# What is the best chain for 6 speed freewheel



## fr4edfr4ed (Jun 12, 2007)

I am looking for some ideas about the best chain for an old school (1987) bike.
I've heard that Sedisport is pretty good. What would you all recommend?

My bike is a Schwinn Tempo with Exage Motion downtube shifting. I have Biopace chainrings and Suntour Winner 6 speed freewheel.

I also have some questions about chain length. Currently my chainrings are 40 & 52, my freewheel is 13-15-17-20-23-26. If I put say a 28 or 30 on the back would my chain have to be longer? I have not yet purchased a new freewheel but I do have some different chainrings. I have 42 and 53. Would changing the 52 to a 53 have much of an effect on chain length?

One more question about freewheels; if the spacing is the same on different 6 speed freewheels, will they work the same way with indexed shifting (regardless of the vintage)? 

Many thanks for any help and guidance.


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## xxl (Mar 19, 2002)

fr4edfr4ed said:


> I am looking for some ideas about the best chain for an old school (1987) bike.
> I've heard that Sedisport is pretty good. What would you all recommend?
> 
> My bike is a Schwinn Tempo with Exage Motion downtube shifting. I have Biopace chainrings and Suntour Winner 6 speed freewheel.
> ...


Any 3/32" chain that is _not_ for 9- and 10-gear systems should work, and just about any bike shop should have it. SRAM, KMC, and others all make 'em. If you went with a larger freewheel and/or chainring, you probably wouldn't need to add a link unless you were making a big jump; a tooth or two shouldn't matter, unless your chain was already at the limit.

In theory, if the spacing on two freewheels is the same, they will work the same way with the corresponding index levers (i.e., six-speed levers for six-speed clusters, and assuming same brands for both). But, and this is important, the spacing has to be exact from cog to cog, as well as the total width (along the axle length dimension) of the cogset, and that's where indexing compatibility often falls apart. The differences between a Shimano 6-speed freewheel, and your Suntour, are small, but there is enough of a difference that indexing levers will usually end up almost-but-not-quite working properly in one or more gears. Sometimes, you get lucky, though; there were a lot of iterations of six-speed clusters between Shimano and Suntour, and some combos might just work. How is it shifting now?

Of course, since you're screwing around on the downtube anyway, and you're only needing to hit six slots, why not just use the friction shifting mode, and be done with it.


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## fr4edfr4ed (Jun 12, 2007)

Thank you so much for your help. I did not mention in the listing that I have 2 sets of wheels. The set has a Shimano MF-2012 freewheel with 14-15-17-21-24-26. The other day I took a pretty close look at both freewheels and noticed the Shimano had some teeth that looked damaged.

The shifting works like a dream on either set of wheels. That is why I was wondering if all the 6 speed freewheels from that vintage (or any vintage) would work as well.

When I was a teenager, I had a Wolrd Sport that had the friction shifting. I really like the indexed shifting, it kinda make me feel like I'm driving a Rolls Royce 

By the way, is it possible to tell if the cog is worn just by looking? 

Many thanks


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## xxl (Mar 19, 2002)

fr4edfr4ed said:


> Thank you so much for your help. I did not mention in the listing that I have 2 sets of wheels. The set has a Shimano MF-2012 freewheel with 14-15-17-21-24-26. The other day I took a pretty close look at both freewheels and noticed the Shimano had some teeth that looked damaged.
> 
> The shifting works like a dream on either set of wheels. That is why I was wondering if all the 6 speed freewheels from that vintage (or any vintage) would work as well.
> 
> ...


Easy question first: yes, you _might_ be able to tell if a cog is (very) worn, just by looking, as the teeth will be ground by years of abradement by the chain, sometimes into little telltale "hooks," or the tops will be rounded down. But, a cog will be worn enough to toss before this stage, as the "valleys" between the teeth get elongated (but before hooking of the teeth might start), but it's very hard to tell just by looking at it. You can hold a worn, but unhooked, cog against a new one, and you can see the wear easily enough. But when it's in situ, it's harder to tell, except for the poor shifting. I take it you've already checked the chain for wear.

If your sixes are working fine, that's cool, but it doesn't always mean that _every_ six from that era will; there was a short-lived iteration, called "Ultra Six," which put six narrow cogs in the same cogset space as the then-prevalent five-speeds. I wouldn't think these would index with your Exage levers too well.


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## fr4edfr4ed (Jun 12, 2007)

Once again, many thanks for your help. 

Yes, I did measure the chain and know it needs to be replaced. I try to learn as much as I can on Sheldon Brown's website. Perhaps my best bet would be to try a new chain with my Suntour freewheel before buying a new freewheel. I do understand that a worn freewheel can wear a new chain out faster.

Buy the way, how long is a freewheel good for? How about a chain? I would assume the chain rings would last about as long as a freewheel.

You mentioned two types of chains, SRAM & KMC. Which one (or would there be a better one) would be best for longevity & dependablity? Needless to say I could care less how much the chain weighs.

Thanks again.


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## xxl (Mar 19, 2002)

fr4edfr4ed said:


> Once again, many thanks for your help.
> 
> Yes, I did measure the chain and know it needs to be replaced. I try to learn as much as I can on Sheldon Brown's website. Perhaps my best bet would be to try a new chain with my Suntour freewheel before buying a new freewheel. I do understand that a worn freewheel can wear a new chain out faster.
> 
> ...


_If_ the old chain wasn't too "stretched," the freewheel (and chainrings, for that matter) shouldn't be worn too much, and shouldn't wear the new chain much faster than new everything. Drivetrain longevity is all over the map, of course, being dependent on maintenance, but also rider physique, riding terrain, and weather exposure, but freewheels commonly last a few years even with casual maintenance; one that's taken care of can easily go decades. Chainrings last longest, because they distribute the force of the chain over more teeth.

SRAM and KMC are brands of chain; both are good enough. I use SRAM because it's available around here; SRAM took over the bike chain part of Sedis (of Sedisport fame) a few years ago, IIRC.


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## fr4edfr4ed (Jun 12, 2007)

Many thanks for all your help and input.


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