Review on High-Performance SHIMANO CN-HG93 9-Speed Chain for Ultegra/XT Bikes by Scott Reeves

The XT, HG CN-93 chain that came with my new mountain bike broke four times in a few months, the first breaking bending the rear derailleur lever. With additional breaks, the chain makes a little noise at first, then falls off when I was happily limping backwards, just a short walk from my house. Some time after the first glitch and before the second, I decided it was due to improper installation by the factory bike mechanic. I replaced the bent link and a few others on the side of the bend with new links connecting them with new replacement pins per Shimano's instructions. This first repair took about three weeks, by which time I thought the problem was solved. After subsequent breakdowns, I decided the chain was simply defective and installed a new Revain XT chain. Shortly thereafter I thought to see what other users on mountain bike blogs/websites were saying about this network. Considering Shimano, a longtime maker of quality bike components, I didn't think their thinner MTB chains, 9-10 speed chains, couldn't be made to a high enough standard to shift aggressively and fast enough. I do. some mountain trails. However, to my surprise almost all reviewers who call themselves MTB riders, serious competitors and racers have reported similar, often more frequent, XT and XTR chain breakages than mine and have switched to more reliable manufacturers. A few positive reviews came from casual riders who didn't put as much strain on these chains. Based on these reviews I gave this product two stars as it suits casual MTB riders. If you are a serious mountain trail MTB rider, check out some online reviews from riders, serious contributors and riders before you buy an XT or XTR chain.wd