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Re: 3/32 vs 1/8th track drive train

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2012 11:07 pm
by alibongo
Pointless to save the weight really, mainly due to the 6.8kg uci rule still being involved (if you race). Also there is no advantage to cutting the weight as you rarely have to increase the pace from standstill IMO.

However I'm not thinking I will weight my track bike!!

Re: 3/32 vs 1/8th track drive train

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 4:19 am
by UpFromOne
it depends on your events. if you do sprints or any standing starts, imho stick with 1/8. if you are just a pursuiter, then by all means go 3/32 and lighten all the other rotating parts while you're at it.

BTW Izumi chains and some other brands stretch very fast, even the 1/8". Track riders often are on a stretched chain without realizing it. At 3 o'clock on the front chainring, pull the chain away from the chainring. you'd be surprised at the gap.

Re: 3/32 vs 1/8th track drive train

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 4:19 am
by Weenie

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Re: 3/32 vs 1/8th track drive train

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:58 am
by mattyNor
+1 on the Izumi chains stretching a surprising amount. I had their cheap "eco" chain on my commuter and it was beyond 1 on the parktool gauge after just one winter.

Re: 3/32 vs 1/8th track drive train

Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 7:41 pm
by 11.4
The metal in cheap chains of any kind, including Izumi, will wear quickly and allow the appearance of stretch. The only Izumi chain to consider is really the Izumi V. It's high grade steel, much better pins, and the rollers are hard tempered steel. I monitor wear and I am on my third year on an izumi V on the track. Especially with track mileage, it's a chain that tends to last forever. You just can't cheapen out and buy the lower grade versions within the brand.

As for six-day riders riding 3/32, there's a feeling among pro six day riders that the 3/32 chain is simply smoother. You're riding pro six-days (at least in the long chases of the madison sessions) in low gears like an 88 or 89 at very high cadences like 145 or so. Anything that makes a rider feel he's got a little more leg speed will sell.

As for what you're going to put on your bike, a 3/32 drive will last pretty well as long as you use real 3/32 equipment and not modern 11-speed chainrings and chains. The only drawback is that you have to keep the chain tensioned without too much slack because the 3/32 chain will definitely try to derail more easily than a 1/8 track chain will do -- it's designed to derail, if you think about it. And before someone asks, hipster poseurs like to tension their chain out so you can almost pluck it. The theory is that it helps with track stands but mostly it's just ignorance. Good track mechanics leave about 3/4" to 1" of vertical slack in the chain as a conservative rule, and many riders like a lot more than that. As long as you can't take a wrench and push your chain off the chainring as you turn the cranks, you're ok. The looser chain is easier on the chain, easier on the whole drivetrain, and your legs take much less of a beating if they have some slack in the chain.

Re: 3/32 vs 1/8th track drive train

Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2020 6:03 pm
by anzi
Is anybody using a 11 speed 11/128" chain on 3/32" chainring and cog? I'm thinking about buying a Dura-Ace 3/32" chainring and a Dura-Ace, EAI or Surly 3/32" cog. A KMC X11SL 11 speed chain would be 70 to 120 grams lighter than a 3/32" chain... I have a used Surly cog and an unused Sram PC1110 chain and they seem to fit together fine, but I'm still doubting if I should risk buying an expensive 11 speed chain if it wouldn't fit.

Re: 3/32 vs 1/8th track drive train

Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:12 pm
by joeyb1000
Almost every track ridier I know uses a 1/8" chain, and the Izumi V is by far the most popular.

Re: 3/32 vs 1/8th track drive train

Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:18 pm
by robbosmans
I am using an single speed ebike chain, pretty much bombproof


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Re: 3/32 vs 1/8th track drive train

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2020 4:09 pm
by bremerradkurier
Wippermann 1/8" was the chain of choice for roided up East German quadzillas.