I just replaced the chain on a 3x6 drivetrain bike with largest chainring 52 and largest cog 30. It seems to me that the last time I did that for this bike (about 10 years ago...but I don't use this bike all that often), the new chain fit with several links to spare. To my surprise, the KMC 8-speed chain I bought this time fit, but exactly, with no links to spare. Am I hallucinating, or are they short-chaining us?

Somehow, I remember 114 links being the standard length replacement chain. I did a quick look up of a Shimano chain and they had 116 links. I may not know as much as I thought I knew.

My recollection is that most chains for derailleur equipped bicycles were 114 or 116 links when I started in the industry, in the early 1970s. That was still the standard when I bought my last lot of chains, about a decade ago. Of course, there was some variation, depending on the application. 1/2 x 1/8" chains for single speed and 3 speed IGH bicycles, were slightly shorter, typically 112 links. I recall some dedicated BMX chains being as short as 100 links.

I'm with you. I always thought they were 114, also. KMC states 116

Ask me again after I do a chain replacement on the mountain bike this weekend. I seem to recall needing 3 additional links the last time I re-chained it, which caught me completely by surprise.

Not so long ago, I bought a boxed SRAM chain for one of my bikes. To be honest, I can't remember if it was for my Rabineick or my Torpado. Regardless, that boxed chain (by boxed, I mean sold in a box with a connecting link) was two links to short for the bike. Is it possible that older steeds needed longer chains that today's offerings?

I know I needed to add links when I built my Trek 720. That bike has a triple and 18 inch stays though. It seemed weird to me at the time that I had to add links.

What's the bike's wheelbase? I have a Globe hybrid with a long wheelcase (I think it was originally intended as a cargo ebike, but Globe discontinued that program in the mid-2000s) that requires splicing two chains together to make up the four to six links needed.

The KMC Z72 chains I usually bought for my other hybrid with a somewhat long-ish wheelbase usually fit with only one or two links removed. On my road bikes I'd need to cut about four links.

I just checked my stash of new chains, mostly 5-7 speed, 8-speed and a couple of 9-speed. The KMC and Shimano are 116 links; the SRAM, 114 links.

Yes, chains are getting shorter...

A few years ago I decided to put my Trek 412 back to original, I had upgraded it to all Suntour Cyclone back in the day but saved all the original parts in a box. The chain however was original. The original freewheel was a 14-30 Suntour 888. I had been running a 14-28 with a Cyclone GT rear derailleur. I don't remember ever having to cut the original chain, but when I put it back to original with the original 14-30 freewheel, the chain was too short. I dug up a new old stock chain, and still had to cut 5 links of another new chain to get it to work with the 14-30 freewheel and original VXGT rear derailleur. Luckily I had several new old stock original chains that I squirreled away back when the bike was new. If I remember right, the original chain, as removed from the bike then was 117 links and the new chain came out of the box with only 114 links. I needed 119.

Hmm. It's quite possible that I'm simply not remembering the last chain change correctly. It's an '84 Peugeot P-series sport tourer with relatively, but not extremely, relaxed geometry.

Like Miguel, the "standard length" SRAM chain I bought was too short. Bought a second to harvest links from. Then I had all the extras I needed for a while.
I've typically had that problem on all the long chainstay rides I've built.

My last SRAM PC-830 was 114 links, but that was a while back. Pre pandemic.