KMC Chain Industrial Co., Ltd.
Industryroller chain, bicycle chain
Founded1977 (1977), Taiwan
ProductsRoller chains for bicycles, motorcycles, and industry
Revenue250 million USD[1]
unknown
unknown
Number of employees
4,500[1]
Websitewww.kmcchain.com
A small section of KMC bicycle chain

KMC Chain Industrial Co., Ltd. is a roller chain manufacturer headquartered in Taiwan, R.O.C. with corporate entities in the US, Continental Chain Company, and Europe, KMC Chain Europe BV.[2] They make cam driving chains, balance driving chains, oil pump chains, motorcycle chains, and industrial chains.[3] They manufacture and market bicycle chains and master links under their own KMC brand and supply them to others, including Shimano.[4] KMC chains are used in the Tour de France by riders such as Gustav Larsson, Swedish time trial champion.[5] KMC was founded by Charles Wu in 1977,[1] and was the largest bicycle chain manufacturer in the world in 2011.[6]

Compatibility

They are known for working well with Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo drivetrains.[7][8][9][10] Bicycle manufacturers, such as Specialized Bicycle Components provide KMC chains on new bicycles with SRAM and Shimano components.[11] 2013 Bianchi team bicycles include a KMC X11SL chain on a Campagnolo Super Record EPS electronic transmission.[12]

Varieties

KMC makes bicycle chains with roller widths of 3/16, 1/8, 3/32, 11/128 inches and with external widths compatible with single-speed, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12-speed drivetrains. They offer chains with hollow pins and with cut-outs in the links and made of stainless steel, with a titanium nitride coating, or painted in a variety of colors.[2] In 2012, KMC launched a chain model specifically for electric bicycles.[13] In 2010, KMC won the iF Product Design Gold Award for its BMX ‘Kool Knight Chain’.[14]

See also

Other notable bicycle chain manufacturers include:

References

  1. 1 2 3 Doug McClellan (May 9, 2008). "A-Team Profile – Robert Wu". Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. Retrieved February 6, 2013. KMC makes more than 150 million meters of bicycle, motorcycle, industrial and automotive chains every year. It is one of the world's largest chain manufacturers.
  2. 1 2 "KMC Bike Chain Catalog" (PDF). Continental Chain Company. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  3. ↑ "KMC Chain Industrial Co. Ltd". Focus Technology Co., Ltd. Retrieved July 12, 2012. Total output is 9 million sets with a sales of 100 million USD annually.
  4. ↑ Warren Rossiter (June 1, 2007). "KMC x10sl Gold road chain". BikeRadar. Archived from the original on March 23, 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2012. KMC have been making chains for many years and now produce over 80 million a year for a wide range of companies, including Shimano.
  5. ↑ Caley Fretz (June 30, 2012). "Tour Tech: Swedish time trial champ Gustav Larsson's Bianchi Pico Crono". VeloNews. Retrieved July 12, 2012. Gold KMC chain with Dura-Ace mechanical, which Larsson uses to get a bit of extra reach.
  6. ↑ Jack Oortwijn (January 14, 2011). "KMC Europe Expands Storage Capacity". Bike Europe. Retrieved February 6, 2013. The largest manufacturer of bicycle chains in the world, KMC, is expanding its storage capacity in Europe.
  7. ↑ Lennard Zinn (December 22, 2011). "KMC, Wippermann chain test". Buyer's Guide 2012. VeloNews. pp. 42–46. Retrieved February 6, 2013. If you're a Campagnolo 10-speed or SRAM user, both the Wippermann and KMC chains offer viable options over stock chains. The Wippermann far outlasted most other chains and the KMC actually improved shifting on Kappius' SRAM-equipped 'cross bike. Shimano users will want to give the KMC a look, but avoid the Wippermann.
  8. ↑ Caley Fretz (July 22, 2011). "Tour Pro Bike: Johnny Hoogerland's Ridley Helium, Drippin' KMC". VeloNews. Retrieved July 12, 2012. Vacansoleil uses KMC chains, which we have found work impressively well with both SRAM and Shimano drivetrains.
  9. ↑ Nick Legan (March 15, 2012). "Ask Nick: Should you wait for discs to buy a new frame?". VeloNews. Retrieved July 12, 2012. Lennard Zinn and Brady Kappius tested both KMC and Wippermann chains in this year's Buyer's Guide. I've also been very impressed with KMC's offerings. They work exceptionally well. I'm currently using KMC's 11-speed chain on a Campy bike.
  10. ↑ James Huang (July 25, 2011). "Tour de France tech: Time trial bike image gallery". CyclingNews. Retrieved July 12, 2012. A SRAM Red rear derailleur moves a KMC chain across the SRAM OG-1090 cassette on Vacansoleil-DCM's Ridley Dean time trial bikes.
  11. ↑ James Huang (March 22, 2011). "First Ride Review: Specialized Epic Comp Carbon 29". CyclingNews. Retrieved July 12, 2012. SRAM handles the lion's share of the spec. ... The lone exceptions are a KMC chain and smooth-shifting Shimano 12-36T cassette. The stock KMC chain runs reasonably quietly and shifts well.
  12. ↑ James Huang (January 30, 2013). "Pro bike: Wauters' Vacansoleil-DCM Bianchi Oltre XR". BikeRadar. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  13. ↑ "KMC Launched Components for Bosch e-Bike Drive System". Bike Europe. January 27, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  14. ↑ "KMC Stars Award Winning BMX Chain at Taipei Show". Bike Europe. March 11, 2010. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
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