Customer Reviews

Shimano CN-5600 10-Speed 105 Bicycle Chain

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's a 10-speed chain, and it works. 'nuff said. The only complaint is that it comes with a single master link pin rather than two (these used to come with two). Since breaking the master link significantly weakens the chain (especially on 10-speed chains), you need to hope that you do it right the first time and you never have to break the chain open for maintenance. Would have no complaints had they just thrown a second master link pin in here...

The 105 chain is solid and dependable. My 2006 Specialized Sirrus has 8000 miles on it, and it's still on the original Shimano 105 chain that it came with.

So when I bought a new road bike, I was unpleasantly surprised to see the new bike's stock KMC 10-speed chain attract dirt and grit at an alarming rate. Apparently the "lube" that KMC puts on the chain is a heavy, sticky grease that gunks up something awful after just 100 miles. I didn't want all that crap grinding at my brand-new road bike's cassette, chainrings and derailleur, so I decided to just replace the chain with the Shimano 105, having had such good service from it on my old Sirrus.

Well, I wasn't disappointed with the new 105 chain! Cleaned out all the gunk and grit on my drivetrain from the KMC chain and put the 105 on, and after several months of riding the 105 chain works great and attracts a lot less grit and dirt. Supposedly KMC makes chains for Shimano, but Shimano must use a different chain lube because my 105 chain stays a lot cleaner.

Sure, I can spend more money on Ultegra or Dura Ace chains, but durability and ease of maintenance is far more important to me than a few grams of weight. So 105 chains remain my preference for all my 10-speed-cassette bikes.

This chain is great for the recreational cyclists without breaking your wallet, it compares to the mid-priced durace at a fraction of the price.

I used this chain to replace my old worn out Ultegra chain. Slightly cheaper and I'm not overly worried about the weight (your bike is <20lbs and you are?). I didn't realize this at first but the chain includes the lock pin so you don't need to buy one separately.

Installation was pretty easy with a chain tool and a KMC quiklink.
I put 60 miles on it, and no problems. It is the same chain as the old one,
and its shifts nicely. A good solid chain in my book.

Earlier this year I did some basic maintenance on my bike, which included changing the chain. I went from my Shimano 105 to a Sram 1050. The chain broke my first ride. No big deal, it's got to be a fluke. I mended the chain with a magic link (awesome product), and 300 miles later the chain broke in a different place. I switched to a KMC chain and while it didn't bread my first ride it was very loud and shifted terribly. I decided to try another Shimano chain and have been very pleased. It is quiet and dependable. It is exactly what I want in a chain, which is NOT to have to think about it.