KMC chains on Ebay - genuine? (2024)

PJay

I’m looking to pick up a couple of KMC 10 speed chains. I’ve always done well with their X10s.

Some sellers on Ebay have them at around the £13 mark with free postage. By comparission Merlin are £22 (not sure about postage).

Are there issues with fake KMC chains, or are the Ebay ones likely to be genuine?

airvent

nuke

VanHalen

rotors are a just sheet of laser cut stainless steel though so are much less problematic in fact if they are the right thickmess it doesnt really matter.

chains are much more involved!

fossy

goldfish24

timba

Genuine KMC X10 chains in a Decathlon box. Limited coating choice, but £14.99 https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/10-speed-bike-chain/_/R-p-311685

timba

Shimano 105/SLX 11-speed £20.44 at Halfords https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-parts/gears-drivetrain-and-cables/shimano-cn-hg601-105%2Fslx-11-speed-chain-116-links-628090.html

paddy0091

too cheap, likely fake.

Had similar yesterday when looking for red Keo cleats. eBay full of fakes.

Just another reason to dislike ebay…

nuke

rotors are a just sheet of laser cut stainless steel though so are much less problematic in fact if they are the right thickmess it doesnt really matter.

Why would i risk it? I like a bargain but its seems a false economy to spend a load on Code calipers and then risk fake rotors to save a tenner each end

towzer

There are deffo fakes, e.g. xtr chain (*hollowpin) came with solid pins – I got my money back

checkout the seller, there are a lot of proper bike shops on eBay , they should be ok, but fbloggs123456, selling clothes, wildebeest hampers and brand new chains at a suspiciously good price, maybe not.

Kramer

rotors are a just sheet of laser cut stainless steel though

Really?

iffoverload

some pointers to help spot obvious fakes here

https://www.kmcchain.eu/service/fake-chains

and yeah feebay can f right off slimy barstewards 😉

iffoverload

Really?

well AFAIK they are not cast or machined so yeah, quality of the steel is the real issue.

nbt

VanHalen

‘Kramer
Free Member
rotors are a just sheet of laser cut stainless steel though

Really?’

well – not the middele bit of floating rotors (but who runs those??)! but he braking surface will be. some of the REALLY cheap ones (and the shimano ones i have in my box of crap that are resin only ones) are stamped.

I appreciate there are different variations of stainless (ie asda cheap stainless forks rust eventually but posh knives dont) but i`m not sure it make a world of difference to your average biker.

i always use legit chains. i`ve snapped enough to know it can result in much unpleasentness

desperatebicycle

airvent
Extremely likely to be fake – don’t buy chains on eBay or Amazon

This without checking out the ones the OP s referring to?

fossy
Definitely only get chains from proper retailers.

Many many sellers on ebay are proper retailers.

desperatebicycle

Having said the above and ACTAULLY LOOKED at “KMC X10 chains” on Ebay – there are A LOT of dodgy ones. You just gotta be careful.

There’s one seller the listing is “For KMC 8/9/10 Speen Chain Road Bike Quick Link fit Campy SRAM…” X10 – £9.99 – that listing is obviously dodgy. Doesn’t really even say that its a chain being sold! So there are definitely some to avoid buying from. Usually you can just check the seller name to see if you’re buying genuine (eg. Woollyhatshop), but the listing detail is always a clue to what you’re actually buying.

Dismissing ebay as all fakes and crims.. yeah, very short sighted.

fooman

zerocool

PJay

Thanks everyone (that KMC page on fake chains is handy too).

I think I’ll stick with reliable retailers (as I did in the end when buying SRAM rotors a while back).

This was the listing I was looking at (although there are cheaper) – https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156218789589