Fitting a shimano chain

Chris1178

Hi all

Another question!!

Just come to fitting chain. In the past when I've bought chain for my other bike, I've never removed links or anything. However, just put the new chain on my old bike I'm doing up from scratch and it's really saggy. Compared to my already built bike (smallest cogs front and back).

Difference is my current bike is already cabled up etc. the new bike has no gear cables on yet. Question is should I put the gear cables on first BEFORE installing the chain? Does it matter? Is it usual to have to remove links when fitting??

Cheers
Chris

wongataa

You can install a chain without the gear cables attached. The gear cables don't make any difference.

It is usual to have to remove links when fitting a chain. Out of the box chains are usually too long.

Chris1178

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[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19628940#p19628940]wongataa[/url] wrote:

You can install a chain without the gear cables attached. The gear cables don't make any difference.

It is usual to have to remove links when fitting a chain. Out of the box chains are usually too long.

Thanks. So is there a way of gauging how many links to remove?

nicklouse

All after market shims no chains cone with fitting intructions included.

Or if you have binned them have a read of Parktools or even download the instructions from shims is website.

ElectronShepherd

wongataa wrote:

So is there a way of gauging how many links to remove?

If you run the chain around the large ring at the front and the biggest cog at the back, but not through the rear derailleur, get the chain "tight" and then add two links, it will be fine.

There are more precise ways of measuring it, but there's little point in working out the "correct" length to the nearest hairs-breadth, since any chain will always be a whole number of inches long anyway (there must be an even number of links, and each link is 0.5 inches).

wongataa

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19628947#p19628947]Chris1178[/url] wrote:

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[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19628940#p19628940]wongataa[/url] wrote:

You can install a chain without the gear cables attached. The gear cables don't make any difference.

It is usual to have to remove links when fitting a chain. Out of the box chains are usually too long.

Thanks. So is there a way of gauging how many links to remove?

I follow the Shimano instructions for setting the chain length.

keef66

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19629044#p19629044]ElectronShepherd[/url] wrote:

wongataa wrote:

So is there a way of gauging how many links to remove?

If you run the chain around the large ring at the front and the smallest cog at the back, but not through the rear derailleur, get the chain "tight" and then add two links, it will be fine.

There are more precise ways of measuring it, but there's little point in working out the "correct" length to the nearest hairs-breadth, since any chain will always be a whole number of inches long anyway (there must be an even number of links, and each link is 0.5 inches).

You should do as electron shepherd suggests but it should go round biggest chainring and biggest sprocket then plus 2links

ElectronShepherd

keef66 wrote:

it should go round biggest chainring and biggest sprocket then plus 2links

Indeed. :oops: Thanks for the spot - original post now corrected!

Chris1178

thanks. gonna do this tonight. and attempt to get the gear cables in once thats done. fingers crossed!

Chris1178

So, I did this and came to cable up the rear mech tonight. Looks like chain may be too tight...?? Is there anything I can do about this? Is it a case of adding links back in?

wongataa

If your chain is too short then all you can do to rectify the problem is add more links.