Bicycle Chain Length Sheldon Brown

The chain may or may not bear on the front face of the teeth near the return run and pull lightly back on the sprocket.

Bicycle chain length sheldon brown.

Chains cannot be cut to 52 1 4 53 1 8 or even 52 1 2. Park tool sk 3 starter mechanic tool kit. An old style bicycle chain has ten parts per link. The best technique for setting chain length is to thread the chain onto the large large combination without running it through the rear derailer.

There were 114 outer plates 114 inner plates 114 rollers 114 link pins and 114 bushings. But on a multi speed bike you can. Replacement chains for bicycles are always longer than you need. Related tools park tool ct 5 chain tool.

The american chain association manual 1972 edition includes the image below showing engagement of a new and worn chain with a new sprocket. It is possible to determine chain length from industrial drive train equations and then cut the chain before installing it on the bike. The leverage of a bicycle drive train also known as gain ratio depends on the crank length wheel diameter and the sizes of both sprockets yes if you go to longer cranks without changing any of the other variables you will have more leverage which is another way of saying you ll have a lower effective gear. Mesh the two ends on to the large chainwheel so that one complete link one inch one inner and one outer half link overlaps.

In almost all cases this will give the optimum length. 1 2 on all modern bicycle chain. Bicycle chain comes in four basic widths. The width is nominally the width where the sprocket teeth fit in.

A go to source of information about bicycle maintenance repair and customization sheldon brown s bicycle technical info articles by sheldon brown and others. Sheldon brown s bicycle glossary ch ci. Park tool ct 3 chain tool. Park tool pk 3 professional tool kit.

Park tool cc 2 chain checker. With a single chainwheel this should match the front chainline to equalize the chain angle for the inner and outer sprockets. The article about chainline with derailers covers that topic at length. This video will take you step by step through sizing a bike chain including determining whe.

The typical 57 link chain used on the average multi speed bike had 570 parts more than the whole rest of the bicycle put together. With more than one chainwheel the front chainline could be shifted a few mm inward or outward depending on how the chainwheels are to be used. This is a common misunderstanding. Park tool cc 3 2 chain checker.