I am tossing up between the Sugino Messenger (130 w/BB) from Cyclingdeal and the SRAM S300 Courier (<150 w/BB if a friend brings it from the USA.
Multiple sources suggest the SRAM is nicer, but the Sugino comes with a 1/8 ring and the SRAM is 3/32. Is it worth me caring about the ring width as a determining factor in my choice? I have read plenty online and understand you can use 3/32 rings and cogs with the wider 1/8 chain, but there’s plenty of conflicting information about whether it’s an issue or not.
Thanks for all the replies. I am still quite confused because…
snowflake: You feel pretty strongly about 3/32, which takes me towards the SRAM. However the other posters are challenging that idea.
Lachlan92 and Dice: My reading suggests that the Messenger is average, and that square taper (while more common) is inferior to the more modern setups. I also read that the SRAM gave better chainline. The Sugino (with 68x103 BB) supposedly provides 45mm chainline, but I understand rear spacing is normally for 42mm chainline.
If it wasn’t for the expensive BB the Sugino would be miles cheaper, and I also have more variety with chain rings for the initial purchase that the . I don’t really want to buy a crappy BB for my first build however, so things even up quickly.
Btw this is for my first SS and build, based on a Pompino v4 frameset. It will mostly see commuter duties from the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne to the CBD!
3/32 is easier to get rings and better SS sprockets/freewheels for overall, but 1/8" track cogs and bmx freewheels are available. 3/32 130bcd rings are super easy to get in any size (39 up), 1/8 less so, but not impossible.
sugino uses square taper and they’ll last a lot longer than the sram ext bb cups. You can get cheap 103mm BBs, in fact I can get you a supercheap used one with the pedals if you like.
square taper is most certainly not inferior. that’s marketers selling you new things.
due to using road cranks as singlespeed (RD2 = road double), the shortest BB you can get still can’t get the outer ring down to 42mm. Not the end of the world, but you won’t be able to find a shorter bb to reduce it further, you’ll need different cranks for that.
Sugino RD used to give a 42mm chainline on a 103mm BB with the ring on the outside, then Sugino changed the casting/machining so they are now derp for running fixed.
Less of an issue if running a freewheel as most hub/freewheels give a 44mm chainline.
Shimano don’t make a 103mm BB so it’s either Sugino, Tange, FSA, Token or cheaper brands.
As people have mentioned, 1/8 chain & ring will run fine with 3/8 freewheel like a Shimano or White Industries or ACS.
The Sugino and SRAM cranksets are both BCD of 130.
I will be running it with a flip flop hub (freewheel side for me, thanks), so now I have to figure out which freewheel (not sprocket, right?) I need to buy, and see if I can get the right chainline.