VG Sports - Terrible AliExpress bike chains!!!

Lightweight VG Sports bike chains. Cheaper than SRAM, KMC, or Shimano, but are they worth it?
SIROKO LINK Additional 10% off - srko.co/tracevelo
I have always used SRAM chains on my 11 speed bikes. Their PC1130 and PC1110 chains are cheap, durable, shift nicely, and last a long time. However, they are not particularly lightweight.
KMC make some excellent lightweight chains, such as the X11 SL (that comes with hollow pins and slotted plates, but they are pretty expensive, and you can easily pay £60 ($80) for one. This is where AliExpress comes in.
I found a lightweight chain (with hollow pins and slotted plates) by a company called VG Sports. It actually comes in a few grams lighter than a KMC X11 SL chain, seems to have great reviews, and only costs £18! So are these VG sports bicycle chains just as good?
(Spoiler Alert - They are awful!)
In this video, I’ll cover the construction, the durability, and compare it to other chains from some of the big brands.
Got any questions or comments, stick them below 👇 and I'll try and get back to as many of you as I can!
Timestamps:
00:00 - Start
00:39 - Sponsor Segment
02:14 - Intro
03:52 - Lightweight Chains
05:27 - VG Sports Chain
08:06 - New vs Worn Chain
11:09 - Ruined Cassette
14:07 - AliExpress Reviews
17:38 - Final Thoughts
Intro roll:
Created by Dev Joshi - www.go2dev.co.uk
Music:
Birocratic (birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)
Fresh Healthy Perspectives
Lakey Inspired ( / lakeyinspired )
The Process, In my Dreams
Noir Et Blanc Vie ( / billyocean2185 )
MydNyte, QuangerineCream
NoMBe ( / @nombe )
Take Me Down to The Fashion Show
About Trace Velo:
I love cycling, and I love getting pro cycling kit for less. If it’s cheap, from China, and made of carbon fibre, I’m interested!
Instagram:
/ tracevelo
Email:
[e-mail]
Please note:
With the exception of Siroko, I have no affiliation to any of the sellers or vendors shown.
In addition, I am not a professionally trained bike mechanic. There can be risks associated with using products that are unbranded, untested, or come from sources where the provenance is unknown. Please talk to a qualified bike mechanic if you are in any doubt.
In essence, be careful, do your research, and cycle safe!!!

[@tigerv88]

Maybe these chains were never intended for the bike but just to wear around your neck as a bling fashion accessory! Great review and they look about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

[@TraceVelo]

Very true 🤣 Gonna have to pick up some gold VG Sports chains, to show my magnificent wealth 😎

[@mathisbourcier1126]

@@TraceVelo Je possède des thunes, je suis à l'aise financièrement

[@stuartdryer1352]

@@TraceVelo You can walk around saying "I pity the fool", just like Mr. T.

[@peppermintpig974]

See my chains, these my chains, they feeling strange, see my chains!!! - Neema V

[@smartnothard2400]

😂

[@mitmon_8538]

What's the old saying? "Lightweight, cheap, durable - pick 2." I've found this to be true in almost all things cycling, which why I'm definitely not a weight weeny. : )

[@TraceVelo]

There are a couple of exceptions in my experience, but in this case this theory definitely holds up!!!

[@mitmon_8538]

@@TraceVelo Very true. It's like finding buried treasure when something defies that old adage. That's the beautiful part of the internet is that you can find people, such as yourself, who put in the difficult work of finding and testing products that might just buck the trend. We all thank you for that, I'm sure.

[@trailfork7815]

@@TraceVelo in my experience, ztto parts hold up surprisingly well and they arent terribly heavy

[@ReemerFeddes]

So for a third of the price, you got a durability of a third. Makes sense. Good deal, because you don;t have to clean your chain anymore. Just replace it.

[@TraceVelo]

Ha! Can't argue with that logic! 🤣

[@cyclemadkiwi]

Not if you snap it like I did, if your just a social rider maybe....but if you're doing a bit of racing then it's def not worth the risk!

[@nihonbunka]

@@TraceVelo I think you said that the chain was 1% longer (or one link approx for a 114 link approx chain) at 700km whereas you usually get 4000 km from SRAM chains which is nearly 6 times longer, or @Reemer Feddes logic seems to be off by a factor of two.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@@cyclemadkiwi I've broken 4 chains prematurely in about 300k miles of riding, none of them were knockoffs. It still happens. These chains may not actually be more likely to break. Chains generally break at the plates, not the rollers and pins where the wear is

[@cyclemadkiwi]

@@veganpotterthevegan the cheap AliExpress chain is the only one I have ever broken. I use a ceramic speed chain on my track bike and it gets a hammering watts wise....wax all the way regularly. Read chain, shimano dura ace, waxed, regularly cleaned and waxed....same for mountain bike. I do recall now, grunting up a driveway heading to work one morning.....snap, and over the bars lol......on that occasion, oiled chain! Bottom line, a quality chain that is looked after will serve you better!! The last thing you ever want is a snapped chain on the start line or smashing it mid trail in the middle if nowhere.

