SRAM PC-89R

Price Paid:  $27.00 at Colorado Cyclist

Favorite Ride:
Early mornings in the mountains

Bike Setup:
Specialized Roubaix, Ultegra 9, FSA SL-K compact cranks, Kysrium SL wheels

Summary:
This is a great chain, silky smooth and quiet when it's well lubed. It shifts instantly and reliably with my FSA Compact / Ultegra 9 drive line. I've got about 2000 miles on my current chain with zero stretch and no evident wear despite a fair bit of riding in wet and gritty Alaskan conditions. I'm surprised by the complete lack of stretch, as the similar PC99 hollowpin chains I run on my mtb usually are stretched out to the replacement point in about 1000 miles. I'm 6'3" and 190 lbs and feel like I ride as hard on my road bike, but apparently even standing and hammering on the road doesn't stress the chain like the shock loading on a mtb. I'll buy another SRAM chain when this one finally does wear out.

Strengths:
Smooth silky feel, shifts great.
Very durable and reliable.
PowerLink makes chain removal quick & easy.

Weaknesses:
None.

Similar Products Used:
Shimano Ultegra and DuraAce, SRAM PC99 and PC991.

Price Paid:  $25.00 at Excel Sports

Favorite Ride:
Mt. Charleston

Bike Setup:
Sampson Silverton Ti with full Ultegra 9.

Summary:
I'm afraid I must agree with marquism1 in the previous review. I too had a very noisy drivetrain with this chain. Replaced with a Dura-ace chain and behold....dead silent. I also have this chain on my other bike which is a 105 triple and it works fine, go figure. Noisy on Ultegra double, quiet on 105 triple.

Strengths:
Power link connector.

Weaknesses:
Noisy on some drivetrains. Weak side plates (only road chain I ever had that broke a side plate).

Similar Products Used:
Sram pc-69, Sram pc-99, Shimano 105, Ultegra, Dura-ace, old Sachs, Rohloff, etc., just about all of them.

Price Paid:  $25.00 at Large Internet Garag

Favorite Ride:
2-wheeler

Bike Setup:
Yes, it is set up.

Summary:
Clickety-clack. I thought it was just me when I built up a Kestrel frame and my drivetrain made so damn much noise. The SRAM PC-89R chain was hanging up just a bit on the cassette in the lower gears, as well as rubbing the large front chainring when in the lower gears. After re-measuring everything and verifying that I wasn't losing it, I bought a 10-speed Shimano Ultegra chain. No more front chainring rub, less noise from the back, but still not exactly quiet. Replaced the SRAM cassette, also with Ultegra, and now it is dead silent.
I was disappointed. I've used SRAM stuff on my mountain bikes for years with great success and had high hopes for the road.

Strengths:
Power-Link is still way better than Shimano one-time-only replacement pins. Looks pretty when new.

Weaknesses:
Too wide for some drivetrains.

Similar Products Used:
Shimano, Campy

Price Paid:  $0.00 at prodeal thru shop

Favorite Ride:
In the SUNSHINE.

Bike Setup:
PC89R HOLLOWPIN.
on MTB, CROSS, and ROAD bikes.

Summary:
The best chain out there. Mostly for astetic reasons. I have the hollowpin version and it looks so super sweet. I guess it weighs less but whatever.

Strengths:
LOOKS.
Master link.
Seems to shift faster than Shimano chains.
Did I say looks?

Weaknesses:
Shifts a bit rougher than Shimano.
Cost, you have to pay for vanity.

Similar Products Used:
Shimano.
Every level of SRAM you can imagine.

Price Paid:  $29.00 at internet

Summary:
So far this chain has been very good. No problems. The chain is very light and shifts very well. But to get the best shifting you need to run SRAM chains with SRAM cassettes even though they say you can run them with Shimano stuff. SRAM 9spd chains are 6.9mm wide and Shimano 9spd are 6.6mm wide. This would explain why some have problems with noise running SRAM chians with Shimano cassettes. And the power link is the best idea for taking the chain off. It takes all of 4 seconds. Why Shimano haven't change to this I don't understand.

Strengths:
SRAM makes some of the best chains for the price out there.

Weaknesses:
none so far...

Similar Products Used:
Shimano