1/8" vs 3/32"
 

Forgive me if this subject has been beaten to death with a chainwhip. . . I searched and did not find.

I am thinking of switching from 3/32" drivetrain to 1/8" drivetrain. I would like to tap into the collective wisdom of this forum and hear what you have to say about the advantages and disadvantages of 1/8" drivetrains.

Here's what I have come across so far in my travels:

1/8" advantages:
--more quality chainrings available in 144bcd (which i've)
--works on 3/32 stuff too
--stronger/more durable
--seems like there are more cogs around on, say, ebay and the Int'l cog exchange, so easier to get slightly-used (thus cheaper) cogs in this size.

1/8" disadvantages:
--chain weighs more
--would have to buy another $40 park chain tool (god i love those things)
--couldn't swap cogs with my 3/32" partner (at least, she couldn't use mine)
--harder to find replacement parts when on our cross country fixie tour (not for a while yet)
--more fussy about chainline being perfect

What I'm curious about:
--Does 1/8" chain really work well on 3/32" teeth? or is it just sort of something you can do, but wouldn't really want to?
--could I use my park chain tool if I removed the little retaining c-clip? and/or will generic chain tools work, like the one on my multi tool etc?
--Is there a noticeable performance difference (improvement) with the 1/8" drivetrain?

thanks!

patrick

Who told you this?

Not sure if this helps. http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ght=drivetrain

Sheldon.

Thanks for the link.

i use 1/8 on my fixie (granted i have limited experience so far, but enough to make a judgement i'd think)

i use 3/32 on my SSmtb drivetrain (much more experience with this setup).

performancewise i see no real difference...


track stuff is generally 1/8 though; so if your gonna use trackstuff i'd go that route....

a 1/8 chain with 3/32 sprockets works pretty darn good (like say if you needed a new chainring or cog on your world tour and only 3/32 ones were offered). you can definitely get away with it, but for maximum somoothness and least risk of chain dropping i'd go totally one way or the other.

I'm no expert, but i'll try....

1/8" advantages:
--more quality chainrings available in 144bcd (which i've)
There are plenty of 144 BCD 3/32" chainrings available.: TA, Sugino 75, DA, Blackspire, Salsa, Vuelta. I've even got brand new 48 and 50 T Sugino Aero Mighty Rings lying around if you want.

--works on 3/32 stuff too
true, 1/8" chain works with 3/32" cogs. Kogswell, among others does this. It tends to be a bit moisier though.

--stronger/more durable
--seems like there are more cogs around on, say, ebay and the Int'l cog exchange, so easier to get slightly-used (thus cheaper) cogs in this size.
durability debatable, stiffer? probably. new 3/32" cogs and rings tend to cost less than their 1/8" counterparts.

1/8" disadvantages:
--chain weighs more
true

--would have to buy another $40 park chain tool (god i love those things)
you could always make one out of some scrap 1/8" chain

--couldn't swap cogs with my 3/32" partner (at least, she couldn't use mine)
--harder to find replacement parts when on our cross country fixie tour (not for a while yet)
you could both run 1/8" chain

--more fussy about chainline being perfect
makes sense, 1/8" chain is less flexible

weed eater -

this is a pretty good breakdown on this issue, which I posted once before, written by the author of Fixed Gear 101 (which I'm sure at least 75% of you guys have read!):

http://www.63xc.com/gregg/gregchai.htm

As for your chain tool issue, I don't know what you're talking about. The same chain tool should work on both 1/8 and 3/32. You could avoid the whole chain tool issue anyway by getting a chain with a master link. Most 1/8 chains for track bikes come with this to facilitate easy chain removal for the changing of cogs/rings and whatnot. Many will tell you that the master link is unsafe for street riding... that they don't trust it because it might break open while they're riding can't take the abuse of the street etc. Others will tell you that's hogwash. I remember a poster saying that the master link exploded on his SRAM chain. I don't know, that's up to you to decide.

I've been running 1/8" with a 3/32" chainring and a 1/8" cog on both of my bikes with no problems whatsoever.

As far as buying a new chain tool goes, I have a standard Shimano one that will handle either. I think most non-mini chaintools (not the wee Pedro one, for instance) will handle most 1/8" chains without issue. I was running one of those massive KMC freestyle chains with the taller sidewalls (is that what they're actually called...? I'm not really sure...) for a little while, and I had to go to the bike shop to borrow the $60 park pro chain tool to change anything, so that got ditched pretty quickly. But with a regular $10 Izumi chain you shouldn't have any problem using a regular ol' chain tool.

I can't see how mixing and matching between 1/8" and 3/32" widths will increase your chances of dropping a chain, but if there is a possibility, I'd like to know. I don't want to die.

m.

thanks everyone for your information. oddly no one mentioned the benefits of a 1/8" drivetrain. Are there any?

The chain tool issue is, my beloved park chain tool has a nifty auto-stop feature that keeps it from pushing out the pin on a 3/32" chain. i can disconnect it, I think, and use it on 1/8", so not that big a deal. Or I'll just use my teeth :) rowr!

for the chain whip i think i will use the rotafixa method.

the main reason i am thinking of switching to 1/8" is that my LBS (montano velo) gave me the impression that 144 bcd rings were more available in 1/8". perhaps this is because they don't want to order track equipment in 3/32", or perhaps this is just a misperception of theirs. I know I could go mail order and buy whatever i want, but I am trying to buy local when possible, and this seemed like a good opportunity to spend some of my fixie dollars at a store that supports fixed gear. I've been bugging them a lot lately and buying nothing but little axle parts and bearings, so I think it's the least I can do (along with getting them a six-pack on a hot day, if we ever get one this year).

so, what the heck, i am changing out my drivetrain for my new wheel anyway. I think I will try 1/8" and see what I think. if it stinks I will sell the sprockets on eBay and use the chain for jewellery.

Thanks

Patrick

It's not going to stink, and it's not going to rule. It's going to be barely perceptible, if you notice anything at all. I run 1/8" because that's what I had hanging around, and that's as good a reason as any. The eight dollar bmx chains are a pleasant side effect, but I'm sure there's a 3/32" equivalent.

There's no real benefit if you're not abusing your chain a la BMX freestyle.

sheldon brown says 3/32 is just as durable as 1/8 and the chances of either snapping are the same

Thus, the only reason I am switching to 1/8" is because my LBS thought it was easier to get than 3/32", and I didn't feel like arguing with them about it. oh well. i suppose that is as good a reason as any.

it is kind of weird to find out that I know more about the availability/existence of bike things than a bike store. i had a similar interaction w/montano velo about IRO fixed/fixed hubs. I was pricing a wheelbuild (thinking, hey, maybe I will pay my LBS to build some wheels) I asked if they could get IRO fixed/fixed, they said IRO didn't make them, I said, um...I think they do (knowing full well they do) and he said, no, they don't.

but, support them i shall, at least for my new drivetrain.

maybe i'll learn some bmx freestyle trix just for grins

i know TONS more about what's out there than most shops in the KC area. then again, i'm one of the dozen or so fixed riders in town, so there isn't really that big of a market.

I believe that a 1/8" will wear better than 3/32" due to the larger surface area of the points of contact.

i don't think i will ever believe that a top of the line 3/32 chain can be as strong as a top of line thick plated 1/8 bmx chain meant to withstand grinding...granted, i'm not grinding on my fixie...yet...but, it's not possible.

also i agree with wierd beard about the more contact issue.