Isn't a 9-speed chain better and easier to get hold of?
Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that a 7/8-speed sprocket is the same thickness as a 9-speed sprocket, the only difference in the cassettes being how close together the sprockets are. And similarly all rings are the same thickness, so the slightly narrower 9-speed chain fits perfectly well onto 7/8-speed kit. It's also slightly lighter and of at least equal stiffness and strength, so it should shift easier and have the same durability.
So why do I find myself thinking I 'ought' to fit an 8-speed chain?
Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that a 7/8-speed sprocket is the same thickness as a 9-speed sprocket, the only difference in the cassettes being how close together the sprockets are. And similarly all rings are the same thickness, so the slightly narrower 9-speed chain fits perfectly well onto 7/8-speed kit. It's also slightly lighter and of at least equal stiffness and strength, so it should shift easier and have the same durability.
So why do I find myself thinking I 'ought' to fit an 8-speed chain?