Classic & Vintage - Chains

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oglala_1927
11-20-05, 08:57 AM
:o I have a question! How does one go about deteriming the length of chain needed? :) I aquired a bike with no chain and wish to purchase a new chain. I know the type and width. Would 10,15,18 and 21 speed derailleurs use the same chain? :) Thanks

number6
11-20-05, 09:05 AM
No. many variables, need more information. Including what you are fitting to, size of rings and freewheel, type of derailleur, did this set up work well prior?
sydney
11-20-05, 09:07 AM
Well, unless you are riding a tandem or something else strange, you buy a new chain and it will typically be too long.The chain has to be sized to the bike and the particular gears you are using. www.parktool.com has the drill in the repair section.

oglala_1927
11-20-05, 09:41 AM
Got it Sydney, Thank you, oglala
grolby
11-20-05, 02:12 PM
For 10, 15, 18 and 21 speed bicycles you can use a standard derailer chain - there is no such thing as a "7-speed chain" like there is with 8, 9 and 10-speed chains. In fact, you can use an 8-speed and even a 9-speed chain on any of those bicycles - I use a SRAM PC-58 chain, technically an 8-speed chain I believe, on my 21-speed (7-speed freewheel) bike. On a 10 or 15 speed drivetrain, you're best off with a standard-width chain, but the narrower ones work fine, especially if you upgrade to a new 8 or 9 speed cassette rear wheel while keeping the old chainrings. Since you're not asking about anything more than a seven-speed rear cluster (freewheel or cassette), you can use pretty much any chain you want, though I would stick to 8-speed or standard chain.

"Trimming" your chain to fit correctly is easy to do, so follow the link that sydney gave you and you should be fine.