Squirt Lube to Offer Infused KMC Chains

9 out of 10 bikes I pull out of boxes come with KMC chains. I have not once been impressed by their 8,9,10 and now 11 speed chains. I have ran their 1/8″ chains on my SS and BMX bikes forever without incident, but you couldn’t pay me to ride one of their geared chains. I have seen way too many issues with their chains over the years. The Squirt lube is top notch stuff, but I don’t see a benefit for them in this situation. I say run the chain recommended by the manufacturer of the derailleurs and or cassette and you’ll be better off.

Squirt long lasting lube,sponsor of the 2014 AVN awards in Las Vegas

Jeremiah, I was referring to new chains and in some cases I have even gone as far as to remove the new chain, completely clean the chain in a water based solvent tank and re lubricate it with a myriad of lubes in an effort to curtail the inconsistencies. It boils down to the tolerances that are allowed to pass at KMC. I stated above that I have ran their BMX and SS chains without incident for over 10 years, but I am simply not impressed with any of their geared chains, I simply think that they are not held to the same QC standards as other companies. I have had customer after customer come back to me after swapping the KMC chains out with a Sram or Shimano chain to match the spec on the bike and they have confirmed that the issues they were experiencing had subsided. I know that I have also had customers use KMC chains without incident for the life of the chain, once again let me reiterate that not all KMC chains are faulty, but I notice more drivetrain noise, less consistent shifting, and more tolerance issues (e.g. multiple width measurements with variances on the same chain, with the variances being so large that certain links will rub both the cassette cog above and below the current gear.) I have also seen more KMC chain failures than almost Sram and Shimano combined. I am not trying to be too harsh on KMC, I just don’t understand why they get so much positive press when in my experience they have been mediocre at best.

yeah kmc chains don’t shift well pretty often. they were often the nail in the coffin for an old sram road drivetrain

KMC plusses; competively priced, MISSING LINK

run one on 2X10 compact road bike,FSA and Shimano, 2X10 29’er. Shimano;,and 1X10 650b. Wolf tooth and SRAM.

No problems.

The greatest myth in bicycle maintenance is the maligning of factory chain grease as a protectant for shipping. If you take the manufacturers’ words for it, factory grease is the most effective and durable chain lube available. Please, for the love of all things holy, do not soak a new chain in solvent. You will conscript your chain to a life of squeaking and constant, but futile, relubrication. Instead, gently wipe the grease from the surface with a microfiber cloth dampened with WD-40 or Tri-flow, wait overnight, and apply your preferred lube. I have been using squirt this way recently and am very impressed.

Kyle,
KMC makes Shimano chains just so you know. I can say though that there is a difference. But yes, the chains you run are made by KMC.

Nothing beats initial factory lube.

I had a 10-speed Chain KMC on my Cannondale 29 “Flash Carbon 1 of 2011 series of it. Has not worked well for a long time in my eyes.
Had then the combination Cannondale SISL crank, 39/26, with SRAM XO XG 1080th 11-36 cassette and SRAM XO rear derailleur medium cage.
The behavior scarf I felt it was not very good at the KMC chain.
I then had the SRAM PC-1091R raised and immediately established a very positive switching behavior.
The KMC simply turns rougher and not as perfect as the SRAM.

Have now for something more than 10000 km, changed the entire drive train!
Now I have the SRAM XX XG-1099 cassette and SRAM XO Type 2 medium cage rear derailleur mounted. Otherwise I have returned to the SISL crank the Truvativ XX 39/26 chainrings and the PC-1091R chain.

If you compare the chain that comes on a complete bike to an aftermarket chain then of course the OEM chain is going to be built down to a budget and not as good. Brand has little to do with it.

On the subject of the article I find it hard to believe that KMC would “ship” chains dry. Taiwan manufacturers are well aware of how fast things start to corrode on their humid island let alone on the open sea. The only way that this could work is if the chains are being lubed in Taiwan.

KMC may make some of the lower-end Shimano chains (I can’t verify that they do or don’t), but everything I’ve ever seen at the 105 level or above is most certainly made in Japan, not in Taiwan, where KMC is based. So while Shimano may not necessarily make their own chains, it seems unlikely that KMC crossed the water and set up shop in a different country with a high cost of labor. What seems more likely, given Shimano’s proprietary nature and expertise in metal manufacturing, is that Shimano makes their own chains in one of their many factories.

Hearsay or memory based claims about KMC chains have no value. Data is valuable.

Forgot to say, KMC x10sl is a great chain, for me much better than Sram 1090 and better than DA chains. I have no ties to any brand, I just go through a lot of chains!

Love the KMC chain with SRAM Red. It’s the only chain I use on my bikes. I’ve also heard that KMC makes several other factory chains.

The grease chains are pretreated with is a decent lube in controlled clean conditions(i.e. dry road riders) but it eventually collects dirt particles and begins the process of griinding the rollers/pins down.
Removing the heavy grease is the only way I have found to keep this process under control.

I am also very skeptical of any of the heavy/viscous lubes like squirt and others that advertise as enviro friendly. There is no substitute for a thin volatile carrier that evaps away leaving a high quality lubricant coating like Dumonde Tech, Progold, others.
Thick lubes just do not find their way in the tiny clearances necessary to lube the roller/pins which is the key purpose to a good lube.

With Squirt you really have a “dry” chain after a couple of miles.

I beat the holy hell out of my chain running it on either the dryest downhill or the wet muddy downhill. I mean it takes everything! I have never had issues, am a bike mechanic myself and completely recommend KMC over others.

Used to use squirt in the shop, good stuff. Sounds like a good combination.

Friction Facts (not Friction Lab): http://www.friction-facts.com/