chain is either too long or too short by just one link
 

I'm installing a 1/8" chain on a singlespeed bike and the chain ends up being too long or too short by removing just a single link. And by link I'm referring to one larger and one smaller piece of the chain. The chain has to end in two smaller pieces to be able to use the master link.

If I remove the link the wheel axel is barely making it into the drop outs. If I add the link, the wheel axel hits the back of the drops and the chain is not even close to being taut enough.

Any ideas? I'm probably overlooking something simple here.

Simple solution. You need a half link.

http://www.peterverdonedesigns.com/i...alf%20link.jpg

Pictures are needed. If your bike has track ends on it you should have like 1.5 inches of room to work with. It sounds like your removing too many links and that you need to take out less. See if removing single links instead of two. Or a half link. LBS will do this procedure for >20 probably.

possibly easy solution: with the tighter chain set up (where you cant get it into the dropouts?) take the chain off the chainring, slip the chain over the axle or cog, put wheel in dropout, and put the chain back on the chainring. If that's your problem (it's an 'issue' for me too). Once the chain is all up on everything, you should have a lovely position about 2/3 to 3/4 the way into the dropout.

It's an old road frame with horizontal dropouts... not technically track drops. To use a master link, you connect it to two of the "smaller" ends of the chain. So I can't remove just one small or one large connector in the chain, the chain has to end in two smaller pieces which the master link joins. That half link would probably be perfect however I feel like this should be able to be fixed proper...

sorry not seeing how this could solve my issue. there physically isn't enough chain to allow enough slack to get the wheel axels far enough into the drops.

I had that problem too but I just left my axle near the opening of the dropouts. I wouldn't necessary recommend you to do so because your axle might slip and it wouldn't end well...I torque it down A LOT, it deformed the track nuts but it never slipped. I bought a KMC half link (1/8") for my SRAM chain, but my SRAM chain was a tad too thick for the half link to fit and eventually I used another ratio which place my axle perfectly in the center of my dropouts.

ah, my B. I was assuming you had true track (rear facing) dropouts. I was thinking there was barely enough chain to allow the axle to clear the ends of the dropouts, but that the chain would be fine once the axle was actually in the dropouts. Thus, the chainring thing could be an easily overlooked solution. Despite the meager engineering challenge, I felt like DaVinci when I figured it out...

Half link. Unless you planned on changing gearing anyway, it's going to be the easiest, cheapest route.

Refer to post #2.

This.

+ 1/2

Yes...the halflink is the proper fix.

you cant take out single links. thats what half links are for.

sorry to have doubted you scrodzilla, half link it is!

Mine was the same way and I used a half link as suggested. Perfectly fine to do so and really no worries at all.

Find a chainring or cog with one tooth more or less. A different chainring will allow you to fine tune the chain length more accurately, a different cog is usually cheaper to change.

I would get 4 1/8 links

Are you drunk?

Why don't you just not use the master link? That is a free solution. All you have to do in remove the inner plate link from one end of the chain making sure to leave the pin in the outer link, run the chain through the frame and put it back together by pushing the pin back through the links. In any case, good luck!

Cheers

OP already has the solution.

/thread.