Giant Composite Chain Length

Pelufo said:

Anyone ride a Giant Composite ('03) double 53/39T? If so, can you tell me how many links your
chain has? I upgraded from 105 52/39 to Ultegra
53/39 and it didn't occur to me that my chain would now be a bit short. Thanks for your help. -
Pelufo

It's easier for you to measure the correct length than for anybody to actually count links.

See: sheldonbrown.comderailer adjustment.htmlOpen ↗

Sheldon "Minimum Plus One" Brown +-----------------------------------+
| A smoking section in a | restaurant is like a peeing | section in a swimming pool |
+-----------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772
FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

[email hidden] (Pelufo) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Anyone ride a Giant Composite ('03) double 53/39T? If so, can you tell me how many links your
chain has? I upgraded from 105 52/39 to Ultegra
53/39 and it didn't occur to me that my chain would now be a bit short. Thanks for your help. -
Pelufo

Almost every racing bike made in the last 10 years takes a 108 link chain.

Isn't that amazing? Long chainstays, short chainstays, Short cage der.,
XTR der., 11-21, 12-34, 53-39, 50-34, all with the same chain length!
"dianne_1234" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Pelufo) wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Anyone ride a Giant Composite ('03) double 53/39T? If so, can you tell me how many links your
chain has? I upgraded from 105 52/39 to Ultegra
53/39 and it didn't occur to me that my chain would now be a bit short. Thanks for your help.
-Pelufo

Almost every racing bike made in the last 10 years takes a 108 link chain.

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Pelufo) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Anyone ride a Giant Composite ('03) double 53/39T? If so, can you tell me how many links your
chain has? I upgraded from 105 52/39 to Ultegra
53/39 and it didn't occur to me that my chain would now be a bit short.

dianne_1234 said:

Almost every racing bike made in the last 10 years takes a 108 link chain.

I would not say that. Too many variables. Best to measure each chain in situ.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Allan Leedy said:

Isn't that amazing? Long chainstays, short chainstays, Short cage der., XTR der., 11-21, 12-34, 53-
39, 50-34, all with the same chain length!

Quoted message said:

"dianne_1234" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Almost every racing bike made in the last 10 years takes a 108 link chain.

Yes, I was shocked, too, to learn that so many bikes all had the same length chains. I noticed it
while taking chains off various pals' bikes to weigh them.

So I made the claim for 108 links, and limited it to racing bikes (40-41cm stays, double chain
ring), since the OP told us what bike he has.

I was really surprised about ten years ago to find a lot of mountain bikes also took 108 links as
well. Dunno why; maybe the longer chain stays were approximately canceled by the smaller chain rings
compared to road bikes.

108 links for MTBs might be less true nowadays, I don't know (haven't counted any MTB chain links in
years). Many newer MTBs have large cogs larger than 28 teeth, which is what most MTBs had about ten
years ago.

So that's why I made the claim here for "racing" bikes only.

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 02:44:37 -0600, A Muzi <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Pelufo) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Anyone ride a Giant Composite ('03) double 53/39T? If so, can you tell me how many links your
chain has? I upgraded from 105 52/39 to Ultegra
53/39 and it didn't occur to me that my chain would now be a bit short.

dianne_1234 said:

Almost every racing bike made in the last 10 years takes a 108 link chain.

I would not say that. Too many variables. Best to measure each chain in situ.

Agreed, it's best to fit each chain to the bike. That's what I do too (besides, it's quicker than
counting 108).

Just an interesting factoid.

How many links in some road bikes you have handy?

dianne_1234 <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Allan Leedy said:

Isn't that amazing? Long chainstays, short chainstays, Short cage der., XTR der., 11-21, 12-34,
53-39, 50-34, all with the same chain length!

Quoted message said:

"dianne_1234" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Almost every racing bike made in the last 10 years takes a 108 link chain.

Yes, I was shocked, too, to learn that so many bikes all had the same length chains. I noticed it
while taking chains off various pals' bikes to weigh them.

So I made the claim for 108 links, and limited it to racing bikes (40-41cm stays, double chain
ring), since the OP told us what bike he has.

I was really surprised about ten years ago to find a lot of mountain bikes also took 108 links as
well. Dunno why; maybe the longer chain stays were approximately canceled by the smaller chain
rings compared to road bikes.

108 links for MTBs might be less true nowadays, I don't know (haven't counted any MTB chain links
in years). Many newer MTBs have large cogs larger than 28 teeth, which is what most MTBs had about
ten years ago.

