How easily do 11 and 12 speed chains snap vs 10spd?

[Skylark]

Been wondering, how easy do 11 or 12 speed chains snap compared to 10spd, say heavy cross chaining/shifting under load without thinking etc, has anyone noticed them to be noticeably weaker than 10spd chains in that regard or just in general?

[Grease_Monkey]

I'm not putting down Sagan or Schurter power, but to my knowledge and experience an 11 speed is just as strong as a 10 speed chain.

[Meezo]

i have experience of my 11 speed snapping same with my one of my riding mates, yes they are thinner, but i don't think our case is common, probably as common as 10 speed chains snapping.

 

...or bad fitment by me

[bikebloke]

chains are usually snapped by bad technique and In that regard they are all about the same

[Rudi Pollard]

I have never snapped an 11 speed chain in more than 10,000km, but I have snapped 10 speed chains quite frequently

[Eddie Stafford]

I have the same question after my mate snapped a 11 speed chain on a mtb race recently.  Logic tells me that 11 and 12 speed chains are narrower and not as strong as a 10 speed chain.  However THEY say that 11 and 12 speed chains are stronger as they have less lateral (side to side) movement.

[Skylark]

I have the same question after my mate snapped a 11 speed chain on a mtb race recently. Logic tells me that 11 and 12 speed chains are narrower and not as strong as a 10 speed chain. However THEY say that 11 and 12 speed chains are stronger as they have less lateral (side to side) movement.

The only way I can see a 11/12spd chain being stronger than 10spd is if they use stronger materials/tech which they say they do and hence why they also say they are more expensive.

[Veebee]

have never ridden 10spd, but my 11spd chains wear out quite quickly, sometimes just after 1750-2000km, using Ultegra chains. I wipe down after a ride wash/lube every week or 2 depending on the conditions I ride in.

 

Maybe just my shifting style, and I don't ride cross chained.

[EmptyB]

2 years of riding with 11 speed. Never snapped one touch wood.

[Spoke101]

have never ridden 10spd, but my 11spd chains wear out quite quickly, sometimes just after 1750-2000km, using Ultegra chains. I wipe down after a ride wash/lube every week or 2 depending on the conditions I ride in.

 

Maybe just my shifting style, and I don't ride cross chained.

Ultegra chains are made of cheese. Get KMC and you can thank me later.

[Skylark]

Ultegra chains are made of cheese. Get KMC and you can thank me later.

Kmc apparently make Shimano's chains though?

[Spoke101]

Kmc apparently make Shimano's chains though?

That was true some years back, not sure if it still is but it doesn't make any difference.

Completely separate production lines and designs.

You could also say Merida make Specialized and at a push Tata make Jag and Landrover.

[BaGearA]

The pins are engineered in some special way to make them fit and be just as strong and as far as I know the making of the pins is the only real thing that make 11spd and 12spd so stupid expensive.

 

Not that 10spd chains are cheap by any means.

[BDF]

TBH most of the "snapped" chains I have attended to were not snapped but poorly installed. Generally because the pin was not put in correctly or the link where the pin was pushed in was not "loosened" prior to commissioning. 

 

I am one of those buggers that believes that if you ride a 2 x 10, 2x11 or whatever, you should be able to select and ride in any of the gear combinations without worrying about chain line etc. This does potentially cause the chain to exercise more but I have never had problems with snapping chains (on one's I have installed for myself or others).

 

So far, in my experience the chains that stretch to "out of spec" the quickest are SRAM. Ultegra seem pretty bullet proof.

 

The chain links themselves are almost identical between 10 and 11 speed. The majot difference being the length of the pins. Pin length does not weaken the chain.

 

The more lightweight you go, then the materials the pins and links are made of cold become softer and hence, chains stretch faster.

 

Snapping - not so much.

[Skinnyone]

The main thing that kills chains is the front shifting, that is why the big push to 1 x systems....many years ago (when we all rode on triple rings) I used to see a lot more "snapped" chains.

 

The chain never snaps, unless it is very badly worn, the pin normally works loose and then it all separates....

[EmptyB]

Ultegra chains are made of cheese. Get KMC and you can thank me later.

 

But it must be the purple KMC chain