I changed the gearing on my 9 speed, and the chain is too short. I've got a 116 link KMC on there, but now I need a 118 link chain. For 9 speed chains, I've only found one listed as 118 links, and it's this one,
Shimano Chain 9 Speed 118L CN-HG53 ICNHG53118IG Japan F/S NEW

Are there any other 118 link 9-Speed chains available?

Also, I'd prefer a KMC chain, but if I have to get that Shimano chain, can I use the KMC "Missing Link" connector with it?

How short are you?
If it's only about 1/2", I'd probably use it and stay out of the BIG:BIG combo.

I should probably ask-
Are you using the BIG:BIG method of sizing your chain?

No, not using Big-Big, bit I went as big as I could in the back, and on the largest few cogs the chain is coming up too short, it's grinding and hanging on shifts. My bike has a very long chainstay as well, which is making the fit that much tighter.

You can get a second chain, cut off the needed extension, and splice it to the original chain with two KMC master links

Maybe some ACTUAL numbers of the cogs you had, the cogs you have and the ring sizes.

Is your RDER even designed for that much of a larger cog & chain wrap capacity?
You might be screwing up from multiple directions.

My long wheelbase comfort hybrid takes a 122 link chain. I just bought two KMC 116 link chains to splice together, along with a KMC Missing Link.

The shimano option will cost a bit more, but will outlast the KMC chain.... IMO, and experience.

This enough? Bikeman KMC X9.93 Chain: 9-Speed Bulk 500 foot Roll Silver

Call some local shops as they often have short lengths around from shortening chains. I know I have 3-4 link pieces in my tool box.

Check the recumbent specialty internet retailers. They sell chain by the foot so you can get however much you like.

FWIW, I'm not a fan of running a too short chain even if you avoid the big/big combination. The day will come when everything is going great so you start up a hill in the big chain ring - you know what comes next.

With respect, I beg to disagree.

Needing a chain that can shift into the big/big combo safely isn't an option, it's a requirement.

Regardless of plans or intent, shift happens, and the consequences of accidentally shifting into a combo the chain can't loop are too dire to be an acceptable risk.

Many of us routinely set up gearing beyond rated capacity, but it's SOP to run the chain too long, so it loops big/big, and is slack in small/small. That way the only consequence of accidentally shifting to an unusable gear is a chain that sags like a pregnant possum's belly.

Yes, exactly. A friend of mine- an expert bicycle mechanic and racer- set up his bike with the chain too short for the big-big combination. He wanted snappier shifting and he knew he would never use the big-big combination.

Near the end of a long, hot ride he downshifted when starting up a hill. Yup, big-big combination and he ripped the rear derailleur completely off the bike. Thus endeth the lesson.

OK, this is hilarious and very ironic! When I first got my bike, a 2016 Novara - Safari, the chain was too long. Then I swapped out my crankeset and if was unusably long at that point, so I got a new 114 link chain, and it seemed ok. After realizing the gearing still wasn't low enough for me, I thin go a lower read cassette. So I went form the stock gearing of "48/36/26" in the front, and "11-34" at the rear, to "44/32/22" in the front, and "12-36" at the rear, and that felt right, but now the chain was of course too short, so Installed a 116L, which is where I am, and it's still too short. Well, I still had my original chain here, so tonight I pulled it out and gave it a count, and yep! 118 links here! lol

Just a note if anyone is interested, the chainstay length on this bike is 46.5 cm, and the RD is a long-cage.

I don't think I have a new Shimano pin to reconnect the chain here, but I do have a spare Sram "Power Link", adn also an extra KMC "MissingLink" here, both specced for 9 speed drive-train. Will the Sram PowerLink be OK to use on this Shimano chain, or should I use the KMC MissingLink instead? Also, should I wait to pop off one of the links from the Shimano chain and give 119 links a try first?

My local bike shop here saves short lengths of chain when they shorten it, for other customers, which are new, (old long chain stay MTB,
I need more ., i get it , same model of chain, that's my source..

other that that, buy 2 chains, and extra quick links, to add additional links . buy in the future just one,
since you can continue to take links from that other sacrificial chain..

+, Places that service recumbents buy chain in bulk on a long reel .. say how many feet you need.



...

I worded my 1/2" improperly-

What I meant, if the OP was 1/2" short of the "desired" 1" excess when looping over BIG:BIG.
I can see the source of confusion.

We still don't know if his RDER can handle a 36T cog or if it has sufficient wrap.

Bill, just in case you missed it, check my last post here, I give all the specifications and other info there. My RD is built to handle it.

Apparently I missed the RDER capacities.

It's the "Shimano Deore 9-Speed Mountain Bicycle Rear Derailleur - RD-M592". There are two cassettes built by Shimano for this particular derailleur that I am aware of, and the 12-36 on there now is one of them.

I think I had better just try adding the KMC or Sram link to it, which will make 119 links, and see how that goes, rather than pop one off to make it 118 and then possibly find out that I shouldn't have.

That's similar to my plan for splicing two new 116 link KMC chains to make a single 122 link chain. I counted the links on the old chain to be certain. Then I plan to add a KMC Missing Link to the 122 link new chain. If it's too long I'd rather cut a link or two than reconnect a link after the peened pin had already been removed once.

118 links is the correct length for your bike. You will not be able to mount 119 links.
Use this calculator...:
Javascript Bicycle Chain Length Calculator

I remembered that I'm going to have to remove the separated link to leave to inner links, so using the MissingLink/PowerLink will leave the chain at 118 links. When I separated the chain, I just carefully pushed the pin out far enough to separate the links. I wonder if it's ok to just put it back together and push the original pin back in, or a new pin should be used? Also that calculator isn't working correctly for me. It's telling me I need a chain length of "58 links"!

The fact is right, but the reason given is nonsense.

There's always room for chains that are too long. Only the minimum length is an absolute.

However, the OP can't have a 119 link chain for the simple reason that derailleur chains can only have an even number of links, half inner, half outer.

Using the old pin is totally foolish!
I did it once forgetting I was working on a 9 speed instead of 7 speed chain.
It gobbled the RDER when it parted. It didn't take a lot of force either.

You have to realize they mean 58 link SETS!

Only with Single speed and IGH chains can you use a Half link,. (bent side plates so inside width on 1 end, And outside width on the Other..)

(well except that 5&6 speed chains in the 60s were like 3/32" chains that are now "Just for IGH" )

According to the calculator, which I have used and also is the same as Big/Big plus 2 links,
Your bike should have 58.6 inch chain. They rounded up to 59 inch chain, which is 118 links, or you can call them half links.