So that's why I made the claim here for "racing" bikes only.

Dear Dianne,

Your 108-links-for-almost-all-racing bikes comment seems reasonable to me. And your response was as
cheerful and pleasant as ever.

[Envious admiration.]

The first few posts that disagreed haven't suggested a different number of links or given any
examples of non-108-link racing bikes. This leads me to wonder whether they have a different number
to suggest or are just reflexively quibbling.

[Thank heavens I never quibble reflexively.]

Brace yourself for fuss about 54 links versus 108 pins or rollers.

Carl Fogel

Summary of snipped quotes: dianne claims 108 links for most racing bikes. raleedy doubts it, citing
many commonly different configurations dianne explains the experiences that caused her claim

(Carl Fogel) said:

The first few posts that disagreed haven't suggested a different number of links or given any
examples of non-108-link racing bikes. This leads me to wonder whether they have a different number
to suggest or are just reflexively quibbling.

It seems counterintuitive, but from a very small data set, I can say she's very close -- close
enough to create a default functional chain. My curiosity piqued, I had to count links. Here's
what I found:

2001 Giant TCR2 double, 52-39 crank, 12-25 cassette: 52 Same bike after mechanic put in 12-27
cassette and longer chain: 55 (I have both chains)

1997 GT Outpost mountain bike, with 2001 Deore crank (probably 44-32-22) and mega-range 11-34
cassette: 54

The original chain from that mtb is gone.

Quoted message said:

Brace yourself for fuss about 54 links versus 108 pins or rollers.

There must be a conventional, proper way to say it. I counted whole link systems, inclusive enough
to connect to another identical link system, whatever that set would be called.
--
Rick Onanian

Sheldon, I like so many others rely on the information on your site as an informative guide on
bike mechanics. Thanks for your input. With a 53 front and a 26 rear cog, when I use the round
the big sprockets plus 1 link, I end up in a grey area (the 2 ends are less than 1/2 a link away
from pairing up before adding a link, so I am worried I am too slack once I add a full inch as
you recommend). But I guess the right approach would be to err on the sire of too much chain.
Thanks, Pelufo

Sheldon Brown <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Pelufo said:

Anyone ride a Giant Composite ('03) double 53/39T? If so, can you tell me how many links your
chain has? I upgraded from 105 52/39 to Ultegra
53/39 and it didn't occur to me that my chain would now be a bit short. Thanks for your help.
-Pelufo

It's easier for you to measure the correct length than for anybody to actually count links.

See: sheldonbrown.comderailer adjustment.htmlOpen ↗

Sheldon "Minimum Plus One" Brown +-----------------------------------+
| A smoking section in a | restaurant is like a peeing | section in a swimming pool |
+-----------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-
9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

Pelufo said:

With a 53 front and a 26 rear cog, when I use the round the big sprockets plus 1 link, I end up in
a grey area (the 2 ends are less than 1/2 a link away from pairing up before adding a link, so I
am worried I am too slack once I add a full inch as you recommend). But I guess the right approach
would be to err on the sire of too much chain.

There's quite a bit of leeway, and you could actually get by with a=20 wider range. We routinely
sell 13-30 cassettes for use with road=20 doubles and short cage derailers.

Having the chain too short can cause serious damage, or at least cause=20 difficult shifting.

Having the chain too long has two deleterious consequences:

=95The chain may droop a bit if you accidentally shift into one of the=20
small/small combinations. This droop is not particularly harmful,=20 though riding in small/small
is, whatever the chain length is.

=95You'll have to schlep the weight of the extra link(s).

Sheldon "Too Much Is Better Than Too Little." Brown +-----------------------------+
| Razors pain you; | Rivers are damp; | Acids stain you; | And drugs cause cramp; | Guns aren't
| lawful; | Nooses give; | Gas smells awful; | You might as well live. | --Dorothy Parker |
+-----------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX
617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗
sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

dianne_1234 said:

[email hidden] (Pelufo) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Anyone ride a Giant Composite ('03) double 53/39T? If so, can you tell me how many links your
chain has? I upgraded from 105 52/39 to Ultegra 53/39 and it didn't occur to me that my chain
would now be a bit short. Thanks for your help. -Pelufo

Almost every racing bike made in the last 10 years takes a 108 link chain.

Maybe mine will too but then it will be two links more than I have right now. That is 106 links. I
have a Trek 5200 with 53-39 and 12-25. Center BB to center hubaxle is 410 mm. Yes I have a Polar
power sensor and that's why I know.

--
Perre

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