Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains & other cheap chains

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mercalia
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Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains & other cheap chains

Post by mercalia »

Last edited by mercalia on 4 Jan 2015, 12:52pm, edited 1 time in total.
Moodyman1

Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by Moodyman1 »

used Clarks for other stuff like brake pads and cables and they've been fine. I'd say the quality was on par with lower end Shimano stuff, ie Acera.

£3.80 is definitely worth a punt
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Sweep
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by Sweep »

Thanks for the tip mercalia.

Have ordered 5 of the "rust free" ones.

Normally i don't bother with special finish chains but at this price ...

An extra 10 per cent off today as well.

They will keep my new favourite bike going a while - my 7 speed chromo Ridgeback i bought getting on for 20 years ago.
Sweep
ANTONISH
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by ANTONISH »

I've never liked Clark's brake pads - they seemed to chew up the rims.
£4 seems very cheap for a chain - I wonder what the quality is.
mercalia
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mercalia »

ANTONISH wrote:I've never liked Clark's brake pads - they seemed to chew up the rims.
£4 seems very cheap for a chain - I wonder what the quality is.


well I'll give a visual report back when I get them later today. wont be using them for some time. I am getting the 8 speed ones. just a couple
beardy
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by beardy »

CRC have them at those sorts of prices more or less all the time.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/chains?sort=pricelow

Not so useful now they have postage on orders under £9. I have not had the confidence to buy them, it is a bit suspicious that they could even make a chain with all the heat treatments and quality control at that price.
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mjr
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mjr »

The anti rust one didn't work for me (Shimano 28/38/48 and 12-28 HG drive train IIRC) at all. Noisy, wouldn't shift smoothly, possibly the worst chain I've had in recent years. My review of it and a hyper glide chain was on this site, I think.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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Sweep
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by Sweep »

Ah, maybe i moved too soon.

The chains won't be fitted for a while.

In the meantime mercalia, i look forward to your reports/feedback.

I normally use sram chains - probably cost me abiut £10 in effect.

Was encouraged by the fact that the apparent original price looked credible.
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mercalia
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mercalia »

Well I picked up a pair of the 8 speed. I did have a look at the 7/8 anti rust ones - they are galvanised zinc I think, the prices at my local Halfords had no reductionm so where £12 or so.

Here are pics of the 8 speed ones I got -

clarks 8 speed cheapy chain
clarks 8 speed cheapy chain



clarks 8 speed chain 2.JPG


in a sealed pack nicely greasy

using my Park CC-2 tool ( for whats its worth ) measured at new less much less than 0.25

This seems to be a YBN chain? Yaban?

There is no guarantee the galvanised ones are YBN, may be from a different maker. This one seems fine - no tight links and it dont twist much and the initial wear is low. In my use will probably be ok as I am not heavy footed user - not a grinder more a twirler. Maybe not suitable for "sadistic" riders who give their bikes a hard time, but then that probably is true of any of the cheap chains? I do notice the outer plates bulge out a bit ( why what does that do? my sram chains I think dont) unlike the Halfords picture. The maker has gone to the trouble in having a fancy logo on the outer links so suggests not complete rubbish? I did a short Google and it seems some of YBN chains are very good so not a noddy maker?

Other than that it is suck it and see. £4 a chain not much and £3.60 even less. Sweep, I dont know if you can modify you order at the reduced price and maybe just get a couple? Any way the reservation is not binding?

My stock of chains include very old models from sram - PC41 & 51 which really dont feel much different

I cant comment on the 7/8 rust proof one as mine not that model
Last edited by mercalia on 26 Dec 2014, 4:03pm, edited 8 times in total.
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Sweep
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by Sweep »

Thanks for that mercalia though am afraid that I am not technical enough to judge from the pics.

Do you have any opinions of the ones you have in your hands or anyone else have opinions on the pics?

If the galvanised ones were £12 that makes the reduction look genuine.

£10 to £12 for a 7/8 speed chain is a reasonable amount. I picked up a KMC for about 8 or 10 euros in Italy a couple of years ago.

Edit: sorry mercalia, hadn't seen that you had written below your second pic when i wrote the above - dodgy link/tab this end at mo.
Last edited by Sweep on 26 Dec 2014, 5:07pm, edited 1 time in total.
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tyreon
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by tyreon »

This is where I need CJ...and he's goin!

I am sure I read some query answered by CJ wherein he said a chain-is-a-chain-is-a-chain,there aint much of anything between em: well,not unless they're for different speed cassettes.

I don't/can't hammer. Am a twiddler. I've had chains for 8 speeds and haven't noticed any noticeable wear: on for 2000+ miles,maybe 3,000. Have then replaced them before they over-stretch and they have worked well with existing cassette. I do have mudguards,I do clean the chain(but not OCD),I don't tend to go off road,or cycle in heavy rain,terrain=rolling. But now I'm beginning to worry!! Interested to hear of others experience: I like to keep several spare chains in stock
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gaz
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by gaz »

tyreon wrote:... I am sure I read some query answered by CJ wherein he said a chain-is-a-chain-is-a-chain,there aint much of anything between em: well,not unless they're for different speed cassettes. ...

He did suggest chrome hardened pins are highly desirable.
High on a cocktail of flossy teacakes and marmalade
mercalia
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mercalia »

I read some where that YBN Yanab chains are rather well done reverse engineering of KMC ones but suffer slightly from inferior materials at cheaper prices - they dont have any RD costs. Dont know if this is true. Next time I change a chain, prob the summer I'll use one of these and then see how it goes.
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mjr
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mjr »

That was it! I blamed the bulges for the bad shifting. viewtopic.php?f=18&t=84875&hilit=+Clarks
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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mercalia
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Re: Halfords Clarks 8 speed chains

Post by mercalia »

mjr wrote:That was it! I blamed the bulges for the bad shifting. viewtopic.php?f=18&t=84875&hilit=+Clarks


well I may just put it on temp just to see if thats the case. It doesnt seem that the bulges are any further out than the pin ends, in anything may stop the pins fouling any thing as the bulges are curved? I wonder if they sort of act as ramps do on the front rings?
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