Originally Posted by
samwell
Hi-
I'm building up something of a clunker to be a bad-weather commuter bike. It seems that Uniglide rear hubs are cheaper and more available, and I was wondering why.
Huh? Are you posting from 1988? It sounds like you're confused about terminology, here. Uniglide rear hubs are impossible to find except on eBay or other used sources. Shimano hasn't manufactured them in years. The situation is even more dire when it comes to the cassettes. If you're in a position where a UG hub is available to you, I strongly advise against purchasing one; when the cassette wears out, you'll be in trouble.
And UG has no lockring at all; the smallest cog IS the lockring. As for chains, any chain marked for 8 or fewer speeds (typically these chains are really 6-7-8-speed compatible) will do. But like I said, don't buy a UG hub on purpose. If it's on a used bike you want, that's fine, but don't buy a wheel built around one.