Chain size help
11-12-12, 12:12 AM
#1
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Chain size help
How can I tell the difference among 7, 8 or 9 speed chains? I work on lots of vintage bikes with anywhere from a five speed freewheel to a 9 speed cassette and sometimes I want to buy a used chain from one of my local used parts sources. I can check whether or not the chain is worn but I do not know how to check to see if it is compatible with the particular speed bicycle I'm working on. I'm assuming there is some objective way to tell...but I don't know what it is. Any help would be appreciated.
11-12-12, 09:04 AM
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The chains are all basically the same as far as the sprockets go. It's simply a matter of outside width, which matches with the sprocket separation.
If you go to any manufacturers site, you'll see the widths for the various chains, and can measure and compare to identify any chain. If you do this a lot, you might take an old credit card and cut some square notches into the sides to correspond to the various width chains and use it as a gauge for quick identification.
If you go to any manufacturers site, you'll see the widths for the various chains, and can measure and compare to identify any chain. If you do this a lot, you might take an old credit card and cut some square notches into the sides to correspond to the various width chains and use it as a gauge for quick identification.
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Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
11-15-12, 11:33 PM
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I carry some calipers and as a rough rule I measure several links and follow a fairly soft set of rules in the table below. Mind you, this is from memory. And I use the calipers to have a tight slide. Not a loose fit. I have a look up a table in some binder somewhere. But just moved and all that stuff is in one or the other garage and I have no clue where stuff really is. But I found my wheel tools recently! Hooray!
more than 7.4mm wide is 5/6 speed only.
7.1 - 7.4mm is 7spd and still can work pretty well on 5/6 speeds.
6.9 - 7.1 mm is 8 spd
6.4 - 6.9 mm is 9 spd.
less than 6.4 is 10 spd.
I haven't even considered paying for an 11 spd chain. It just violates my principles of price-performance:-). LOL! But I bet it's less than 6mm and more like 5.8mm.
Remember there is some overlap. So if the chain is close by + or - 0.2mm, give it a try and if it's quiet and shifts well, test ride under load and keep it if it works. I found some $2.50 chains on VueltaUSA.com listed for 8spd. They work great for 6/7/8 speed and I bought a half dozen of them. I recently ran out doing pro-bono upgrades for friends and family. Now they only have the wider one, which still works well but for 6/7 speed only. But I still have a bunch of those. Would love a source of 8/9 spd chains for sub-$3.
more than 7.4mm wide is 5/6 speed only.
7.1 - 7.4mm is 7spd and still can work pretty well on 5/6 speeds.
6.9 - 7.1 mm is 8 spd
6.4 - 6.9 mm is 9 spd.
less than 6.4 is 10 spd.
I haven't even considered paying for an 11 spd chain. It just violates my principles of price-performance:-). LOL! But I bet it's less than 6mm and more like 5.8mm.
Remember there is some overlap. So if the chain is close by + or - 0.2mm, give it a try and if it's quiet and shifts well, test ride under load and keep it if it works. I found some $2.50 chains on VueltaUSA.com listed for 8spd. They work great for 6/7/8 speed and I bought a half dozen of them. I recently ran out doing pro-bono upgrades for friends and family. Now they only have the wider one, which still works well but for 6/7 speed only. But I still have a bunch of those. Would love a source of 8/9 spd chains for sub-$3.
11-16-12, 09:06 AM
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Most 10-speed chains are 5.9 mm measured over the ends of the pins and 11-speed are 5.6 mm (?) A good caliper or micrometer can be used to sort them out quickly.
