Which brands/models chainsets / chainrings have perfect centering?

[Yellow Saddle]

Question 1: Offset links are only a problem with strong machinery, such as conveyor belts and stuff that very powerful, even more powerful than me. So don't worry, I've never seen an offset link crack, ever. An offset chain on a big roller chain such as the ones you cited will be a very bad idea. The thick plate has to make a sharp bend in a very small space. Put cyclical tension on that and it will crack. But that's not a cyclists issue.

Question 2: I never fiddled with singlespeed and fixies and whatever I sold to people who don't believe that the freewheel and gears were a good invention was all 1/8th stuff. Which means I'm a poor source of advice for such oddities. But, there's no need to go to 3/16th. A quick glance at the KMC EU website seems to not even list 3/16th. Others on here may know better.

Yes, wider chains have a longer wear life but it is not a linear relationship. You don't get double for double, for example. Bushing chains live much longer than bushinless chains though.

 

[derrick]

Would it not be easier just to stick a dial gauge on it?

 

[rogerzilla]

3/16" is old-school BMX. You can get the stuff but maybe not in useful sizes, and maybe not a fixed cog (only freewheels). Your chain tool may not work with 3/16" chain; you may need to shorten it with a hammer and punch to drive out the rivet.

 

[silva]

I have a chain tool code named "YC-324", origin YE CHOU INDUSTRY CO., LTD. Taiwan
It exists since a long time, has been through some remodellings and is part of many toolkits, and is labeled as a workshop chain tool.
It works on the Gusset "Tank" with 3/16" sideplates.
The basis (where the link is supported) is adjustable. So it works on about any 1/2" pitch chain.
It has a spare pin and a position fixer so that once you found out how far you have to turn the pin, you can "remember" it with that limit fixer.
It's the best chain tool I came across so far. And it costs half the price of many so called "pro" tools.
Before I found it, I used hammer and punch. as basis I used a steel block where I drilled a hole in for the pin.

 

[silva]

But I'm sure there are some fixed gear riders out there that can mount a new chainring new cog new chain without seeing a chain tension difference the size of an egg. :P
Those must have a better machined crank/spider and must know brand/model.

 

[silva]

Today I came across this article: https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fixed.php
It refers some brands/models with better centering.
Apparently, the term used for this offcenter is "runout".
Listed as perfect/very precise:
Sugino Grand Mighty Gold
Sugino 75
Listed as very small runout:
TA Alize

On my 2 previous fixed gears, I had TA Alize Piste chainrings, it's possible that the crankset is also TA.
Which would explain why I never noticed a chain tension variation. Apparently better machined than the Sugino XD and Stronglight Track 2000.
And those older bicycles costed a quarter and less than this new one.

-

 

[mangid]

Today I came across this article: https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fixed.php
It refers some brands/models with better centering.
Apparently, the term used for this offcenter is "runout".
Listed as perfect/very precise:
Sugino Grand Mighty Gold
Sugino 75
Listed as very small runout:
TA Alize

On my 2 previous fixed gears, I had TA Alize Piste chainrings, it's possible that the crankset is also TA.
Which would explain why I never noticed a chain tension variation. Apparently better machined than the Sugino XD and Stronglight Track 2000.
And those older bicycles costed a quarter and less than this new one.

-

I run Sugino 75 DD cranks on a Hope BB, with Sugino Zen chain ring (48T), EAI Gold Medal (18T) and Izumi Super Toughness. Just replaced the chain ring (22K miles), sprocket (9K), chain (9K), BB (20K) and it's all running spot on ;-) Crankset has 37K on it in 2 years.

 

[silva]

Heh, checked that all and it makes a hell of a mighty price ticket.

New for me - a stainless steel (probably an expensive grade) sprocket with titaniumnitride coating.

But I wonder, a sprocket and chain life of 9000 miles, and even that chain ring 22000, that appears not that much to me.
Before the replacement my topic here is about, the replaced Velosolo bolt on cog had been mounted 18 months on a bicycle that I travel 50-60 km daily with, and weights 25 kg without extra luggage (see the pic in my avatar) - that's 27000 km or 18000 miles. And most of it with a 5 mm wrong chainline (and this offcenter caused chain tension variation).
At 17 UK pounds for a cog, that's not bad. And the about same price costing Gusset chain, same circumstances, "stretched" 1/2" in as much as just 2 months less.
Last, the chainring of the Stronglight Track 2000 chainset (the one causing the chains tension variation), not that happy about it. It lasted 15 months but its teeth were seriously worn when it was replaced, no tooth tops left anymore. Much better than Surly's soft 304 stainless steel chain ring (that I had to replace after just a couple months) but no fair comparison due to being 3/32" instead of 1/8".
The Velosolo ring that I mounted now, has equally wide and tall teeth as their cog, so looks promising.

