Originally Posted by mihlbach
...the nicest roundest chainrings are high end 1/8" track chainrings, so for that reason alone its worth considering a 1/8" chain. My Sugino Zen chainring is more perfect than any other ring I've ever used...the chain is the exact same tension at all points during the rotation of the cranks. For that reason, its just unbelievably pleasant to ride in comparison to my 3/32" rings which have always had at least minor (sometimes major) tight and loose spots.
All of my 3/32 chainrings, and cogs, have tight and loose spots.
It drives me crazy.
I keep my chain much looser than I would if I had a really circular chainring and cog.
Sometimes when I park my bike, I have the chain in a loose portion of its cycle, and the amount of slack depresses me.
Can mihlbach please comment on the significance of bushings/rollers in 1/8 chains?
Do they have a function?
Some of my reading suggests, or I infer, that 1/8 chain with bushing and rollers has greater efficiency and causes less wear and tear on the chain ring and sprocket.
An aside from Wikipedia:
"A larger sprocket will give a more efficient drive (reduces the movement angle of the links). Surprisingly, higher chain tension was found to be more efficient;..."
I have always intuited that larger chainrings and sprockets provided more efficiency than the same gear ratio in a smaller gear set, but I had not seen that confirmed in print, before now.
Also, given the above from Wikipedia, if I had truer circles at both ends, and a tighter chain, this would give me greater efficiency; perhaps enough to offset the additional weight.