Talk:Bicycle chain

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[edit] Smaller chain widths

Not editing the page directly because I don't have enough detailed knowledge, but I do know that chain widths smaller than 3/32" are used on newer 9- and 10-speed road bikes (my 9-speed has a 11/128" width chain). - incandenza 02:38, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

I've just added a note about the difference between 8, 9 and 10 speed deraileur chains. The Wikibooks book that this article links to says that they are all 3/32" chains (that's the internal width) but that they have different external widths. I don't know this first hand so my edit is intended to suggest an element of doubt (it says that the Wikibooks book says this). If someone knows that this is right please edit my text to sound more certain. I wanted to put this in for clarification - it was realising this that clarified a problem for me. Rowmn (talk) 21:32, 9 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Suggested Merge

I don't think the bicycle chain article should be merged with the roller chain article. Although today's bicycle chain is a roller chain, there are history, maintenance, and specific size issues that apply only to bicycles. -SCEhardt 15:11, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

I vote not to merge. I think a bicycle chain is a 'significant' enough concept to make do as an article on its own, and as long as there are links between the two articles, a user could find what they were looking for easily. Besides, I'm sure there's more to a bike chain than just being a roller chain - what about the classic late-for-school excuses? Sera 03:14, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

I too oppose the merge. -Anon 86.138.4.141

[edit] Chain size

Hello, could someone tell me, how do you know whether your bike requires a 3/32" chain or a 1/8" chain.

Thanx. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Pc white (talk • contribs)

How many gears does your bicycle have in the back? Typically 1/8" is used for one gear and 3/32" is used for bicycles with many gears and a derailleur. -SCEhardT 20:03, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Cost

I'm not sure the economics work out as described. Bicycle chain costs $14 on-line, and $30 at a bike store. Cheap cassette costs $25 online, and $45 at a bike store. I need to replace my chain every 6-12 months if I don't let it stretch (and cassettes still wear down eventually, and need to be replaced, or they'll stretch the chain). I get at least 3-4 years of riding before my chain starts to skip and I need to replace my cassette with chain (that's how long it took when I bought a used bike with unknown wear -- another that has passed since, and it is not skipping yet). The level of wear for skip is much greater than the level of wear where you need to swap out to prevent further wear. For expensive components (LX, XT, or XTR parts, or SRAM 980/990 level parts), frequent chain swaps make sense, since most people use cheap chains (chains don't improve much with higher price), but the cassettes go up in price. But for low-end, it makes more sense to periodically replace the chain+cassette (and occasionally, the chainrings).

Replacing chainrings, coincidentally, is a moderately expensive business. Cheap ones (~$20) exist, but are very hard to find. Usually, a chainring set runs $60-$80. It is possible to buy a new, low-end crankset for about $30-$40 (although swapping out a whole crankset is a pain).