The big ring and smallest cog method can be ambiguous too. The RD cage can angle back with the correct length chain, angle forward when it is too short and never position the cage vertical.


Operator...

Your comments are all valid, but if people follow the instructions that most websites or books recommend, they don't tell you what to do if the ends of the chain that come together don't match up. All you ever see or read is to add one inch (or two links) as if the ends that come together will always match.

I've never seen the suggestion to add two inches of chain rather than one, either. That would work with some cassettes, but not all. It would also require a check with the littl/little before use to be sure the chain is not too long. The little/little method is never ambiguous.

vredstein...

You should never get burned by the big/big method unless you removed one inch of chain instead of adding it or if you changed to a cassette with a larger cog and didn't check the length after the cassette change.