Help!

if the chainline is out a little (are the chain ring/sprocket teeth at one particular side of the chain?) you get a gritty grrr sound some times. you get more noise if you go too tight on the chain tension too.

i loosed it up a tad but it stick rattles (it's definitely the chain. when i flick it it rattles). maybe a 1/8 chain would be better?

3/32 chain on a 1/8 sprocket is a no-no.
you will bugger your chain really quickly!

Yeah, buy a new chain and ideally a new chainring. I think running a 1/8 chain on the 3/32 ring will work ok but isnt the ideal. Im sure someone will correct me if Im wrong.

i think the chain is 3/32, chainring is 3/32 i think, and the sprocket is 1/8. i know this isn't good practice, but it shouldn't throw the chain should it?

anyway i just took it for a test ride and the chain doesn't come off any more, only annoying thing is a slight rattling sound, especially when slowing down. i'm guessing this is just parts of the chain rattling? i didn't have this chain on before and there was no sound.

That's why the chain is getting thrown - the chain is too small for the sprocket. 1/8 is bigger than 3/32 so it won't be sitting right. You can have 3/32 chainring and/or sprocket with a 1/8 chain, but not the other way around. Get a new chain, they're less than a tenner.

What Balki said - ideally you want everything 1/8, but you should be able to get away with the old chainring until you have the $$$ to replace it. New chain asap though.

shit. didn't notice the chain is 3/32! that'd be the problem right there.

silly me. must read thoroughly.

Nothing wrong with running 3/32 everything; Sheldon endorses it.

Yeah, thats a point... changing the sprocket is an option too.

ok. i just bought this chainring because i wanted to change to 42t as soon as poss. but i will replace it for a 1/8 eventually.

but for the time being it's ok to have 3/32 chainring, 1/8 chain and 1/8 sprocket right? i think i'd rather run a 1/8 set up than 3/32

yeah. the problem is that the current 3/32 chain won't interlock with the 1/8th sprocket. so yeah, get a 1/8th chain. it'll be fine running on a 3/32 chain ring.

hmm the chain seems to be locking with the sprocket fine. maybe i'm getting these sizes wrong. is there anyway of telling what chain it is?

thanks for everyones help btw

Where did you get it? That's probably the best clue. And do you still have the packaging?

it was just an old chain i had from a bike i bought off someone. the bike was a single speed with vertical dropouts so i assumed it'd have a 3/32 on it.

have a look. one of the link might say the brand/size.

it's a KMC "Z" Narrow. After a quick google they sound like they're cheap and crap.

Pigs arse! I have that chain on my bike and its amazing*!

*it was very cheap and a bit shit.

I actually have a dozen links on my desk at the moment and can confirm its a 3/32.

Just stick with 3/32; all you have to do is buy a new sprocket. I've run a 3/32 set up for more than ten years on fixed, as a courier, and have never found any disadvantage.

hmm maybe i will have it as 3/32. what do people think are the advantages of 1/8? strength? sorry for leading this thread off course.

I don't know that one is better than the other. I used 3/32 because before fixed became popular 1/8th stuff was hard to find. A 1/8th chain will be a little heavier but I think a lot of it is seeing 1/8th is 'bigger' and imagining it must be stronger. Others may have different experiences though.

I have a 3/32 sprocket you can have somewhere. 16T. Boxed.

Cheap chainset most likely uses JIS Taper BB. Campag will take ISO. If you haven't changed the BB as well as the chainset, your chainline will be off due to mixing components.

Campag. Record chainsets if I remember correctly should be coupled to a 102mm B/Bracket they were destined to fit as close to the frame as poss.