eBikes: Chains matter

Hi ebike peeps. Just a short post today because I want to share with you a thought of mine: Chains matter.

I was in a local bike shop stocking up on some supplies (they had a sale) and I asked if they had any KMC e10 chains in stock. (The number after the e just refers to how many cogs you have on your cassette; so if you have 9 you’d get the e9, etc.) Both my ebikes are full-power, high-torque, mid-drive models. The response I got was along the lines of, “No, but it doesn’t really matter, you can use [okay brand that would probably do the job but most likely won’t last as long as the brand I’m asking for].”

Um, thanks, but no thanks. 

I asked for KMC, because I know how many miles I can get and how much abuse a KMC can take. 

Maybe you don’t care. Maybe you don’t put a lot of miles on your ebike. Maybe you have a low- to mid-torque ebike. Maybe you totally baby your chain. 

I know the reality of my world. And KMC is my choice for my world. 

UPDATE: You can now get the eX series with an “EcoProTeQ” coating that “doubles the rust resistance compared to KMC‘s RB anti-rust treatment. The advantages of the very smooth coating are maximum rust resistance, low noise and a great look.” (The “great look” refers to a gray chain instead of a silver chain.)

And honestly, they don’t cost that much more than any other chain. So you might as well just get the one you know is built like a proverbial tank. You can get them at Performance Bicycle. 

I plan on asking the reps about that EcoProTeQ coating at Sea Otter. You can visit them in their booth located at G51