KMC X12 Review – Smooth and Durable Chain

Last Updated on 26 July 2023 by Cycloscope

Looking for a durable and reliable chain that ensures smooth, accurate shifting without breaking the bank? Here’s our review of the new KMC X12!

KMC as a brand has been at the forefront of the bicycle chain industry for quite some time. They sponsor major teams in both road cycling and mountain biking, with Lotto-Soudal and Team KMC Orbea being two huge names, and they’ve got a vast selection of chains for everyone’s drivetrain. 

One of those chains is their X12, which is a 12-speed chain made to offer value for users that don’t want to splurge hundreds of dollars on something they’ll change sooner rather than later. But just how good is the X12? 

What is the KMC X12? 

The X12 is meant to offer all the features you’d want from a high-end chain, without the high-end price tag. It’s compatible with basically any drivetrain, unlike competitor chains that work best on their own drivetrains, which makes it a versatile choice for every rider. It also comes in a selection of colors, which include the beautiful Aurora colorway, as well as gold, silver and the BlackTech black model, which we had for testing. 

Performance-wise, when comparing it to competitors, KMC’s X12 is smoother and more sensitive to shifts, especially under load. The pins are much stronger as well, which allows the chain to endure larger loads without snapping. Durability was a key point when designing this chain, too, with the lifetime of the X12 being around 25% longer than competitive products. KMC also offers X12 with it’s premium DLC coating, called DLC12, providing further enhanced performance via a harder surface coating with reduced friction.

The X12 was the chain of choice for Thomas De Gendt’s win on the 8th stage of the 2022 Giro d’Italia, as well as Sebastian Fini’s win on the Danish XCO National Championships, which means it already has a reputation in the racing world. 

How does it ride? 

On paper, the KMC X12 seems like the perfect chain for users looking for value in a chain that looks good and rides well. To see how that translates into real life, we took the X12 for a spin. Our test drivetrain was a 1×12 SRAM GX Eagle AXS setup on a full suspension mountain bike. 

First impressions were that the chain is surprisingly quiet. 12 speed drivetrains are known to be loud when narrow-wide chainrings are used, but the KMC was dead silent throughout the entire range. 

Shifting was very smooth, even when we tried doing it under load. Chains don’t usually like that, but we were hard pressed to find a difference in shifting performance when the chain is, and isn’t under load. The X12’s pin strength and overall durability probably has a lot to do with this, and we believe KMC did a great job. 

When the chain was initially released, some users reported that the coating, especially on the BlackTech model that we had for testing, wears off after a ride or two. We had no such issues, with the chain maintaining its coating after several rides (and consequent cleaning sessions). 

Comparing it to some of its competitors within a similar price range, the X12 is noticeably smoother and quieter. 

Wrapping things up

KMC’s X12 is an excellent choice for users that want a durable chain that performs admirably in a variety of conditions. The X12 is unphased by dust and mud, and ensures smooth, accurate shifting without breaking the bank. If you’re a rider that wants value out of their components, and you’re on the hunt for a 12 speed chain, the X12 should absolutely be your first choice.