# Good quality fixed gear chain



## skudupnorth (11 Feb 2012)

As it say's on the tin,can any advise from their own experiences a good chain that lasts a good while and does not stretch too much.Used and abused my Boardman fixed for the past few weeks and the chain is tangling like a good one !
Ta


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## GrumpyGregry (11 Feb 2012)

KMC's are good but I run a charge masher half-link for a bit of bling.


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## mangid (11 Feb 2012)

skudupnorth said:


> As it say's on the tin,can any advise from their own experiences a good chain that lasts a good while and does not stretch too much.Used and abused my Boardman fixed for the past few weeks and the chain is tangling like a good one !
> Ta



I settled on DID for a few years, 

http://www.hubjub.co.uk/etc/didzm.htm

Never had any problems, average maybe 3000/3500 per chain. 

--
Dan


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## dave r (11 Feb 2012)

I must admit I buy the cheapest chain available and replace it every twelve months, about 3-3500 miles.


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## skudupnorth (12 Feb 2012)

Cheers for the replies,i will have a delve in to the choices.


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## wheres_my_beard (12 Feb 2012)

Gusset make some nice half link chains, I replaced my Charge Masher with one (when the paint started to look shocking on it), but they both run really well. Worth a look.


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## skudupnorth (14 Feb 2012)

wheres_my_beard said:


> Gusset make some nice half link chains, I replaced my Charge Masher with one (when the paint started to look shocking on it), but they both run really well. Worth a look.


 Cheers


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## Pottsy (14 Feb 2012)

I tend to go for KMC as mentioned earlier (always an excellent choice) and also recently an SRAM 1/8" PC1 Nickel chain. The latter looks good, nice simple link and also has good reports. No comment on longevity yet though of course.


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## Nigel182 (14 Feb 2012)

i'm quite liking the Izumi Chain...plenty of links to fit most Ratios....
last one had 116 before shortening it to take up the slack.


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## Rob3rt (14 Feb 2012)

KMC or SRAM here.


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## Smurfy (14 Feb 2012)

I like KMC. I wouldn't bother with a half-link chain unless you have a specific need to adjust the chain length half a link at a time. The dog-leg bends in half-link chains was invented for BMX, and is unnecessary for fixed and single-speed. With each pedal stroke these bends are trying to straighten, and their presence probably weakens the chain slightly. Whatever you choose, get one with a proper joining link (i.e. elongated circlip).


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## wheres_my_beard (15 Feb 2012)

YellowTim said:


> I like KMC. I wouldn't bother with a half-link chain unless you have a specific need to adjust the chain length half a link at a time. The dog-leg bends in half-link chains was invented for BMX, and is unnecessary for fixed and single-speed. With each pedal stroke these bends are trying to straighten, and their presence probably weakens the chain slightly. Whatever you choose, get one with a proper joining link (i.e. elongated circlip).


 
I think that this is not such a problem with modern half link chains. At least not one I have had.

I was very wary of chain stretch when I first got my bike, and when I changed the chain, and when I was later experimenting with different sized sprockets, but have always had a chain that interlocks consistently smoothly and without any problems.


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## fossyant (15 Feb 2012)

KMC here. Have run Izumi but they haven't been as good as the KMC 510 I have had on the past year, and it hasn't stretched to 0.75 yet. Also means less chain slack adjusting.


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## skudupnorth (16 Feb 2012)

Plenty of choice to go at,cheers chaps,i knew i could rely on you all


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## Pennine-Paul (17 Feb 2012)

> KMC here. Have run Izumi but they haven't been as good as the KMC 510 I have had on the past year, and it hasn't stretched to 0.75 yet. Also means less chain slack adjusting.


just bought myself a kmc 510 today it's whisper quiet now


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## skudupnorth (18 Feb 2012)

KMC's don't seem bad on price either.....result !


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## Pennine-Paul (18 Feb 2012)

Seems much beefier than my no name 1/8 inch chain that was on before
using the chain tool proved much more effort to remove the pins

Ha! just realised why,mines the z510hx heavy duty chain......9.4 mm pins


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## GrumpyGregry (18 Feb 2012)

YellowTim said:


> I like KMC. I wouldn't bother with a half-link chain unless you have a specific need to adjust the chain length half a link at a time. The dog-leg bends in half-link chains was invented for BMX, and is unnecessary for fixed and single-speed. With each pedal stroke these bends are trying to straighten, and their presence probably weakens the chain slightly. Whatever you choose, get one with a proper joining link (i.e. elongated circlip).


