Are Ventura chains any good?

guerney

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This Ventura chain was delivered. but I'd ordered a KMC 7 speed. Is this chain rubbish? Should I return it? Is it made of cheese? Should I keep it because it's cheese, and buy crackers?


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matthewslack

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Nov 26, 2021
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Chains wear rather than stretch, so with good lubrication and cleaning it might not be too much behind the KMC. It would have to use substandard steel grade and wrong heat treatment to be completely useless, which is probably not worth the bother!

Chunky 7 speed unbranded unfussy item. I would use it and learn. Do you have a chain elongation measurement tool?
 

guerney

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Yes, I've got a Silverline chain elongation measurer. Once I get over being stiffed by about £2 for this chain, I'll probably try it. The 3 reviews on the SJS Cycles website aren't bad, and it's for my acoustic/manual/actual effort driven (for now) soon to be assembled Dahon Espresso - I've used loads of dodgy cheap chains on acoustic bikes, and the only one that snapped (while going uphill, and I chipped a tooth) was one I fitted using a chain link tool incorrectly.

 

matthewslack

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From a UK bike shop seller, not aliblabla, would be a positive for me. I keep a lookout for sale prices on chains, and my stack of spare 11 speed SRAM and 9 speed KMC all at £5.99 reaches the ceiling.
 
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guerney

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It's got German writing on it. How can you ask that question?
I need all the quality I can reasonably get, because it'll be used with this "Hi-Range"... from somewhere made by someone. Doesn't smell cheesy.

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saneagle

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I need all the quality I can reasonably get, because it'll be used with this "Hi-Range"... from somewhere made by someone. Doesn't smell cheesy.

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You'd do better with a DNP freewheel. You can get 11/34T but I would have thought 34T is too low for bottom gear on an electric small-wheeled bike. If you never use bottom gear because it's too low, you can get 11/30T or 11/28T. they're all about £15 on Aliexpress.
 

saneagle

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I put "fahrradkette" into google translate and it came back with "sheer nylon stockings"
Google will change its search results to be more specific to you and what you do on the internet. When I type in Fahrradkette it goes straight to bicycle chain, so what have you been doing on the internet that makes it give your search result?

German technical words are normally descriptive and constructed from a combination of smaller words, which makes them pretty easy to figure out.

fahren = travel
Rad = wheel
Kette = chain
Fahrrad = bicycle (wheel for travelling)
fahrradkette = bicycle chain.
Simples!
 

guerney

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I put "fahrradkette" into google translate and it came back with "sheer nylon stockings"
Box feels heavy. If they're very good - Ace Ventura chainmail stockings?


Thats easy to chaeck.

Toast a bit of bread, coil the chain around onto the bread and put it under a hot grill.

If the chain melts, it could be cheese.
Thanks for the tip. Speaking of tips, the cheese in this cheese copper alloy soldering tip turned out to be of a stringy variety - I accidentally reinvented wire while cleaning it with wire wool... reminded me of how wire was invented by two Scotsmen arguing over a penny. Filed a bit flattish, it still works.

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You'd do better with a DNP freewheel. You can get 11/34T but I would have thought 34T is too low for bottom gear on an electric small-wheeled bike. If you never use bottom gear because it's too low, you can get 11/30T or 11/28T. they're all about £15 on Aliexpress.
All I know is, the hill I live on and therefore must ascend is a b*tch - the chain and freewheel cost £15 in total, so it's a cheap experiment. If I can't cycle up this b*stard hill to get home acoustically with that freewheel and the 26" wheeled folding Dahon Espresso's 48/38/28T triple chainwheel, I'll have to electrify the thing. Also, the hill to the train station is a bigger b*stard. This is intended to be a low cost acoustic bike I won't mind much getting stolen when left locked up, because quite often journeys to see my customers are less than 4 miles away from train stations, and annoyingly some won't acommodate my innocent ickle folding 20" wheeled Dahon Helios.

https://www.world-wheels.co.uk/09_espressolarge.htm
 
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thelarkbox

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My hands on experience with cycle stuff is limited, so the above 'translation' was just a poor joke.. ..

The Packaging is simply reminiscent of the cheap market sourced stockings that a particular ex willingly offered up for rough hand treatment.. ;)

Warm memories for a cold Sunday, and perhaps too much of a private joke.. maybe i should have qualified a bit as the lack of engineer embossed initials on each link and minimal text on the packaging suggests the German language use is boomer bait for cheddar..

While i dont have a refined nose for bad uns.. I would be doubtful trusting it with a mid drive like @guerney has, but as its for a pedal power bike, is it worth a punt? a stretch should be detected well in advance of any risk of a snap (digits crossed) .
 

saneagle

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My hands on experience with cycle stuff is limited, so the above 'translation' was just a poor joke.. ..

The Packaging is simply reminiscent of the cheap market sourced stockings that a particular ex willingly offered up for rough hand treatment.. ;)

Warm memories for a cold Sunday, and perhaps too much of a private joke.. maybe i should have qualified a bit as the lack of engineer embossed initials on each link and minimal text on the packaging suggests the German language use is boomer bait for cheddar..

While i dont have a refined nose for bad uns.. I would be doubtful trusting it with a mid drive like @guerney has, but as its for a pedal power bike, is it worth a punt? a stretch should be detected well in advance of any risk of a snap (digits crossed) .
Too late. The secret's out. And don't wink at me. It makes me a bit worried.
 

guerney

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Box proportions are about right for chainmail condoms, for nobody's pleasure.


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While i dont have a refined nose for bad uns.. I would be doubtful trusting it with a mid drive like @guerney has, but as its for a pedal power bike, is it worth a punt? a stretch should be detected well in advance of any risk of a snap (digits crossed) .
If the seller won't change it for a KMC, it'll go on the non-electrified bike, probably.


I put "fahrradkette" into google translate and it came back with "sheer nylon stockings"
I can't recall who it was, but a couple of years ago, a forum member said he wore womens silk stockings for cold weather cycling, but then disappeared never to return.
 
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guerney

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I don't have a 7 speed KMC chain to compare.... opening the box, this chain is stamped "KMC", but covered in oil not the usual wax. Unless this looks suspicious (zoomable pic for detail), I'll use it.


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Cadence

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Feb 23, 2023
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I don't have a 7 speed KMC chain to compare.... opening the box, this chain is stamped "KMC", but covered in oil not the usual wax. Unless this looks suspicious (zoomable pic for detail), I'll use it.


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Take a look at the KMC webpage about fake copies:-
KMC - Service - Fake Chains (kmcchain.eu)
Not specifically about 7- speed chains, but interesting nonetheless.
The lowest grade 7-speed is this one:-
KMC - Products - Z7 Grey/Brown (kmcchain.eu)
It looks nothing like the one you have.
I like KMC chains and wouldn't buy one from anywhere except a reputable and long established retailer with the full KMC packaging, which looks like this:-
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Ebay seems to have lots of dubious KMC chains listed without packaging.
I think KMC do manufacture chains for other companies but I doubt that they would stamp their initials on them.
 
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guerney

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It's a "1F". Doesn't look as nice as that Z7. I expect it'll last quite a long time on my manual bike, because of my 5W legs.


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guerney

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