Bicycle Mechanics - chain too short on new Surly LHT bike

Hi,

I just ran into an interesting issue and I wonder how other folks have dealt with this.

I am building up a 56cm Surly Long Haul Trucker. The set-up is

Sugino XD-2 triple crank with largest chain-ring of 48 teeth
touring cassette with climbing gear of 34 teeth
standard 9 speed SRAM PC-971 chain
new surly LHT frame, size 56

I was installing the chain and went to measure it in the standard "large-large" way as per Sheldon Brown's advice ( http://sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html#chain ). Even with the brand new chain, the chain wasn't long enough. It was one link too short.

The solution I came up with in the heat of battle was to use another section of link from another SRAM pc-971 chain and another powerlink to join it, but it seemed a little odd to run into this problem.

I have two questions.

1) have other folks run into this before when installing a chain on a touring bike with long chain-stays?

2) what solutions have people used?

Thanks.





http://lh6.ggpht.com/_xwTQzi-yCg0/SXufi4KjohI/AAAAAAAAAzA/FLdeaqPnPvg/s720/IMGP3062.JPG

1. Yes
2. You add enough to make the difference from the same type of chain. It happens with timing chains on tandems as well as long/big bikes.

You just have a setup that requires an unusually long chain. You dealt with it properly. On my LHT, I used a SRAM nine speed chain and had just enough to not need additional link(s). But my largest chainring is a 46t and my largest cog is a 32t. The eighteen-inch-plus chainstays on the LHT are unusually long, of course.

You might want to go with a KMC chain next time. The ones I get have 116 links vs 114 for the SRAM.

You might want to go with a KMC chain next time. The ones I get have 116 links vs 114 for the SRAM.


Thanks BluesDawg, 116 links would have been perfect.