Which Chain? (Chains / Size / Width / Wear)

Plus that look pretty worn.

Here’s the thing, I actually fitted the chain to a brand new cassette. I had some issues fitting the cassette to my freehub (detailed in the ‘ask any question’ thread) so put it on a spare rear wheel with an obliging freehub. It slipped on that new cassette too and then again when I reduced the chain length several times and again when I tried a different chain and a different cassette. I don’t know what is going on, or what I’m doing.

Does anywhere know where I can buy a bunch of eleven speed quick links?
Buy a new chain in advance and use the quick link from that?
I recently bought a separate kmc link from eBay from ~£3.50 posted.

I bought a pack of three from Amazon for about a fiver

Need to buy my first Campag compatible chain. Do I need to look further than this? (Grey £21.99)

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/kmc-x10-chain/

Hi all, been on single speed for a lot of my riding since Feb this year and love it, Charge Plug. Not running it fixed, but single speed, changed freehub to halo clickster, running really nicely.
Chain question. Do the same rules apply to checking chain wear in terms of using a regular chain checker. I have replaced chains on this bike fairly quickly so far when they have got to 100% wear which has been at about 1300 miles (KMC 710, and 510 respectively), now on a KMC K1. Even as new the chain is on the 0.75 wear marker so wondering if the 100% marker is as applicable on single speed chains? the 12" measurement i read is 24 links, pretty sure when i did this measurement its 23 links on the K1 so not so sure a chain measurer is that relevant. Does anyone who rides single speed have a rule of thumbe on mileage, i would have hoped to get a good 5ooo miles not the 1300

Just cleaned up an 11s Campagnolo record chain that’s been on my road bike then turbo for like a year - shows basically no sign of wear with either a chain checker or vernier callipers. Amazing. Never going back to KMC etc.

Using a quick kick obvs. Not messing around with £150 tools to join a chain.

A fun video for chain fans: https://youtu.be/FZN0PBBzEHw
“CHAIN - the secret life of components”, by Tim Hunkin

Can't wait for the bearing one.....wonder if hambini will be on it?

Anyone got any experience with Izumi chains?

Never heard of them. Cycling isn’t a big deal in Japan. Which one are you getting?

Pretty sure that's what was on my KMX200, seemed to work OK

Anyone know of any online retailers selling bulk rolls of decent singlespeed chain (kmc 510/z1 type stuff)?

I have some money sitting in my PayPal from work I’ve done and was going to buy a few chains but figure buying bulk would be cheaper and better for the environment (less packaging).

online retailers selling bulk rolls of decent singlespeed chain (kmc 510/z1 type stuff)?

https://hollandbikeshop.com/en-gb/bicycle-parts-city-bike/bicycle-chain/bicycle-chain-universal/?page=1

and pick "roll" from the links filter

Cheers.

Savings not quite what I’d hoped for :(

Have we had the silver v brown chain debate?

Have we had the silver v brown chain debate?

Probably. The TL;DR is that black or brown is the bare minimum corrosion protection, hence being on only the cheapest chains.

Quite fancy one of these

They're fine if you accept that in terms of price:quality the Japanese manufacture and name adds about 200% hipster tax compared with Taiwan or Germany

Ha! Hipster tax has put me right off....might go for a KMC then...any recommendations?

Less than 25% saving for dropping £310 instead of £10.

Not really worth it financially at least.

Not really worth it financially at least

That's the conclusion I came to when contemplating a roll of e101
50m=3937 links, 5 solos and a tandem needs about 750, I can't see my legs lasting five drivetrain changes on the whole fleet 🙂

So rolling on from looking for some savings on chains,

I’m fitting a KMC B1 today and noticed it’s a bushed chain where the z1 is bushingless.

I thought bushed was better, it’s what izumi supertoughs and HKKs etc are after all?

Kmc site says bushed are less forgiving of misalignment but if that’s not an issue then it seems like switching to use B1 chains is an easier way to save some money than buying a 50m roll.

Z1 on left, B1 on right.

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switching to use B1 chains is an easier way to save some money

Even if they are the same price, since bushed chains don't wear as fast.

Brucey bonus.

The z1 definitely seems to be marketed as more ‘premium’ than the B1 (price, position in kmc catalogue/website) but does seem like the B1 is the more sensible option.

have been using b1s chains for several years because they are bushed. Unfortunately the pins and bushes are not hardened much, unlike higher end chains. I don't keep any records of how long they last and I use two or three in rotation, putoline waxed, sometimes introducing a new chain if I've used one on another bike or sold a bike etc. I take them out of the rotation if they get to 0.75% on an inaccurate park checker. When the current ones all get to .75 I'll just run that drivetrain until something breaks.

So, don't know how they compare to a Z1 but they are very cheap. Unfortunately I think there's not a slightly better bushed chain for 50% more money you have to pay double or triple but do they last two or three times as long?

I got 6 B1s delivered the other day.

Given that I had to use one today to replace the two rides old Miche track chain which I’d fitted to my new build as it had stretched/worn to the point of being derail-able then I guess they are going to have an easy job of impressing me.

Even with the limited size of the bit of chain I removed when fitting the B1 (about ½ a dozen links) there was a discernible difference in the length when compared to the Miche.