[@chriswatson2769]

Luke’s videos always crack me up.

[@TraceVelo]

Cheers Chris, glad you like them!!! 🙏🙏🙏

[@VIBcrime]

Coming home from a ride and seeing a new Trace video online, nothing can replicate that joy

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks Dets!!! Really appreciate it 🙏

[@Arfonfree]

Well, there was the time I came home from a ride and there was a beautiful girl standing there in a sheer negligee. As I stood there gawking, she cast the negligee to the ground and said, "Take what you want, big boy!" Well, I gotta tell you, that negligee really soothes the chafing!

[@jameslowe2979]

That chain flex comparison photo was a thing of beauty. Quality video as ever.

[@TheJoank59]

I dont know how i found your channel but im such a fan! Also i learn alot as a newbie into road bikes! Great content!Greetings from Catalonia

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks Joan, really glad you like my stuff!!!

[@TheJoank59]

Yesss!!! Awesome!! Im always tuned for new aliexpress reviews👏👏

[@kaedeschulz5422]

Thanks for showing these! I used a YBN S11S chain with parafin wax on my MTB for 8months and about 1600-1800km before it got stolen and there was absolutely no sign of wear. My wear gauge couldn't get in the slightest bit and the rollers and pins seemed to be as tight as new.

[@jamesbarlow300]

Didn't say if he started with a new or used cassette, that would make a huge difference.

[@kaedeschulz5422]

@@jamesbarlow300 True yet pins shouldn't come loose or something.

[@paulmorrison30]

Awesome vid as always 👊🏾✊🏾. I concur that the Siroko stuff is really good bruv (many thanks for the link) 👊🏾. Just be sure to order multiple items as the postage of £6.00 is a little steep so you may as well pick up a few things 👊🏾.

[@kurtquizon1250]

Your videos was awesome and quite entertaining at the same time very reliable reviews. 💯💯 I think you're way too underrated and deserve more subscriber than you have now, but overall your videos was amazing as ever 🔥🔥 Looking forward for more videos 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭

[@tanbceug]

I bought the VG chains, and they were really really bad. I don’t know if you notice, the quick link that they provide, they actually rust!! Thanks for the video and it was a good thing no harm came to you. On one of my rides, the chain actually snapped. It snapped at the quick link.

[@wittigrxn]

Thanks for the videos! Also thanks for putting the verdict right in the description!

[@TraceVelo]

Thanks wittigrxn, glad you like my stuff!

[@patbroadbent6816]

I really like the stuff you do and the Didoo shorts I bought are great, so thank you👍

[@humstrumbangtwang]

Excellent as usual. You’ve saved people lots of time and cash here, nice one. 🚴🏼‍♂️💨

[@Rockeizta]

"Galactic Levels of Power" plus the lightning effects got me really happy!

[@uprightape100]

Exploring the depths of quality, so I don't have to........thanks Dude.

[@tinman7551]

Another amazing intro Luke :D

[@igs.legardalegarda5918]

I definitely learned a lot from this vid...I didn't know that problem until I watched this vid....so thanks a lot man. Ride safe❤️

[@julianwhitehead2433]

Excellent review as ever, just got back from two weeks holiday in Cornwall! A small village called Lostwithiel, some very testing hills in that area. Keep up the good work and I'm off to buy a chain checker.

[@TraceVelo]

Haha amazing, I literally cycle through Lostwithiel atleast twice a week on the way to Fowey! Such lovely little village!

[@TraceVelo]

Ohh and you're totally right about the hills! Honestly took me by surprise, coming from London, which is basically one big flood plain, needless to say I was not prepared 🤣

[@Nico-jt8ll]

Hi, i"m riding on (aliexpress) zrace 12speed chains (same as ybn) for this season. I swapped the original out cause of looks and noise. i did only 700km on the original flattop force axs chain because it was just too noisy on the outer parts of the cassette (btw im running a single 50t front ring). So far i dont have any complaints with that black zrace. Going strong from the start, racing, wet weather (thank you squirt lube), peak power 1800w, 10s 1220w - the chain could take it all. Swapped out with a new after 4000km and a new cassette (both the new zrace and the 700km sram chain slip over the cassette cogs when putting serious watts down). Surely checking the chainwear more often after watching your video :D Great content.

[@jaredfink5146]

The first thing I noticed that I really liked about the Siroko jersey was the mesh back. Since you have the ins at Siroko can you ask them when they’re going to start making tri kit? Keep doing what you do, Luke. I love your channel.

[@torreslondon7541]

Regarding Campagnolo, I have used all sorts of chains (sram, Shimano, generic) on my Campg groupsets and they all work without any shifting issues or perceivable noise difference; tested this on 10-speed and 11-speed groupsets over several years. To take it a step further, I also use shimano/sram rear wheels/cassettes on my Campg. NO issue again.

