Correct chain length and routing

It’s critical to get your chain length right. If the chain is too long, it flaps about and the derailleur folds up on itself when it’s in the smallest sprocket at the back and the small chainring at the front. Too short, and the chain jams when you shift into the big/big combination. These are not recommended gears, but everybody shifts into them sometimes. The right length of chain gives you the smoothest shifting and means your chain will last longer too.

The correct length chain is just long enough to wrap around the biggest sprocket at the back and the biggest chainring at the front, plus one link (a complete link is one narrow section and one wide section). Fitting a new chain To fit a new chain, first route it. Shift the two derailleurs so the rear one is under the biggest sprocket and the front one is over the biggest chainring. Start at the back at the lower jockey wheel and feed the end of the chain between the wheel and the lower tab. Next, feed the end between the top jockey wheel and the top tab. Route the chain around the front of the top jockey wheel and then around the back of the cassette, forward to the…

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Bike Maintenance Tips, Tricks & Techniques (Digital) - 1 Issue, Bike Maintenance Tips, Tricks & Techniques 3rd Edition

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