Not having cut or fit a new chain to a bike, I had a bike shop do it to avoid screwing it up.
I installed a new RD (Ultegra R8000), recabled the bike and had the shop install the chain and index the gears (even though I did it again myself). The issue I have is that I can barely shift into the largest rear cog. And when I do, the chain is grinding horribly (can’t even pedal) on the lower pulley when in the Big Ring. I’ve never had this issue before. So my question is, looking at the cage/pulley position when in Big Ring and 2nd Largest Cog (can barely get into the largest), is the chain cut too small? The cage looks awfully horizontal than I’m use to seeing it.
I think it’s too short. Although cross chaining is not great, you are more likely to use the big-big combo over the small-small combo, so erroring on the side of a bit too long of a chain is better.
Side note: I recommend flipping around that skewer so the clamping lever is on the rotor side of your bike. A fallen or jammed chained is much more likely to open the lever.
Too short. I use the small/small method when sizing a chain. Place the chain on the smallest cog and the small chainring (assuming a double), then remove just enough links that the rear derailleur cage doesn’t fold over and hit the chain. Sanity check to make sure you can still shift into the large chainring and second largest cog without it looking like your bike looks now .
thank you for the responses…too short it is. i know it’s not ideal to ever be in this combo of big ring big cog, but it still bothers me that I can’t make use of all gears. i will add another link and go from there - I could’ve messed it up doing it, but not acceptable to pay for something like this.
Put it on big + big then should have 2 ‘spare’ links min (ie able to make a small ‘fold’ in the chain.)
At some point you will inadvertently shift big + big. And when you do with th the set up you have there, it will all go wrong… youll end up with the chain jammed with a huge locked-in force, somethong else will shift or bend, and you’ll be stranded with a locked up back wheel.
(That happened to me once on an mtb ride - I’d had to shorten the chain after a breakage, to get home… sure enough despite knowing to not go big + big i did by accident. The back wheel moved in the dropouts and jammed as i pushed hard down on the pedal, caused te wheel to jam and the chain to be under huge force. Couldn’t remove wheel or shift, had to break chain again to sort.
Can the cage still swing out a little? If so, it is technically OK. The chain is making contact at several points along both jockey wheels. Maybe they thought you wanted a super weight weenie setup and made the chain as short/light while still being functional?
However, that looks like a pretty close stacked cassette. You would not be able to swap on something bigger if needed.
So, like above, I fit mine to the little-little and make sure the RD is a little under tension and the cage arms don’t touch. I just make sure to do that on an 11-25 cassette. That way, it is a little heavier, but I can put on a 28 or 32T cassette and it’ll be OK.
The bigger topic is: bikes are way easier to work on than you might think and fitting a chain is one of the simplest tasks. Sending it to the shop because “they’ll do it right” is not a sure thing. As mentioned above, they may have a different philosophy (ultra weight weenie) than you OR the tech may have simply been in a super rush and botched it. You’ll take way more care since it is your bike.
Next time, give it a shot yourself! (You might even already have all the tools you need if your multitool has a chain breaker on it. If not, a decent dedicated chain breaker is insanely expensive, about $10.)
I call BS on any shop doing this. There is more to the story like he has changed cluster/wheel/chainrings after the shop touched it.
I bet the poster actually has done this himself.
You are at least 4 links too short.
I call BS on any shop doing this. There is more to the story like he has changed cluster/wheel/chainrings after the shop touched it.
I bet the poster actually has done this himself.
You are at least 4 links too short.
put your money where your mouth is and put some money on it…i’ll provide you with the receipt from last week and i’ll gladly take any pocket change you might have left.
Ever heard of car mechanics forgetting to put an oil plug or oil cap back on after and oil change? It happens. Techs are human and make mistakes. Maybe they were working on more than one bike and got chains swapped around. Who knows?
I also agree with another poster, changing your own chain is fairly simple and a chain breaker tool off amazon gets the job done.
I suspect it’s too short as well. Your GS cage makes me lean in that direction.
But, to know for sure, I’d like to see a pic with the chain on the small ring and the big cog. If the derailleur can’t take up any more chain, then the chain is as long as it can be. If there’s still room, then the chain is too short.
That chain is definitely too short. I fear for the longevity of your derailleur if you try to shift up to the largest cog. At best it just won’t shift, at worst it’s going to rip the thing right of the bike.
Maybe it was just a mistake, maybe it was an inexperienced person doing the work, or maybe the shop just sucks, but they owe you a new chain.
Ever heard of car mechanics forgetting to put an oil plug or oil cap back on after and oil change? It happens. Techs are human and make mistakes. Maybe they were working on more than one bike and got chains swapped around. Who knows?
I also agree with another poster, changing your own chain is fairly simple and a chain breaker tool off amazon gets the job done.
Hope the shop makes it right for you, OP.
That is so obviously wrong that any casual glance at the bike from anybody in the shop would have spotted it.
I don’t know any mechanic that would not run through big/big and small/small combination to confirm length.
I wouldn’t even take it back to the shop involved and go somewhere else if this is really shop work.