[@jaretw5183]

Picked up a Siroko SRX Pro Ultra Race jersey, and I gotta say, the quality really is on par with my Rapha Pro Team jersey. Will definitely be looking into more Siroko gear when some of my older bibs & jerseys wear out.

[@TraceVelo]

Nice! Glad to hear you like the Siroko stuff, for the price, I've been impressed with the quality for sure!

[@menoahgunzel8146]

@tracevelo I tried a SUMC chain a few weeks ago, 9 speed one was worn after 650km ( I am a bike mechanic and clean my drivetrain very carefully) And the 11 speed version is worn for 0.5 in less than 200km😂 Shifting was pretty good, but they both make more noise than big brand chains. I once used a SRAM 10 speed pc1051 and lasted 5500km 😁

[@ianpearson8976]

sumc is what ztto use.

[@NonLegitNation2]

thanks for this. I was considering buying a VG Sports chain and 8-speed cassette (In a nice flashy gold plated color) from Amazon about a month ago, but because I had never heard of VG Sports before, I decided to just spend a little extra and go with Shimano. Now I know I made the right decision.

[@rickgreham6559]

Great video. Haha Darn so funny at 7:02. Any plans on reviewing the other chain brands you mentioned?

[@2wheelsrbest327]

So I went out for a ride earlier today 5am and for whatever reason I thought after I would check my chain. Easy got the tool no problem that's if I could have found it. After all these hours of searching I finally find it & determine I do need a new chain. As per everyone else the bank account doesn't have a big surplus so I'm thinking AE. If I am thinking AE Cycling my brain immediately sends me to TV. And that's where I find this. I don't know what we would do without you Luke. Ironically now knowing I need a new chain I remember a Shimano chain I have in its box hanging up in the garage but cannot remember what speed it was for as I have 9 , 10 & 11 speed bikes. As I looked at it swear I saw sunshine flooding through the garage window & bugles playing as it was 11s which I needed. Still until you do another AE Chain video I will keep buying the reputable brands. Thanks Ted

[@TraceVelo]

You're welcome Ted, glad I could help!

[@Sphyxx]

I absolutely love the energy in this video

[@hbipul]

Thank you so much for this review. I was almost buying one as the price was so alluring. Now I have decided to buy kmc chains.

[@sprintking1985]

@luke I’ve tried the SUMC chain, again they look really good and the inner and outer plates are a copy of KMC which I always use but it broke after 300miles and these miles were on the indoor trainer - it broke on the plate at the pin - have a picture of this, have gone back to KMC

[@ClayGlad]

Perfect timing on this video, I was just about to go for the cheap gold lightweight chain from AliExpress... Thanks for the video!

[@Mango62uk]

It's not worth it to buy chains from AliExpress when you can find decent Shimano/KMC chains for around £10 for 8 speeds.

[@iMadrid11]

@@Mango62uk There are tons of fake Shimano and KMC chains. So there’s no guarantee what you’re getting is authentic.

[@cotocs01]

me too, tks

[@cyclingsfatsuma9808]

Try YBN gold ones. Work well for me only £20

[@chrissyyeskins2883]

I had a Clarks chain which lasted about a fortnight. Even the slightly cheaper Shimano models aren't great. Unfortunately, I think it's probably best to get your hands in your pocket.

[@NextInTheWorkstand]

I also fell victim to a VG chain, it was for a cheap mainly parts bin gravel build but everyday I’d go out to ride there would be some form of shifting gremlin. I wrote it off to various incompatibilities for a while until I identified it was the chain. A rare AliExpress fail. Never again with VG.

[@farhananuar28]

Learned my lesson with this exact chain, snapped while riding on a 18% grade hill. Thank god I was able to salvage the chain and still get home safely.

[@TraceVelo]

Yeah im not surprised to hear it broke l, I think I might have been lucky to avoid my one snapping to be honest!

[@menoahgunzel8146]

Your channel is just to funny ! Your sarcasm makes my day🤣

[@Yuugeer]

Yoo finally u upload 🔥

[@diobruttoporco]

I have Campagnolo groupset (and wheels) My Campagnolo Record chain (slotted plates, hollow pins) did cost me around 50 euros, now it has done 2500 miles and the wear indicator tool still shows it as brand new with basically zero wear... Sometimes it's better to invest in proper quality components that will last longer and therefore cost less...

[@jessopkeene4426]

Luke, unrelated: you are my hero. Also have you had any more trouble with the Trifox fork and thru-axle? I'm thinking about going for it. Keep up the great work!

[@StopaskingformynameYouTube]

Quality content as always!

[@TraceVelo]

Much appreciated my guy!!!!

