Is it OK to shorten the chain?

[santosh kumar]

Hi,

A couple of days ago, while I was riding around my house on my MTB, the chain snapped. What I'm guessing happened is that I might have continued pedalling even though the chain had not completely shifted.

I came home, and removed the broken link and one more link to make sure that I had an alternating inner and outer link. Hammered the pin back and started riding.

After shortening the chain, the ride feels normal. Shifting and all, happening smooth as before.

But is it really OK to ride with a chain which is couple of links shorter? Or will it cause any damage to rest of the drive train?

Cheers

Santosh 

[Prashanth Chengi]

It's definitely not ok to ride with a shortened chain. Since it seems to feel normal, despite the shorted length, it probably means that the chain was highly worn already, and it also means that your cassette has been subject to abuse. Your drive train is already damaged, so I think you can continue to use it till the chain fails completely, or you start getting chain slippage, or you feel like changing both chain and cassette (whichever comes first). 

Note that worn out chains also accelerate wear of the chain rings, which are generally far more durable than cassettes. Let that figure in your decision to change the chain and cassette (do it as a set). 

/Prashanth

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[santosh kumar]

Hi Prashanth,

I was experiencing chain slippage on moderate climbs - like flyovers, before the shortening. I'm yet to test that part.

I do plan to change the cassette and the chain after another 1000k or so with the present set. 

Will the shorter chain damage the derailleurs in particular?

Cheers

Santosh

[Prashanth Chengi]

Derailleurs are mechanical devices to simply maintain tension, and to either pull the chain closer, or push it apart. It doesn't wear out. If you mean the pulleys, those are almost bomb proof. What does wear out with a worn chain, are the cassette cogs, and the chain rings. Chain slippage is certainly an indicator of chain wear. If the chain seems to work, even after removal of two links, it means its massively worn. At this point, it could be downright dangerous. A chain failure in a high traffic city like Bangalore could be disastrous, and doesn't seem worth the cost saving in delaying replacement for another 1000 km. And a 1000 km is probably way too much for such a worn chain anyway! If you are also talking about rainy conditions and grime, it's just not a great idea, or so I feel.

/Prashanth

[santosh kumar]

Thanks man, I'll change it much sooner then.

[Narayan R]

If you have placed the links right, things will be fine.
Instead of hammering you could have used the chain tool itself.

With Regards,
R Narayan

[santosh kumar]

Opening the link with chain tool was easy, putting it back was difficult. Drove the pin with a hammer and final adjustment with chain tool.

Looks like I have to learn to use it better.

[santosh kumar]

Must have watched this before the exercise...

https://youtu.be/qgDcF0ReNaA

[Chidambaran Subramanian]

There is the Opendro school of thought which says that let the chainring, cassette and chain all at the same time , after 20000 km.

I am trying to follow that. 

BTW, my bottom brackets don't last long, any idea why?

[Prashanth Chengi]

What is your definition of long, Chiddu? 40,000 km? :) 
Most BBs generally get damaged either due to torrential rain (riding through rivers!), or pressure washing. A lot of people needlessly use pressure wash for cleaning bikes.  General splashing due to rain etc shouldn't cause damage, if you wipe the crank/bb after the ride.

/Prashanth

[Opendro]

Chidu, come over on one of the Sundays and I will teach you how to service the bottom bracket. I once did on my Merida. See my post https://groups.google.com/d/msg/bangalore-bikers/5PPa2R88eMw/-nDqjau3eTUJ

That Merida is still having that serviced bottom bracket and being used by my friend.

I still have the stock bottom bracket in my btwin sport 1 and it has done many monsoon rides.

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[Opendro]

BTW, about chain and cassette, I do make it a point to use at least three or four cogs in normal commute. Otherwise, in city commute speed, we end up grinding one or two cogs making the rest hardly unused and may eventually misfit.

About the chain length being reduced... there is no danger as such as long as you can shift to big front ring with large cog in the rear. In my case, I had cut so short that I cannot even do that. The reason was that my MTB came with a weak drivetrain which is not capable of dirt racing. The chain falls off in harsh conditions, even when I was in big ring. It is basically a weak tensioner in the derailleur. Cutting the chain shorter is creating that extra tension. I wouldn't suggest that you cut it this short, but I'm just giving you an idea.

On Tuesday, August 15, 2017 at 10:17:25 PM UTC+5:30, Chidambaran S( Chiddu) wrote:

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