Campagnolo Centaur chains

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nickyboy

Norven Mankey
My bike has Campagnolo Centaur groupset and has just been in for service. Apparently the cassette and chain are too worn and have to be replaced. £60 for the cassette and £40 for the chain.
Now my plan, until I heard this, was to just replace the chain more frequently to get more life out of the cassette (both have done about 2,500 hard, hilly miles; probably 250,000ft of ascent). But the price of the chain is making me think again. LBS said that I really need to match the Campagnolo cassette with Campagnolo chain. But £40 a chain means any strategy of replacing the chain say, every 1,500 miles is going to be expensive.

So, what do we think of the LBS's advice only to use a Campagnolo centaur chain? And if it's not necessary, what brand would you recommend as an alternative?
 

ANT 666

Trying to re member
Location
N.Wales
KMC have a great range of chains to suit all pockets. Never used a Campag chain on campg sprockets yet with no problems at all.
 

bianchi1

Guru
Location
malverns
My bike has Campagnolo Centaur groupset and has just been in for service. Apparently the cassette and chain are too worn and have to be replaced. £60 for the cassette and £40 for the chain.
Now my plan, until I heard this, was to just replace the chain more frequently to get more life out of the cassette (both have done about 2,500 hard, hilly miles; probably 250,000ft of ascent). But the price of the chain is making me think again. LBS said that I really need to match the Campagnolo cassette with Campagnolo chain. But £40 a chain means any strategy of replacing the chain say, every 1,500 miles is going to be expensive.

So, what do we think of the LBS's advice only to use a Campagnolo centaur chain? And if it's not necessary, what brand would you recommend as an alternative?

I've always used sram 10 speed chains on my 10 speed centaur. PC1051 or PC1031. I've never had an issue and they last me about 5000 miles plus.
 
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nickyboy

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
KMC have a great range of chains to suit all pockets. Never used a Campag chain on campg sprockets yet with no problems at all.

Thanks very much, I was hoping to hear something like that. I appreciate it's difficult to match but any thoughts on what KMC chain might have similar performance characteristics to Campag Centaur?
 
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nickyboy

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
I've always used sram 10 speed chains on my 10 speed centaur. PC1051 or PC1031. I've never had an issue and they last me about 5000 miles plus.

LBS was "suggesting" that I may not get as smooth shifting. I presume from your perspective that's not correct? The chains you're using seem to be available at <£15 each so seem a great option
 

dan_bo

How much does it cost to Oldham?
40 quid for a chain?

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bianchi1

Guru
Location
malverns
LBS was "suggesting" that I may not get as smooth shifting. I presume from your perspective that's not correct? The chains you're using seem to be available at <£15 each so seem a great option

I've not ever noticed any shifting issues, but I havn't run a campag chain for more than 5 years so can't really compare.
I run sram chains on my road bike, tt bike and winter hack (all campag 10 speed) and all are fine. I've got a new one ready to fit to my new summer build, as I see no point in changing what is working for me.
 

Smokin Joe

Legendary Member
LBS was "suggesting" that I may not get as smooth shifting. I presume from your perspective that's not correct? The chains you're using seem to be available at <£15 each so seem a great option
Your LBS are talking cobblers, a chain is a chain is a chain. They are all made to the same dimensions because all sprockets are the same industry standard.
 

woohoo

Veteran
I think there was a suggestion that the rivets on non-Campag 11 speed ran wider than the genuine Campag 11 speed chain. Having said that, I replaced my 11 speed Campag chain with a KMC and it has been absolutely fine. On 10 speed, I've run Campag and KMC with no noticeable differences.

.. and if you go with KMC, you get the joining link and don't have all of that palava with rivets (and on 11 speed, the s[pecial mega-expensive peening tool).

Even for very hilly use, 2500 miles seems like an unusually short life for a cassette.
 
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nickyboy

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
I think there was a suggestion that the rivets on non-Campag 11 speed ran wider than the genuine Campag 11 speed chain. Having said that, I replaced my 11 speed Campag chain with a KMC and it has been absolutely fine. On 10 speed, I've run Campag and KMC with no noticeable differences.

.. and if you go with KMC, you get the joining link and don't have all of that palava with rivets (and on 11 speed, the s[pecial mega-expensive peening tool).

Even for very hilly use, 2500 miles seems like an unusually short life for a cassette.

I agree, I was expecting more than 2,500 miles. I clean the cassette and chain every week or so. The LBS "suggestion" is that allowing the chain to go to 2,500 miles has resulted in a worn chain and cassette. Hence my idea that I may have to change the chain more frequently in the future. As it seems I can get a perfectly good chain for about £15 then that seems like a reasonable option. At £40....not really
 

lpretro1

Guest
You can also get a Miche cassette with Campy fit for about half the price and they are absolutely fine. Campy chains are a silly price - and the KMC ones are very good as well as being way cheaper:smile:
 

S.Giles

Guest
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that that there is a certain type of cyclist out there who wants to spend a fortune on (and obsess about the most inconsequential details of) their equipment, and certain manufacturers (and retailers) who are only too happy to oblige them.

Last time I fitted a new chain, I opted for a £6 Shimano model, which is still doing sterling service after 3000+ miles. The bike is left out in the rain every night for reasons beyond my control (ie, I'm too lazy to put it away in the garage) and the chain gets oiled with 3-in-1 every few weeks. I scrape the black gunk off the jockey wheels once in a while with a bit of cardboard. Last time I measured the chain stretch, it wasn't enough to warrant replacement.

I don't know what I'm doing differently to anyone else, but would recommend the above regimen to anyone experiencing premature chain wear.
 
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