But the chain part of the drivetrain is the most influential part on wear, if it becomes longer under tension the pitch increases and this eats up the sprocket teeth
regardless how hard and tall they are.
So the first step to improve a drivetrains wear rate is a harder wearing chain. I experienced 1/8" as a major improvement from 3/32". If 3/16" sprockets existed, I'd certainly go for these, but so far I only found a 3/16" chain from KMC, also a brand that I started to dislike because I their advertising doesn't mention things it should. I'll keep searching though, it also took many months (including those before I ordered the new bike) before I discovered Gussets tank chain.

 

[silva]

It's now 4.5 months ago that I replaced the Sugino crankset with the Stronglight 2000.
And changed the chainring from 48T to 47T, as to get rid of the 48/16 ratio which concentrated instead of spreaded out the wear over the chain links.
Since some weeks, I again hear series of ticks while pedaling.
From experience with the Sugino and the 48/16 I know that this is due to uneven wear within the chain. The tension variation didn't grow much further since the replacements, unlike with 48/16 so the slight change from gear 3:1 to 2.9375:1 really seems to have solved that part of the problem.
Still series of ticks, after a chain retensioning less loud, but they become louder again till a next retensioning.
I thought first it was due to the pedaling force that has 2 peaks (just over the top position of every pedal) and thus wear the teeth there more than others.

But I decided a test, like I did during the time of 48/16, "shifting" the chain 12 links in forward direction over the chainring. This caused the ticks to be gone for a month.
If uneven chain wear would not be the cause of these ticks now, the ticking should just remain what it was.
Just back from a test ride - instead of 5-6 ticks at every pedal stroke, I now get just 1.

All this together, forms an elimination to a single cause: excentricity within the chain rings mount / de spider of the crankset.
So it does look like the only final, complete solution to this problem is a perfectly centered chainset / ring mount.
As long as it isn't, I will be plagued by having to shift around the chain on a regular basis.

 

[silva]

Couple days ago, I was given a new to me explanation for a chain tension variation: a not centered, or a seriously worn, spindle (bottom bracket).
I don't get that well, the spindle IS the center of the bottom bracket and anything mounted on it. So if a spindle is declared as not centered, where is that center relative to?

 

[Ian H]

I'm slightly puzzled by all this. I've ridden fixed (not exclusively) for very many years, and seldom had totally even chain-tension around a pedal stroke. But it has never been something I notice when riding the bike. Just a guess, but I wonder whether the roughness is something to do with an out-of-alignment sprocket and chainring.

 

[silva]

The chains of my two previous fixed bikes don't show a tension variation. The real question here is what do you mean with "totally even"? With my last bike, with new chainring, cog and chain, when I tension the chain so that I can push it 1 cm up and down, I can push it 3 cm up and down elsewhere.
It's annoyant to first have to find the tightest location at every tensioning. On top of that annoyancy, a second annoyancy is that when I fasten the screws on the eccentric bottom bracket hole, the chain tensions abit more so I have to try to estimate a certain lower tension in order to get the one I want.
My previous bikes tensioned the chain along moving the rear wheel front/back.
That was much less hassle, only that the nuts over time fret out the frame ends.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Couple days ago, I was given a new to me explanation for a chain tension variation: a not centered, or a seriously worn, spindle (bottom bracket).
I don't get that well, the spindle IS the center of the bottom bracket and anything mounted on it. So if a spindle is declared as not centered, where is that center relative to?

I've not come across a not centred spindle, its a new one on me, but I have come across a chainring thats not centred on the spider and rings and cogs that aren't perfectly round.

 

[silva]

I've not come across a not centred spindle, its a new one on me, but I have come across a chainring thats not centred on the spider and rings and cogs that aren't perfectly round.

As said, I didn't even understand, a spindle IS a center how can be out of center. I replied to the dealer for more explanation but no answer yet.
Months ago I checked (a longwinded method along drawing it over on paper then drawing lines, new lines at intersections and so on) my chainring based on Yellow Saddles comment, and I found it as centered.
Elimination has narrowed the cause down to the bottom bracket, the spindle also sits there, so it could be a cause, only that I don't get precisely what the relative is to judge on or off center, to what, what other center.
Until now I assumed only the spider on the driveside itself, it's mechanical shape, could be a bottom bracket cause.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

As said, I didn't even understand, a spindle IS a center how can be out of center. I replied to the dealer for more explanation but no answer yet.
Months ago I checked (a longwinded method along drawing it over on paper then drawing lines, new lines at intersections and so on) my chainring based on Yellow Saddles comment, and I found it as centered.
Elimination has narrowed the cause down to the bottom bracket, the spindle also sits there, so it could be a cause, only that I don't get precisely what the relative is to judge on or off center, to what, what other center.
Until now I assumed only the spider on the driveside itself, it's mechanical shape, could be a bottom bracket cause.

I assume the spindle he's talking about is the bottom bracket axle, and the only way that can be off centre is if the bottom bracket is very badly worn with movement in the axle.