Jobst Brandt has already noted publicly that bush chains for bicycles aren't available anymore. In fact, he said he's saving the last few that he has for restoring future antique bikes. That was the context in which he noted that the last bush chain which he was actively using lasted for 20,000 miles.

Hrmph!

Well industrial bush roller chain doesn't seem to be any more expensive than bushingless bike chain. I'd switch to that, but I don't think I can get a sprocket to fit my internal hub (chainring should be easy enough).

It's a shame that the bicycle industry is so short sighted. Things like shaft drives, belt drives, and chaincases are heralded as the solution to "chain problems", when it seems that the real culprit isn't chains at all, but cost cutting and weight weenieism. I bet a roller chain with sealed o-rings would be every bit as low maintenance as any shaft drive, belt drive, or chaincase.

Yeah, I read that. I'm not exactly sure what to make of it, except to say that Sheldon Brown seems to wholeheartedly endorse Jobst Brandt who makes it very clear elsewhere that, in his opinion, bushingless chains are far less durable.

However, I wonder if it might depend on how you care for your chain. Jobst Brandt claims that oiling a chain is a very bad practice unless the chain is completely flushed before oiling. He claims that simply dipping in solvent or cleaning/oiling on the bike is the worst possible thing as it simultaneously removes lubrication and spreads dirt to the inner parts of the chain. Sheldon, on the other hand, argues that the advantage of bushingless chains is that they allow greater flow to the inner parts of the chain.

So perhaps it's a case of horses for courses, with oiled bushingless chains being less durable than nonoiled bush chains, but more durable than oiled bush chains.

In any case, I'm looking for a way to reduce oil stains and chain wear, and if bush chains do the trick for a respected mechanical engineer and cycling expert like Jobst Brandt then I'd like to give them a try.