Modern Chains for Vintage Bikes
07-20-18, 05:48 AM
#1
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Modern Chains for Vintage Bikes
When I restore an old 10-speed from the 1970's, I thoroughly clean the chains and freewheels but on some of the nicer bikes, I'd like to replace the chains. I am wondering which current production chains are best suited for older 10-speed bikes with 5 cog freewheels.
Will current production chains be harder or easier on vintage alloy chain-rings?
Will current production chains be harder or easier on vintage alloy chain-rings?
07-20-18, 07:06 AM
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Any chain designed for 5-6-7-8 cog blocks ought to be ok.
Modern chains won't wear chainrings any differently than a vintage chain, but depending on your crank, a narrow modern chain may be able to jam between the rings or between the arm and the ring. That's a reason to avoid chains designed for 9 or more cogs on vintage drivetrains.
Modern chains won't wear chainrings any differently than a vintage chain, but depending on your crank, a narrow modern chain may be able to jam between the rings or between the arm and the ring. That's a reason to avoid chains designed for 9 or more cogs on vintage drivetrains.
07-20-18, 07:16 AM
#3
You gonna eat that?
I use 6-7 speed chains on my older bikes.
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07-20-18, 07:26 AM
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I always use eight speed chain (SRAM) with a master link, these days. That chain is a bit lighter than the old school ones and works just fine, as far as I am concerned. Here is one on a 1958 Rabeneick and it looks/works perfectly...
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07-20-18, 07:40 AM
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+1. Sram or KMC 8-speed chains are my go-to, and they can be had for <$10 a pop if you are a patient shopper.
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07-20-18, 07:50 AM
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If you are riding these nice bikes regularly, try a new freewheel to go with the new chain. I have an 5s IRD Classica on my PX--10 that is a joy.
07-20-18, 07:29 PM
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SRAM 8-speed chains on all of my bikes -- makes it easy. 
Since you teased us with the drivetrain photo, I would like to see the full picture of that 1958 Rabeneick, which looks to be equipped like the Capos of that period. Is that paint-over-chrome? Looks great!
Since you teased us with the drivetrain photo, I would like to see the full picture of that 1958 Rabeneick, which looks to be equipped like the Capos of that period. Is that paint-over-chrome? Looks great!
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Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
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Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
07-20-18, 08:43 PM
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Thanks for all f the replies. It sounds like i shouldn't worry too much about it. 6, 7, or 8 speed should do it.
07-21-18, 05:03 AM
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Since you teased us with the drivetrain photo, I would like to see the full picture of that 1958 Rabeneick, which looks to be equipped like the Capos of that period. Is that paint-over-chrome? Looks great!
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07-21-18, 06:24 AM
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Beautiful bike !
07-21-18, 12:28 PM
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Two other quick details regarding SRAM's 8-speed offerings. My go-to chain is the PC-850. I think it looks nicer on vintage bikes because it doesn't have any bright links. The PC-870 has a bit more bling and might not look as "period-correct".
07-21-18, 01:38 PM
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+3 On the SRAM 8 speed chains with master links, I will never you use a pin connector again if I can help it. I find the 830 model to be a good bang for the buck
07-21-18, 05:17 PM
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Even 9 to 11 speed chain is 11/128th in (.086) internally and pretty nearly all derailleur bikes have teeth 2mm (.079 in) wide and smaller. So at a minimum, the teeth will take the chain. I recall someone posted about a Schwinn Twinn that wouldn’t work but no one came up with an answer why.
With old chain the sprocket teeth picked up the pins. Since 9 speed came out the pins are flush but the plates have a lot of texture for the teeth to grab. That design proliferated to 7/8 speed too.
I was worried about chain skate on my Super Sport with an 8 speed chain but it just didn’t happen. Maybe because of the ramp stamped into the big ring.
The ‘70s chain on my Paramount by contrast skates a lot.
With old chain the sprocket teeth picked up the pins. Since 9 speed came out the pins are flush but the plates have a lot of texture for the teeth to grab. That design proliferated to 7/8 speed too.
I was worried about chain skate on my Super Sport with an 8 speed chain but it just didn’t happen. Maybe because of the ramp stamped into the big ring.
The ‘70s chain on my Paramount by contrast skates a lot.
07-22-18, 09:34 AM
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The SRAM 8** series are a good deal, price wise, and work pretty well with all kinds of old and new drive trains.
I have a bunch of the KMC Z-51s on the 5- and 6-speed bikes because my co-op had them for $7 each. It's a good one, too. Not as nicely finished as the SRAM 8's, but smooth shifting even on a '70s straight-cut 5 speed.
I have a bunch of the KMC Z-51s on the 5- and 6-speed bikes because my co-op had them for $7 each. It's a good one, too. Not as nicely finished as the SRAM 8's, but smooth shifting even on a '70s straight-cut 5 speed.
07-22-18, 10:05 AM
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I've found that 9s chain works perfectly on older steel cottered and one-piece cranksets, just not sure why. I have never had any freewheeling/skating issues using such chainrings with modern 9s chain.
I've had mixed results with other vintage cranksets, SR Apex and older Stronglight alloy cranksets in particular have not tolerated even 8s chain in many instances without the chain failing to engage a smaller chainring's teeth after a downshift.
I sometimes have to rework the bevel along the tip of the small ring's teeth using a file in order to bias the tip of the teeth toward the large ring, which can be done rapidly by carefully holding a long file against the rotating chainring. I've also bent the teeth toward the big ring in the worst of cases when even more correction was needed, but which required chainring removal and reinstallation.
Modern chain tolerates far more of a cross-chaining angle before the chain starts gnawing noisily against the sides of the big ring's teeth, so the chainring doesn't wear thin and the transmission is far more quiet and efficient. Possibly for this reason, modern chain seems to get by with less lubrication than older designs including Sedisport.
Where modern chain falls short is with certain vintage bikes having very large chain gap between the upper pulley and smaller cogs, as in the worst cases the lateral flex fails to transmit shifting motion enough to effect a shift, or delays a shift so far as to finally shift across two or more cogs instead of just one.
I've had mixed results with other vintage cranksets, SR Apex and older Stronglight alloy cranksets in particular have not tolerated even 8s chain in many instances without the chain failing to engage a smaller chainring's teeth after a downshift.
I sometimes have to rework the bevel along the tip of the small ring's teeth using a file in order to bias the tip of the teeth toward the large ring, which can be done rapidly by carefully holding a long file against the rotating chainring. I've also bent the teeth toward the big ring in the worst of cases when even more correction was needed, but which required chainring removal and reinstallation.
Modern chain tolerates far more of a cross-chaining angle before the chain starts gnawing noisily against the sides of the big ring's teeth, so the chainring doesn't wear thin and the transmission is far more quiet and efficient. Possibly for this reason, modern chain seems to get by with less lubrication than older designs including Sedisport.
Where modern chain falls short is with certain vintage bikes having very large chain gap between the upper pulley and smaller cogs, as in the worst cases the lateral flex fails to transmit shifting motion enough to effect a shift, or delays a shift so far as to finally shift across two or more cogs instead of just one.
