I have a 7-speed Sun cruiser. Recently I bought a new Sram PC 850 chain from my LBS. On getting it home I found it was too short by about eight inches. The guys at the bike shop said that the cruiser is a longer bike and requires a longer chain. They added a piece of another chain to get me the length I needed. Just to be on the safe side I got them to make up another chain to keep as a spare. Just out of curiosity I searched to see if there is a ready-made chain available. Mine is 126 links long, but the longest I can find in any retail place is 116 links.

I counted my chain links a second time just to be sure, and I also counted the links on the spare chain (128 links). My question is: If there are a lot of Sun cruisers like mine out there in the world, is it going to be necessary to splice chain together each time a new one is needed?

I clean and lube my chain with 'Rock 'n' Roll' lube every 100 miles, and I have a Park clicker tool to measure the wear on it. I like to keep the chain in good order, but it broke after about one year (3500 miles). I'm not complaining because I know they don't last forever, and I wasn't far from home, anyway.

Yes .. Get 2 chains .. Recumbents take even longer chains (factories buy 100 foot, /30 meter rolls of chain, or more)

You can seek out a bulk roll of chain for your own Use, If You wish

or keep buying more of the same kind , the leftovers from this replacement saved to do it again when you need to replace that one..

Pins in modern derailleur chains come out Too Easily when they are flush with the outer plates , as they are Now..

so use a Quick link (KMC) between chain sections .. dont try to press a Pin back In ..

Yes. As Fietsbob said, this is very common in the recumbent world. My Easy Racers bikes require 2 1/2 "normal" chains to reach from crank to rear wheel. I tend to buy 5 chains at a time, splice together the required length, and then save the rest for the next swap.

My friends at TerraCycle sell KMC 9 and 10-speed chain in bulk: Chain in Bulk : TerraCycle, Exquisite Recumbent Parts & Accessories

The reason many shoes aren't made in the size 6.5 that I need is the same as to why most after market chains come packaged having certain lengths.

I have two bikes and both have the Quick Links, so I wouldn't try pinning the ends of a new chain together. I do have spare pins and a tool to remove and install them. These pins have tapered ends which are broken off after installation. My old chain broke, but for a few weeks prior to it breaking, I would hear a faint clicking sound just after changing gears. I examined the chain but could find nothing wrong. The new chain doesn't make the clicking sound, so I'm guessing the clicking was a warning. If I hear it again in the future, I'll expect it to break.

Appreciate the link to bulk chain. I note they only list two sizes. One is for ten-speeds, the other 8-9 speeds. The second one gives the size as 11/28" which is .035". My 7-speed uses 1/8" chain which is .125". It seems to me that the .035" chain would be too tight. Be great if it would work! It looks to me that the best option is to buy two regular chains, one of which would serve to lengthen several chains. That would last me the rest of my life.

My Calculator says that 11/28 = .3928. Be careful of labeled numbers being assumed as measurements. Further most der. systems don't use what's commonly called 1/8" chains. That size is usually found on single cog/ring systems such as coaster brake or internal geared hub systems. Most der. systems use some version of what use to be called 3/32" chains. Andy.

SRAM - PC850 6/7/8 Speed Chain 11' 10" Recumbent - Hostel Shoppe Get one of these and cut it in half.

1/8 inch outside of the chain is measuring the wrong place, An actual 1/8" chain measures the cog thickness it fits over..

then , Thats not a derailleur width.. it's track/fixie/ IGH width..

its an inside clearance of the chain rollers narrowest links... 3/32nd" is the wider derailleur usable chain

Don't forget to pick up a few spare quick links; you will need extras if you cut the chain in half. They are available from Amazon in 6 piece lots at a good price: Amazon.com : KMC MISSING LINK II Bicycle Chain Link (7 and 8-Speed, 6-Pairs) : Sports & Outdoors

Common replacement chain length is 116 links. Crank forward, as you discovered, gonna need more. Don't know that I'd mess with bulk. Just buy two appropriate and splice with also appropriate size master links. KMC Missing Link be good. Chains ain't expensive and that second will suffice for extra link needs for a pretty long while.