#!markdown
_As always I left one pair of links worth of slack on the chain, just in case
I needed an emergency fix out on a ride._
I don't understand this. Why not run the chain at the right length all the
time and carry a Powerlink or similar for emergency fixes? Otherwise, the
chain will run for an indefinite amount of time at a suboptimal length before
it breaks (if it ever does) before it is finally sized properly.
I haven't found that my bikes handle extra chain length very well (more chain
slap, slower shifting, more dropped chains, etc.), but I have never used a
1×10 or 1×11 system. Maybe some drivetrains accept an extra link without a
problem?
TEMPLE
Jan. 22, 2014, 6:04 a.m. - TEMPLE
#!markdown _As always I left one pair of links worth of slack on the chain, just in case I needed an emergency fix out on a ride._ I don't understand this. Why not run the chain at the right length all the time and carry a Powerlink or similar for emergency fixes? Otherwise, the chain will run for an indefinite amount of time at a suboptimal length before it breaks (if it ever does) before it is finally sized properly. I haven't found that my bikes handle extra chain length very well (more chain slap, slower shifting, more dropped chains, etc.), but I have never used a 1×10 or 1×11 system. Maybe some drivetrains accept an extra link without a problem? TEMPLE