Hi everyone, the title mostly says it all, I’m a bit confused in terms of chain compatibility. I have a 10 speed bike with Shimano components and it’s time for me to get a new chain. Since I’ve heard that the higher speed chains run nicer I was wondering if I can use an 11 or 12 speed chain. I am running a Shimano 10 speed cassette in the rear.
From what I have gathered online so far, running an 11 speed chain on a 10 speed setup should be fine. So now I’m wondering, if that is correct and if a 12 speed would also work.
Thanks
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An 11-speed chain from any brand will probably work passably on a 10-speed Shimano or SRAM cassette – I’ve mixed and matched 11-speed and 10-speed drivetrain bits before on a bike with friction shifters, it worked fine. Fine is different from perfectly though. Campagnolo 10-speed sprockets were a tad wider, so an 11-speed chain might not be so happy (I don’t know for definite, I haven’t tried).
12-speed chains get complicated. The rollers of SRAM 12-speed chains are a different diameter. The inner plates of Shimano 12-speed chains protrude slightly, potentially interfering with the teeth of your slightly wider 10-speed drivetrain.
I would stick with just a good old 10-speed chain, and it’ll probably be cheaper too. You usually get the best performance from using parts that were designed to work together, so if you have a 10-speed Shimano road drivetrain, stick with a 10-speed Shimano road chain like CN-4601. If you have 10-speed Campagnolo, just get a Veloce chain and it’ll probably last you 10 years. If you have SRAM, the PC1051 is good value.
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Good point about the different brands, I have edited the original post, I am running Shimano. Thanks for the information on compatibility.
One of the reasons I’m considering an 11 speed Shimano chain is that when I’m at more extreme chain lines, small front big rear or the opposite, I get some chain rub. I was wondering if by using an 11 speed chain with slightly narrower outer plates I could potentially get another gear that runs silently and the chain rub would start later.
How many sprockets can you use before it rubs? And are you using the trim function of the front shifter?
If it’s only the last one or two sprockets that rub, you’re probably best just carrying on as you are, and avoiding using them – it’ll just cause accelerated wear to the drivetrain teeth and the derailleur pivots. If there’s any more rub than that, it sounds like it could be a front mech setup issue rather than a chain issue.
The issue with running a chain narrower than intended is that the chain won’t as readily catch the shift ramp on the next largest gear while still being in its current position. It can run quieter that way, but at the expense of positive shifting. It’s a similar situation with the front shifting.
If you want to allow for more cross chain ability, one way is to choose a chainring combination with a smaller spread. Typical setups have a 16t difference between the rings, 50/34, 52/36. 53/39 is an option and has just a 14t difference. You used to be able to get 52/38 as well. There’s also the increasingly rare CX oriented 46/36.
If you’d rather keep a wide spread but don’t mind gearing down a bit, you could get a GRX crankset that utilizes a wider chainline. It’s best paired with a GRX front derailleur, as a standard derailleur may not have the adjustment range to reach the wider position. The wider chainline will allow for easier small/small cross chaining.
@Philip_Hackstock During Covid, when sourcing some parts was difficult or impossible, I used 11sp shimano chains on shimano 10sp drivetrains for customers a few times with no issues at all.
I couldn’t feel and issues with shifting quality and had no negative feedback from the customers.
I’ve never put a 12sp chain onto 10sp and don’t think I would as I suspect you could run into issues with poor shifting and possibly the chain getting stuck between the two chainrings when shifting the front derailleur.
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I have had great luck with shimano drivetrains and running “up” one speed chain as long as the rings match the chain. So 10 speed drive train with 11 speed crank/rings and 11 speed chain yields positive results. In fact I would say the chain typically runs a bit more quiet and overall performs better than the “correct” speed chain. But as mentioned above, you do need to match the rings to the chain to ensure proper front shifting. I have been running 12 speed chains and rings on an otherwise 11 speed shimano bike for years and it works great. As mentioned above, 12 speed chains get a little specific so best to have 12 speed rings with 12 speed chains.