Originally Posted by veganwar
Exactly how tight do you want your chain to be?
Sheldon Brown says no looser than 1/2" play at midpoint in the chain.
With a particularly out of round crankset, which will have two tight-points and two loose-points, having a loose-point at less than 1/2" play can mean a way too tight tight-point; and, conversely, leaving the tight-point loose enough can mean a too loose loose-point.
I would like a reasonably uniform tightness throughout the cycle of less than 1/2" play.
Several authorities say that a tight chain, up to a point, provides greater efficiency than a loose chain.
Originally Posted by psirue
what's so great about bushing chains? or what's so bad about bushingless chains?
As near as I can tell, bushed chains have greater lateral stiffness, and, when properly maintained (cleaned and lubricated), may last a little longer than a bushingless chain.
Bushed chains pay a weight penalty for the bushings.
Bushingless chains weigh less than bushed chains and generally have a little less lateral stiffness.
For my transition to a 1/8 drive train, I want to try a bushed chain partly because of the alleged increased stiffness, but mostly because I have no experience with bushed chains and I want to see how they work for myself.