I measured from the middle of each sprocket and it's 17 inches. Not sure what length of chain I should get
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3Long enough but not too long. (Seriously, it depends on whether this is a single-speed bike or derailleur style, if derailleur how many speeds and what their spread is, and how big the cogs are. You buy a chain that is "long enough" -- which most are, for standard bikes -- and then cut to length when you install it.)– Daniel R HicksJul 18, 2015 at 19:47
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For a derailleur bike, see this link on how to size a chain. For single speeds see this link.– BatmanJul 18, 2015 at 22:52
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Do you have the old chain still ?– Criggie ♦Nov 28, 2018 at 3:19
3 Answers
Usually there is just one length available with a bit over 100 links. Of course you have to shorten it so that it’s not slack on the smallest gear combination and not too tight (i.e. breaking the rear derailleur) on the biggest gear combination.
For a single speed bike I used a chain with 112 links and cut it.
You could just count the links of the old chain.
https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/chain-length-sizing
Good article on chain length, covers the whole spectrum.
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2Welcome to the site! While Park Tool's articles are always of perfect quality, posting just a link here as an answer is discouraged as links tend to become broken sooner than one expects. Thus it does not contribute to this Q&A community goals. Please take 5 minutes to read the Tour to see how this is different from regular web forums. Nov 27, 2018 at 8:52
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2Yes, the problem here is that the link will break the next time Park Tool reorganize their website, and companies do that quite often. Posting a quick summary (a couple of short paragraphs would be fine) will ensure that there's still some information in your answer when the link inevitably breaks. Nov 27, 2018 at 11:14