Comparison between KMC and SRAM chains on 11-speed setups

I ran SRAM chains for about two years on my gravel bike and kept getting stiff links after every big ride, no matter how much I cleaned them. Swapped to a KMC X11 last spring and the shifting feels smoother and I haven't had a single stiff link in 400+ miles. Anyone else have better luck with one brand over the other?

3 comments

3 Comments

maxl931d agoTop Commenter

Pretty sure SRAM actually sources their 11-speed chains from the same factory KMC uses. So it might not be the brand but just a bad batch on SRAM's side those two years.

miasanchez1d agoMost Upvoted

My buddy had the same stiff link problem on his gravel bike a few years ago, but honestly I think people blow these things way out of proportion. Its a chain, not a heart transplant. You probably got three bad ones in a row which sucks, but that doesnt mean SRAM is garbage or KMC is magic. Ive been running the same SRAM 11-speed chain on my commuter for like 2000 miles and its been fine, not a single skip or stiff link. Maybe it was just that year, maybe it was how your friend was maintaining it, maybe his bike was slightly out of alignment. I dont know, its just a chain.

iris_schmidt1d ago

Oh man, a buddy of mine had the exact same issue with SRAM chains... he was getting stiff links on his road bike every other weekend and it drove him crazy. He finally tried a KMC and after like 500 miles he told me he'd never go back because the shifting was way more consistent. So yeah, your experience lines up with what I've heard from others too.