If I could understand what this meant I'd still think it was tosh. The day my legs can straighten the bent plates on a half-link is the day I say "Oi, Sir Chris, fancy a race......?"


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## Smurfy (19 Feb 2012)

GregCollins said:


> If I could understand what this meant I'd still think it was tosh. The day my legs can straighten the bent plates on a half-link is the day I say "Oi, Sir Chris, fancy a race......?"


 
Most of the people who've posted in these threads don't like half-link chains. The recurring complaints are excessive stretching, broken side plates and snapped pins.

http://www.sa.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=92459&pagenum=1

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/half-link-chains-all-rubbish


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## Pennine-Paul (20 Feb 2012)

Yep had one on a s/s 5 years ago kept stretching,

eventually the stretching stopped,

then the side plates kept snapping 

Never again


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## GrumpyGregry (20 Feb 2012)

YellowTim said:


> Most of the people who've posted in these threads don't like half-link chains. The recurring complaints are excessive stretching, broken side plates and snapped pins.
> 
> http://www.sa.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=92459&pagenum=1
> 
> http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/half-link-chains-all-rubbish


Ah the old "these people agree with me" argument. that always carries the day.

and if I had a quid for everything that the forumites on singletrackworld have written off as rubbish over the years I'd be a much wealthier man!


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## Smurfy (22 Feb 2012)

GregCollins said:


> Ah the old "these people agree with me" argument. that always carries the day.
> 
> and if I had a quid for everything that the forumites on singletrackworld have written off as rubbish over the years I'd be a much wealthier man!


 
Chain is used for many industrial transmission applications. If half-link chain conferred even a slight advantage it would have completely superceded standard chain for industrial applications, but it hasn't, so you can see that it is purely a marketing tool for bicycle chain.

Structures that have to withstand tension should be straight, so you can see that half-link chain is a flawed design. If he was still alive then you could ask Isambard Kingdom Brunel why the chains on the Clifton Suspension Bridge weren't designed in a half-link style.


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## GrumpyGregry (22 Feb 2012)

Two straw men in one argument. Well done.


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## Sore Thumb (23 Feb 2012)

I use a 3'32 on my fixed with a gear of 48 front and 16 rear. Cant see any reason to ride with a wider chainset/chain apart from fashion. 

Chain is a Sram chain, really good chain that lasts over a year if looked after.


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## Pennine-Paul (23 Feb 2012)

> Cant see any reason to ride with a wider chainset/chain apart from fashion.


Try running a 3/32 chain on an 1/8 cog


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## Smurfy (23 Feb 2012)

Pennine-Paul said:


> Yep had one on a s/s 5 years ago kept stretching,
> 
> eventually the stretching stopped,
> 
> ...


 
Probably what happened is that as the side-plates straightened, numerous micro-cracks formed at the site of the bend. The formation of a large number of micro-cracks effectively bypasses the first stage of fatigue failure, which is known as crack initiation. In fatigue failures, a significant proportion of the lifetime is usually taken up by crack initiation. Hence, conventional chains (with straight side-plates) cannot suffer from this life-shortening failure mechanism, because any crack which could eventually cause a fatigue failure has to be initiated without the assistance of side-plate bending (and attendant micro-crack formation).



GregCollins said:


> Two straw men in one argument. Well done.


 
Thanks!  Did I just set a new Cyclechat record?


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## Sore Thumb (24 Feb 2012)

Pennine-Paul said:


> Try running a 3/32 chain on an 1/8 cog



Funny.....;-). Yes that would be a problem. So if you have a 3'32 cog and front chain ring and a 3'32 chain I cannot see any other reason to have the wider setup apart from fashion.


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## Basil.B (12 Mar 2012)

I need a new chain.
My single speed bike has a Surly 3'32 cog and chain ring, Surly chain tensioner.
Would a 8 speed chain be ok? I tried a 1'8 chain but had problems with the chain skipping.


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## Camrider (13 Mar 2012)

An 8 speed should be fine, its what I use with my Rohlhoff hub gear bike, and they are a lot cheaper than a specialist single speed chain.


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## YahudaMoon (13 Mar 2012)

Sore Thumb said:


> Funny.....;-). Yes that would be a problem. So if you have a 3'32 cog and front chain ring and a 3'32 chain I cannot see any other reason to have the wider setup apart from fashion.


 
I can.


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## skudupnorth (25 Mar 2012)

Pennine-Paul said:


> just bought myself a kmc 510 today it's whisper quiet now


Just ordered one today,might need it for next weeks ride to the Fylde coast seeing as the chain fitted is making funny noises !


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