Best SS Chains

Trailfinder

Shop: Cycle Craft, Long Valley
Shop Keep
Another thread was getting off topic, so I thought I would make it it's own thread.

What is your favorite Single speed chain and why?

Mine favorite, so far, is the lowly SRAM 8 speed chain.

I am over 200 #s and stretch chains a lot. The KMC 9 speed I started with had me adjusting the chain tensioners ever other ride. Tried the SRAM PC-1 single speed chain and it stretched about twice a ride, Nickle or black. The 850 Black, hardly stretched at all. The PC-1 stretched more in the parking lot than the 850has in a number of allamuchy rides plus others places.

People mention breaking chians, now I am pretty hard on equipment, but rarely break chains and, knock on wood, I have yet ot break a SS chain.

How are you guys breaking these chains?

PS I am running Surly steel cogs and rings. 2x3 at the moment. The KMC was stretching on a perfect chaninline 1x1.
 

jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
Eddy at Sram told me the pc -68 is the best chain made for this application.
According to their web site it is no longer made. They seem to have recently either renamed of redesigned a lot of the chains.
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
moved this over to the general fourms...hopefully it will not go the way of the other thread..
 

Maurice

New Member
Chains go pretty fast on singlespeeds. I usually use mid-range SRAM chains and also have to adjust the tension every ride to every other ride depending on the conditions.
I've had one snapping under torque and it's not really fun. The way it failed is the plates went their own separate ways, no idea where the pin ended up... And I only use the chain-tool to shorten the chain or for emergency purposes. When installing a new chain it closes with a quick-link, which are apparently quite strong.
Speaking of cogs, I ran a 17t "endless" cog for an entire season when they came out and was pretty amazed how long it lasted for a piece of aluminum.
 

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
one bad combo...

Don't run a 1/8 half-link chain on a 3/32 chainring/freewheel combo. I had crazy amounts of noise and eventually broke the chain.

The idea of someone built like me breaking such a bury looking chain is pretty funny.:hmmm:
 

jdog

Shop: Halter's Cycles
Shop Keep
I had a conversation at interbike with Big Ed from SRAM about marketing a SS 3/32 chain. He said "we already make one..It is called the pc-68". In his mind the market for ss chains is small. This is funny since everyone I ride with has a ss bike.

They maket a ss chain called a pc-1 but it is a 1/8 bmx chain.

This will work on a 3/32 setup but it will roll around on the cogs and possibly end in disaster.

Also 9 and 10 speed chains get stuck on surly cogs. The cogs are made to work with the wider 8 speed chains.
 

Trailfinder

Shop: Cycle Craft, Long Valley
Shop Keep
They maket a ss chain called a pc-1 but it is a 1/8 bmx chain. This will work on a 3/32 setup but it will roll around on the cogs and possibly end in disaster.

That stretched like crazy. Never broke it but I had trouble keeping it on my 21 surly cog, even with a perfect chain line. Being wide I think it just snaked around too much!

Also 9 and 10 speed chains get stuck on surly cogs. The cogs are made to work with the wider 8 speed chains.

As of sometime in 07 Surly cogs were redesigned for 9 speed chains.
 

clarkenstein

JORBA Board Member/Chapter Leader
JORBA.ORG
does the gear ratio you use affect the stretch you encounter? my SS is set up as 32:16 on a 26er and i have had had good luck with the pc-68.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
wipperman

I have been running these chains since i built my ss. Seems to run pretty solid for me so far. It has not seemed to stretch much. However i did replace it bc it had been on there for quite some time. But im no expert in this matter.
 
Top Bottom