[@mickchaganis6607]

Thanks Luke, another great video. I was looking at 12 speed chains from these brands for my latest build a 1 x 12 tt bike as my usual KMC (I just like the look of the cross shape 😁) is expensive........ Well it's cost you a new cassette hasn't it😱, speaking of which, can't wait for that review as I'm looking at a 12 speed 11/32 lightweight road cassette from AliExpress.

[@TraceVelo]

Yeah no worries, glad you liked the episode. But yeah the lightweight cassettes are pretty good, but the shifting can be a little more temperamental than a fully steel one, and obv they don't last half as long, but yeah will try and get the full review up soon!!!

[@mickchaganis6607]

@@TraceVelo thanks for the reply, maybe I'll go for steel as weight is not so important on my tt...... thinking of a 1 x 12 with the Archer MTB electronic shifting, modifying the comtroller to fit on my aero bars??

[@Seedyrom247]

Luke’s videos are the embodiment of the Surprised Pikachu face meme

[@blownouttransmission5832]

ybn 11-SL gold (hollow plates and pins)on two of my campy equipped bikes , one a tourer and the other a road bike , i use paraffin wax with 0.8 micron ptfe powder mixed to 300g wax to 50g ptfe . re-apply as soon as the chain starts to get noisy and a bit rattly for want of a better term. . just over 1400miles on the tourer and 500 ish on the road , both chains less than 0.5 on wear gauges. 1949 restoration with ybn 8 speed chain also waxed over 2000 miles over many years and just at 0.5. it amazes customers when i run my hand along my chain and my hand is still clean to demonstrate how a clean and waxed chain outlasts theirs . the question , " do you want the hassle of waxing or the hassle of spending ,? , nothing in this life is free"😘

[@Reanimator999]

I was thinking of buying VG Chain, but thanks to your review I'm sticking with KMC brand.

[@hawkeyelikesbikes]

It pays to get the highest spec chain you can afford. As you've said Luke, they don't cost a whole lot but dramatically improve the life of your drivetrain. I always get Dura Ace/XTR or equivalent KMC. It's not about the weight, but the better alloys and coatings used which improve wear. I also run 3 chains in rotation across each chainring/cassette set, so I get 6x chains per set instead of just two, which pretty much means the transmission lasts the life of my ownership of the bike.

[@reinholdachleitner2069]

Really awesome cheap chain review,the steel they use in the chains are really soft and aren't heat treated properly so they wear quickly like a YBN 10speed I had,I wish Shimano could make hybrid cassette,those ones look awesome,I look forward to the cassette review.Safe training.💯✌👍

[@benkho587]

yeah, i was wondering what cassette Luke was recommending.

[@bigtexas7580]

*I have a gold vg sports half hollow 9 speed chain on my 20" folding bike with Shimano Deore XT drivetrain and 69T chainring, I've been running the crap out of this chain for 4 months with no chain stretching. Only problem I had with mine was the master link came off and got lost while I was riding last week so I reconnected the chain with a regular chain pin and haven't had a problem since. These chains seem durable to me considering the stress I've put mine through and it's still like new in length.*

[@SaerX]

🤔 How hard can one ride a 20" folding bike?

[@bigtexas7580]

@@SaerX *I ride mine plenty hard. I also have a rear cargo rack and passenger seat on this bike and sometimes I haul my big chainsaw, groceries or my 7 year old 90 pound daughter on the back of this bike and I can still maintain 25 mph with my daughter's 90 lbs and my 230 lbs weighing this bike down, 320 lbs combined weight! My bike is a real hauler bike and it flies too. Best of all I can fold this bike up and easily carry it to my upstairs office after each ride, the bike itself only weighs 21 lbs.*

[@nihonbunka]

@@bigtexas7580 25 mph is 40 kmh , which about as fast as I can go on my Lance Armstrong style 7.3kg Trek Madone road bike alone! That is the maximum speed I can maintain for any length of time but it is also the average speed of the tour de france from about 1995 to 2020 (it has got a bit faster lately). You are fast.

[@mavver]

do you plan to review juin tech brakes? :>

[@philkennethdeleon4536]

Very informative zer!!

[@TheGotoGeek]

Did you start out by stripping all the factory grease and starting fresh on the lubrication? IME the factory grease becomes grinding compound very quickly, destroying the chain. I’ve gone with hot wax (10:1 wax:PTFE at over 225ºF for 20+ minutes) and experience very little wear on Wippermann chains. I’ve not tried YBN or PYC, though.

[@janmitvora4510]

Brother I came across your channel this time and I ended up watching most of ur videos all I can say is the beat cycling channel ever

[@TraceVelo]

Thank you so much my man! Really appreciate it 🙏

[@Aksasin]

this is very interesting. Before I watched this video, I've used a couple of VG sports chain for 8000+ km, which were comparable to other chains i've used (105 and kmc x11 chains). I used parktools CC-4 wear indicator for 0.5% elongation to change, and my cassets were OK when I changed to new chains. I am unsure why the results are so different, but my quess is that I use submerged wax (similar to moltenspeedwax) lubrication, and also that new VG sports chains have very little, or almost no factory grease. Single application of oils from ouside show limited penetration to deep portions of the chain (which is well discussed when smoove and squit show high initial wear on 1st run of frictionfacts test) . Most chains have factory grease so that even when applied lube is not fully penetrated, the grease will prevent too much erosion. but in VG sports chain, due to the lack of factory grease outside application may be simply not enough.

