Chain "size"?

Hello all.
I'm just completing assembly of my latest bicycle on this Saturday evening.
I have an IRD 7 speed freewheel, Sugino 400 triple crankset, Shimano Deore
531 rear deralleur, Shimano 105 front derailleur and friction only barcons
without indexing. What I do not have on the shelf is a chain marked "6,7,8
speed", only a Shimano HG53 marked "9 speed".
Why shouldn't I use the 9 speed chain? All derailleur chains have 3/32"
roller width so the difference is in the thickness and shape of the
sideplates. I make it 6.42mm over the bulged sideplates for the HG53 and
7.22mm for a scrap of unused 6/7/8 HG50 I have. When downshifting I can
imagine the slightly narrower 9 speed chain being disinclined to catch on
the subtle ramps impressed into the sides of Hyperglide cogs when moved a
precise distance by a seven or eight speed indexed shifter. However, with
the friction system I use by preference I can imagine just moving the lever
and the derailleur until the chain shifts.
Anyone have any personal experience on this question? Am I missing something
in my reasoning?

Peter H

On Jun 14, 6:35*am, "Peter Howard"
wrote:
Hello all.
I'm just completing assembly of my latest bicycle on this Saturday evening..
I have an IRD 7 speed freewheel, Sugino 400 triple crankset, Shimano Deore
531 rear deralleur, Shimano 105 front derailleur and friction only barcons
without indexing. What I do not have on the shelf is a chain marked "6,7,8
speed", only a Shimano HG53 marked "9 speed".
Why shouldn't I use the 9 speed chain?

Go ahead and use it. I use 9 and even 10s chains on my friction, 7s DA
freewheel setup.


All derailleur chains have 3/32"
roller width so the difference is in the thickness and shape of the
sideplates. I make it 6.42mm over the bulged sideplates for the HG53 and
7.22mm for a scrap of unused 6/7/8 HG50 I have. When downshifting I can
imagine the slightly narrower 9 speed chain being disinclined to catch on
the subtle ramps impressed into the sides of Hyperglide cogs when moved a
precise distance by a seven or eight speed indexed shifter. However, with
the friction system I use by preference I can imagine just moving the lever
and the derailleur until the chain shifts.
Anyone have any personal experience on this question? Am I missing something
in my reasoning?

Peter H