Chain length question i never really thought about before

[Catagory6]

setup is 34x50 chain rings. 12-36 cassette. medium cage RD.

will a standard 114 link chain be long enough?

[bm0p700f]

Prossibly not but only one way to find out.

[bm0p700f]

What rd are you using?

[Catagory6]

What rd are you using?

campagnolo with a wolf tooth hanger extender.
YES, i know that campagnolo doesn't make a 12-36. i've got everything figured out.

i'll look for mtb chains

[2lo8]

It depends on chainstay length

[boots2000]

In most cases it will be long enough.

I have used a 114 link chain with 34/50 and 11-40 cassette on 422mm chainstays.

setup is 34x50 chain rings. 12-36 cassette. medium cage RD.

will a standard 114 link chain be long enough?

[ooo]

for chainstay >425 it is too short

[TobinHatesYou]

My bike stats:
410mm chainstays
50/34x11-32t gearing
SRAM eTap WiFli derailleur

Using the big-big chain sizing method results in 108 half-links. Using the simple equation of 2(16.142)+50/4+32/4+1=53.784...rounded to 54 and multiplied by 2 = 108 links.

——

For you:
Using a 425mm chainstay length, the simple equation dictates for you 114 half-links, but I’m unsure if a RoadLink requires additional length.

[alcatraz]

It depends on the distance between your wheel axle and your crank axle. Every frame is different.

Also the size of your big+big cog-chainring tooth amount.

[Catagory6]

i have extra lengths of chain links here and there in my parts drawer, from previous chains that i've had to size down for other bicycles.
if i need to add some length onto a chain for this project, would it be safe to use a "quick connect" link (wipperman/kmc-style) to splice in that extra length, along with the other "quick connect" link i would be using to mate the two ends?

[TobinHatesYou]

Trust the math we already did for you.

[Catagory6]

Trust the math we already did for you.

yes, I saw that. thank you.
my concern is that 114 links wont be enough, and i think that is what i have on the KMC chain i'm planning to use.
in the distant past it was common to push out a pin to the point where the chain would separate.
remove the chain. clean/whatever, and then reinstall by pushing the same pin back into place.
is this acceptable on KMC chains? or better off using the quick connect link?

[alcatraz]

On a big riders trek domane 114l was the right length for a 34/50 + 11-36 setup. His pulley wheels are also slightlt oversized @ 10t+14t. Derailleur cage is 82mm.

/a

[TobinHatesYou]

My estimate of a 425mm chainstay is basically a worst case scenario for a gravel bike or cx bike. If you have a normal road bike, the chainstays will be shorter. 114 links is a worst case scenario.

[mattr]

in the distant past it was common to push out a pin to the point where the chain would separate.
remove the chain. clean/whatever, and then reinstall by pushing the same pin back into place.
is this acceptable on KMC chains? or better off using the quick connect link?

Reinstalling chain pins is a fairly significant risk. Modern chains mushroom or peen the head of each pin to ensure it's a tight (really tight) fit in the outer plates.
Once you've pushed it out, the fit will be looser, and there will be a risk of it separating during shifting or loading the system.

Two quick links is perfectly safe if they are both fitted properly.

Mushrooming of the heads has been done since the 8 speed era, so it's been a while since it was a good idea to rejoin a chain using the pin!