[@neutronpcxt372]

That is totally possible. I wouldn't be surprised at all if that was the case. Perhaps Trace Velo should do a test of these with top tier lubricants.

[@engnelsito]

I find chains to be one of the few component where it is worth spending a bit more durability wise, as it makes it up in the long run. More expensive chains have anti-friction coatings in more of the link components, reducing wear significantly if you take good care of them. The cuttings on lightweight chains also help clearing up gunk that causes premature wear, so counter-intuitively I find lightweight chains to last longer than their heavier counterparts. I usually get around 10000km out of a KMC X11SL or Dura Ace chain, and the last X11SL I bought cost me £45, so a lot cheaper than the required number of those cheaper chains to achieve equivalent mileage...

[@nihonbunka]

Thank you. I would not have guessed that lightweight chains last longer.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Those anti-friction coatings don't last long. They make you faster until they're worn out. Then it wears like a normal chain. Basically giving you XX free miles at the start, then you get normal wear. It's not a huge difference. I've never gotten more than 500miles extra out of a spendy chain compared to the same company's cheap chains.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@@nihonbunka that's a maybe. Older model DuraAce chains didn't last as long as Ultegra. And every chain I've broken has been a name brand chain with slotted plates which is why I never used slotted plates on my crit bike or track bike. I run them on my base mile bike and TT bike

[@engnelsito]

@@veganpotterthevegan I think it is extremely unlikely a chain will break in a plate, either it is slotted or not, unless something is very wrong with your drivetrain. Chains are much more likely to fail at the interface between the pin rivets the plates, and anyone with some knowledge of production will tell you that hollow pins are actually easier to rivet without error than solid ones. Even Zero Friction Cycling independent tests have shown that a 11speed Dura Ace chain outlasts an equivalent Ultegra chain under their testing protocol. From their data, a Dura Ace lasted around 10% longer for an equivalent wear, while a quick search has shown the Dura Ace chain is around 15% more expensive than the Ultegra. Accounting the relatively small price difference, extra durability, and the higher efficiency (at least when they are new), I believe they are a good overall option and have been serving me well.

[@nihonbunka]

@@engnelsito @Veganpotter Thevegan Useful information regarding the coatings and the hollow pins.

[@emmanuelvenasquez5819]

Another delicious review, keep it up Brother

[@TraceVelo]

Cheers Emmanuel, glad you like my stuff 😊

[@emmanuelvenasquez5819]

@@TraceVelo Been following you since your early days on YT on my first account, but this one is my 2nd account now but still I've been rooting your courageous attempts on Chinese bike parts and you explain everything very well without even sugar coating it.

[@LukeRichardson1981]

Saw this video just after I put a VG sports chain (11 speed, hollow link but not hollow pin) on my bike along with one of the light cassettes you covered in another video. Still, I'm up to around 1500km on the chain now with no shifting issues yet, so I'm going to keep running it until the shifting goes to crap or until it breaks. I've already purchased a new Shimano chain and a steel 11 speed cassette as backup in the event that they require replacement, though.

[@nihonbunka]

I have generally used chains till I have had shifting issues too but they say that more than 1% (or about one link length of the length of the whole chain) and it does bad things to your cassette, but I am not sure. If your VG sports chain makes it to 2000 km then I may buy one because as Trace Velo says, Shimano only last about 4000km and they are twice the price. Please post an update when it wears out. By the way you can purchase cassette cogs separately from aliexpress and it is generally the smaller cogs that wear out first. It does not seem to matter that the cog tooth pattern does not match in my experience. So you can purchase three or so smaller cogs for about 10USD and double the life of your cassette. The brand was "Sun" something.

[@ellipticalsoul]

The standard KMC chain is my favourite of the ones I've tried. Not too expensive in comparison to the SRAM but the quick link is way, way easier to install (or maybe I just got a particularly stubborn one from SRAM)

[@jason200912]

All quick links are easy and fast.

[@PA30000]

Have you used the ultrasonic bath for paraffin waxing chains? Clean alternative to dirt grabbing oil. Would be interested to see what you think of waxing chains :)

[@markmilburn7973]

Hi Luke, I am currently building my own carbon bike inspired by yourself. And with the group set(sensah empire 11 speed) it came with a ybn chain which seems to be pretty good quality but can't really say as you found out

[@user-kw9qu2gz8v]

The posters on the weight weenies forum rave about tipsum x11sl chains too, might be worth taking a look.

