Now where's the logic in this? Chain thoughts

[mattsccm]

My time trial bike runs 9 speed Shimano. Cassette and chain were new at same time and have only done 1 1/2 season of 10's so not a lot. Chain wear on gauge ( lets not go into those) shows no wear. The gauge won't even go into the slots. Properly lubed etc. Works perfectly but noisy. Out of frustration I stuck a marginally used 10 speed chain on. Much quieter and works perfectly. Grrr

[fastpedaller]

Have you tried measuring 12 pairs of links ie 12 inches to see what that shows?

[Samuel D]

Was the noisy chain a SRAM and the other something else? SRAM chains seem to have looser rollers than most. I really ought to measure these things sometime.

[foxyrider]

The 10 speed chain will be marginally more flexible.

When I rebuilt my old race bike with 70's 2x6 drivetrain I tried several chains before settling on one that worked well and quietly. What is it? Well it's actually a 10sp. Yup I tried 7,8 and 9 speed in different iterations before finding one that worked. On short chainstay machines the extra flexibility, whilst not much, allows for the more acute angles much better than the 'correct' chain will.

[alexnharvey]

Could there be chain noise due to the new chain and worn chainring?

[Bmblbzzz]

The 10 speed chain will be marginally more flexible.

When I rebuilt my old race bike with 70's 2x6 drivetrain I tried several chains before settling on one that worked well and quietly. What is it? Well it's actually a 10sp. Yup I tried 7,8 and 9 speed in different iterations before finding one that worked. On short chainstay machines the extra flexibility, whilst not much, allows for the more acute angles much better than the 'correct' chain will.

I think this is generally true. Thinner sideplates = more flexibility. Also means cross-chaining is not such an issue.

[Brucey]

Could there be chain noise due to the new chain and worn chainring?

I'd be checking for that too.

IME it can take quite a long time to bed a new chain into a worn chainring.

A slightly worn chain will often run more quietly on a worn chainring and quietly enough on a new cassette. It will however be wearing out the cassette and will be doing no favours to the chainring (unless you intend to never use a new chain on it again).

cheers

[mig]

10 spd chain drops correctly onto 6 spd sprockets? i though that the chain was too narrow?

you learn something every day

[Mick F]

I'm on record on here in saying that my new 10sp Campag chain wasn't the same as all the other 10sp Campag chains I've had.
Noisy, notchy, poor shifting, and the grease that came on it was different too. I reckon it was a new/different batch.

Eventually, the chain wore in - ran in? - and is fine now.

[Brucey]

10 spd chain drops correctly onto 6 spd sprockets? i though that the chain was too narrow?

you learn something every day

It depends how the 6s sprockets are made. 9s and upwards the chain's inner width is noticeably narrower than 5/6/7/8s, (and indeed is often listed as 11/128" rather than 3/32" IIRC) . However not all 6s freewheels/sprockets are made in the 'old' way (which would be ~2.0mm thickness), many are today made using the same sprockets as would be used for 8s, but with different spacers. These sprockets are often slightly thinner, about 1.8mm.

If the sprockets are this width, 10s chain will run on them. It might not shift terribly well (and details regarding sprocket chamfers, ramps, gates etc are important here too) but it will run. To get really good shifting (front or rear) you need a lateral running clearance between the chain and the teeth; if the 'fit' is too good then the chain won't unship easily, or find its way onto a new set of teeth very well either.


You can use this to your advantage if you want a simple single chainring setup on a commuting bike; take a chainset with a 1/8" chainring (and full-height teeth) and file the teeth until they are just narrow enough to run with your chosen derailleur chain. Provided burrs don't form that then cause chain suck, the result is usually that the chain is somewhat more reluctant to unship than it would be on a derailleur specific chainring, or a 3/32" singlespeed chainring, come to that.

cheers

[Audax67]

Was the noisy chain a SRAM and the other something else? SRAM chains seem to have looser rollers than most. I really ought to measure these things sometime.

I found an SRAM very imprecise on my 2x11 Ultegra. Forever nudging the lever and fiddling with the adjustment. Swapped for a Shim Ultegra chain & all's well again.

[mattsccm]

I was only talking about cassette noise. Chainset is even newer and 10 speed anyway. Mech is of some vintage. Did measure it with a ruler last week so only one "ten" ridden since then and "stretch" was negligible to un measurable. Can't remember exact length.
It is a SRAM chain, and probably a cheap one, so maybe that's it . The 10 speed one is a KMC. It all works nicely, was just surprised that the wrong chain was nicer.

[Brucey]

new sram chains run quietly but as soon as they are cleaned/relubed with something a bit thinner than the factory grease, they are (IME) liable to manifest 'rattly rollers' more than with other chains, much as Samuel suggests.

cheers

[The utility cyclist]

Was the noisy chain a SRAM and the other something else? SRAM chains seem to have looser rollers than most. I really ought to measure these things sometime.

I have a SRAM PC1030 on my daily (it's the lowest end 10 speed chain SRAM made before they upgraded it to the 1031). It's a fair few years old and well worn (I'm wearing cassette chain til they no longer work as it's more cost effective for me), the cassette is a Tiagra, it's always been quiet, has always shifted great and that's even with a very well used 17 year old Tiagra long cage.

Sometimes you just get bits that don't pan out as you think they should, frustrating as hell.

[mattsccm]

Went out for my usual 25 miles of gravel today. The bike uses all my knackered 10 speed stuff. The chain has so much stretch that the 1% thing on the checker rattles back and forth. Cassette has hooks. The whole thing is quieter than that near new SRAM chain. KMC and regularly dropped in the same drum of old engine oil that I paint on the Landy chassis. Oh well.