Can I use a 10-speed chain on an 11-speed cassette?
By Crankworthy · Published · Updated
No. An 11-speed cassette has its cogs packed closer together, and a 10-speed chain is too wide to sit cleanly between them — expect noisy, unreliable shifting and faster wear. Use a chain rated for the cassette's speed count.
The numbers
| Cog spacing, Shimano 10-speed | 3.95 mm |
|---|---|
| Cog spacing, 11-speed road | 3.74 mm |
| Cog spacing, 11-speed mountain | 3.9 mm |
| Cog thickness, 10 and 11-speed | 1.6 mm |
Where on your bikeChain and cassette, at the rear wheel
Why
Each extra speed squeezes the cogs closer. Shimano 10-speed cogs sit 3.95mm apart [1]; 11-speed cogs 3.74mm on road cassettes and 3.9mm on mountain ones [2]. The cogs stay 1.6mm thick [2], so the room left for the chain shrinks.
Chains are made narrower as speed counts rise, to run in that smaller space. A chain built for 10 cogs is slightly too wide for the gaps on an 11-speed cassette, so it rubs the neighbouring cog and hesitates on shifts.
The rule is simple and applies in both directions: the chain's speed rating should match the cassette. When you change the cassette's speed count, the chain changes too.
How to tell what speed your chain is
- Check the side plates
- Most chains are printed with the model, such as "KMC X11" or "CN-HG601" — the model name usually tells you the speed.
- Count your cassette
- Count the cogs on the rear cassette. That number is the speed count your chain needs.
Skip
- Don’t buy: a 10-speed chain for an 11-speed cassette
- Instead: an 11-speed chain, like the ones below.
Bikes this applies to
From our research, these bikes come with an 11-speed cassette — a replacement chain for any of them should be 11-speed.
- 2024 Cannondale CAAD13 Disc 105 — 11-speed cassette maker’s spec page
- 2024 Giant Revolt Advanced 0 — 11-speed cassette maker’s spec page
- 2024 Marin Bobcat Trail 5 — 11-speed cassette maker’s spec page
- 2024 Trek Émonda SL 5 — 11-speed cassette maker’s spec page
- 2024 Trek Émonda SLR 9 — 11-speed cassette maker’s spec page
- 2024 Trek Roscoe 8 — 11-speed cassette maker’s spec page
- 2023 Trek Checkpoint ALR 5 — 11-speed cassette maker’s spec page
- 2023 Trek Checkpoint SL 5 — 11-speed cassette maker’s spec page
11-speed chains
Recorded in our catalog as 11-speed.
- SRAM PC-111011-speed chain, PowerLock, hollow pin$20.74Amazon
- Shimano CN-HG601-11 (105/SLX)11-speed HG-X11 chain, 116 links, SIL-TEC$36.61Amazon
- KMC X1111-speed chain, 118 links, MissingLink 11$39.74Amazon
Prices were last checked when the catalog was built and can change at any time. Retailer links are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.