[@BernardStreisand]

I also just bought the new sensa empire pro 2x12speed with ospw with the sumc chain, it comes last week, just finished install it, will see how long it will last. Quick question, beside the cheap chain, should i be aware with the cheap aluminium sprocket too?

[@marksIItimewarps]

Surprisingly, I'm getting good life out of the 9 speed silver version. Mine is solid, non-hollow pin and is **heavy**. At the 1000 mile mark, it only stretched 1/64th of an inch so it seems I can get 4000 miles out of them. My riding conditions are mostly dry and rolling hills and permanently have full fenders on so I guess that helped. I lube and clean the chain at a "practical level" degree of maintenance, not "OCD level".

[@nawafx7342]

i hope you do a video about your light weight rotors and brake calipers.

[@ozmadman]

Hi Luke do you know if shimano groupsets from Ali Express are genuine or fake? looking to get a Tiagra set and price is a lot lower than the UK many thanks for GREAT videos Paul

[@icorlaiti]

It seams like you have been looking up for a TT setup based on the advertized products of the aliexpress page... cant wait to see it.

[@OldDavo1950]

I do have 2 of their 8sp chains still not used. Will be interesting to see their wear seeing that they are not as narrow as an 11sp chain. usually will run a Sunrace cassette or Freewheel. So wont break the bank if they both have to be binned. But I have found that Sunrace Cassettes and Freewheels with good chains give a reasonable serviceable life.

[@andreichichak5242]

Back in the bad old days, the good chains were Renold or Sachs, British or German. The Japanese parts shifted better but didn't last very long. Things changed by the sounds of it. We would normally get about 3 years of club racing on a chain. One of the up coming brands sent out some samples of a new Japanese chain that the local shop gave to one of the local racers to try. He's a big guy, very strong. He went on a shortish ride, maybe 50km, but had to stop by the side of the road and pound the side plates back on with a rock as they were popping off and he had to get back home. You can also check for stretch on the chain by shifting it to your largest chainring, and (while not putting any pressure on the crank arms) pull the chain away from the sprocket at the forward most point. If you get an appreciable amount of distance between the chain and the root of the sprocket, throw the chain away before it takes out your cassette.

[@oi32df]

Back in the old days, the indexing was non-existent and the chains had less play (at least laterally) when new. I remember that we changed them less frequently.

[@curvenut]

​ @Trace Velo What do you think of the Sunshine chain from aliexpress ? any experience or opinion

[@suhdud4646]

Literally the only channel that I hit "like" before the end of the intro.

[@mac16a]

Hi, isn't 1% mark dedicated for checking 7 and 8 speed drivetrains? I think you can find that info on parktool website. They suggest changing your 11 and 12 speed chains at 0.5% wear. The more speeds the more precise fit you need for crisp shifting. 0.75% is my guess for 9 and 10 speed? BTW I used that 1110 11 speed Sram chain on my full suspension and it reached over 1% after just 700 kms. Now rocking deore XT and 0.5% wear after like 600 kms.

[@chriscross5689]

Hi Luke, how is the disc brake bike going? Longer term review with the replacement forks..?

[@TraceVelo]

Disc brakes are still working great. Swapped out the original zrace calipers, for Juin tech F1’s, and so far I'm pretty impressed!

[@fieteferrum3441]

Hey Luke, what do you think about chinese carbon seatposts, should this be a rather safe to use component? ✌️

[@SM-ox1io]

Hey luke, ive been trying to find a chainset upgrade, maybe carbon? Had no luck so far any ideas?

[@robertsamuel1994]

I´m wondering about the mechanical efficiency of all these AliExpress and Chinese parts. I mean part of the reason to buy deep wheels, carbon frame etc is to go faster, but those advantages might be lost if mechanical drag and rolling resistances increase right?

[@Metal-Possum]

I run Campagnolo, not because I'm wealthy, but because it was actually the cheapest option at the time. A pair of 10 speed Veloce shifters with a complete cable kit (gear and brake) was just $117 NZD, a comparable Shimano shifter set was closer to $500. Veloce brakes were $40 and the crankset was $150. Back when Ribble were selling it cheaper than local wholesale prices.

[@MTimotheeM]

Always nice to see your videos! Sounds like you know some French, am I wrong? :)

[@TraceVelo]

Got a B in GCSE French, so im basically fluent 😜 Tres bon, as they say

[@MTimotheeM]

@@TraceVelo haha très bon !! Thanks for all the good vibes and always nice videos :)

[@davidboonzaayer6832]

I’ve got a vg chain with the hardened tititanium coating to help it wear longer... ill be checking it regularly now 🏃‍♀️

[@Oilyhands749]

Top job , love your content

[@TraceVelo]

Cheers David!

[@VladislavKurashov]

Great review! Also interested in cassette review. Did you tried Sunrace cassettes?

