Shimano pushed the shifting performance of Dyna-Sys 10-speed components by making a directional chain with four different plates -- both sides/inner and outer. It's understandable that it would seem they've reached the zenith in chain technology, but that's not how Shimano works. Instead, with the CN-HG95 XT 10-Speed Chain, they found a way to reduce friction by 60 percent between inner and outer links.

A new Sil-Tec treatment on the plates allows them the freely pivot around derailleur pulleys, cogs, and chain rings. Back to the directional aspect of Dyna-Sys chains, since the action of climbing up ramps and pins from one chainring to another is slightly different than climbing up one cog to the next, Shimano chose to shape the left and right side plates differently to optimize the plates for each specific purpose.

The resulting CN-HG95 Chain works in harmony with the 10-speed systems to provide a shift quality unrivaled by any of Shimano's previous efforts.