How long has a shimano xtr 11 speed mtb chain lasted??

[Matt006]

I've got a sram xx1 11 speed drivetrain but I have a shimano xtr chain, how long should the chain last if you ride mtb

[_David_]

Depends on lots of factors, rather buy yourself a chain-checker tool they are not expensive. Will be worth the money spend.

[Matt006]

I was asking how much milage everyone else got because I only got 1500km out of my chain 

[117]

Sounds about right to me. I was around the same mileage on XT set up. 

[Ozzie NL]

38 minutes ago, Matt006 said:

I was asking how much milage everyone else got because I only got 1500km out of my chain 

1500 is on the very low end for me. Depending on conditions I used to get 1800 - 2800 on a XT / XTR chain.

Have now switched to XX1 ... they def last longer (~3500 - 4000km) but over R2k a pop

PS XX1 is 12sp whereas XT/XTR experience was 11sp

Edited January 19, 2022 by Ossie NL

[Matt006]

Do you think because of the groupset cross over there would be a difference in mileage 

[Steady Spin]

2 hours ago, Matt006 said:

I was asking how much milage everyone else got because I only got 1500km out of my chain 

Managed about 2000km out of an XTR 12spd chain. 

Replaced with an XX1 for about R1500. This should hold for 3000km I hope. 

[FirstV8]

I ride XTR  11 speed and use Q Bike dry lube . I wash my bike plus chain if i have had a dusty or muddy  ride . I never take the chain off to wash it separately and then only used my Q bike Dry lube through a Lumbretta to dispense lube .i use a chain checker at least every second week . I am very anal about were the chain is positioned according to the front chain ring ( X2 )  to avoid the chain running at angles . My last chain gave me 7700 km . I keep a good record of the maintenance i do on my bikes but only do it  myself . I have heard of riders taking bikes to LBS and are told to replace chains or cassettes that have barely done 1000 km . 

[Matt006]

That's a considerable amount of mileage on that chain, are you a serious rider or do you just ride as a hobby, the reason that I am asking this is because I put my chain through its paces and I always make sure my drivetrain is clean and once a month I take my chain off and give it a good wash, lately I've been putting in big miles in all weather conditions and my chain has not lasted and I'm on a x1 drivetrain from 2015 so my chain alignment isn't exactly right and also I tend to stay in my harder gears throughout my ride 

[RobertWhitehead]

No oooo way, I got 5085km on my 11 speed XT chain before I snapped the quick link. The chain was between 0.5 & 0.75 wear at that time (i.e. The chain checker could not go in at 0.75 wear). I was then in a rush so I took a new chain instead of rummaging to look for another quick link. I do not use any dry or other lube the lbs sells as all of those products (in my humble opinion) is a marketing gimmick. I mean think about it for a second: you add a R350 bottle of oil to a R500 000.00 car but want to use a "special lube" to your bikes chain? 

If a lube can work on and or in something that has to get to speeds well above what any of us can do then why am I going for the special oil? 

[Steady Spin]

1 minute ago, RobertWhitehead said:

No oooo way, I got 5085km on my 11 speed XT chain before I snapped the quick link. The chain was between 0.5 & 0.75 wear at that time (i.e. The chain checker could not go in at 0.75 wear). I was then in a rush so I took a new chain instead of rummaging to look for another quick link. I do not use any dry or other lube the lbs sells as all of those products (in my humble opinion) is a marketing gimmick. I mean think about it for a second: you add a R350 bottle of oil to a R500 000.00 car but want to use a "special lube" to your bikes chain? 

If a lube can work on and or in something that has to get to speeds well above what any of us can do then why am I going for the special oil? 

Moral of the story? Bike specific lubes kill chains?

[Matt006]

I find that dry lube keeps your drivetrain the cleanest and it doesn't pack your drivetrain, I use dry wax as my lube and it's very thin, most oils damage the chain(as I see almost every day working in a bike shop) but I ride my bike a lot in the rain and I tend to be a little bit rough with my shifting because of racing especially in xco 

[RobertWhitehead]

12 minutes ago, Steady Spin said:

Moral of the story? Bike specific lubes kill chains?

Moral of the story: if you only get 1500km on a chain then either someone is taking the p!ss or you're doing something wrong. And I know that SRAM tend to give less than Shimano but still, if you have an XTR chain (which is the best in the range) and you only get 1500 before you have to replace it then honestly, think about it for a second, someone is making a pretty packet off your blood sweat and gears 😁

[Matt006]

I work at the bike shop where I do all the maintenance on my bike, my bike is also not built for a x1 system because my offset is too large which cause the chain to be off centered and sits wrong on the front chainring wrong causing the chain to wear faster, I'm just asking in a general normal circumstance 

[117]

8 minutes ago, RobertWhitehead said:

Moral of the story: if you only get 1500km on a chain then either someone is taking the p!ss or you're doing something wrong. And I know that SRAM tend to give less than Shimano but still, if you have an XTR chain (which is the best in the range) and you only get 1500 before you have to replace it then honestly, think about it for a second, someone is making a pretty packet off your blood sweat and gears 😁

Hmmm. I'll beg to differ somewhat. 

I broke the outer link due to climbing in the 11tooth sprocket, so I had no choice but to change chains. I'm also particular to cleaning it and lube etc. 

Point is, how long is a piece of string? 

[Steady Spin]

4 minutes ago, Matt006 said:

I work at the bike shop where I do all the maintenance on my bike, my bike is also not built for a x1 system because my offset is too large which cause the chain to be off centered and sits wrong on the front chainring wrong causing the chain to wear faster, I'm just asking in a general normal circumstance 

Interesting. Could have been why i got only 2000km on mine. About a 1000 less than what others reported on the same chains. 

When I replaced my chainring in December I found that a 32t got dangerously close to the frame. Turns out the driveside spacer on the bb was skipped bringing the chainring closer to the frame than what it should have been. 

Hopefully the spacer sorted out the slight misaligned and will increase chain life. Who knows. 

Waiting for @DieselnDustto give his feedback.