recommendations for 6 sp. chain ?

[PpPete]

Hi all
I'm in last stages of rebuilding a Dawes Galaxy from the 1970's which had been sadly neglected by previous owner. I've everything about done, but at last minute decided against using old chain (basically can't be @rsed to clean it and free up all the jammed links)

It's a 6 speed freewheel - all the sprockets look good, as does the chainset so I'm hoping a new chain will be OK.

I seem to recall posts on here recommending other brands than Sh*m&n' but I can't recall any for old school 6 speed stuff.

The shifters are down tube SIS 6 speed and the rear mech is an old Exage that I picked up off Ebay so it's a right mix up - I'm hoping it will all work together, if only maybe on Friction setting.

Are KMC chains any good? seems to be one of the cheaper options on Ebay?

 

[andy_wrx]

If I remember rightly, you use a 8sp chain with 6sp (certainly you use 8sp chains on 7sp, I do on the MTB...)

So pick a SRAM or KMC or Wippermann 8sp chain with a 'missing link' and avoid that silly Shimano connecting pin.

 

[mickle]

What andy wrx said.

 

[Soltydog]

I have KMC chains on 4 of my bikes & they seem fine to me. The chain on my road bike runs far quieter than the Shimano ever did.

 

[PpPete]

OMG - another area where my 20 30 year old knowledge is out of date....
What's a "missing link" ?
What's a Shimano connecting pin - silly or otherwise ?

help please ?

 

[andy_wrx]

This is a Shimano connecting pin

It's twice the length of the standard chain rivet, you use a chain-splitter tool to push it, rounded end first, through the chain then you break it off with pliers.
This is a faffy thing to do and quite easy to do wrong, when the chain will fail on you and come apart as you're riding along.
It also means that if you want to take the chain off to clean it for example, you have to push-out the pin with the chain-splitter tool and then you'll need a new pin to rejoin it.

These are 'missing links'

SRAM, KMC & Wippermann all use variations on this with different names, but they're all much the same.
They're far easier to use, with just your fingers rather than tools, and you can easily separate and then reconnect the chain if you need to take it off.

It's also worth having a couple of spare 'missing links' in your saddlebag, which you can use to quickly repair a broken chain at the roadside.