How to size chain

Jglantzx' may have said:

I want to put a new chain on a mountain bike and am unsure on the correct wat to sze it. No, I do
not have the old chain.

Take the new chain, put it on the bike around the largest front and rear sprockets, find where it
matches up, and then cut it one link longer than that. The chain needs to have just enough slack on
the two largest sprockets that the derailleur has a little play left to use for shifting in and out
of the big/big gear combination.

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Jglantzx said:

I want to put a new chain on a mountain bike and am unsure on the correct wat to sze it. No, I do
not have the old chain. Thanx

Either do as the other poster suggests, or set the largest chainring and smallest sprocket and use
enough chain for the jockey wheels to hand vertically above one another.

I'm not guaranteeing this won't cause the chain to jam on a big-big combination but (a) you're not
going to do that, are you and (b)it's the best compromise if you're going to use a short cage mech,
which has some benefits on an MTB although it's not idiot-proof.

Jglantzx said:

I want to put a new chain on a mountain bike and am unsure on the correct wat to sze it. No, I do
not have the old chain. Thanx

sheldonbrown.comderailer adjustment.htmlOpen ↗

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net home.earthlink.net~jeverett3Open ↗

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Jglantzx' may have said:

I want to put a new chain on a mountain bike and am unsure on the correct wat to sze it. No, I do
not have the old chain.

Take the new chain, put it on the bike around the largest front and rear sprockets, find where it
matches up, and then cut it one link longer than that. The chain needs to have just enough slack
on the two largest sprockets that the derailleur has a little play left to use for shifting in and
out of the big/big gear combination.

Will that method leave enough slack to thread the chain around the derailleur's idler pulleys?

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David Kerber said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Jglantzx' may have said:

I want to put a new chain on a mountain bike and am unsure on the correct wat to sze it. No, I do
not have the old chain.

Take the new chain, put it on the bike around the largest front and rear sprockets, find where it
matches up, and then cut it one link longer than that. The chain needs to have just enough slack
on the two largest sprockets that the derailleur has a little play left to use for shifting in and
out of the big/big gear combination.

Will that method leave enough slack to thread the chain around the derailleur's idler pulleys?

yes. works for me 🙂. On my mountain bike, I only have 1/2 link (one chain piece) of extra (beyond
touching).

BTW, this should be with the rear suspension at the position that requires the longest chain. For
most mtn bikes, this is the no weight position, so it's not a problem.

David

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

Quoted message said:

I want to put a new chain on a mountain bike and am unsure on the correct wat to sze it.

Put the chain on the smallest chainring and the smallest casette cog. Hold the chain together so
that the rear der. just puts the chain under tension - voilá the right chain size.

Regards Ove Simonsen

Jglantzx said:

I want to put a new chain on a mountain bike and am unsure on the correct wat to sze it. No, I do
not have the old chain. Thanx

Here's one more link, to a good article on the Park Tool site:

parktool.comFAQchainlength.shtmlOpen ↗

I'm using the "long formula" and have been happy with the results.

Nicholas Grieco