I like Skol]

When I was using 9spd for commuting I would just use the cheap grey X9.73 which was fine because i didn't give a shoot what it looked like and the lube regime prevented any rust.

Still use the same chain on my mtb, or the current kmc equivalent as the naming has changed in recent years.
I don't think the half silver or full silver prevents rusting in use anyway because IME the bits that rust do so on either type if washed and then put away.

 

[raggydoll]

Cheers.
Yeah I think they used to be x9.73 (grey) and x9.93 (half silver).

If the grey worked fine for you then I see no reason to pay nearly double for the silver.

The current chain is a shimano one and pretty sure it has no nickel plating either.

 

[Blue Hills]

I'd go for non plated.

 

[si_c]

I always used the cheapest version when commuting, worked very well. The only time it would show surface rust is when riding through winter and the roads were heavily salted and I put it away wet.

 

[Broadside]

I’ve used both types. The non plated version even when brand new will never truly look clean but if you don’t care about that then it is perfectly good enough.

The fully plated versions do look shiny when cleaned up, so if you ever want the bike to look sparkly and nice on a balmy summers evening ride then go for the plated version. I always buy the plated versions these days.

 

[I like Skol]

I always used the cheapest version when commuting, worked very well. The only time it would show surface rust is when riding through winter and the roads were heavily salted and I put it away wet.

Same. I don't think the plated/half-plated makes an iota of difference here.
Only time I ever went for the two-tone half plated version was when the price differential was just a pound or two and I felt a bit flash. They still look the same after a week or two in my company

 

[pawl]

I use the cheapest usually ride three times a week I always clean the chain and transmission weekly.Find they last well

 

[raggydoll]

Cheers everyone.
I think I'll go with the cheap one and see how I get on.
Not quite ready for it (chain isn't stretched).

They also do a gold one but I didn't include that in my options!

 

[Broadside]

It’s not normally my style but I actually put a gold KMC chain on my best road bike earlier this year. Sounds awful but it matches in quite well with the bike. If you let the chain get a bit dirty no one would ever know but when clean it really does sparkle in the sun!

 

[raggydoll]

I would happily use a gold chain. I actually forgot they did a gold one and was trying to figure out if the coatings did much good in reality.

Why stop at the chain?

 

[fossyant]

I always use the plated ones as they are more bling. Simple as.

I'm a tart.

 

[T4tomo]

I always use the plated ones as they are more bling. Simple as.

I'm a tart.

same here, but I couldn't justify this, despite being tempted

 

[fossyant]

same here, but I couldn't justify this, despite being tempted

View attachment 617446

You've got to have a Bianchi for that. Be OK if it was silver and celeste, but not black.