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Product Review: KMC X10 SL Silver 10 Speed Chain

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World-class professional racers have proved that KMC chains provide the right DNA to help you become a champion! As well as KMC team champion riders, it is important that the same chain quality is offered for all kind of riders.

KMC’s 10 speed chains are compatible with all major shifting systems. Shifting performance, durability and easy mounting are other key attributes of KMC chains. We have the perfect chain for all type of riders.

The world’s lightest 10-speed chain now offers you more advantages than ever: besides the great shifting performance, it is a super light weight and smooth running chain. KMC now guarantees your satisfaction on the chain’s life, which is much longer, compared to other major brands.

Features:

  • 1/2″ X 11/128″ – 114 Links
  • Includes missing link
  • Non-Directional Design
  • Double X-Durability
  • Pin length 5.88 mm
  • Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo compatible (Including all 10X MTB systems)
  • Slotted plates and hollow pins
  • Low maintenance and high reliability
  • Lightest 10spd chain available
  • Weight: 253g

KMC X10 SL Chain Review:

KMC claims that the lightest 10-speed chain was designed for those in search of extreme weight reduction. The weight can vary a little across color variations of the chain but generally, this chain is three grams lighter than the KMC X10L. This particular chain is silver, but the 10 speed chain is also available in black and gold options.

From a visual standpoint, the company has done a great job of depicting the durability of the chain with their use of simple yet effective graphics on the packaging. The large KMC logo at the top is also a nice touch.

It’s obviously not possible to review the performance of the chain before I have worn it over a decent length of time. Still, based on the material quality and construction of the chain out of the package, it appears to be of a very high quality. The KMC X10 SL comes with four pins installed for no extra cost and there are plenty of spare pins included in the package to use as replacements.

The use of hollow and slotted pins with the X10SL is a big plus when it comes to cleaning the bike and managing creaks over time. Even the missing link comes with a coating to prevent corrosion. Normally I shun away from easy release systems due to the messy and time consuming process of replacing them but the KMC Missing Link seems to have made the process as easy as possible.

The KMC X10SL is a high quality chain at an affordable price. The ease of installation and superior shifting performance are welcome assets for mountain bike riders seeking the highest level of performance. Well done KMC!

Pros:

  • Light
  • Easy to Install
  • Ease of cleaning

Cons:

  • None

Read more or buy here

KMC X10 SL Chain Review Comments:

“If you’re using an SS system its a definite must! The shifting without has got to be the smoothest I’ve seen on a chain. KMC are the only chains I’ll use now from BMX to MAMIL, no meshing with cranks. Cheers KMC!”

“Great chain for sure.. Used on a 3×5 setup.. works great”

“Have it on my SS/Dura-ace and works great. Shifts better than shimano and is much lighter. Spares are cheap on Chainreaction also. Very very good chain.”

“love this chain been on my bike for over two years and never had any issues with it.”

“Excellent chain, used for about 5 months now. Easy to install and clean too.”

“Velik y nakopleniy kai. Na moem shtormovom sete medium zhestko, nakopleno i ne sbivaet. Sestra s perednego toka, hokshaya duma, myslite voprosa, uzhe 9 mesecov nahoditsya na xapikah. “

“better than shimano, long life, easy cleaning a lot of hard knocks !!!”

“Reliable, light weight, super easy and quick to clean”

“Fast, strong, clean and reliable.”

“smooth!!”

“best chain on market, easy to fit too, all round great chain”

“Wery good, faster than Shimano chain, but need to carefull, cleaning.”

“i have been using this chain for about a year and a half and it is still going strong!”

“The best 10 speed chain i have come across, light, durable and slick shifting.”

“Very good chain, is if you want a good one to put on your bike go for it, if you will have to clean it every 5 km just go for shimano s-tec or some other one.”

“Very very nice chain, I had to replace it after 11000km and its still in excellent condition, It’s fast and light weight, perfect for someone who uses their bike as bike and not something that you buy for one season and then don’t use it for the three following seasons, I have a KMC X10SL gold and I love it.”

“Fantastic chain. Been on the drivetrain for 18 months and easily over 8000km. Has a very smooth and reliable shifting action. An excellent chain, well worth the money.”

“Great chain, lasts longer than the shimano and sram chains. After 6000+ miles mine is still shifting like new.”

“Light, easy to clean, lasts forever. I have the gold version in one of my bikes and the silver version in the other, both look like new after about 11kkm each (and counting).”

“This chain is awesome. I’m a serious amateur rider and I’ve been using the chain since beginning of season 2016. I hardly ever changed it. It is on year three and still shifts smoothly and works like a champ. Highly recommended chain for speed freaks like me!”

“I change it after few months, chain get bend and not smooth in ratchet, but I was using it in costal riding, smooth out road, nice chain .”

“fast chain, very light, used by many world level racers.”

“The best chain on market, easy to fit too, all round great chain.”

“No frills way overpriced chain.”

“while i haven’t used it yet, I have cleaned and done the usual routine to it, but after reading the reviews (on here and a few other places) it looks like a great choice, very light and the shifting seems to be great, granted it’s still on the bike so I can’t do a full review for you but checkout the reviews and you’ll see it’s a great chain to use!”

“allways used this chain works very well on my bike”

“Used on my daily commuter and it’s performed well so far keeping the chain life and maintenance down. Great value for money if you need a chain to last a little longer. Leaves you with spare links for easy maintenance.”

“Fantastic chain. Only used it twice but great tidy shifting. Sleek and much, much lighter than Shimano. Ordering again!”

“Quality chain only used for a few hundred miles but feels like it will be good for a while”

“This is a great chain, the best I’ve had for my bike. As a commuter for 12,000 miles, it’s my recommendation.”

“feel so smooth through the gears, looks like this chain is going to last a long time.”

“Good chain comes with missing link which is a bonus.”

“This chain came with the bike and is still going strong.”

“Bought the same item 8 years ago and this one looks exactly the same. Shimano, move over.”

“Great product. Plenty of life in it yet despite being run through thick mud and regular rain. Recommended.”

Read more reviews or buy here

Written by Mark Adams

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