Just wondering, might save me a few pennies on my commuter…

Never actually used a 1/8 , but use a KMC 3/32th on my single speeder . Not expensive , but absolutely bullet proof !

No.

The side plates are the same in both chain’s and that’s what wears against the pins.

The sprockets might last longer if you can get 1/8 sprockets in mtb sizes, but their main use is BMX where 1/8 sprockets don’t get bent when they hit stuff.

Should do…

By my calculations, a 1/8th chain is 33.33% bigger than a 3/32, if you multiply that by 116 links, it means the chain should last 38.3 times longer.

No.

The side plates are the same in both chain’s and that’s what wears against the pins.

Yep. And can also combine the fact that (generalisation) 3/32 chains are better quality than 1/8 chains. On single speed MTB or road bike there is no point in a 1/8th.

The side plates are the same in both chain’s and that’s what wears against the pins.

Err no they aren’t and no they don’t. It’s the pins and bushes that wear. The pins are solidly mounted in the side plates. If they weren’t, the chain would fall to pieces.
Also, no apostrophe needed to pluralise ‘chains’ 🙂

Err no they aren’t and no they don’t. It’s the pins and bushes that wear. The pins are solidly mounted in the side plates. If they weren’t, the chain would fall to pieces.

Yes to the first bit, and I meant the inner plate wearing against the pin, the outer one is obviously pressed in. The bushing/roller wears as well, but when you measure a number of links to see if the chains worn you’re measuring ~20 slack pins and inner plates, and 2 rollers, so it’s plate/pins that you measure. And the plate/pins are the same (or the same diameter) on either chain.

Also, no apostrophe needed to pluralise ‘chains’

Good point!

But…..
isn’t the wear spread over a larger lateral area of material meaning that they would last longer. Or is that only when used on conveyor belts.

I thought that as well twicewith. But the pivoting of the roller and pin is around/inside the swaged*-in parts of the inner plates. From some odd bits in the garage I see that on a 1/8 chain these swaged-in bits do not extend all the way to the centre, whereas on a 3/32 chain they get much closer. I haven’t actually measured it, but the width of the bearing parts may be the same. Possibly there is only so long a bit you can create by the swaging method.

Anyhow, 1//8 chains come in way more colours.

*may not be the best word for this.