What you are looking at here are Shimano chains. Their lineup now ranges from 6/7/8-speed up to 11-speed, and while the packaging designs used to have distinct characteristics in the past, they now feel somewhat more unified.
At Circles, we certainly move plenty of 11-speed chains, but the truth is that our most popular items are actually the 6/7/8-speed or 9-speed chains. A major reason for this is that we handle so many overhauls on a daily basis, and it makes me happy to see that there are so many cyclists with a strong desire to keep using their bikes for a long time by properly repairing and maintaining them, even if they aren't using the latest components.
The variety of Shimano chains had been steadily increasing, but with the spread of 11-speed, there have been some consolidating movements, such as models being discontinued and new ones emerging to replace them, so I have put together a summary.
First, the 11-speed series, which has been a hot topic with the shift of 105 to 11-speed. Naturally, since this is the future, it feels more like a renewal than a disappearance. XTR, which will soon undergo a model change to 11-speed, also recommends the CNHG900, making the chain interchangeable between road and MTB.
Although 10-speed road chains are fading into the background now, they have been consolidated into a few models. However, they still have plenty of use. I personally still use 10-speed as well.
The 10-speed chains for MTB have similarly seen their lineup narrowed down.
The 9-speed lineup has also been consolidated from four models down to two. We keep a solid stock of these, so please feel free to contact us for chain replacements as well as consultations regarding overhauls.
And for the 6/7/8-speed models, four models have been discontinued, narrowing the selection down to two: a new model and a continuing one. Upon hearing this announcement, I hurriedly restocked the CNHG50, but that looks like it will run out soon, too. It seems that the CNHG40 will also be out of stock for the time being.
Shimano, we are sincerely looking forward to the early arrival of the CNHG71!