[@Nico-jt8ll]

Sunrace chains and cassettes are well established on the EU market and can be found on some brandnew Cannondales. Shimano still makes the best cassettes when focussing on shifting smoothness and performance. Sram and espacially Campa are the most durable. I tested some aliexpress cassettes over the last 2 years: A heavy golden racework, a super lightweight racework (185g), a lightweight sunshine slr and a lightweight zitto. The zitto was crap, there were some bended teeth on the 13 and 14 teeth cog, tried to repair that but it never got acceptable, aliexprees gave 1/2 price as a refund. i stopped riding and ordering other zitto parts. All the other cassettes are working great, better shifting performance than sram 1170 11-28 cassettes. Lets see how long they last, i`ve done about 3000 km on them so far.

[@stuartbird5139]

Trace Velo goes through this pain so we don't have to. Thanks for your service TV!

[@TraceVelo]

No probs Stuart!!!! Glad to be of service 😊

[@kidShibuya]

Great as always. Maybe me paranoid about my chains so I checked. All of mine even after a few thousand kms are showing no signs of wear... Which makes me paranoid about my chain checker...

[@TraceVelo]

Lol! I wouldn't worry tho, as long as the shifting is still nice and smooth, and the chain doesn't skip, you should be good to go!

[@lichang4110]

My VG sport hollow pin hollow link silver chain wore out in very few km too. Then I bought the aliexpress RooKoor hollow link solid pin chain, and it's held up remarkably well. I've not done many thousands of KMs, but it's still fine for me. I'm willing to try these unknown brands.

[@julosvlassie]

RooKoor 11 speed lasted around 1000km for me to fail 0.5 wear test. Also very disapointing in my opinion.

[@alleborgo5481]

When I was a semi professional, I used to replace 9 speed chains after 8/9000 km. I was able to ride up to 30.000 km per year. That meant I replace chain three times a season. Clearly on the training bike. Racing bike was a different story.... That kind of stuff was possible 'cause 9 speed chain was more durable even they were heavier. Now 11 speed or more are too narrow and lightweight to be affordable. China made are further worse due to production cost reducing... Too much...

[@nihonbunka]

Thanks.

[@fidodemo5596]

I'm cycling 6 vgsports 10 speed chains on the OZ Cycling Wax method, and wear is pretty good. I use each one of them for the week, between 400 and 600km(oz recommends 300km). All of them are over 1500km, and 2 are over 2500km each(these two are .25 wear).

[@nihonbunka]

I would be very grateful if you would post the VG Sport chains' final (1%??) mileage, in km. I have switched to waxing thanks to OZ cyclist on youtube. It is going well.

[@fidodemo5596]

@@nihonbunka I will compile the updated numbers this week, thanks for the reminder. Also I can tell that the two chains that were the .25 wear are now .75.

[@nihonbunka]

@@fidodemo5596 Thank you. 0.75 sounds like about when I would like to change so the mileage (kilometerage?) now is about the life of the chain.

[@fidodemo5596]

@@nihonbunka yes, I think so too. I am going to end this rotation to get actual numbers on the chain wear and mileage. 4 more weeks give or take I will come back here.

[@nihonbunka]

@@fidodemo5596 Looking forward to your next post.

[@rocistimoteo6094]

picked up the same chain but in gold, it's been through about 1500kms of riding, very surprised with your results. will check my chain tomorrow if it has the same wear as yours.

[@TraceVelo]

Yeah definitely check it. Will be REALLY interested to see if your one has held up!

[@amacen4515]

Same here but I've only put about 200km on it so far. I'll have to check mine as well. Edit: Checked mine and also has solid pins

[@monsterinyourcloset7573]

I am surprised too! I have the same chain but in anodized oil slick, 1500 km of riding on it, still tests just fine and looks great. I wonder if they just have poor quality control or different manufacturing machines have poor calibration. EDIT: Just went to look, I bought the solid pin model, not the hollow pin like you did. I'm guessing their metal alloy on the hollow pins is too soft for the application.

[@nihonbunka]

So how was it Rocis? And are YG Sport's non-hollow chains a good deal?

[@mugiwarab0y362]

I can't wait u to do a SUMC chain review

[@chinsauyong]

Hi Trace! Love how you democratize cycling with your content. Any chance you can review the cheap Chinese helmets on Aliexpress? Maybe the ones by Rockbros or Cairbull? Thanks!

[@krazed0451]

If a chain snaps someone could potentially get injured, if a helmet is garbage someone could potentially die. I suspect he'll be avoiding cheap helmets!

[@nihonbunka]

​@UCXfH0SFOzWzIYh_IRpv14_g At your own death risk.... I use cheap helmets of the LOCLE brand. The ones I use have two layers of EPS and a wire mesh to keep insects out rather than the usual nylon mesh (of part of the padding, which wears out). I attach lenses to the visor so that I can look forward just below my brow in the drops. I think perhaps that Trace deletes comments with aliexpress links so if you want a link please google me. I got them at 3500 yen but now with the weak yen and a price increase they are 5500 yen.

