Hi - I just bought a new Renthal chain after reading in these forums that they are the best. However, a guy in my local shop just stated that they are actually made by Regina and just branded Renthal. He stated that Renthal don't actually manufacture any chain themselves at all. Seems a bit strange after what I have read, and also as I compared them in the shop and they appeared to be different to me, with the Renthal looking a heavier duty item.

Can anyone confirm or deny this statement, as I paid a lot more for Renthal than the cost of Regina, and I would like to know if I paid simply for the name or not.

Thanks in advance.

I to have been told that Renthal chain is Regina chain with their stamp on it by a few people too ! interesting !

If you think about the numerous different large scale manufacturing processes involved in producing the material for a chain and then actually making it (relative to the tiny amount of chain they sell) there is no way that Renthal could ever have been making their own. They will merely provide a spec for a chain manufacturer to work to.

I imagine the same applies for their handlebars with a tubing manufacturer providing the raw material for Renthal to bend.

Edited January 15, 200818 yr by 2/4

Here's my 2 cent's worth , I agree that renthal is not making their own chains and for that matter regina probably is not either! that being said, why pay the big bucks for the PREMIUM name , you can get a perfectly suitable chain for MUCH LESS. The trials community is small and our options (parts)are few, but why pay the "TRIALS" sites/shops big money for what are essentially universal parts! I have no problem in supporting local trials shop/website for trials specific parts, but also feel these retailers are taking advantage by charging "trials" prices for universal type parts , mainly because our options are so few. Do a little homework, save a bunch of money !! cj

buy a

Renthal chain certainly is made by Regina. The manufacture of chain is a highly specialised process and the costs of setting up production for a limited range of chain sizes required by the bike market could never be recovered. Renthal looked long and hard at the world's chain manufacturers before deciding to have their product made by Regina. Renthal, probably one of the most conscientious companies ever to have existed, provided the specification to Regina who make the chain to that specification, which is higher than the general specification for chain.

Few people are likely to be aware that Andrew Renshaw, the Ren of Renthal, and one of the two originators of the company, served his engineering apprenticeship with Renold Chain, so he probably knows as much about chain as anybody, therefore, if he is happy to have his product made by Regina (as against any other company), then I assume he knows what he is doing.

Few folks will also be aware that Henry Rosenthal, (the Thal in the Renthal name), who rides a Gas Gas, uses spockets and 428 chain, which is one size smaller than the conventional 520 chain that everybody else uses. He uses 428 chain because the loads on the chain created by a trials bike can NEVER exceed the failure strength of a 428 chain, therefore using 520 chain is simply over-engineering, whilst increasing unsprung weight.

It's easy to be critical of any company, but if you look at the facts with greater circumspect, you would know that when a company like Renthal, who are without doubt the world's biggest manufacturer of handlebars, supply original equipment to the bulk of the world's off-road bike manufacturers, and who have for 35+ years built a reputation for excellence, witnessed by the hundreds of world and national titles won using their products, supplying a product that is inferior in any way is simply unsound business sense.

I know this sounds like an advert for Renthal, but I have no connection with the company, except that I have used their products exclusively for 30 years and have never found them wanting. I also know Henry and Andrew fairly well and it's simply not in their ethos to produce anything (or have anything produced for them) that does not live up to their own exacting standards.

Sometimes folks, you have to accept that they know best!

By heck, that Hillary bloke is a very knowledgable guy!

Big John

Ever buy and expensive CD player? Don't bother, buy a cheapo. They're all made by one of two or three manufacturers and rebadged. The chips inside CD players are all the same anyway. It's simply not worth a company tooling up for all the products they market so (for example) Kenwood makes CD players and resells to Teac, Akai, Sony etc, Akai makes flat screen tvs and resells to Sony, Teac, on so on.

I've yet to find a CD player, cheap or dear that lasts more than 4 years anyway.

Renthal chain certainly is made by Regina.

Whilst I don't doubt that Regina make Renthal chain. I have never seen a chain made by Regina that looks as well made as the Renthal R1.

I have used chains from all the main chain manufactures (all admittedly costing half as much as an R1) and none of them last even half as long.

Additionally R1 chains don't stretch like everyone else's. Chain wear causes your sprockets to wear faster. But a Renthal R1 chain and both the chain and sprockets will last twice as long. Suddenly your 20 quid chain has cost you more than a 40 quid R1.

Penny wise pound foolish!

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Few folks will also be aware that Henry Rosenthal, (the Thal in the Renthal name), who rides a Gas Gas, uses spockets and 428 chain, which is one size smaller than the conventional 520 chain that everybody else uses. He uses 428 chain because the loads on the chain created by a trials bike can NEVER exceed the failure strength of a 428 chain, therefore using 520 chain is simply over-engineering, whilst increasing unsprung weight.

Have you ever noticed how much easier a bike free wheels or if on a stand how much easier it is to spin the back wheel with the lighter chain.

Seen plenty of 125's using the lighter chain and wondered if they would take the stick of 250 up motor, if the engineer is happy and trusts them, mebe time to go lighter on chain and sprockets.

quote

I have no problem in supporting local trials shop/website for trials specific parts, but also feel these retailers are taking advantage by charging "trials" prices for universal type parts ,

these dealers use an rrp and dont make up the price! so stop the bull$hit

I have ran for my son a Beta 80 for the last 3 years, the 80 has a 428 chain , even with its limited power the 428 chain lasts a very short period of time I would hate to think how long a 428 chain would last on my 4 RT !

Believe what you will, MUNCH, feel free to p***(your) money away !! I could not care less !!

I have ran for my son a Beta 80 for the last 3 years, the 80 has a 428 chain , even with its limited power the 428 chain lasts a very short period of time I would hate to think how long a 428 chain would last on my 4 RT !

Ha! that may slow me down a bit, in the US mainly due to not riding as many beck holes and mud you do over there, chain life is twice as long.

This adds some strength to the outcome of a previous thread where it was pointed out that the perception of the Original Sherco chain was very good, which turned out to be a Regina.

The fact that they have the ability to make a chain to the known standards of the Renthal R1 has got to give them some credit. At the time I thought they were a fairly small scale chain manufacturer.

I'm going to contact them and find out which chain they supply to Sherco as standard. Dunno whether they'll tell me but worth a try.

Edited January 15, 200818 yr by bikespace