Bicycle Chain Length Guide

A number of different chain widths are available to suit specific bike types such as bmx or to fit different road and mtb drivetrains e g.

Bicycle chain length guide.

For this post it suffices to say that bicycle chain pitch is exactly 1 2 inch 12 7 mm. Chains cannot be cut to 52 1 4 53 1 8 or even 52 1 2. A chain guide mountain bike can eliminate that possibility. All you need are a chain rivet or a chain lock and you will need to know the amount of chain links needed for a correct chain length.

For example some derailleur bike chain could only be 51 52 53 inches etc. It is possible to determine chain length from industrial drive train equations and then cut the chain before installing it on the bike. Inner chain width is the spacing between a pair of inner plates. Size to old chain count links if your old chain was sized correctly it can be used to determine the length of your new chain.

Methods to determine chain length method 1. It really isn t too difficult to get the chain length right. There are a few ways to get the correct chain length on your road bike as dan lloyd will show you in this video. Take your old chain and lay it out next to the new one.

The type of chain you need will depend on the type of bike you are riding. It is marked in the picture 2. The complete guide to chain general not specific to bicycles. If you bike a lot you should also give serious consideration to some high quality chain lube as well.

The correct chain length chain rivet. To check if it was the correct size shift the bike to the smallest sprockets and check the chain for any slack. How to calculate chain length video tutorial animation of shimano gearing system this page was last edited on 2 september 2020 at 13 03. You can use either of these two methods.

An 11 speed cassette requires a different chain to a 9 speed one the chain must be thinner in order to fit into the narrower spaces between the sprockets.