[@BillCut]

My VG gold ultralight has about 4k kms and just shows just below 3/4 for wear. I use wax lub methods and ride dry conditions only.

[@SucodeLaranjo]

I had the same issue when I bought an VG Sports chains. KMC is the best option to buy on Aliexpress

[@havenht]

Those KMC on aliexpress are fake.

[@nihonbunka]

@@havenht @Sucoo de Laranjo The "Shimano" chains on aliexpress are fake. Are the KMC fake too?

[@johna7075]

Could you set up a rig to test the strength of these chains and potentially the materials? maybe find someone with an XRF gun to determine the alloy used and use some hardness files to test the hardening of the material? would be good to know where the difference lies between good and bad.

[@mckav2358]

Hi Thanks for this. I came across VG chains on ebay & i appreciate youre opinion Ive heard that KMC produce shimano chains & YBN are also a good choice so ill stick to those 👍🚴🚴‍♂🚴‍♀

[@fa1coner]

I'm currently using my first ybn chain. So far so good!

[@TraceVelo]

OK good to know, ybn chains seem to have a decent reputation. Will have to check them out I think

[@fa1coner]

@@TraceVelo I did hear you have to be careful about knockoffs though.

[@martynfairclough5013]

hi luke im looking to replace my shimano 11 speed chain can you recommend a cheaper alternative?

[@DaanHoogland]

Not sure if it is a rebrand of the ones you mentioned, but I have a "dqxmc 10speed narrow". Never used because the speedlink wouldn't fit. Not the one that came with it, nor a KMC one. Both fitted on a Shimano chain. Wouldn't recommend dqxmc either.

[@cup_and_cone]

The cheap chain wear tool is really only measuring the wear of the rollers. The Park Tool chain wear tool is actually a copy of the old Shimano chain wear tool, which is designed to negate any wear in the rollers and measure actual pin/plate wear. If you replace a chain as soon as it hits .75 on the cheap wear tool, you're throwing out a chain that still has some life left - nothing wrong with replacing early, just depends how frugal you want to be.

[@rickaristotlejorge2618]

Are those cheap chain checkers in the video made of hardened steel? I accidentally rode the bike while the checker was mounted on the chain and smashed the FD (no visible damages) I'm worried that it may make the tool inaccurate.

[@cup_and_cone]

@@rickaristotlejorge2618 Definitely not hardened, they're mild steel that's stamped and tumbled to break the edge. Personally I wouldn't use it, but then again, accuracy varies by manufacturer with those tools anyway. If you have something like an imperial machinist's ruler, you can use that to measure wear across the pins by doing some math.

[@rickaristotlejorge2618]

@@cup_and_cone Thanks! I'd still use it though it's better than nothing and I can try the math some other time.

[@suugoi]

Bought a spare VG combo 8S chain and cassette for 20 euros, when chains/cassettes were GONE due to covid etc from local shops. Hopefully 8S have more material and will wear a bit slower, but should be fine for commuter bike.

[@elorz007]

Stupid question but how do you measure that your casette is worn out? You can measure the chain easy but the casette? Is there a tool for it?

[@juliosdicaprio]

I got a chain from OG-evkin from the almighty Ali. And was very pleased with the appearance, came without any factory lube, I liked it because I wax my chains. I haven't rode it much but checked it straight away after your video. And yepp after +- 250 km 0.5 of wear already.

[@sacevedoneira]

I have use ybn in the past but was for a track bike and not a lightweight one it worked pretty well but like i said is a really different chain the size and amount of material gives it way more stiffness than a chain for a road bike

[@StevieOnHisBike]

PYC SP1101 - I got... wait for it... over 7000 miles before it hit the .5 mark!!! Although, 99% of rides were dry and I am pretty obsessive about keeping my chains clean and use really good quality lube. Can't wait the for the cassette review :)

[@harukitakehiko1009]

i'm using SUMC Silver for 11s, so far it's been pretty good for now and i've been eyeing on YBN if my chain we're to wear out.

[@byrondixon4648]

Not sure if anyone else has commented on YBN chains. They last at least as long as Shimano. I usually change my chain at around the 2500km mark, and compare my old with new, and it's usually up to 2mm 'streached' (I know it's pin wear). When I checked the YBN there was no wear at all after 2500. Use Shimano at the moment as they are slightly quieter.

[@TraceVelo]

OK cool, thanks for the comment Byron! Yeah ybn chains seem to have a pretty good rep, atleast from everyone in the comments. I think ill have to check them out, see if they match up to SRAM and Shimano chains...

[@kimtorvs9547]

Waited for a new vid and it didnt dissapoint, been wondering what cost effective method of upgrading my bike and a good chain is actually a good starting point

[@TraceVelo]

Awesome, glad you liked the episode! But yeah a chain is not a bad place to start, but also have a look at getting some decent tyres. The stock ones tend to be pretty heavy and not super grippy. Spending a few quid on some decent tyres can really help you drop some weight, and drop the rolling resistance!