Chain length

Doc Daneeka

Hey people, am fitting a new chain and see it can be sized by fitting on the largest rings back and front and adding an inch... simple! However, am wondering what can be done to give flexibility to swap out the cassette. If I size for an 11-26T cassette and then look to change to an 11-28T will the chain be too short? Can I size the chain a little bigger so it will accommodate the 11-28T comfortably?

Doc

Lemag

It depends somewhat on the cage length of your RD. If you size the chain too big there could be occasions where the RD has to take up more slack than it should and this could have a negative impact on your shifting. If you have a couple of MissingLinks you could size the chain for the smaller cassette and then use the second MissingLink along with a link or two from the bit of chain which you removed in the initial sizing to make the chain sufficiently long for the larger cassette. You could then take it off again if you need/want to revert to the smaller cassette. Another option would be to have two chains. each one sized for the other cassette.

Doc Daneeka

The RD is a medium cage so hoping it should handle the bigger range on the cassette easily. Just wondering if it will be able to handle a couple of extra links if I leave these in with a view to having flexibility on the cassette?

Lemag

You might get away with it but your performance will be negatively impacted when on the smaller cassette. Why not go with either

Lemag wrote: »

If you have a couple of MissingLinks you could size the chain for the smaller cassette and then use the second MissingLink along with a link or two from the bit of chain which you removed in the initial sizing to make the chain sufficiently long for the larger cassette. You could then take it off again if you need/want to revert to the smaller cassette.

Or

Lemag wrote: »

Another option would be to have two chains. each one sized for the other cassette.

Doc Daneeka

Ha, cheers for the advice Lemag. Yes, probably will go with one of those options. Was basically just trying to figure out if I can add a little slack now without affecting performance and forget about it without having to add or remove links or chains later on.

As an aside, considering I have a medium cage RD should I be adding a little more than two links beyond the length measured around the two big sprockets without RD?

Lemag

I never actually take the cage into account when sizing my chains. If I had a long cage then I would have to. Otherwise I'd never get up on to the larger sprockets on my presumably large accompanying cassette. I usually go with the method of pulling the chain taut whilst on the largest rings both on the front and back and then over lapping by 2/3 links - whichever gives a mating pair. Besides bad shifting, wrong chain sizing can also lead to excessive wear on the chain before it's due and also excessive wear on the cassette and chainset.