Road Bike Chain Length

How to measure a bike chain.

Road bike chain length. Well it s really quite simple the first step is to wrap the chain around the largest sprockets on the front and rear so that the ends meet on the largest front chainring. The length of the chain should be 53 5 inches or 135 89 cm. That doesn t necessarily mean that it s really easy to calculate the correct length for your chain though. Why is it important to determine correct chain length.

Chain length calculator does nothing more and nothing less than working out what the length of your chain should be expressed in number of links. Simplest way i ve heard and used is put the chain on the big ring at the front and the small ring at the rear and pull the chain until the arm of the rear mech is vertical. Dan lloyd shows you a couple of methods in this video. 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.

Measure the links and join it there. Don t forget to like and share. A chain on a bike used all winter long may have to deal with plenty of road salt and will therefore wear a lot faster but with proper care and maintenance it could probably do 1500 to 2000 miles with ease. Chain length sizing for.

Too long chain will increase risk of chain dropping while too short chain puts too much stress on the drivetrain or can damage it if it can be put and closed over the chainrings in the first place. If you need to replace the chain on your bike. For example you d add 32 5 13 7 and 1 to get 53 5. To check if it was the correct size shift the bike to the smallest sprockets and check the chain for any slack.

Chain that is too short can also damage rear derailleur. For example some derailleur bike chain could only be 51 52 53 inches etc. Methods to determine chain length method 1. It is possible to determine chain length from industrial drive train equations and then cut the chain before installing it on the bike.

How do you know how much length your bike will need. Global cycling network 451 299 views. When you purchase a new chain it usually comes with extra length so that it is compatible with most drivetrains. Chains cannot be cut to 52 1 4 53 1 8 or even 52 1 2.

You can use cm or inches to input your chainstay length you should always be able to find this out on your bike manufacturer s website inventory or in the manual it came with and then add your outer chainring size and number of teeth. How to replace a chain on a bike.