veganwar

Exactly how tight do you want your chain to be? Running it too tight will caused increased wear/decreased life of not only your chain but your components. Plus, more noise.

Madisonian

I lol'd.

JohnDThompson 

1/8" chain allows you to mix and match 1/8" and 3/32" drive train components.

JohnDThompson 

FWIW, I haven't been terribly impressed with the roundness of TA rings.

psirue

what's so great about bushing chains? or what's so bad about bushingless chains?

Ken Cox

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.

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.

JesseDuncan

On my bareknuckle with Sugino 75 crank and Zen ring with EAI superstar cog, the quietest chain I have used is the Wipperman White Star. Cheap too, a little under 20$. The most important factor that I have noticed though, is to regularly drizzle some chain oil on it. After a lube and wipedown, its nearly silent for several hundred miles. Like sugarkane said, all I hear is tire noise and wind.

I ran the Izumi V for a while, until the little bolt and nut that holds it together came apart while I was flying along at about 30. Heard a rattle and something fall, and then wheeee, no pedal resistance. I only trust the spring clips now.

I will always run a 1/8" drivetrain, on my previous conversion I ran 3/32 chainring and cog, and within about a month the chainring had deformed, aluminum had been smushed over to the side. With the Sugino/Eai drivetrain, its all in real good shape after four years of hard riding

time bandit

lol

captsven

I ran an Izumi ESH for 3-4 years. Loved them except for the price. Never had the screw fail. The nut came off a couple of times but the screw always held. I totaly recommend these chains.

last year I had to replace the chain ring and cog but did not a have a new chain. No way was I going to put an old chain on a new CR and cog. Went to several lbs and the best chain I could find was a Z510 HX. I have been riding on that since last fall and I have to admit it is nice. It ws quite and I have had no problems.

Right now it is starting to get loud, I know it is worn and I will replace soon. I am curious about the bushing /non bushing debate. I may have to try the White star chain...

Has anyone else noticed that when you first get a new drive train it is pretty quite. You ride on it a little then it is the BEST for a few months. Then the chain gets worn and it starts getting loud. Then the whole cycle starts over again?

veganwar

We all known what Sheldon Brown has said about chain tension. I was asking how you ran yours because you made a comment that sounded like you felt the need to run it really tight if you were riding brakeless. I busted a screw in masterlink on a HKK chain in NYC traffic and learned that no matter what kind of masterlink, don't ever use them.

Promo

LMAO


i know wat you were thinking too when i saw his whole thang! humm next post...

captsven

So did it actaully bust/break apart or did it unscrew?

I have had one chain come off in the last 4-5 years and that was my fault. It was the ESH but I was doing about 30 mph down a hill and it came off. No issue, it didn't break, I just got to the bottom of the hill and put it back on but tightened up the tension. I run my chains really loose but this time it was VERY saggy loose.

I trust the screw on type master links but the z510 chain I have on now is pinned. I looked at the masterlink that came with it and said NO WAY!

lwkwafi

I have been really impressed with the Miche drive train setup. All on the group buy stuff, minus some miche wheels i picked up on ebay, it is also dead silent. I didn't even have to try a second time to adjust the BB. Must have been lucky.
If I can get this crown race installed/replaced the mangled one i botched, I will get to check out zen ring and a miche 16t 1/8. im excited.

eric716

hahahaha. I was once running (more like sprinting) on these trails in the woods with my friends in the middle of the night.
Before you say something, I was like 16, buzzed and shooting fireworks with friends.
Regardless, something huge all of a sudden popped in front of me and I basically tackled a deer.
The deer and I looked really confused at each other, then we ran away.
/end

Ken Cox

When I ordered the Wipperman 1R8, I flipped back and forth between pictures of the Whitestar and the 1R8 looking for a difference; I also read every description I could find of both chains, and again I couldn't find a difference.

For all I know, Wipperman sells the same chain under two different names and laughs at people like me who spend too much money for something I could've gotten at half the price.

Y'know, like Bud and Michelob?

I should probably order a Whitestar, too, and see if I can tell any difference in real life.

pazzmore

I used to worry about chain noise too... then I went to the world championships and was amazed how loud the bikes were. At the 1 minute mark or so of this video you can hear it:
https://vimeo.com/5087022

Ken Cox

I don't worry about it.

John at Businesscycles tells me some 1/8 drivetrains make a lot of noise, but that this doesn't signify anything wrong with them.

I ride a fixed gear bike for my own enjoyment, and in the past, with proper parts and maintenance, I have enjoyed a quiet 3/32 drivetrain.

If, with a little planning and maintenance I can have a quiet 1/8 drive train, I'd enjoy that.

Still, thanks to pazzmore for the video.

If I have a noisy drivetrain on my new bike, I will chalk that up as normal and in company with world champions.

mihlbach

I've seen a bit of pro Keirin racing in Japan....noisy noisy.

operator

You think you're going to put out more wattage than cippiloni? Or zabel in a sprint? Think they break chains in the final 50m? Give me a ****ing break. 10 speed chains are just as strong, or even stronger than 1/8 chains.

For ****s sake. You ****ing ******bags piss me off with your ******ness.

psirue

I have no experience with the 1R8 other than noticing it costs $30. However, I swear by the Whitestar chain -- I think it's one of the better chains along with the KMC z510hx.

psirue

I highly doubt your failure had anything to do with the chain pitch -- In fact, I know it was not. Most likely it had to do with a cheap chainring, improper chainring bolt installation or torque, and general component abuse or lack of care.

operator

Yeah just because you don't know how to install parts properly, or pick stuff that works on a conversion means that it's weak right. God the ignorance is blinding here. The amount of garbage this forum throws around is just incredible.

time bandit

oh you mean like:

lols

Triple8Sol

Good to hear. I've been contemplating what chain to buy next, to as soon as my SRAM PC-1 needs replacement.